WCQ DIARY: Pupusas, infectious supporters & a WCQ that almost didn't happen
By Andrew Kaminsky, Special to OneSoccer
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador – There was an infectious buzz throughout San Salvador on game day. There was audible chatter and excitement around the pupusa stands in the afternoon and the streets were filled with vendors selling all types of El Salvador soccer gear and merchandise. Waves of El Salvadoran faithful were wearing their jerseys and cheering in the streets all afternoon.
Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador and the sellers on the street are a sort of meeting place for the people, almost like where your water cooler conversations would happen at the office. A thick tortilla made of corn or rice dough and filled in the middle with bean and cheese, they are a favourite at all hours of the day. Slide it on the griddle for a few minutes, top it with your favourite salsa(s), some pickled cabbage and onions, and bon apetit (or buen provecho).
Coming off a big 2-0 road victory in Honduras, El Salvador’s hopes for qualification were still alive, albeit slim. Their task was tall, needing to beat the top team in Concacaf to keep their World Cup dreams intact, but there was belief among the people. They are proud of their young men in blue and white.
The win on Sunday over their northern neighbours was their first road victory in the final round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers since Bryan Adams got his first real six string. This is a team on the rise.
They share a lot of similarities with Canada. Not having made the World Cup since the 80s, and having never won a World Cup match, they have a very young team that has their sights set on qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America. The difference being, however, that Canada has hit their stride earlier than expected, and with much more force than we ever could’ve hoped for.
The Game That Almost Wasn’t
Slated for an 8 p.m. start in San Salvador, some rumblings came in the afternoon that the game might not be played. The El Salvador players made a statement around 2 p.m. saying that they wouldn’t take to the field in protest of how they’ve been treated by their nation’s football federation.
Upset by promises made to the players that haven’t been kept, mostly surrounding payment, the discontent reached a boiling point when at their game on January 27 in Columbus, Ohio against the USA they weren’t provided with winter clothing and had to pay out of pocket to keep themselves warm.
Speaking with fans throughout the day, the majority sided with the players in acknowledging that the football federation was treating their players poorly. That being said, those who had already bought tickets wanted to see their team take the field and give Canada everything it could handle.
Ultimately, to the delight of their followers, the players came out and said they would play the match for the fans, their families, and themselves, despite their grievances with the federation.
Stadium Atmosphere
The pregame atmosphere was awesome. Tents selling food and drinks lined the perimeter of the stadium to serve the hungry and excited fans that spent their day waiting for kickoff. The air was full of energy, everyone aware of how important this game was if El Salvador were to have any hope of going to Qatar in November.
Blocks around the stadium were filled with vendors selling merchandise and scalpers trying to offload their score of tickets. There was a collective belief that if they can beat Canada today, Qatar is possible.
Throughout the game the crowd was full of energy, jumping, singing, and chanting their team on. Somewhat frequently a bag of water would find its way launched in the direction of a Canadian player. No harm done, thankfully.
The atmosphere was very safe and friendly. There’s a reputation that Central American venues have for being dangerous and prone to violence, but this isn’t the reality. Fans are passionate but very welcoming, helpful, and eager to engage in playful banter with supporters of the opposing country.
Tickets ranged from $10-40 USD. Plates of barbecued meat with rice and beans were sold around the stadium for $5 and beers could be had for $1-2. I couldn’t fight the temptation and caught up in the frenzy I bought myself an El Salvador team jersey for $15. The passion of the fans is infectious.
Canada Wins 2-0 Once Again
The first real opportunity of the match came off the foot of Jonathan David when some smart passing down the left wing from Liam Millar to Jonathan Osorio to Sam Adekugbe led them into the box where Adekugbe found David all alone in the middle only to be thwarted by a great save from Salvadoran keeper Kevin Carabantes.
Carabantes was fantastic throughout the match, making acrobatic stops off free kicks in the first half from both Stephen Eustáquio and Junior Hoilett. Despite being El Salvador’s backup keeper, he played great and kept the score lower than it could’ve been.
In the 40th minute the most capped player in Canadian soccer, Atiba Hutchinson, made a fantastic defensive effort to intercept a Salvadoran pass and quickly find David who had a good opportunity from just outside the box that he sent high.
Hutchinson looked to find David again with a glorious long ball in the 45th that would’ve sent the Lille forward in all alone on Carabantes if it hadn’t been for the track back of Salvadoran midfielder Darwin Cerén and his lunging effort to breakup the play.
The game went into halftime 0-0 in an exciting first 45 that saw Canada with the majority of opportunities and possession.
Canadian head coach John Herdman made his first substitutions in the 58th minute bringing on more offensive players Tajon Buchanan and Cyle Larin.
Canada’s all-time leading scorer, Cyle Larin, didn’t take long to put his stamp on the game. In the 65th he sent a ball into the box that resulted in a goal that you will have to see to believe. A diving header by Atiba Hutchinson sent him to the turf, while the stop from the keeper sent the ball back towards Hutchinson. The ball took a bounce off Hutchinson’s back and lobbed just over the outstretched arms of Carabantes, barely crossing the goal line.
The crowd was perplexed. While the Canadian players celebrated, everyone in the stadium was turning their heads to see if anybody knew what happened. Calls for a VAR review grew louder but went unheard. Salvadorans huddled around smartphones to try to find a replay of the event. Atiba Hutchinson was ultimately credited with the goal and Canada took a 1-0 lead. You’ve got to be good to be lucky, and Hutchinson was one of the best for Canada on this night, more than deserving of a bit of good fortune.
Canadian keeper Milan Borjan had a relatively quiet day but was called upon in injury time. His best save of the match was his final one. From well outside the box near midfield, Marvin Monterrosa tried to catch Borjan off his line. The lob attempt looked due to fall into
the back of Canada’s goal but an incredible one-handed leaping save from Borjan, something we’ve seen in every game this window, kept the opposition off the score sheet.
Then, in the 93rd minute of play, with all of the Salvadoran players pressing near the Canadian goal, Jonathan David intercepted a pass, ran the length of the pitch ahead of the chasing Salvadoran defenders, and finished it off with a nifty lob of the Salvadoran keeper to cement another victory for Canada in this window – each of which coming with a 2-0 final.
Knowing that with this loss, they also lost any hope of qualifying for Qatar, the El Salvadoran fans were understandably dejected. Proud of the effort put forward by their national team though, they applauded them with a standing ovation as the players walked off the pitch. Dreams of Qatar may have been dashed but their pride certainly wasn’t. Fans partied late into the night around the stadium. I couldn’t help grabbing a few beers and joining the festivities.
While Canada is not yet officially qualified for Qatar, it would take a comedy of errors to miss out on this quadrennial’s premier football event. A perfect nine points from three games against Honduras, USA, and El Salvador has put Canada firmly atop the table. Whenever the giants of Concacaf were mentioned in the past it was a reference to the top two teams that are a level above the rest: Mexico and USA. I think we’ve now got a 3-headed monster on our hands.
A long break awaits the CANMNT before they take to the pitch again in late March for the final 3 games of the Octagonal. We’ll have to wait until then to officially cheer Canada’s World Cup qualification.
See you there.
