Lafc vs. Alajuelense: Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 opens at BMO Stadium
lafc is back under the Concacaf Champions Cup spotlight on Tuesday night, opening a two-game Round of 16 series at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The club arrives after a 1-0 MLS regular-season win over FC Dallas on Saturday night, a result that extended a franchise-record five straight wins to start a season and set up an immediate shift into regional knockout pressure. The match matters now because it is the first leg of a home-and-away series, with the winner on aggregate goals moving on to a quarterfinal matchup against the winner of Cruz Azul vs. Monterrey.
What is at stake Tuesday night at BMO Stadium
BMO Stadium “opens its doors to the world once again” as LAFC welcomes L. D. Alajuelense in the first match of their Round of 16, two-leg series in the Concacaf Champions Cup. LAFC’s latest momentum comes directly from Saturday’s 1-0 victory over FC Dallas, sealed by a 55th-minute goal from David Martínez, continuing what the club described as the best start in its history.
The broader tournament goal is clear: the Concacaf Champions Cup is described by the club as the region’s most prestigious trophy, contested by 27 clubs across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Four rounds separate teams from the final, with the Concacaf Champions Cup Final scheduled for May 30, 2026.
How lafc and Alajuelense have matched up before
This is the second time the two sides have met in Concacaf Champions Cup play, with their previous meeting coming in 2023. In that series, LAFC advanced 4-2 on aggregate to reach the quarterfinals. That run included a first-leg 3-0 win in Costa Rica in which Denis Bouanga scored his first career hat trick for the club, followed by a 2-1 loss in Los Angeles that still sent the Black & Gold through on aggregate.
LAFC’s 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup path continued with a 6-0 aggregate win over Vancouver in the quarterfinals, then a 4-1 aggregate win over Philadelphia Union, before the run ended in the final with a 3-1 result against Club Leon. The club described that appearance as its second trip to the Concacaf Champions Cup Final.
Immediate reactions: “step by step” mindset before the first leg
Midfielder Timmy Tillman, who played in both matches against Alajuelense in 2023, framed the moment as a test of focus rather than future dreaming.
“It would be a great story to win Concacaf for the first time, ” Tillman said, “but I think we just have to focus on every single game. It’s going to happen step by step. We can’t think of the Final before we’re playing the Round of 16. ”
Head coach Mark Dos Santos also emphasized the importance of handling the opener at home to set up what he called a demanding return trip.
“The first game is in LA, the second game is in Costa Rica, ” Dos Santos said, “so we have to take care of the first leg in the best way possible to put us in a position to go to a very difficult place. We know the atmosphere in Costa Rica, so we’re going into a difficult place, so we have to set up ourselves in the right way to succeed. ”
Quick context on Alajuelense and the second leg environment
Alajuelense, also known as Los Leones (The Lions) and Rojinegros (Red-and-Blacks), plays in the Liga Promerica, Costa Rica’s top-tier league. The club sits sixth in the Clausura table with a record of 4W-4L-3D, scoring 14 goals and conceding 12.
The second leg will be played next week in Costa Rica at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, a venue described as notorious, with a 19, 000 capacity and artificial turf.
What’s next after Tuesday
After Tuesday’s first leg in Los Angeles, the series shifts to Costa Rica next week for the decisive second match, where the aggregate winner advances. For LAFC, the immediate mission is simple and urgent: build the strongest possible platform at home, then carry it into a difficult away setting where the quarterfinal path will be decided.
