Photo via CBS Sports

El Salvador coach threatens to remove players from squad, strips perks a month before facing USWNT

El Salvador’s head coach, Eric Acuna, has escalated a simmering dispute with his players ahead of their high-stakes Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal against the USWNT in November. The tension stems from two consecutive losses to Paraguay in October, including a 5-1 defeat followed by a 3-2 setback, where La Selecta’s early lead in the second game unraveled due to red cards for Nicolle Amaya and Danya Gutierrez.

Acuna’s frustration boiled over after the results, with the coach publicly stripping team perks and threatening to bench players who failed to meet his expectations, calling their effort ‘poor’ and vowing to ‘retaliate’ against what he described as a lack of focus. The upcoming match against the USWNT—scheduled as part of the tournament’s knockout format—adds pressure, as El Salvador’s performance in the qualifiers could determine their path to the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, the USWNT, still recovering from a 2-0 loss and 2-2 draw against Spain, will look to navigate the political storm in El Salvador while preparing for a critical clash in the competition’s quarterfinals.

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