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

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Alianza v Motagua

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Comunicaciones v Motagua

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Saprissa v Comunicaciones

9 March 1997	Saprissa	0 – 1	Comunicaciones	San José, Costa Rica
	Nil		Marco Benatto File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 soccer ball with check mark Alejandro Curbelo soccer ball with check mark Joaquin Canales soccer ball with check mark		Miguel Coronado soccer ball with check mark Raul Calderon soccer ball with check mark Rigoberto Gómez soccer ball with red X Erick Miranda soccer ball with red X

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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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 76'		Nil	Stadium: Estadio Cuscatlán

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Saprissa v Motagua

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Saprissa v Alianza

25 April 1997	Saprissa	3 – 2	Alianza	San José, Costa Rica
	Adrián Andrés Mahía File:Soccerball shade.svg 23' File:Soccerball shade.svg 42' File:Soccerball shade.svg 77'		Guevara File:Soccerball shade.svg 35' Jose Lugo File:Soccerball shade.svg 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

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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

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Olimpia v Municipal

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Municipal v Alajuelense

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Municipal v Olimpia

12 March 1997	Municipal	1 – 0	Olimpia	Guatemala City, Guatemala
	Enoy Dosantos File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 1'		Bérnal Mullins File:Soccerball shade.svg 32' File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 11' Duban Areas File:Soccerball shade.svg 20' Claudio de Oliveira File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 26' File:Soccerball shade.svg 44' Armando Lindo Lazo File:Soccerball shade.svg File:Soccerball shade.svg		Dolmo Flores File:Soccerball shade.svg 5' File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 6' File:Soccerball shade.svg 58' Victor Badilla File:Soccerball shade.svg 69'		William Chinchilla File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 2' Richard Mahoney File:Soccerball shade.svg 8' Bernal Mullins File:Soccerball shade.svg 71'		Jorge Garay File:Soccerball shade.svg 20' Armando Lindo File:Soccerball shade.svg 60' Noe Fuentes File:Soccerball shade.svg 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 File:Soccerball shade.svg 83'	Stadium: Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá

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