Once considered one of the stronger Central American teams, El Salvador has earned a spot in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifying Hexagonal for the first time since 1997, but it wasn't easy getting back among the region's top tier of teams, as Mexican coach Carlos de los Cobos "has been faced with constant bickering from local clubs over the release of players" and a recent "walkout by the squad over a disagreement in pay."
And if that wasn't enough for one man to endure, the national team's resurgence since de los Cobos took over in 2006 "has been accompanied by some unsavory incidents, including allegations of urine-throwing and racism by its fans, and the suspension of a recent match after the Salvadorans were reduced to six players in suspicious circumstances," adds World Soccer writer Brian Homewood in a report on SI.com.
All that turmoil adds up to what could be a lop-sided loss, or at the very least an interesting home environment, when El Salvador hosts the USA on Saturday's World Cup qualifier (live on ESPN2 and Telefutura at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT).
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