ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – Alajuelense of Costa Rica are through to the quarterfinals of the 2020 Scotiabank Concacaf League thanks to a 1-0 win over Panama’s San Francisco on Tuesday night at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

Jurguens Montenegro provided the winning strike in the second half to send the Ticos to the quarterfinals where they will face Real Esteli of Nicaragua.

Alajuelense looked to pick the lock of San Francisco defense early on and looked set to do so in the 15, only to see Barlon Sequeira’s stretched-out boot unable to meet a cross in front of goal.

San Francisco were creating chances of their own and it took a last-gasp intervention from Alajuelense DF Junior Diaz to prevent the visitors from scoring the game’s first goal.

The stalemate continued into the second half, with things wide open and victory there for the taking for either side.

The goal would finally come for Alajuelense in the 61’ when a deflection off the San Francisco defense rolled right to Montenegro, who promptly deposited a right-footed shot into net for a 1-0 Alajuelense lead.

San Francisco were not about to throw in the towel and they launched numbers forward in search of a goal to even the score, with the best chance coming in the 83’ off a corner kick when a Jair Catuy shot rang off the crossbar.

The Alajuelense back line then stood firm the rest of the way and kept the San Francisco attack at bay to nail down the victory.