El Salvador Denied First Win Over USA Since 1992 By Mr CONCACAF Nations League
El Salvador came so close to recording their first ever competitive victory over the USA in men's senior soccer on Tuesday night.
Alexander Larin gave El Salvador the lead with a special strike on 35 minutes and the hosts held that advantage until second-half stoppage time when Jordan Morris headed home to earn the USMNT a 1-1 draw.
The USMNT have still only lost once to El Salvador, with that defeat coming in a friendly in 1992.
Jordan Morris pictured heading the ball to score a late equalizer for the USMNT against El Salvador - a goal which saw him become the leading scorer in the history of CONCACAF Nations League A
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Alexander Larin pictured shooting from a wide angle to score El Salvador's opener against the USA
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Highlights: El Salvador 1-1 USMNT
El Salvador full-back Larin caught out USMNT goalkeeper Ethan Horvath with a crafty effort from near the left touchline to score the opening goal in Tuesday's CONCACAF Nations League clash.
With Reggie Cannon obscuring Horvath's view of the ball, the quick-thinking Larin curled it around the defender and inside the keeper's near post.
The conditions at San Salvador's Estadio Cuscatlan were not conducive to the kind of slick soccer the US would have been hoping to play.
But Gregg Berhalter's side improved after half time and came close to leveling when substitute Jesus Ferreira rounded keeper Mario Martinez only to be denied by a fine sliding block from Roberto Dominguez.
Martinez then produced a strong save to deny Yunus Musah what would have been a memorable first international goal.
Both sides ended the game with 10 men, although there could easily have been more red cards in what was a feisty encounter.
USA winger Paul Arriola was first to be dismissed 20 minutes from time after catching Larin with an ugly lunge.
Rodriguez followed Arriola back to the locker rooms moments later following a last-man foul on Musah, who was left with a mouthful of mud for his troubles.
El Salvador were almost at the finish line, but Morris stopped them from crossing it by becoming the all-time leading scorer in top-tier matches in CONCACAF Nations League history.
His fifth Nations League goal earned the USMNT a valuable point which saw them maintain control of Group A4.