BY SAMUEL MINTZ
El Salvador always seems to be just on the cusp of CONCACAF soccer success. Behind perennial powers Mexico, the United States, Costa Rica, and Honduras, El Salvador is one of the teams always looking to sneak in to a final match or qualify for the World Cup. The latter is something it won’t be doing until 2018 at the earliest, having been eliminated from the current process in the semifinal round. Between that elimination and the fact that the Central American side has only won one in its last seven matches, la azul y blanco will look to rebound by winning its first round Gold Cup group.

Most of the squad is based in El Salvador, with a few playing in the U.S. or other North and Central American sides. A couple play in Europe. A large number of the current squad play or have played for C.D. FAS, El Salvador’s all-time most successful club with 17 national titles, including all-time caps leader Alfredo Pacheco, the club’s captain before an ill-advised move to MLS. He and his FAS teammates will be trying to replicate their club success on the international level this summer.