Alianza F.C.

Atlético La Constancia was formed in 1958 by a group of workers in San Salvador. Although small in terms of financial status, they were able to reach the Liga de Ascenso (second division) final in 1958. They lost 2–0 in a two legged series against Águila. The club, however, purchased a spot in the first division at the expense of Once Municipal. This enabled them to gain the sponsorship of the Intercontinental Hotel and its president, Peruvian Axel Hochkoeppler.

Because of Hochkoeppler's support, Alianza FC president Enrique Sol Meza decided to name the club Alianza FC in honor of Alianza Lima. Hernán Vivanco joined the club as the coach and began getting the players to play an exciting style of football. That style and a strong advertising campaign quickly won over the support of the population of San Salvador. Before long, Alianza was surpassing Juventud Olímpica as the nation's most popular club.

One of Alianza's greatest triumphs happened in 1966, when they defeated a Santos side that included the great Pelé. The win took place at the Estadio Nacional Flor Blanc, and featured the efforts of loaned Argentines Dante Juárez, Juan Verón and Santiago, all on loan at the time.

1966 was also the year that Alianza won its first tile. Due to the cohesion and speed with which Hernán Carrasco had the team playing, Alianza became known as La Orquesta Alba (the Dawn Orchestra). The team was made up of many great players, including Edgar "Pata Gorda" Morales, Roberto "La Burra" Rivas, Alberto "Pechuga" Villalta, Raúl "Araña" Magaña, Guido Alvarado, Salvador Mariona, Mario Monge, Luis "Cascarita" Tapia, Miguel "El Chueco" Hermosilla, Ricardo Sepúlveda and Jorge "El Conejo" Liévano.

The team won fifteen straight matches on their way to the league championship, where they defeated Águila 2–1. Goals were scored by Hermosilla and Mario Monge. In all, "La Orquesta Alba" outscored their opponents eighty-three to thirty-nine and won twenty of their thirty-six matches.

The club repeated as champions in 1967, defeating Sonsonate FC 5–1 in the finals. They then went on to become the first El Salvadoran club to win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, defeating Jong Colombia over a three-leg series. Alianza lost the first leg, but won the second to force a replay. They prevailed 5–3, with Tapia and Flores scoring twice each.

After the 1967 title, members of the Orquestra began retiring. Players like Brazilian internationals Camargo, Taneses and Nilton Rodarte, Peruvian international Fernando Alva, Uruguayan international Julio César "El Pocho" Cortés, Chilean international Hugo Ottensen came through the ranks. So too did domestic players including Miguel "La Mica" González, Herbert Machón, "Míchel" Cornejo, Armando Cortez Sandoval, Jaime "Samba" Saravia, Roberto "El Cuchillo" Guerra, Jaime "La Chelona" Rodríguez and Carlos "El Cacho" Meléndez. However, the 1970s were less successful than the 1960s.

They reached the playoff finals four times (1971, 1973, 1975–76, and 1978–79) but finished runner-up each time. Then, after a string of disappointing seasons, the club came out of the wilderness to challenge for the title in 1985. However, they would be runners-up again, losing 5–2 to city rivals Atlético Marte. [1]

In 1986, the title drought finally ended. Ricardo Sepúlveda, a member of "The Orquesta Alba", returned to the club as a manager and led them to their third championship and first in twenty years. The championship match pitted Alianza against Águila, and it ended 0–0 after extra time. The game went to penalties, and Alianza won 3–1, with Carlos Reyes scoring the decisive goal. A corner had been turned.

The brilliance of Chilean Raúl Toro powered Alianza to a fourth title in 1989; he scored the winning goal in the final against Luis Ángel Firpo. 1993–94 saw a fifth crown, as the Uruguayan Gustavo Faral managed the club to a 2–1 championship win over FAS.[2]

1997 saw Alianza win its second international championship, when they defeated Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica to win the UNCAF Club Championship. The management of technician Juan Carlos Masnik and the heroic efforts of players such as Horacio Lugo, Marcelo Bauza, Uruguayan Alejandro Curbelo and Adrián de la Cruz powered the team to two more titles soon after.[3]

Alianza went through the Apertura 2017 season undefeated, becoming the first Salvadoran side to achieve such a feat. Their 4–1 win over Santa Tecla in the final was the icing on the cake, and saw a double from Rodolfo Zelaya, plus strikes from league leading goalscorer Gustavo Guerreño, and midfielder Marvin Monterrosa.

• Primera División
  • Winners (17): 1965–66, 1966–67, 1986–87, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–97, Apertura 1998, Apertura 2001, Clausura 2004, Clausura 2011, Apertura 2015, Apertura 2017, Clausura 2018, Apertura 2019, Apertura 2020, Apertura 2021, Clausura 2022
• Copa Presidente
  • Winners (1): 1966

• CONCACAF Champions' Cup
  • Winners (1): 1967
• UNCAF Club Championship
  • Winners (1): 1997
  • Runner-up (1): 1980

• Copa Acción Cívica
  • 1966
• Copa Santa Ana
  • 1977
• Copa Roberto "Burra" Rivas
  • 2015

In 2023, during a game between Alianza F.C. and C.D. FAS in the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador an incident occurred which resulted in a crowd crush of fans in the stadium.

According to reports, fans had been sold fake tickets for the game and angry fans attempted to pull down the barricades at the stadiums at the entrance. Twelve people were killed and dozens of others injured.

As of: 16 August, 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  SLV Yonatan Guardado 2 DF  SLV Diego Chevez 4 DF  SLV Iván Mancía 5 DF  SLV Mario Jacobo 6 MF  SLV Narciso Orellana 8 MF  SLV Óscar Rodríguez 9 FW  SLV Yerson Tobar 11 MF  SLV Juan Carlos Portillo 12 MF  SLV William Canales 14 MF  SLV Kilmar Wilfredo Echeverría 15 DF  SLV Jonathan Jiménez 16 DF  SLV Henry Romero 17 MF  SLV Alexis Renderos 19 DF  SLV Kevin Menjívar

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 MF  SLV Marvin Monterroza (captain) 22 FW  SLV Rodolfo Zelaya 23 FW  COL Michel Mercado 25 GK  SLV Mario González 26 MF  SLV Ezequiel Rivas 27 MF  SLV Isaac Portillo 29 DF  SLV Emerson Hernández 30 FW  SLV Emerson Mauricio 47 FW  SLV Emerson Alvarenga 56 FW  SLV Hamilton Benitez

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  SLV Elvin Alvarado (at Platense for the 2022-23 Apertura and Clausura)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  SLV Diego Cheves (From Atletico Marte) —  COL Yerson Tobar (From Cacahuatique) —  SLV Kilmar Echeverría (From A.D. Inter Silva) —  SLV TBD (From TBD)

No. Pos. Nation Player —  SLV TBD (From TBD) —  SLV TBD (From TBD)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player —  COL Miguel Murillo (To TBD) — DF  COL Camilo Mancilla (To TBD) — FW  COL Hugo Palacios (To TBD) — DF  SLV Alexander Larín (To Aguila)

No. Pos. Nation Player —  SLV TBD (To TBD) —  SLV TBD (To TBD)

• Michel Mercado
• Yerson Tobar
• Henry Romero

Alianza "B". 's youth squad plays in the ten-team Primera División Reserves (El Salvador). Current members of the squad are:

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 32 MF  SLV Elías Rivas 33 DF  SLV Geovany López 34 DF  SLV Alexis Montes 35 MF  SLV Luis Rivera 36 DF  SLV Marvin Sandoval 37 DF  SLV Misael Valencia 38 MF  SLV Josué Pacheco 39 MF  SLV José Portillo 40 MF  SLV Jason Marroquín 41 MF  SLV Éver Guzmán

No. Pos. Nation Player 42 DF  SLV Emmanuel Flores 43 DF  SLV Julio César Huezo 44 FW  SLV Emerson Mauricio 45 FW  SLV Diego Sánchez 46 MF  SLV Wilian Flores 47 MF  SLV Julio César Campos 48 MF  SLV Marcelo Díaz 50 MF  SLV Jahaziel Olivares 53 GK  SLV Cristian Rivera

Below are the notable former and current players who have represented Alianza in Primera Division and international competition since the club's foundation in 1958. To appear in the section below, a player must have played in at least 100 official matches for the club, a list of every Alianza player who has been called up by their national team.

• Joaquin Canales

2 – Roberto Rivas, defender (1960–70)