El Salvador’s Final 2022 World Cup Qualifying Window Starts Thursday
TULSA – Both of FC Tulsa’s Salvadorans will get a final crack at qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup with El Salvador this week. Forward Joaquín Rivas and defender Ronald Rodríguez both left Tulsa on Sunday to join El Salvador for its final three World Cup qualifiers, starting on Thursday. While that will mean that Rivas and Rodríguez will miss Tulsa’s next two USL Championship matches, the pair will be representing Tulsa on a global stage.
“I’m honored and motivated to be able to represent my country once again,” said Rivas. “Since I was a boy one of my dreams was to play in the Estadio Azteca [against Mexico]. I’m hoping to do our best and finish strong!”
The Tulsa duo will be available to appear for El Salvador in Thursday’s match at Jamaica (6:05 p.m. CT start time), Sunday vs. Costa Rica (4:05 p.m.) and at Mexico on Wednesday, March 30 (7:05 p.m.). All three of El Salvador’s matches will be available to stream on Paramount+.
El Salvador’s chances of making its first World Cup since 1982 are hanging by a thread as the side will need to win all three matches to remain alive and get some help with Panama losing all three matches and Costa Rica receiving no more than one point in its final three qualifiers. Even then, El Salvador would finish fourth in the ‘Octagonal’ and go to an inter-confederation play-off.
Rivas and Rodríguez are both regulars for “La Selecta” with Rivas appearing in 14 of 17 qualifiers and Rodríguez appearing in 11. With both in form after starting each of FC Tulsa’s first two matches in 2022, fans can expect to see each take the pitch for El Salvador over the next 10 days.
