Goalie Mario Gonzalez made three saves to help El Salvador earn a scoreless draw against Curacao on Tuesday at San Jose, Calif., in the CONCACAF Gold Cup opener for both sides.
The match started Group B action, with the group’s other two nations, Canada and Honduras, set to face off later Tuesday night in Vancouver.
Curacao, which had a decided edge in ball possession (60.3 percent), nearly broke the deadlock in the 64th minute.
Diego Flores chipped an entry pass from midfield over the Salvadorean defense. The ball bounced into the 18-yard box, where Jearl Margaritha spun off a challenge, turned and took a right-footed shot. A defender deflected the ball, which looped high in the air, came down on the crossbar and bounced away.
Curacao goalie Eloy Room was credited with two saves.
Next up for Curacao is a matchup vs. Canada, while El Salvador will oppose Honduras, with both contests scheduled for Saturday in Houston.
–Field Level Media
