San Salvador, Nov 17 (EFE).- Led by Spanish coach David Dóniga, the El Salvador team returned to the Concacaf A League and qualified for the 2025 Gold Cup after defeating 1-0 at home against Montserrat, with a goal from striker Rafael Tejada.
With this victory, Selecta took the lead in Group A of League B with 15 points, adding five wins and one loss, ahead of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, second with 13 points.
El Salvador thus returns to League A after being relegated in October 2023 and adding a two-year streak without winning friendly or official games in the Hugo Pérez era.
The Salvadorans came into this game with the pressure of winning the three points after the San Vicentinos beat Bonaire, so a defeat or a draw with less than two goals would leave them out.
Those led by Dóniga dominated the game from the start, which allowed them to take the lead in the 9th minute through Tejada, who shot the rival goalkeeper after a bad rebound.
La Selecta looked for the second with Nathan Ordaz as the main danger creator on the right wing, who hit the crossbar with a shot that could have increased the difference.
The rain complicated the game for the Salvadorans by making it difficult to move the ball due to the accumulation of water on the grass, which allowed Montserrat to opt for long passes and impose her physicality on divided balls.
At the end of the first half, Darwin Cerén beat the visiting goal, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
In the second half the dynamic was maintained, with the Salvadorans trying to score the second goal and Montserrat holding on to try to surprise with some counterattack or loose ball in the rival area, without the scoreboard moving.
– Technical sheet:
1. El Salvador: Tomás Romero; Bryan Tamacas (m.59, Tereso Benítez), Julio Sibrián, Roberto Domínguez, Jorge Cruz, Nelson Blanco; Nathan Ordaz (m.68, Santos Ortiz), Darwin Cerén (m.84, Melvin Cartagena), Christian Martínez; Styven Vásquez (m.59, Francis Castillo) and Rafael Tejada (m.84, Nelson Bonilla).
Coach: David Dóniga.
0. Montserrat: Trent Carter; Lucas Kirnon, Nico Gordon, Brandon Comley, Jernade Meade (m.81, Seigel Rodney); Brandon Barzey, Alex Dyer, Dominic Richmond (m.83, Lewis Duberry), Mylan Benjamin; Ashley Boatswain y Josiah Dyer.
Coach: Lee Bowyer.
Goal: 1-0, m.9: Rafael Tejada.
Referee: Sergio Reyna (Guatemala) cautioned Santos Ortiz, Tereso Benítez, Alex Dyer, Lucas Kirno, Brandon Barzey, Lewis Duberry and Ashley Boatswain.
Incidents: Group A match of the Concacaf Nations League played at the Cuscatlán stadium in San Salvador.
(c) EFE Agency
