The final match of the Costa Rica First Division Summer Tournament between Club Sport Herediano (CSH) and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense (LDA) resulted in CSH being crowned champions after winning by a score of 2 (3) – 2 (2) after an electrifying match that required a penalty kick shootout.

Tickets for this match were completely sold out earlier this week, and thus CSH and LDA fans packed the Eladio Rosabal Cordero stadium in Heredia during a crispy night devoid of rain. As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, the first match of this final series ended with a tied score of 1 – 1 at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in Alajuela. For this reason, neither club enjoyed any type of numerical advantage going into this final match, and thus things got off to a very cautious start.

CSH and LDA started off the first half playing a guarded style of football that mostly consisted of winger plays culminating in crosses that were quickly cleared by alert defenders. Strikers from both clubs were quickly neutralized as they attempted to launch incursions into the box. Around the 25-minute mark, LDA began to assert more dominance on the pitch while CSH insisted on counterattacks and headers, a strategy that paid off around the 30-minute mark with a spectacular header by Argentine player Jonathan Hansen.

Down by one goal, LDA changed to a more offensive posture against CSH. Opportunistic LDA strikers Jonathan McDonald and Johan Venegas were very much in demand in the last 15 minutes of the first half; nonetheless, CSH had assigned shadow markers who did not allow the LDA star attackers to get close too close to the goalposts.

In the second half, LDA swarmed the CSH back line with repeated attacks that were cleared off every time. The match was tied by another Argentine player, Pablo Antonio Gabas, who took advantage of a loose ball after a corner kick to even the score for LDA. Minutes later, CSH was very close to scoring on a header play by Randall Azofeifa. To the delight of football fans, the match really picked up at that point, and goalkeepers Pemberton of LDA and Moreira of CSH were forced to fly on a couple of occasions.

The second half ended 1 – 1, thus requiring overtime and at least one goal by either club to be declared champions of Costa Rica’s top professional football league. In the first 15 minutes of overtime, the players were visibly nervous and tired but resolute. LDA quickly went on the offensive; similar to the first goal by Gabas, Johan Venegas found a loose ball after a corner kick play, which he converted into a goal with a rocket shot. At that point, coach Ramirez of LDA substituted a striker for a defender and applied the catenaccio with a five-player back line.

With the bus firmly parked, LDA defensively dominated the rest of the match as CSH attempted to score with solid attacks that culminated in a desperate, last-minute goal by Keyner Brown, which tied the match 2 – 2, thus requiring a nail-biting penalty kick shootout to define the First Division champion of Costa Rica. A few shots were missed and two were spectacularly stopped by CSH goalkeeper Moreira.

CSH, a club affectionately called “El Team” by loyal fans, was acquired in 2013 by David Patey, an expat businessman from the United States. Under Mr. Patey’s management, CSH has returned to football greatness in Costa Rica after a slump that lasted a few years. This is the 24^th championship by CSH.