El Salvador national football team
This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (November 2010) |
For current information on this topic, see El Salvador national football team season 2010. |
Shirt badge/Association crest | |||
Nickname(s) | La Selecta La Selección Cuscatleca Los Cuscatlecos | ||
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Association | Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT) | ||
Confederation | CONCACAF | ||
Head coach | José Luis Rugamas (Interim Manager) | ||
Captain | Ramón Sánchez | ||
Most caps | Luis Guevara Mora (89) | ||
Top scorer | Jorge "Mágico" González (41) | ||
Home stadium | Estadio Cuscatlán | ||
FIFA code | SLV | ||
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FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 114 | ||
Highest | 50 (December 1992) | ||
Lowest | 169 (November 2006) | ||
First international | |||
El Salvador 0–7 Costa Rica (Guatemala City, Guatemala; Sept 14, 1921) | |||
Biggest win | |||
El Salvador 12–0 Anguilla (San Salvador, El Salvador; February 6, 2008) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
Hungary 10–1 El Salvador (Elche, Spain; June 15, 1982) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 2 (first in 1970) | ||
Best result | Round 1: 1970, 1982 | ||
CONCACAF Gold Cup | |||
Appearances | 6 (first in 1996) | ||
Best result | Quarterfinals: 2002, 2003 |
The El Salvador national football team, nicknamed La Selecta, represents El Salvador in international association football and is controlled by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT).[1]
El Salvador have made two FIFA World Cup appearances: first in 1970 and again in 1982. They were the 1943 CCCF champions, and finished in second-place in the 1941 and 1961 championships. They have competed in the CONCACAF Gold Cup twelve times, finishing as runners-up in 1963 and 1981. La Selecta also competes in the biennial UNCAF Nations Cup, the Pan American Games, the Olympics, and have achieved two gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games. Jorge "Mágico" González remains as the top-scorer with 41 goals, while Luis Guevara Mora has the record of being the most capped Salvadoran player with 89 appearances. From 1976, it's home stadium has been the Estadio Cuscatlan. [2] Since 2008, the national team has had a kit sponsorship contract with England based supplier Mitre. [3]
History
The beginning of the national team
Although El Salvador played a few games in the early part of the 20th Century, it did not become a fully committed national team until 1921. This year is seen by many as being the starting point of what is now known as "La Selecta". In September 1921, Guatemala organised a football tournament comprising of itself, Honduras, Costa Rica and El Salvador. The tournament was organized in order to celebrate 100 years of Central American independence, and was played in a round-robin format, with Guatemala playing Honduras and El Salvador playing Costa Rica. [4]
El Salvador lost their game 7-0 to eventual winners Costa Rica. Despite the loss, this tournament is seen as the starting point for the El Salvador national team.
Best win ever
Since the tournament in Guatemala in 1921, El Salvador had only played 2 other international matches, both against Honduras. El Salvador had lost the first encounter 1-0 and drawn the second 0–0.
Three games without a win came to an end on December 7, 1928, when El Salvador recorded its first ever win. A 5-0 thumping of what would later become their traditional rivals, Honduras. The game was played on on a field called Marte de San Salvador. Not only was this El Salvador's first ever win, but also the first time they had scored in an international friendly. It was also a day that few will forget, as it saw Gustavo "Taviche" Marroquin become the first ever player to score 5 goals in one game for the national team.
1970 FIFA World Cup
In the 1970 tournament, El Salvador lost their first game 3-0 to Belgium in Mexico City on June 3. [5] On June 7, the team played its second match against the host nation. It proved to be a controversial affair: with the score still at 0–0, the Egyptian referee Hussain Kandil awarded a free-kick to the Salvadorans in their own half. It was immediately taken by Mexico, who scored a couple of seconds later. The Salvadoran players protested vigorously, to the extent of physically jostling Bermudan linesman Keith Dunstan, but the goal was allowed to stand. [6] El Salvador were demoralised as a result, and Mexico subsequently won the game 4-0 with ease in Mexico City. [7] On June 10, El Salvador lost their final match in the tournament 2-0 to the USSR in Mexico City, to finish bottom of Group A. [8]
1982 FIFA World Cup
In 1982, El Salvador took a 20-man squad (two players short of the normal 22, for reasons that remain unclear), coached by Mauricio "Pipo" Rodríguez, to Spain. However, the team's experience was an unhappy one. In their first match on June 15, in Elche, they were defeated 10-1 by Hungary, a scoreline that stands as a World Cup record to this day. [9] One crumb of comfort was that Luis Baltazar Ramírez Zapata did score the country's first ever World Cup goal during the game, albeit at a point when the Salvadorans were already down 5-0. [10]
El Salvador managed to regain some pride in their subsequent games: displaying much-improved levels of organisation and commitment, they lost 1-0 to Belgium on June 19 in Elche and 2-0 to the then reigning world champions Argentina in Alicante on June 23. [11] [12]
Decline of 2004 to 2006
From April 2004 to November 2006 El Salvador amassed a record of no wins, two draws, and 10 losses.[1] As a consequence, the team fell in the FIFA World Rankings from 81st in March 2003 to 167th in October 2006.
2010 Suspension of the Salvadoran Football Association
On 11 May 2010, The FIFA Emergency Committee suspended the Salvadoran Football Association (FESFUT) on account of government interference. This decision by FIFA was based on the fact that the statutes ratified by the FESFUT general assembly in August 2009 had not been formally entered in the country’s official register, and that the government had failed to acknowledge the authority of the Normalisation Committee set up to represent FESFUT. [13]
Consequently, FIFA considered that it was not possible for FESFUT to organise the elective general assembly in line with the action plan that had been drawn up and suspended FESFUT. For the suspension to be lifted, Salvadoran authorities needed to recognize the legitimacy of the Normalisation Committee.[14]
On May 28, the suspension was lifted. By FIFA lifting the suspension, El Salvador was allowed to participate in international tournaments for both club and national levels. El Salvador's under 21 team qualified for the CAC tournament in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, however, CONCACAF made a decision to suspend football at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games shortly after. Metapan and FAS participated in the CONCACAF Champions League. The Salvadoran referees selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were able to participate in the world cup. El Salvador will also be able to participate in the qualifying stages for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Under-23 Olympics. [15]
Competitive record
World Cup record
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CONCACAF Championships record
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UNCAF Nations Cup record
Pan American Games record |
CCCF Championship record
Olympic Games record
Central American and Caribbean Games
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Home Stadium
During El Salvador's early run of existance, the team's national stadium was alternated by the Estadio Nacional de la Flor Blanca (now known as Estadio Jorge "Mágico" González) in San Salvador, El Salvador. It was constructed 1932 by Maximiliano Hernández Martínez for the 1935 Central American and Caribbean Games. Its creation was made possible by EDESSA (Estadios Deportivos de El Salvador) who in 1969 first proposed the idea of a new national stadium. [16]
The construction of the new national stadium the Estadio Cuscatlán began on March 24, 1971, with then-president of El Salvador General Fidel Sánchez Hernández laying the first stone. After 5 years of building, the stadium was opened and held its very first game on July 24, 1976. This day saw German Bundesliga champions Borussia Mönchengladbach play the El Salvador national team, with the match ending 2-0 to the German side. Since that match, El Salvador has used the stadium for almost every major home game.[17]
It is located in San Salvador, El Salvador with a undefinitive capacity of 45,925, is the largest football venue not only in Central America, but the Caribbean as well. In addition to being the largest, Estadio Cuscatlán is often referred to as the most modern stadium in the region also since it has gone into 2 renovations, one in 2001 and the other in 2007. It was announced on November 16, 2007 that Estadio Cuscatlán would become the first football stadium in Central America and Caribbean to have a large LED screen where the supporters can view the action. The screen is 40 meters in height and width and was completed in March, 2008. [18]
Uniforms
Players
First Kit
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Second Kit
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Goalkeepers
- Yellow with black details;
- Silver with black details;
- Black with details ashes;
- Green with details in light green;
- Gray with black and white stripes.
Goolkeeper
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Goalkeeper
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Goalkeeper
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Goalkeeper
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Goalkeeper
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Other
Player Training Kit
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Player Travel Kit
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Head Coach Kit
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Previous Kits
1927 Home
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1963 Home
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1963 Away
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1968 Home
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1968 Away
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1977 Home
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1977 Away
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1988 Home
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1988 Away
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1993 Home
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1994 Away
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1997 Home
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2006 Home
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2008 Home
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Mitre Partnership
El Salvador and Mitre had announced a new partnership that will see them supply the Central American national football team with home and away kits, training, and bench wear until August 2010. Mitre, and their Panamanian partner, The Harari Group, have designed the kit that El Salvador will use. The kit was showcased by the team on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 as they started their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Trinidad & Tobago in the CONCACAF (Central-American Football Union) Hexagonal Cup. [19] On October 22 of this year, the FESFUT extended by four years their contract with the English sports brand Mitre.
The home and away kit feature a watermark of the country's national shield on the center of the shirt and some horizontal stipes along the kit. It also features white remains along the neck, at the bottom of the kit, and over the shoulders. This new kit introduces the new logo that replaces the typical logo of an E and an S surrounded by a circle.[2]
Players
Current squad
The following 20 man squad was named for a friendly match on November 27, 2010. [20] Caps and goals correct as of November 5, 2010.
Recent Callups
The following players have been called up to the El Salvador squad in the past 12 months.
Name | Date of Birth (Age) | Club | Caps | Goals | Most Recent Callup |
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Goalkeepers | |||||
Miguel Montes | February 12, 1980 | Águila | 36 | 0 | v. Guatemala; March 3, 2010 |
Javier Gómez | August 4, 1987 | Atlético Marte | 0 | 0 | v. DC United June 19, 2010 |
Benji Villalobos | July 15, 1988 | Águila | 1 | 0 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Dagoberto Portillo | November 16, 1979 | Once Municipal | 4 | 0 | v. Panama; October 8, 2010 |
Defenders | |||||
Ramón Flores | August 21, 1982 | Once Municipal | 14 | 0 | v. United States; February 24, 2010 |
Alfredo Pacheco | December 1, 1982 | Águila | 72 | 6 | v. Guatemala; March 3, 2010 |
Alexander Escobar | April 4, 1984 | Isidro Metapán | 34 | 0 | v. DC United Preliminary squad; May 28, 2010 |
Luis Hernández | February 9, 1985 | Águila | 20 | 0 | v. DC United Preliminary squad; May 28, 2010 |
Milton Molina | February 2, 1989 | Isidro Metapán | 0 | 0 | v. DC United June 19, 2010 |
Deris Umanzor | January 7, 1980 | Chicago Fire | 35 | 1 | v. Panama; October 3, 2010 (unable to participate) |
Carlos Arevalo | March 23, 1988 | Alianza | 0 | 0 | v. Panama; October 8, 2010 |
Midfielders | |||||
Edgar Alvarez | September 14, 1986 | Incarnate Word | 0 | 0 | v. Guatemala; March 3, 2010 |
Carlos Monteagudo | April 29, 1985 | Luis Ángel Firpo | 9 | 1 | v. DC United June 19, 2010 |
Diego Chavarría | February 28, 1990 | Once Municipal | 0 | 0 | v. DC United June 19, 2010 |
Josué Flores | May 13, 1988 | Isidro Metapán | 2 | 0 | v. Honduras; September 4, 2010 (replaced due to injury) |
Cristian Castillo | July 27, 1984 | Alianza | 35 | 3 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Julio Martínez | July 8, 1985 | Alianza | 12 | 2 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Alan Rovira | February 10, 1992 | Los Angeles Galaxy Academy | 0 | 0 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Efrain Burgos, Jr. | August 14, 1988 | Cal Poly Mustangs | 0 | 0 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Eliseo Quintanilla | February 5, 1983 | Luis Ángel Firpo | 47 | 13 | v. Panama; October 3, 2010 (unable to participate due to injury) |
Arturo Alvarez | June 28, 1985 | San Jose Earthquakes | 8 | 0 | v. Panama; October 3, 2010 (unable to participate) |
Henry Escobar | May 25, 1990 | Luis Ángel Firpo | 0 | 0 | v. Panama; October 3, 2010 (unable to participate due to injury) |
Forwards | |||||
Isidro Gutiérrez | October 21, 1989 | Municipal Limeño | 0 | 0 | v. DC United Preliminary squad; May 28, 2010 |
Moisés Hernández | April 23, 1985 | Vista Hermosa | 0 | 0 | v. DC United Preliminary squad; May 28, 2010 |
Danny Torres | November 7, 1987 | Atlético Marte | 0 | 0 | v. DC United June 19, 2010 |
Rudis Corrales | November 6, 1979 | Unattached | 71 | 16 | v. Guatemala; September 7, 2010 |
Rodolfo Zelaya | July 3, 1988 | Alianza | 24 | 6 | v. Costa Rica; October 10, 2010 (refused to participate) |
Previous Squads
- FIFA World Cup squads
- CONCACAF Gold Cup
- 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad
- 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad
- 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad
- 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad
- 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad
Top ten Goalscorers
Note: Players in bold text are still active with El Salvador. |
Top ten appearances
Note: Players in bold text are still active with El Salvador. |
Current technical staff
Position | Staff |
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Head coach | Jose Luis Rugamas (Interim) |
Assistant manager | Guillermo Rivera |
Fitness coach | Esteban Coppia |
Goalkeeping coach | Carlos Felipe Cañadas |
Mediacal Trainer | José María Rivas |
Massage Therapist | José Luis Rodríguez |
Trainer | Rodrigo Antonio |
Utilizer | Carlos Choto |
Last updated: 2 November 2010
Source: FESFUT
Fixtures and results
Date | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Location | Competition | El Salvador Scorers |
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September 4, 2010 | El Salvador | Honduras | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles | Zelaya 42' 90+1' | ||
September 7, 2010 | El Salvador | Guatemala | RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C. | |||
October 8, 2010 | Panama | El Salvador | Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City | |||
October 12, 2010 | Costa Rica | El Salvador | Estadio Carlos Ugalde Álvarez, Ciudad Quesada | Burgos 52' | ||
January 14, 2011 | El Salvador | Nicaragua | Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City | |||
January 16, 2011 | Belize | El Salvador | Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City | |||
January 18, 2011 | Panama | El Salvador | Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City |
- Key
Win Draw Loss
- Key
- F = Friendly
- CAC = 2011 Central American Cup
Manager history
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Honours
Facts
- First Central American team to qualify for a FIFA World Cup (1970) and first Central American team to qualify twice (1982).
- First Central American team to officially eliminate Mexico from a World Cup (1982).
- First Central American team to ever score a goal in a FIFA World Cup on June 15, 1982.
Notes and references
- ^ FIFA.com Association page at FIFA.com. Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ Nace la passion... Coverage of the first match.
- ^ 1970 FIFA World Cup History Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ 1982 FIFA World Cup History Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Belgium-El Salvador on June 3, 1970 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ Number 4 in the top dodgiest goals of the World Cup History Gürkan topsun olm Accessed 20 September 2007
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Mexico-El Salvador on June 7, 1970 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Soviet Union-El Salvador on June 10, 1970 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ Did You Know? table Stating that Hungary broke the record for most lopsided victory against El Salvador. Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Hungary-El Salvador on June 15, 1982 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Belgium-El Salvador on June 19, 1982 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ FIFA Match Report for Argentina-El Salvador on June 23, 1982 Accessed 12 April 2006.
- ^ 1982 FIFA World Cup Preliminary History Overview which mentions that Mexico was eliminated by El Salvador and Honduras during the final qualifying stage. Accessed 21 July 2006.
- ^ El Salvador vs Costa Rica October 12, 2010 Players Recent call-up for game against Costa Rica Template:Es icon
- ^ El Salvador's use of mitre kits Mitre's official website regarding partnership with the El Salvador national football team.
- ^ Suspension of the Salvadoran Football Association Overview of the suspension on the Salvadoran Football Association. Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ FIFA lifts suspension of El Salvador Overview mentioning FIFA lifting the suspension against El Salvador. Retrieved 29 May 2010.
- ^ EDESSA first thoughts for the construction of the Estadio Cuscatlan Assessed on 7 June 2009. Template:Es icon
- ^ Capacity of the Estadio Cuscatlan Assessed on 23 July 2009. Template:Es icon
- ^ Para apantallar Retrieved on 16 November 2007.
See also
- El Salvador national beach soccer team
- El Salvador national under-17 football team
- El Salvador national under-20 football team
- El Salvador national under-21 football team
- El Salvador national under-23 football team
- Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol
- List of football clubs in El Salvador
- Primera División de Fútbol Profesional
References
- ^ "El Salvador: Fixtures and Results". FIFA. Retrieved 2010-07-16.
- ^ "Kit Features". Soccer Shop USA.