El Salvador and Costa Rica are set face each other at Estadio Cuscatlan for game week 13 of the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifiers 2022. Match day schedules for 28th March 2022 at 00:05 EAT.
El Salvador occupies the sixth spot with 10 points in the octagonal standings. Their results have been mixed, but the encouraging sign is that these players have shown that they can compete with teams in this region, losing three matches in this qualifying round by a single goal, and collecting three clean sheets in their first four games.
La Selecta comes into this meeting off the back of 1-1 WC Qualifiers – N & C America draw versus Jamaica in their last fixture. In that game, El Salvador had 48% possession, seven shots with three of them on target and a goal scored by Eriq Zavaleta (21’). Jamaica got 17 shots with five of them on target and a goal by Andre Gray 72’.
Costa Rica is one of the hottest teams in CONCACAF at the moment. They come into this encounter unbeaten in five successive fixtures, conceding only once to the Salvadorans in their last three encounters against them. The Ticos pulled off an upset against the table leaders Canada in their previous outing and stand a good chance of finishing fourth to earn an inter-conference playoffs spot.
Costa Rica will be aiming for another victory following 1-0 WC Qualifiers – N & C America win over Canada in their last match. In that game, Costa Rica had 32% possession, 11 shots with four of them on target and a goal scored by Celso Borges (45+1). Canada got 18 shots with three of them on target and a goal scored by Mark Anthony Kaye (34’).
El Salvador vs Costa Rica head to head
Costa Rica boasts dominance in the history of this fixture having won nine times out of the 16 meetings since 2003. Five matches ended in stalemates while El Salvador claims three wins.
- Costa Rica 2-1 El Salvador 11/10/21
- El Salvador 0-0 Costa Rica 22/08/21
- Costa Rica 0-0 El Salvador 14/01/17
- Costa Rica 1-1 El Salvador 12/07/15
- Costa Rica 1-0 El Salvador 26/01/13
Home
- Jamaica 1-1 El Salvador
- El Salvador 0-2 Canada
- Honduras 0-2 El Salvador
- USA 1-0 El Salvador
- El Salvador 0-1 Chile
Away
- Costa Rica 1-0 Canada
- Jamaica 0-1 Costa Rica
- Mexico 0-0 Costa Rica
- Costa Rica 1-0 Panama
- Costa Rica 2-1 Honduras
El Salvador team news
The hosts will be without the services of Darwin Cerén following suspension.
Costa Rica team news
The visitors have not reported any fitness or injuries concerns yet.
Prediction and odds
El Salvador have the second-worst attacking record in the CONCACAF qualifying campaign with only seven goals but have conceded 14 while Costa Ricans look determined to get back to the World Cup, and we expect that desperation, along with the goalkeeping expertise of Keylor Navas, to earn them three points.
- Costa Rica win
- Draw
- Goals under 2.5
