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. Waves of great 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 great 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 not as successful as 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 long 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: 14
• (14): 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
• Copa Presidente: 1
• (1):1966

• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 1
• (1): Winners (1): ::1967
• UNCAF Club Championship: 1
• (1): Winners (1): ::1997

Runner-up (1): 1980

• (1) *Copa Acción Cívica: 1

1966

• (1) *Copa Santa Ana: 1

1977

• Copa Roberto “Burra” Rivas: 1
• (1) – : 2015

2 – Roberto Rivas, defender (1960–70)

As of: 2019
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 3 DF Israel Landaverde 4 DF Iván Mancía 5 DF Mario Jacobo 6 MF Narciso Orellana 7 FW Oswaldo Blanco 8 MF Óscar Rodríguez 9 MF Óscar Cerén 10 MF Felipe Ponce 11 MF Juan Carlos Portillo 12 DF Rubén Marroquín 14 MF Diego Ascencio

No. Position Player 15 DF Jonathan Jiménez 16 DF Henry Romero (captain) 19 MF Cesar Flores 21 MF Marvin Monterrosa 26 MF Ezequiel Rivas 27 MF Isaac Portillo 28 DF Rudy Clavel 29 FW Maximiliano Freitas

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

No. Position Player FW Boris Morales (at Chalatenango for the 2020 Clausura) DF Héctor Cruz (at Chalatenango for the 2020 Clausura)

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

No. Position Player — GK Yimmy Cuéllar (Back from loan from Once Deportivo) — MF José Contreras (Back from loan from Once Deportivo) — DF Bryan Tamacas (From Santa Tecla F.C.)

No. Position Player — MF Wilfredo Cienfuegos (From Santa Tecla F.C.) — FW TBD (From TBD)

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

No. Position Player — GK Víctor García (To Municipal) — FW José Ángel Peña (To Chalatenango) — MF Alexander Larín (To Isidro Metapan)

No. Position Player — MF José Varela (To TBD) — GK Óscar Arroyo (To TBD)

• Bladimir Diaz
• Víctor García

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. Position Player 32 MF Elías Rivas 33 DF Geovany López 34 DF Alexis Montes 35 MF Luis Rivera 36 DF Marvin Sandoval 37 DF Misael Valencia 38 MF Josué Pacheco 39 MF José Portillo 40 MF Jason Marroquín 41 MF Éver Guzmán

No. Position Player 42 DF Emmanuel Flores 43 DF Julio César Huezo 44 FW Emerson Mauricio 45 FW Diego Sánchez 46 MF Wilian Flores 47 MF Julio César Campos 48 MF Herberth Díaz 50 MF Jahaziel Olivares 53 GK 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.

For a complete list of Alianza players, see Category:Alianza F.C. footballers.