In the first all-Central American matchup at the 2025 Gold Cup, Honduras and El Salvador square off on Saturday from Shell Energy Stadium in Houston.

Neither side managed to find the back of the net on matchday one, as La H were pummeled 6-0 by Canada, putting them at the bottom of Group B, a point below El Salvador who are third following a 0-0 draw with Curacao.

Match preview

The opening game of this tournament could not have gone much worse for Honduras, who suffered their worst Gold Cup defeat this century on matchday one.  

That ended a four-match winning run for Reinaldo Rueda’s men across all competitions, while they have lost their last two opening fixtures at this tournament by a combined margin of 10-0.

This team had not suffered such a lopsided defeat this decade, and have not conceded six or more goals in a game since Brazil clobbered them 7-0 in a friendly played in June 2019.

Honduras have not lost consecutive games in the group phase of this competition since 2019, with their last matchday two victory at the Gold Cup occurring in 2021 (3-2 over Panama).

So far this year they have a 100% record across all competitions when leading at the half, while they have lost all but one match in 2025 when behind after 45 minutes (5-3 win over Bermuda).

Los Catrachos have never lost a Gold Cup fixture versus El Salvador this century, winning those two such meetings against them by a combined margin of 5-0.

In what was perhaps the dullest game of the 2025 Gold Cup group phase so far, El Salvador held firm defensively against their Caribbean opponents on Tuesday.

Hernan Gomez’s side could only manage one effort on target, while registering a mere 39% possession, but collected their second clean sheet of 2025.

They are now unbeaten in their last five matches played across all competitions, while collecting at least a point in their previous three group games at the Gold Cup.

On Saturday they have an opportunity to claim their first victory in this competition since July 2021 when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 in a match played in Texas.

El Salvador are unbeaten in six consecutive matches versus CONCACAF teams while avoiding defeat in their previous three contests against Central American opposition.

La Selecta have points in three of their last four meeting versus Honduras, with their previous victory against them on US soil coming in a 2018 friendly played in Houston (1-0).

Honduras CONCACAF Gold Cup form:

Honduras form (all competitions):

El Salvador CONCACAF Gold Cup form:

El Salvador form (all competitions):

Team News

From their World Cup qualifying win versus Antigua and Barbuda to their defeat against Canada, there were three new faces in the Honduran starting 11 with Christopher Melendez, Luis Vega and Alexy Vega replacing Andy Najar, Julian Martinez and Alexander Lopez.

Deybi Flores can collect his 50th career cap with the national team this weekend, while Dixon Ramirez seeks to make his first senior appearance and Romell Quioto can move into a tie for ninth in all-time goals for La H.

There were also three changes made to El Salvador's starting 11 on Tuesday from the team that began their World Cup qualifier against Suriname as Diego Flores, Harold Osorio and Elvin Alvarado came in for Alexander Larin, Jose Santos Ortiz Asencio and Nathan Ordaz.

Mario Gonzalez made three stops between the sticks for La Selecta on matchday one, collecting his second clean sheet in his last three starts for the national team.

Honduras possible starting lineup:

Menjivar; Santamaria, Montes, L. Vega, Rosales; Flores; Palma, A. Vega, Arriaga; Benguche, Lozano

El Salvador possible starting lineup:

Gonzalez; Tamacas, Sibrian, Cruz, Larin; Landaverde, Cartagena, Duenas; Ordaz, Gil, Henriquez

We say: Honduras 0-0 El Salvador

La H may be a little shell-shocked and timid going forward after the beating they took against Canada, while El Salvador do not appear to have many attacking solutions, and when you put that together it seems to add up to a scoreless draw.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Joel Lefevre

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