Águila Must Win to Stay Alive in the Central American Cup

Águila aims to stay alive in the 2025 Central American Cup when they face Honduras’ Olimpia, a familiar opponent. Last year, the Salvadoran side surprised fans by defeating Olimpia 2-0 at home in Estadio Cuscatlán, a victory that allowed them to advance to the next round and eliminate the same Honduran team.

Daniel Messina’s squad comes into the match on the back of recent positive results, including wins over Hércules in the regional tournament and Municipal Limeño in the Apertura 2025. Injuries have complicated their preparation: Jairo Henríquez and Santos Ortiz are still recovering, while Franco Cacace suffered an acromioclavicular shoulder dislocation in the last league match, casting doubt over his availability. Despite this, Messina remains confident his team can repeat last year’s performance and keep their hopes alive in Group D, where they currently have three points compared to six for Olimpia and nine for Xelajú.

Olimpia has shown consistency in the tournament, defeating Real Estelí 3-0 and Hércules 3-1, though they have drawn their last two domestic league matches. Coach Eduardo Espinel acknowledged the departures of key players such as Alberth Elis and Julián Martínez but stressed: “We cannot ignore that important players have left… but that’s no excuse; this is the squad and we have to face everything that comes with it.” The decisive match will take place on Tuesday, with both teams fighting for crucial points in the group.