Alajuelense Home football shirt 1989 - 1990

1989 - 1990 Alajuelense home football shirt. Home shirt used by Alajuelense during the 1989-90 season. While the shirt was debuted in mid-November 1989 (a nil-all draw against ASODELI for the third matchday of the season), subsequent matches in home colors were contested with the previous home shirt; with the updated model not being fully adopted until February 1990, from a high-profile friendly against VfB Stuttgart (a 1-3 loss) until the end of the season.

The season was transitional for Alajuelense--helmed by Juan José Gámez (whose last stint at Alajuelense started following the Saudi Arabia U20 World Cup in early 1989; he lasted this full season, and eventually was sacked at the end of the first third of the 1990-91 season), the club constantly trailed leaders Saprissa, it was not until the penultimate match of the regular season (a Clásico 3-0 loss at Tibás) in which Alajuelense lost all chances of earning a Grand Final berth through the regular season; having to win the Pentagonal for the other berth.

Matchday One of the Pentagonal was a Clásico against Saprissa in Alajuela (contested following the Costa Rican national team\'s participation at the Italy World Cup and with the World Cup itself being on its last matches), which was the first win in two years for Alajuelense in such matches. Alajuelense was dominating the Pentagonal but one loss too many (on the penultimate matchday against Herediano; Alajuelense required a win to have a fighting chance on the last one against Uruguay de Coronado) handed Saprissa the title.

The season was transitional in the sense that the players were a mix of seasoned personnel (with four players featuring at the Italy World Cup, and a few others also having international caps) and a gaggle of youngsters who debuted for the club earlier on the year (following their participation at the aforementioned U20 World Cup) gained first-hand experience on the senior club by featuring in a majority of the matches, and went to further consolidate themselves in the following seasons. One veteran (goalie Alejandro González) called time on his playing career at the end of the season--even scoring his only professional goal from the spot on his final league match; while seasoned defender Luis Raquel Ledezma was forced out of the game due to a back injury suffered at the early season on a match against Palmares.

Shirt #10 was assigned to youngster Juan Carlos Arguedas--while the number could be nowadays a burden to any young player trying to make their way on a senior team, Arguedas took on the challenge and was a vital part of the Alajuelense midfield (and attack) from his senior debut in early 1989 (in which he also scored his first senior goal) until his first departure on mid-1994 (alongside his forward teammate Claudio Miguel Jara); also retaining the number.

Arguedas returned to Alajuelense in late 1994 following an uneventful stint at Colombia\'s Atlético Bucaramanga, cut short by a contract breach caused by unpaid wages. While both Arguedas and Jara were sold by Alajuelense to Bucaramanga, only Arguedas chose to return to Alajuelense, with Jara having a short second stint at hometown club Herediano. Arguedas did not regain his number as it was already taken by US forward Roy Lassiter, opting for #25 instead.