Kenyel's Double Sinks Saprissa as Alajuelense Reignites Costa Rican Title Race at Morera Soto

On an electric night at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, LD Alajuelense announced themselves—loud and clear—as title contenders, delivering a 2-0 statement victory over league leaders Deportivo Saprissa, and in the process vaulting the Primera División title chase into high drama. The architect of Saprissa’s undoing: Michel Kenyel, whose brace in each half defined the contest and unsettled the balance atop the Costa Rican table.

As the whistle sounded, the stakes were plain. Saprissa arrived in Alajuela with a slender two-point lead—a margin the host had every intention of erasing. Recent history favored Alajuelense, who had edged Saprissa 1-0 in the previous encounter in August—a rare result in a rivalry so accustomed to drama and volatility.

The first 20 minutes played to type: tense, physical, and brimming with urgency. With both sets of supporters in full voice, neither side was willing to blink first—until Kenyel imposed himself, altering the script with surgical precision.

In the 21st minute, the breakthrough arrived. Capitalizing on a momentary lapse in Saprissa’s back line, Kenyel latched onto a well-weighted diagonal ball delivered just outside the penalty arc. With a deft first touch, he wrong-footed his marker and unleashed a low drive across the face of goal, squeezing the shot just inside the far post. The eruption in the stands was as much relief as it was celebration—a sign that Alajuelense was up for the fight.

Saprissa, stunned but hardly outmatched, responded with their customary verve. Mariano Torres orchestrated from deep, seeking any avenue to pry open the Alajuelense defense. Twice before halftime Saprissa threatened, first through Orlando Sinclair, whose glancing header scraped the top of the crossbar, and then via Kendall Waston, who forced a sharp save from Leonel Moreira just before the break.

If the opening goal had tilted the balance, the second all but seized it. Six minutes after the restart, Alajuelense pressed their advantage with ruthless efficiency. A quick transition caught Saprissa’s midfield out of shape, and a bursting run down the left culminated in a squared ball to Kenyel. The striker, brimming with confidence, took one touch to settle and another to rifle a shot beyond Saprissa’s helpless goalkeeper. With his second of the night—his league tally swelling under the brightest lights—Morera Soto erupted once more, the weight of the occasion unmistakable.

Alajuelense, buoyed by a 2-0 cushion, marshaled their lines with veteran discipline. Defensive midfielders tracked every Saprissa advance, and center backs met crosses with authority. Despite Saprissa’s efforts to claw back—a late surge headlined by set-piece threats and overlapping fullbacks—the visitors’ finishing deserted them. Neither side saw red, but the contest was marked by full-blooded challenges and a palpable sense of consequence as the minutes ebbed away.

Tonight’s result reverberates well beyond the ninety minutes. For Alajuelense, the victory extends their unbeaten run to three in league play, following recent triumphs over Herediano and a hard-earned draw with Puntarenas. A slow-burning campaign now finds new momentum, and with 21 points from 11 matches, Alajuelense leapfrog closer to Saprissa, narrowing the gap at the summit to a razor-thin margin.

For Saprissa, the loss is a sobering reminder of the league’s competitive parity. A string of impressive October results—commanding wins away at San Carlos and at home to Cartaginés—had swelled belief around Tibás. Yet, the inability to breach Alajuelense’s defense, just as in the August reverse fixture, exposes an urgent need for clinical edge and adaptability against organized opposition.

The implications for the title race are unmistakable. With both sides locked in a neck-and-neck pursuit—Saprissa on 23 points from 12 games, Alajuelense on 21 from 11—the battle for Costa Rica’s crown has seldom felt more precarious. The head-to-head narrative, favoring Alajuelense after consecutive shutouts, adds another layer of intrigue as the championship race tightens into its final phase.

Looking ahead, both clubs face a gauntlet of challenges. Alajuelense must channel their momentum into consistency, keeping pressure on Saprissa while navigating domestic and Continental assignments. Saprissa, still leaders but no longer untouchable, must regroup and rediscover their scoring touch before rivals sense further vulnerability.

On a night when the stakes were clear and execution paramount, it was Michel Kenyel and Alajuelense who rose to the occasion—reshaping the championship narrative and ensuring that, in Costa Rica, the road to glory remains joyously uncertain.