World Cup Soccer : Perez Lifts U.S. Past El Salvador, 1-0
Scoring against his former country wasn’t that special for Hugo Perez.
“The important thing is that we won, not that I made the goal against El Salvador,” Perez said Sunday after leading the United States to a 1-0 victory in a World Cup qualifying match. “It’s like any other team.”
Perez, 25, was born in El Salvador but his family came to the United States when he was 9. He dedicated the goal to his 70-year-old grandfather, Antonio, who made the trip from El Salvador.
“It’s important for the U.S. to make it to Italy,” said Perez, who plays for the Red Star club of the French second division. “There’s not that much interest in soccer in the States, and if we play in the World Cup, that could help generate more interest before 1994.”
Perez, who missed the first four World Cup matches this year because of an ankle injury, scored by heading the ball past goalkeeper Carlos Rivera after the goalie saved a 30-yard direct kick and the rebound.
The United States (3-1-1), trying to qualify for its first World Cup since 1950, will play host to the World Cup in 1994. By beating El Salvador, the Americans pulled within two points of second-place Trinidad and Tobago (3-1-3) in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
The top two teams in the group will advance to the 24-team tournament in Italy next summer.
Costa Rica (5-2-1) completed the round-robin qualifying with 11 points. Trinidad and Tobago has nine points with one game left, a Nov. 19 match at home against the United States. The Americans have two games in hand over Trinidad.
