DALLAS, Texas – A wide smile and slight chuckle emerges from the mouth of Hugo Perez when he realizes that the opponents he will face in Group A of the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup as Head Coach El Salvador are three of the same teams he defeated as a player in helping the United States win the first ever Gold Cup in 1991: Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago and Mexico.
“Hopefully the stars are aligning again,” said Perez in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com. “It’s fun to remember that and look at that now.”
The U.S. defeated Guatemala and Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage of that 1991 Gold Cup before topping Mexico 2-0 in the semifinals and then defeating Honduras 4-3 in a penalty shootout in the Final after a 0-0 draw.
Looking back on that summer 30 years ago brings back fond memories for the El Salvador-born Perez.
“I think it was a big step in football here in the U.S. because I think it was the first tournament for us and for that group of players that had won something important. We defeated Mexico in the semifinal, went to the final won in penalties. It started the trend of believing that American players could compete at that level,” said Perez.
Now in the 2021 edition, Perez is aiming for another transcendent tournament at the helm of the Cuscatlecos.
“God always has something in mind. Sometimes you don’t think about it, but I’m glad I’m here and happy to be with El Salvador. For us it’s important to not only come in here and play the game, but we are starting something that we’ve been lacking for many years. We had problems for years, but little by little we are changing that. Being here in the Gold Cup, I would like to think that it’s time for us to start changing our history.”
Perez’s El Salvador will kick off their group stage campaign against Guatemala on Sunday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, and there is no doubt that Perez has changed the mentality of the El Salvador players going into their group stage opener.
“Hugo has changed us a lot. The mentality, the way of playing, the style. He likes us to play quicker and have more mobility, not to be standing on the field, but constantly moving,” said veteran MF Marvin Monterroza to Concacaf.com.
“He likes to pressure high, so for us he has helped us a lot because now we recover the ball in other areas of the field, we are closer to the opponents’ goal and that gives us a lot of confidence,” concluded Monterroza.
