Action from the Costa Rican Verano game between Alajuelense (left) and Saprissa on February 22, 2015. (Photo: Imagenes en Costa Rica)

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica – The 2015 Costa Rican Verano will conclude Wednesday without much overwhelming drama, but there are some intriguing features attached to the evening that merit attention.

 Though the top four teams in the table and the semifinalists – barring a remarkable turn of events – seem settled, proceedings are not as a clear as they initially appear.

 Saprissa (13W-3D-5L, 42 points, GD +21) has basically wrapped up the top seed.  Only a lop-sided loss by the Monstruo Morado at Carmelita, combined with an equally dispropotionate win by second-place Santos de Guapiles (12W-3D-6L, 39 points, GD +4) over host Herediano (11W-5D-5L, 38 points, GD +5), could change which side has the view from the standings’ highest perch come Thursday morning.

 If the status quo rules, Santos de Guapiles and Herediano will meet again in the final four, while Saprissa would square off against rival Alajuelense (9W-7D-5L, 34 points, GD +15), which can finish no better than fourth.

 The Manudos, though, still face the possibility of missing out on the playoffs altogether.  In order for that to occur, they would have to suffer a heavy defeat against visiting AS Puma (6W-5D-10L, 23 points, GD -7) and Perez Zeledon (10W-1D-10L, 31 points, GD 0) would need to beat Uruguay (7W-7D-7L, 28 points, GD +1) by an exceedingly large margin.

 After its elimination from the 2014/15 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL) by the Impact de Montreal at the semifinal stage last month, Alajuelense went winless in three straight domestic matches, before posting two consecutive wins by a combined score of 6-0.

 Other items of to watch:

  •  Mauricio Wright, who guided Herediano to the 2014/15 SCCL semifinals, resigned as head coach on April 29 after a 4-0 loss at Alajuelense a day earlier.  His replacement, former manager Odir Jacques, led the Florenses to a win in his return, 2-1, over two-time defending champion and host Saprissa on May 3.  Jacques, 69, won titles with Herediano in 1978, 1981, 1985 and the 2012 Verano.
  •  Santos has won six consecutive matches, scoring two goals or more in its last four outings.
  • Saprissa is winless in four of its last seven Verano outings, scoring and conceding at least one goal in each game over that stretch.
  • In order for Alajuelense to gain an automatic berth to its fifth straight SCCL, it must capture the Verano title.  Saprissa claimed the first of Costa Rica’s two places in the 2015/16 edition by winning the 2014 Invierno.