PHOENIX, Arizona – The 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals kick off this Saturday with El Salvador facing Qatar at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
While the match marks the first ever Gold Cup meeting between the two sides, El Salvador and Qatar are already familiar with each other from their friendly last month played in Croatia in which Qatar emerged with a 1-0 victory.
El Salvador have already made history in this Gold Cup by winning two group stage matches for the first time ever, finishing second in Group A, and now they will be seeking another historical mark with a first ever quarterfinal victory.
Under new Head Coach Hugo Perez, El Salvador have found their attacking stride and players like Jairo Henriquez and Joaquin Rivas have each found a goal thus far in the tournament, while Walmer Martinez has provided a spark off the bench, including with a goal in the group stage versus Trinidad and Tobago.
Guest nation Qatar are also capable of setting off fireworks in the attacking third. No team scored more goals than the reigning Asian champions in the group stage, with nine goals as they took the top spot in Group D.
Almoez Ali already has two goals in the tournament and was the man that provided that winning score in the friendly versus El Salvador last month. Meanwhile, Akram Afif has two goals and two assists and Pedro Miguel has a pair of assists as well, in addition to leading the team with most fouls received (8).
With every step Qatar take in the Gold Cup, they are making history, while for El Salvador, a first ever semifinal appearance beckons with a victory.
