SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – In two all-time appearances in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, Alianza never advanced past the group stage.
The Salvadoran power hopes to change that international trend in a different competition, when it takes a 2-1 lead against visiting Platense into the second leg of their 2017 Scotiabank CONCACAF League Round series on Tuesday night at the Estadio Cuscatlan.
Rodofo Zelaya -- Alianza’s team captain -- scored and had an assist in the first leg. He says that the Albos will leave nothing to chance in a bid to advance.
"In football, you do not trust yourself,” said the 29-year-old forward. “You have to win matches on the field because without entering confidently, the opponent will eat you up. We are going to enter Tuesday with the usual disposition and do things well, playing good football and go out to win intelligently.”
It has been a bright start to the 2017/18 season for Alianza, which is among five teams sitting atop the Apertura table on four points after the first two rounds of play. Including the win over Platense, it is unbeaten through three total games.
Zelaya is pleased by his team’s mental attitude.
"In regard to our mood, we are very well,” he remarked. “We have a good team. The eleven that the coach chooses always gives the maximum and always leaves everything to win every game."
And that’s the plan to complete the job against a Platense side coming off a 1-0 loss at Real España in its 2017 Honduran Apertura opener Saturday.
“It's a good team, very dangerous that has good players and by Tuesday we have to be 100 percent focused and take advantage of scoring opportunities,” finished Zelaya.