Hernรกn Darรญo Gรณmez,manager of El Salvador’s national team,vehemently criticized โteh officiating following a defeat to Panama,expressing โฃbewilderment over early yellow cards issued to โฃkey โคplayers adn questioning a goalโ allowed against his squad.The outspoken rebuke came afterโข Panama secured a โคwin that โmarked El โขSalvador’s second loss in the 2026 World Cup โqualifying campaign.
The controversy centers on Gรณmez’s assertions that unfavorable refereeing decisions significantly impacted theโค match’s outcomeโ and hindered his team’s performance. With aspirations โfor aโฃ spot in theโ 2026 World Cup hanging inโ theโข balance, El Salvador faces a crucialโฃ upcoming โmatch against Guatemalaโ on Tuesday, October 14th, where โคa โfavorable result isโฃ paramount.โค This latest outburst from ‘Bolillo’ โGรณmez underscores the โhigh stakes and mounting pressure surrounding theโ national โคteam’s qualifying journey.
Gรณmez initiallyโ pointed to the swiftโข issuing of yellow cards to Salvadoranโค players Landaverde โคand Cerritos early in the game. โ”These are things that โI โฃdon’t know why they don’t call us,” he stated, suggestingโค a perceived bias. He further arguedโ that the match was characterized byโ “a lot โคof friction andโ clashes in the first minutes and the yellow cards wereโค forโ us,not for them.”
The manager also raised concerns about the legitimacy of Panama’s goal, โstating, “I โalready saw โคthe video of the goal they scoredโค against usโค and oneโ says, ‘heโ can cancel it โor he can turn itโ off,’ like the goal we score.”
Despite acknowledging his team’s strengths, Gรณmez alludedโค to external factors affectingโฃ their performance.โ He noted having a “stronger” team with good order, but also expressed โคfrustration,โค saying, “I didn’t have the support becauseโฆ you shouldโข already know โwhy. I โwas shocked by some things.”