9/6/2007 - 17:59(EST)

Guatemala moves back into group contention after 1-0 win over El Salvador

The lack of communication in the back finally came back to haunt El Salvador in the 38th minute. El Salvadorian defender Alexander Escobar and ‘keeper Gomez collided with Figueroa while chasing down a loose ball. Gomez went down in a heap and eventually had to be carted off on a stretcher, and subbed out of the game.

Both teams went into the locker room deadlocked at zeroes on the scoreboard but it was Guatemala who remained the aggressors, working two corner kicks in the opening minutes of the second half. On the second corner, second half sub Marvin Avila directed a header goal bound only to watch it get cleared off the line by a well placed defender.

Like the first half, physical play dominated the action and limited the scoring chances. In the 60th minute, Quintanilla squirted free on the right flank and dribbled into the penalty area. From the top corner of the box, Quintanilla shot, but again lacked the required accuracy, missing high.

Guatemala finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute thanks to the boot of Jose Contreras. The El Salvadorian defense failed to clear their penalty area. A series of balls knocked straight up into the air eventually fell at the edge of the penalty area. Contreras was first to the ball and hit a full volley right into the lower corner of the net to open the scoring.

The goal ignited the offense, and in the 73rd minute, Guatemala won a free kick right in the middle of the field from 25 yards out. Contreras stepped up to the ball, and curled a freekick over the wall that banged off of the post, missing by mere inches.

With the win, Guatemala has blown Group B wide open, and gave their chances of advancing to the quarterfinals of the tournament a serious boost. Guatemala will close out group play against Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, while El Salvador will most likely need some sort of result against the US on the same day if they want any hope of moving on in the competition.

GUATEMALA – EL SALVADOR 1:0 (0:0)

Jose CONTRERAS (Dwight PEZZAROSSI) 68’

GUA: 1-Ricardo Trigueno - 2–Leonel Noriega, 3–Pablo Melgar, 5–Henry Medina, 6–Gustavo Cabrera-C, 7–Claudio Albizuris, 8–Jose Contreras, 12–Carlos Figueroa (57: 17-Dwight Pezzarossi), 18–Carlos Quinones, 19–Mario Rodríguez (46: 11–Marvin Avila), 20–Carlos Ruiz (79: 27–Jairo Arreola).

Booked: Albizuris 27’, Quinones 45’+, Figueroa 45’+, Trigueno 89’

TD: Hernan Dario GOMEZ

SLV: 1–Juan Gomez-C (44: 22–Dagoberto Gamero) - 2–Leonel Guevara, 5–Jose Henriquez, 7-Victor Merino (13: 23-Jose Martinez), 9–Juan Campos, 11–Ronald Cerritos (78: 20–Francisco Alvarez), 14–Ramon Sanchez, 17–Dennis Alas, 18–Alexander Escobar, 19–Alfredo Pacheco, 21- Eliseo Quintanilla.

Booked: Henriquez 5’, Sanchez 16’, Martinez 55’, Quintanilla 86’

TD: Carlos DE LOS COBOS

Statistics/Estadísticas GUA SLV

Goal Attempts/Tiros Totales 14 9

Saves/Atajadas 1 6

Fouls/Faltas 22 24

Corners/Tiros de Esquina 5 4

Offsides/Fuera de Lugar 2 2

R: Javier JAUREGUI (ANT)

A1: Jose Luis CAMARGO (MEX)

A2: Hector DELGADILLO (MEX)

FO: Benito ARCHUNDIA (MEX)