The 1986 Copa Interamericana was the tenth edition of the Copa Interamericana, the annual football match contested between the winners of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the Copa Libertadores. It was played over two legs between Alajuelense of Costa Rica and River Plate of Argentina. The first leg was played at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, on 21 July 1987 and the second leg was played on 16 August 1987 at the Estadio Monumental, Buenos Aires. Both teams were appearing in the competition for the first time.
The teams had qualified for the tournament by winning the two seasonal continental competitions. River Plate were the reigning champions of the Copa Libertadores, winning the 1986 final against Colombian team América de Cali 3–1 on aggregate. Alajuelense won 1986 CONCACAF Champions' Cup, beating Surinamese team S.V. Transvaal 6–2 over two legs.
A crowd of 15,000 observed the first leg at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, which resulted in a goalless draw. Watched by a crowd of 25,000 at the Estadio Monumental, River Plate took the lead in the first half when Jorge Villazán scored. Their lead was extended after Juan Gilberto Funes also found the net in the 34th minute. The scoreline was stretched out again when Héctor Enrique made it 3–0. No further goals were scored with almost a half hour to end, consequently crowning River Plate as winners of the 1986 edition.
Background
The Copa Interamericana was an international competition played between 1969 and 1998 that paired the champions of the South American tournament Copa Libertadores and the North American CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The purpose was to determine the best team in the Americas.[2] It was specially relevant for the North American teams, as it was the highest international aspiration their side could achieve.[3]
River Plate qualified for the match as a result of winning the 1986 Copa Libertadores final, in which they defeated Colombian team América de Cali 3–1 on aggregate.[4] They were making their first appearance in the competition.[5]
Alajuelense had entered the competition as the CONCACAF Champions' Cup reigning champions. They had won the final of the 1986 edition against Surinamese side S.V. Transvaal with a 6–2 aggregate scoreline, becoming the first Costa Rican team to win North American's primary club football competition. Therefore, they were making their first appearance in the Copa Interamericana.[6]
First leg
Summary
Goalkeeper Alejandro González withstood River Plate's offensive pressure.
River Plate's manager Carlos Timoteo Griguol, expecting his team to be superior to their opponent, fielded a 4–3–3 formation for the match. Alajuelense would respond with a defensive scheme. The home team stood up to their opponents, coming close on several occasions to the goal defended by Sergio Goycochea. Eventually, Alajuelense abandoned its attacking approach, as the efforts made by River Plate to scare their defense were numerous, especially during the second half. The away side however failed to deliver their desired performance, as all of their attacks ran into goalkeeper Alejandro González, the undisputed man of the match.[7][8]
River Plate came away with a very different impression of the Costa Rican team, as their captain Américo Gallego later admitted: "What I liked most about the Costa Rican team was that they wanted to respect the spectacle and played toe-to-toe with our team. It was undoubtedly a very difficult match". Coach Griguol also praised Alajuelense on their showing: "The result doesn’t surprise me. I had heard about the league and how well prepared they are."[8]
Czechoslovak manager Josef Bouška addressed his team's performance, declaring: "Costa Rican football can compete with that of any place in the world". Coming into the second leg, he further added: "We will go to Buenos Aires with the mindset of performing well and avoiding a catastrophe."[8]
River Plate decided to go all out from the very first moment, taking an offensive approach. Alajuelense opted to sit back, looking to take advantage of any counterattacks that arose. They put up a good fight, steering clear of danger as Ronald Mora was in inspired form in the midfield, but ultimately conceded the first goal in the 16th minute.[9]Juan Gilberto Funes dribbled his way into the penalty area, unveiling a low center towards Uruguayan winger Jorge Villazán who swung the ball into the net. The renewed scoreline dealt a blow to the visitors' morale, as they struggled to get to the opposing area.[10]
Juan Gilberto Funes' assist and goal that gave River Plate their first Copa Interamericana.
The home side came out strong again in the second half, as the course of the match remained unchanged. Alajuelense increased their offensive efforts, led by their most skilled player Juan Arnoldo Cayasso, but River Plate's level of play and dominance prevailed.[9] At the 60-minute mark, they extended their lead. Américo Gallego sent a cross over to Jorge Borelli, who headed it across the area for striker Juan Gilberto Funes to pounce on. Seven minutes later, a loft was sent by Héctor Enrique over to Ramón Centurión, who was tussling with his marker. Alejandro González shifted his focus to the struggle, not paying attention to the trajectory of the ball as it went into the goal, sealing the match with a 3–0 scoreline.[10]
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