No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomesportsSoccerAt least 11 arrested as fights in bleachers mar Saprissa vs. Alajuelense...

At least 11 arrested as fights in bleachers mar Saprissa vs. Alajuelense soccer match

Deportivo Saprissa and Liga Deportiva Alajuelense tied at a goal apiece in the Costa Rican football classic, played Sunday afternoon at Ricardo Saprissa Stadium in San Juan de Tibás.

Christian Bolaños — who featured in Costa Rica’s last three World Cup appearances — opened scoring in the 15th minute.

The Alajuelenses equaled in 49th minute with Jonathan McDonald, who scored his 17th goal in Costa Rican classics. In addition, ‘Big Mac’ became the ninth-best scorer in Costa Rican club soccer history with 41.

Two players were expelled: Honduran Alex Lopez, for La Liga, and Manfred Ugalde, for Saprissa.

And that tension spilled into the bleachers as the game was interrupted on two occasions, both in the first half, by incidents with the so-called Ultra Morada (“ultras” who support Saprissa), who fought among themselves.

According to a report from the National Police, there were at least 11 people detained following the commotion.

Elsewhere in Costa Rican club soccer, a match between Guadeloupe and Grecia was postponed due to a problem with the latter’s participation license.

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he "illegitimately used" his...

Costa Rica’s Piangua Mollusk Threatened by Pineapple Farm Runoff

Costa Rica’s Térraba-Sierpe National Wetland, a 33,000-hectare haven of mangroves and rivers, is under siege from an unlikely source: pineapple farms. A study by...

Climate Change in Costa Rica Devastates Coffee Farms in Los Santos

In Costa Rica’s Los Santos region, famous for producing nearly half the country’s coffee, farmers are reeling from heavy losses driven by wild weather....

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

An Expat’s Take: 5 Burning Questions About Life in Costa Rica Right Now

Have you been keeping up with the various events taking place in Costa Rica? There is always something interesting going down, and here are...

Guatemala Offers Asylum to Nicaraguan Migrants Deported by U.S.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo announced on Friday that his country will grant asylum to Nicaraguan migrants deported by the United States who do not...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica