MIAMI – The 2025 Concacaf Central American Cup awaits its champion, with CSD Xelajú MC and defending champion LD Alajuelense facing off in the decisive second leg of the Final on Wednesday at Estadio Cementos Progreso in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
The two sides opened the series playing to a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica. Xelajú will now seek to rally behind the support if its home crowd in search of lifting a historic first international cup, while Alajuelense seeks to claim the crown for a third consecutive edition.
As the clock winds down ahead of the decisive showdown, let’s review notable quotes from the head coaches and select players from both sides previewing the highly anticipated second leg of the 2025 Central American Cup Final.
CSD Xelajú MC
Head Coach Amarini Villatoro
“I have no doubt tomorrow, regardless of the score, that the fans will be supporting and singing the entire time. That's the extra boost this team has, the one that has allowed us to overcome the impossible in many final and semifinals.”
“We've analyzed our opponent, their games in Honduras where they've been strong, where they've made the difference, and we're going to try not to make those mistakes…It's going to be a very tactical, well-studied match from both teams.”
Goalkeeper Darío Silva
“We have the opportunity to achieve something historic for the club and for ourselves as individuals. Hopefully, fate will be on our side.”
“We must not lose our identity. I think we’ve been doing a great job; there’s a reason we’re in the final today, competing against a great team. We’re no less than them, I think we’re on equal footing. We’re at home, with our fans, and God willing, we’ll achieve our goal.”
Midfielder Juan Cardona
“I’ve dreamed about this. In my mind, I thought about what it would feel like to lift a title like this, and today we’re on the verge of achieving that dream. We know it won’t be easy. We’re facing a rival with a great history, with very experienced players, but I think we have a team with a lot of hunger, a lot of ambition to keep making and writing history at this club.”
Midfielder Jesús López
“It’s something very important to me personally, we’ve been dreaming about it. Jorge Aparicio, who’s my roommate, and I would talk before every game, ‘Imagine if we were playing a final,’ and the team we wanted to face was Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.”
“We have a great responsibility to all the people of Xela who have been supporting us every step of the way. That’s an extra motivation that drives us to give it our all on the field.”
Forward Pedro Baez
“Tomorrow’s match is going to be something truly impressive. We are all very focused and happy to be able to enjoy such a beautiful final in the club’s history. We will try to do our best to keep the cup here in Guatemala.”
“I only have words of gratitude for the people who have always supported us, who have always been there. What we are doing is for them. We know that tomorrow’s match will be packed. If we keep the cup here, it will be a very important achievement, and it is for the people who have always been with us.”
Captain Jorge Aparicio
“As an institution, as a city, we are on the verge of the most important match in Xelajú's history. We know that tomorrow's match will be a battle, that we are facing a great rival. But I also believe we have our own strengths, we showed them in Costa Rica.”
“Today we are here against all odds, we are enjoying this final, and it is a feeling of great pride for the group of players who are achieving something important…We hope to capitalize on all of this tomorrow with the title so we can give something so important to our fans, to a city that I believe deserves this.”
LD Alajuelense
Head Coach Óscar Ramírez
“I don’t think the atmosphere has affected us in our away games, and hopefully it won’t tomorrow either. It’s been an important semester, and now we’re trying to achieve our second goal. The first was the Super Cup, now this one, and God willing, we’ll get it.”
“It would be a significant achievement; winning is always important, and I think the club has always treated it that way, and its history shows that. It would be wonderful to win the three-peat, of course, but we still have these ninety or more minutes to play against a good team.”
Attacker Anthony Hernández
“It would be a source of pride, an honor, for both the country and the institution to win the three-peat. We are very calm, and I know that tomorrow we can do things in the best way possible.”
Forward Diego Campos
“It’s not easy to reach a final, let alone three in a row. We know it’s a huge responsibility, so we’re under maximum pressure because we want to lift the cup once again…Just because we won the first two cups doesn’t mean we’ve lost our desire to be champions.”
Captain Celso Borges
“The message is mostly one of calmness. It’s about knowing how to manage emotions, especially not losing sight of the fact that playing in a final is wonderful and a privilege. We're in a fantastic situation, competing for a title, so above all, we have to stay focused on that and not on excessive responsibilities.”
“We have a responsibility, of course, because we're a huge club and we always play to win, but then there's the fact that we're playing for what we've dreamed of for so long, which is being in finals.”
“What we want is to bring joy to the fans and for them to feel proud of their team. We're going to fight until the very end to make that happen.”
Forward Ronaldo Cisneros
“I think it’s going to be a final like any other, a tough final. We know we have to go out and win the game, but I also think we have the advantage or the experience of having already been in this situation in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, where we had to go out and win against Motagua and against Olimpia away from home. We’re going to use our strengths to try and hurt our opponent.”
“We have the dream of a three-peat for the club, and we hope it will be a happy day for La Liga fans.”
Defender Alexis Gamboa
“I think it’s going to be a very difficult match against a great opponent. We’re here in a final against them for a reason, and we hope to God we can do things right to achieve our goal.”
“What we always ask is that we push ourselves to the limit, to give our best in every match.”
