Antigua GFC was close to rescuing a point in its debut in the 2026 Central American Cup, but ended up falling 2-1 against Alianza FC, at the Cuscatlán stadium, in a match that was resolved in the final minutes and left the Guatemalan team without reward despite its reaction in the complement.
The match began with an intense pace and chances for both teams. Antigua warned from the beginning with two shots by Agustín Maziero that demanded goalkeeper Darío Joya and later caused concern again with attempts by Juan David Moreno and Diego Palencia.
Alianza responded with approaches from Henry Romero and Herbert Osorio, until in the 30th minute they found the advantage when Osorio defined an offensive action to make it 1-0.
Far from getting disorganized after the goal, the team led by Mauricio Tapia maintained order and returned to the second half with a greater presence in attack. The income of José Espinoza and José Fajardo gave depth to the colonial group, which began to settle more frequently in rival territory.
Antigua’s growth was rewarded in the 76th minute. After warning with a shot eight minutes earlier, Óscar Castellanos appeared again to score 1-1 and reflect the best moment of the Guatemalan representative.
The tie, however, did not change the general balance of the match. Alianza created danger again shortly after and regained the advantage in the 85th minute, when they took advantage of a new arrival to score the final 2-1 and put their first victory in the tournament on track.
Antigua did not give up the attack. César Mora forced Joya to intervene in the 90th minute and the team still had a corner kick in stoppage time, but did not find the goal that would allow them to rescue a tie in Salvadoran territory.
The statistics reflected a more balanced match than the score suggests. Antigua finished with 55% of the possession and six shots on goal, compared to two for Alianza. However, the Salvadoran team generated the most dangerous chances, with 1.44 expected goals (xG) against 0.73 for the Guatemalan team and three great opportunities compared to two, a difference that ended up tilting the result in favor of the local team.
With the victory, Alianza provisionally assumed the lead in Group B with three points. Antigua was left without units after the first day, while Herediano, Marathón and Real Estelí have not yet debuted in the competition.
The defeat forces the colonial team to look for its first points on August 13when you receive Marathonfrom Honduras, at the Pensativo stadium, in a match that could mark their path to qualifying for the next phase.
Keys to the match
- Herbert Osorio put Alianza ahead in the 30th minute.
- Antigua reacted after the break and tied with a goal from Óscar Castellanos in the 76th minute.
- Alianza regained the lead in the 85th minute and secured the three points.
- Antigua finished with more possession (55%) and more shots on goal (6-2).
- Alianza generated the highest quality chances (1.44 xG and three great chances), a factor that explained their victory.