The Salvadoran Women’s Select team is on the brink of elimination from the Gold Cup W after suffering a 2-0 defeat against Costa Rica in their second group-stage match. The game, which took place at the Shell Energy Stadium in Houston in front of 5,018 fans, saw El Salvador struggle to make an impact on the field.
With zero points, no goals scored, and eight goals conceded, El Salvador finds themselves at the bottom of Group C. Their hopes of qualifying for the quarterfinals rest on a must-win match against Paraguay next Wednesday, but the odds seem stacked against them.
Costa Rica, managed by Spanish coach José Benito Rubido, capitalized on El Salvador’s weaknesses and controlled the game effectively. Despite a spirited effort from the Salvadoran team, they were unable to break through the Costa Rican defense and create meaningful scoring opportunities.
The match saw Priscila Chinchilla of Costa Rica score a brace, with goals in the 8th and 49th minutes. El Salvador’s goalkeeper, Idalia Serrano, made some key saves but was ultimately unable to prevent the goals.
Coach Eric Acuña fielded the same starting eleven as in previous matches, showing faith in his players. Despite their efforts, El Salvador was unable to close the gap and now faces an uphill battle to stay in the competition.
The Salvadoran team will need to regroup and refocus ahead of their crucial match against Paraguay as they aim to keep their Gold Cup hopes alive.