1997 Torneo Grandes de Centroamérica

1997 Torneo Grandes de Centroamérica

Tournament details
Dates	19 February–11 June 1997
Teams	8 (from 4 associations)
Final positions
Champions	Alianza (1st title)
Runners-up	Saprissa
Tournament statistics
Matches played	28
Goals scored	72 (2.57 per match)
← 1996 1998 →

Alianza F.C. from El Salvador won the 1997 Torneo Grandes de Centroamerica after defeating Deportivo Saprissa in a single final match played in Costa Rica.

Teams

Association	Team	Qualifying method	App.	Previous best
Costa Rica	Alajuelense	1996–97 Champions	4th	Champions (1996)
	Saprissa	1996–97 Runners-up	11th	Champions (1972, 1973, 1978)
El Salvador	Alianza	1996–97 Champions	8th	Runners-up (1980)
	Águila	1996–97 Regular season winners	9th	Runners-up (1973)
Guatemala	Comunicaciones	1996–97 Champions	14th	Champions (1971, 1983)
	Municipal	Invitee	10th	Champions (1974, 1977)
Honduras	Olimpia	1996–97 Champions	3rd	Champions (1981)
	Motagua	Invitee	2nd	Group stage (1979)

Group A

Motagua v Saprissa

19 February 1997	Motagua	0 – 0 (4 – 5 p)	Saprissa	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
	Nil		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino

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Comunicaciones v Alianza

19 February 1997	Comunicaciones	2 – 2 (3 – 4 p)	Alianza	Guatemala City, Guatemala
				Stadium: Estadio Cementos Progreso

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Alianza v Motagua

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Comunicaciones v Motagua

5 March 1997	Comunicaciones	1 – 1 (4 – 2 p)	Motagua	Guatemala City, Guatemala
				Stadium: Estadio Cementos Progreso

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Saprissa v Comunicaciones

9 March 1997	Saprissa	0 – 1	Comunicaciones	San José, Costa Rica
	Nil		Marco Benatto 18'	Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

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Motagua v Comunicaciones

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Comunicaciones v Saprissa

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Alianza v Comunicaciones

26 March 1997	Alianza	0 – 0 (3 – 2 p)	Comunicaciones	San Salvador, El Salvador
	Nil		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán
	Penalties
	Nelson Rojas Alejandro Curbelo Joaquin Canales		Miguel Coronado Raul Calderon Rigoberto Gómez Erick Miranda

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Motagua v Alianza

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Alianza v Saprissa

15 April 1997	Alianza	1 – 0	Saprissa	San Salvador, El Salvador
	Joaquin Canales 76'		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán

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Saprissa v Motagua

21 April 1997	Saprissa	2 – 1	Motagua	San José, Costa Rica
	Adrián Andrés Mahía		Costa	Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

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Saprissa v Alianza

25 April 1997	Saprissa	3 – 2	Alianza	San José, Costa Rica
	Adrián Andrés Mahía 23' 42' 77'		Guevara 35' Jose Lugo 47'	Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	PKW	PKL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Saprissa	6	3	1	0	2	8	7	+1	11
2	Alianza	6	1	4	0	1	7	7	0	11
3	Motagua	6	1	0	4	1	8	8	0	7
4	Comunicaciones	6	1	1	2	2	9	10	−1	7

Source:

• Saprissa and Alianza qualified to the Semifinals.

Group B

Alajuelense v Olimpia

19 February 1997	Alajuelense	2 – 2 (4 – 2 p)	Olimpia	Alajuela, Costa Rica
	Froylán Ledezma 51' Bernal Mullins 78'		Wilmer Velásquez 36' Nahúm Espinoza 43'	Stadium: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto

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Aguila v Municipal

20 February 1997	Aguila	0 – 0 (4 – 2 p)	Municipal	San Miguel, El Salvador
	Nil		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza

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Olimpia v Aguila

26 February 1997	Olimpia	1 – 1 (5 – 6 p)	Aguila	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
				Stadium: Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino

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Olimpia v Municipal

6 March 1997	Olimpia	0 – 1	Municipal	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
	Nil		TBD	Stadium: Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino

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Municipal v Alajuelense

9 March 1997	Municipal	0 – 1	Alajuelense	Guatemala City, Guatemala
	Nil		Bérnal Mullins 88'	Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores

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Municipal v Olimpia

12 March 1997	Municipal	1 – 0	Olimpia	Guatemala City, Guatemala
	Enoy Dosantos 67'		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores

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Aguila v Alajuelense

12 March 1997	Aguila	1 – 2	Alajuelense	San Miguel, El Salvador
	Jorge Garay 1'		Bérnal Mullins 32' 80'	Stadium: Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza Attendance: 5.000

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Municipal v Aguila

25 March 1997	Municipal	3 – 0	Aguila	Guatemala City, Guatemala
	Fabian Salas 11' Duban Areas 20' Claudio de Oliveira 70'		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores

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Olimpia v Alajuelense

26 March 1997	Olimpia	0 – 0 (4 – 2 p)	Alajuelense	Tegucigalpa, Honduras
	Nil		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino

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Aguila v Olimpia

2 April 1997	Aguila	4 – 2	Olimpia	San Miguel, El Salvador
	Jorge Garay 26' 44' Armando Lindo Lazo		Dolmo Flores 5' 52'	Stadium: Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza

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Alajuelense v Municipal

17 April 1997	Alajuelense	3 – 1	Municipal	Alajuela, Costa Rica
	Bérnal Mullins 6' 58' Victor Badilla 69'		William Chinchilla 42'	Stadium: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto Referee: Victorino Rodriguez

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Alajuelense v Aguila

22 April 1997	Alajuelense	3 – 3 (3 – 4 p)	Aguila	Alajuela, Costa Rica
	Josef Miso 2' Richard Mahoney 8' Bernal Mullins 71'		Jorge Garay 20' Armando Lindo 60' Noe Fuentes 60'	Stadium: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto Referee: Mario Alfaro Escobar

Standings

Pos	Team	Pld	W	PKW	PKL	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
1	Alajuelense	6	3	1	2	0	11	7	+4	13
2	Municipal	6	3	0	1	2	6	4	+2	10
3	Aguila	6	1	3	0	2	9	11	−2	9
4	Olimpia	6	0	1	2	3	5	9	−4	4

Source:

• Alajuelense and Municipal qualified to the Semifinals.

Semifinals

Municipal v Alianza

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Alajuelense v Saprissa

31 May 1997 1st leg	Alajuelense	0 – 4	Saprissa	Alajuela, Costa Rica
	Nil			Stadium: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto

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Alianza v Municipal

27 May 1997 2nd leg	Alianza	0 – 0 (4 – 2 p)	Municipal	San Salvador, El Salvador
	Nil		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán

• Alianza 2–2 Municipal on aggregate; Alianza won 4–2 on penalty shootouts.

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Saprissa v Alajuelense

Not played 2nd leg	Saprissa	v	Alajuelense	San José, Costa Rica
				Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

• Saprissa won 4–0 on aggregate; serie decided in one match.

Final

Saprissa v Alianza

11 June 1997 Final	Saprissa	0 – 1	Alianza	San José, Costa Rica
	Nil		Horacio Lugo 83'	Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

• Alianza 1997 Central American champion; series decided in one match.