You won’t believe what’s going down with the El Salvador women’s national team right before they’re set to face our USWNT. Head coach Eric Acuna just publicly shredded his own squad, threatening to kick players off the team and stripping privileges, all after a couple of brutal friendly losses. This is a full-blown meltdown, and it’s happening a month before a massive Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal.
La Selecta’s Shocking Meltdown
El Salvador just wrapped up a two-game friendly series against Paraguay, and let me tell you, it was ugly. They kicked it off with a disheartening 5-1 defeat. That loss alone was enough for Acuna to start blasting his players. But wait, it got worse. The second game, a 3-2 loss, was an absolute roller coaster. La Selecta actually went up two goals in the first half, with Brenda Ceren and Danya Gutierrez finding the back of the net. Everything was looking good!
Then the second half hit, and things spiraled completely out of control. They conceded a goal early, then Nicolle Amaya got hit with a second yellow and was sent off. Boom, Paraguay had a player advantage. They capitalized immediately, scoring an equalizer. And as if that wasn’t enough drama, Danya Gutierrez then picked up her second yellow, sending *another* El Salvador player to the locker room. With a two-player advantage, Paraguay sealed the deal in the 80th minute with a goal from Monserrat Ayala. El Salvador just couldn’t recover.
Coach Acuna’s Unprecedented Moves
After that first crushing 5-1 loss, Acuna didn’t hold back, telling the press that his team’s effort was poor and their focus was totally off. But it wasn’t just talk; he immediately jumped to what he called “retaliation towards his players.” He revoked all off-camp privileges right before that second game. You heard that right: *retaliation*. And after the second loss, he just doubled down on those comments. Can you imagine the locker room right now? This kind of public shaming and punishment is wild, especially with such a critical tournament on the horizon.
This whole mess is happening with the Concacaf W Championship looming in November. That tournament is huge; it’s a direct qualifier for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and even for spots in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The USWNT, who had some mixed results against Spain recently with a 2-0 loss and a 2-2 draw, drew El Salvador in the quarterfinals. Canada is facing Panama, Mexico is playing Haiti, and Jamaica will go up against Costa Rica in the other quarterfinals. It’s an eight-team, direct knockout format, with the US and Canada getting direct byes. With El Salvador in complete disarray, and their coach actively antagonizing his own squad, this quarterfinal matchup with the USWNT is going to be something else. What kind of team shows up after all that? We’re about to find out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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