Guatemala moves back into group contention after 1-0 win over El Salvador
Jose Contreras scored in the 69th minute for Guatemala to pace Los Chapines to a 1-0 win over rival El Salvador. With the win, Guatemala moves into a tie with El Salvador on three points in the group standings. The game was a physical contest from the outset as 8 yellow cards were shown in the game.
08/JUN/2007- Jose Contreras scored in the 69th minute for Guatemala to pace Los Chapines to a 1-0 win over rival El Salvador. With the win, Guatemala moves into a tie with El Salvador on three points in the group standings. The game was a physical contest from the outset as 8 yellow cards were shown in the game.
Fans filed into the Home Depot Center early, nearly filling the stadium to capacity for the Group B opener between Guatemala and El Salvador. The Central American neighbors share a fierce rivalry on the field and it was demonstrated by the fans whose screams and whistles filled the air throughout the contest.
It was the Guatemalan faithful that had more to cheer about in the early going, as Los Chapines put the pressure on early and in just the fourth minute Carlos Ruiz was threatening the net. Ruiz found himself free about thirty yards from goal and hit a screamer that just over the crossbar.
A few minutes later Ruiz missed two golden opportunities. The El Salvadorian defense was having horrible communication problems, and when a pair of defenders watched a ball roll in-between them it allowed Ruiz to walk in alone on goal. Thankfully for Los Cheros, Juan Gomez came up with a huge save on Ruiz.
The rebound caromed all the way out to the midfield where Carlos Figueroa collected it for Guatemala and played it back into Ruiz. Ruiz turned and fired from point blank range, but Figueroa was up to the challenge again, making another fine save.
As the game progressed, referee Javier Juaregui made it clear he was going to call a tight game going to his pocket five times in the first half to reach for yellow cards; Guatemala picking up three cautions to El Salvador’s two. The physical nature of the game limited the scoring chances for both teams. Communication problems continued to plague El Salvador, but Guatemala failed to make a serious threat on the goal.
The next couple of scoring chances went in favor of El Salvador. In the 32nd minute Eliseo Quintanilla weaved through a pair of defenders and worked his way into a scoring position. Quintanilla could only manage a weak left footed effort that was easily saved by Ricardo Trigueno.
Three minutes later El Salvador worked their best scoring chance of the half. Juan Campos collected the ball in the penalty area and held it up with his back to goal. Campos laid the ball back to Dennis Alas who fired high from the edge of the 18.
Terra/Concacaf
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(EFE)
