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The 2022–23 Primera División de El Salvador, also known as the Liga Pepsi, is the 24th season and 46th and 47th Primera División tournament, El Salvador's top football division, since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. C.D. FAS and TBD are the defending champions of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments respectively. The league will consist of 12 teams. There will be two seasons conducted under identical rules, with each team playing a home and away game against the other clubs for a total of 22 games per tournament. At the end of each half-season tournament, the top six teams in that tournament's regular season standings will take part in the playoffs.

The champions of Apertura or Clausura with the better aggregate record will qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League. The other champion, and the runner-up with the better aggregate record will qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF League. Should the same team win both tournaments, both runners-up will qualify for CONCACAF League. Should the final of both tournaments features the same two teams, the semi-finalist with the better aggregate record will qualify for CONCACAF League.

Teams

Promotion and relegation

A total of 12 teams will contest the league, including 11 sides from the 2021–22 Primera División and 1 promoted from the 2021–22 Segunda División.

Dragon was promoted to the Primera División in June 2022 after defeating A.D. Municipal in a playoff match by a score of 0–0.

C.D. Municipal Limeño was relegated to the 2022–23 Segunda División.

Stadiums and locations

Notable events

Notable death from Apertura 2022 season and 2023 Clausura season

The following people associated with the Primera Division have died between the middle of 2022 and middle of 2023.

• Saul Lorenzo Rivero (Uruguayan ex coach of FAS, Aguila, Isidro Metapan)
• Nahún Corro Bazan (Mexican, ex Aguila player)
• Kiril Dojcinovski (Macedonian ex coach of LA Firpo, Limeno)
• Romeo Blanco (ex Alianza and Atletico Marte)
• Italo Maldonado (ex ANTEL player)
• Julio César Madrid (ex Dragon player)
• Raúl Corcio Zavaleta (ex Aguila, Santa Anita, Aguila, Sonsonate, Atletico Marte, Limeno)
• Genaro Sermeño (Ex FAS player)
• Remberto Santillana (Ex FAS, Once Lobos and Metapan FC coach)
• Antonio “Chueño” Landaverde (Ex FAS player)
• Francisco Osorto (ex Santiagueno, Limeno player)
• José Angel Guerra "Gallito Guerra" (ex Platense player)
• Ricardo Gambeta Sosa (ex Dragon, ADLER, Fuerte Aguilares and Juventud Olimpica player)
• Nestor Matamala (ex Chilean coach, CD Aguila coach) Muere entrenador chileno y finalista con CD Águila
• Paulo Damasco (ex Brazilian, Santiagueño player ) Falleció en Río de Janeiro el recordado ex futbolista del Santiagueño, Paulo Damasco – Diario El Salvador

Change of ownership

On 15 April 2022, FAS announced that they had been acquired by American ownership group AMG Sports

FESFUT removal and Games suspensions

On the 20th of July, The Governmental National Sports Institute (INDES) in association with the Attorney general raided Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) in relation to money laundering and fraudulent administration. INDES issued an administrative resolution ordering the dismissal of FESFUT directors and the creation of a Normalizing Commission.

As a result of this internal crisis, All three main divisions games from round 2 to 4 were suspended due to referees not showing up.

FIFA said that it could suspend El Salvador if its state-led sports institute removes the heads of the Salvadoran Football Federation (FESFUT) in favor of hand-picked officials, according to a letter shared by the federation online.

After a month and a half and with the imposition of a FIFA Regulation Committee in the FESFUT, plus the delivery of credentials by INDES, the first division (as well as the second and third) obtained the green light to be able to resume their tournament, which was interrupted after a disputed date.

The Primera Division announced August 31, 2022, that the season will resume the Apertura 2022 tournament on September 17, 2022.

New main sponsor for the league

Instituto Nacional de los Deportes (INDES) signed a five-year contract with Primera División de El Salvador for five year, worth 7 millions USD (1.4 million per year). The league will be named as Liga INDES Apertura / Clausura”.

Estadio Cuscatlan Tragedy

On the 25th May 2023, during the quarter final game between Alianza and FAS an incident occurred which resulted in a crowd crush of fans in the stadium.

According to reports, fans had been sold fake tickets for the game and angry fans attempted to pull down the barricades at the stadiums at the entrance. Twelve people were killed and dozens of others injured.

Authorities were looking at pressing charges against those responsible for the event and the Salvadoran Soccer Federation suspended all the following day's matches in the count.

Suspension 2023 Clausura season

After the tragedy that occurred on the 25th of May, A reunion was called with FESFUT and members of the Primera División, the decision was made to cancel the 2023 Clausura season, no champion will be crowned and Chalatenango will be relegated.

Alianza will be punished by playing Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 seasons behind closed doors, Fined $30,000 United States dollars.

It was announced that FAS (Apertura 2022 Champion), Aguila (Club with the most Accumulated points in the Apertura 2022 and Clausura 2023 season) and Jocoro (Apertura 2022 Runner-up) will be the club representatives at the CONCACAF Central American Cup.

Fiscalía General de la República (El Salvador Police force) arrested the five people responsible for the poor security and issues that contributed to the tragedy, the five arrested included are President of Alianza Pedro Hernández, general manager of Alianza Edwin Abarca, Treasurer of Alianza Zoila Córdova, General manager of EDESSA the ownership group of Estadio Cuscatlán Reynaldo Contreras, and Head of security of EDESSA Samuel Montano.

Managerial changes

Before the start of the season

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
Jocoro	Edgar Henriquez	Resigned due to Contract dispute	May 2022	Carlos Estrada	May 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Santa Tecla	Leonel Carcamo	Mutual Consent	May 22, 2022	Ernesto Corti	May 22, 2022	12th (2022 Apertura)
Alianza	Milton Melendez	Resigned	May 2022	Adonay Martinez	June 27, 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Platense	Ivan Ruiz	Ended Intermship and Returned as assistant coach	June 2022	Erick Prado	June 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Chalatenango	Erick Prado	Mutual Consent	June 2022	Edgar Henriquez	June 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Atletico Marte	Nelson Mauricio Ancheta	Sacked	June 2022	Osvaldo Escudero	June 21, 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Luis Angel Firpo	Eraldo Correia	Mutual Consent	June 2022	Carlos Romero	June 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
Once Deportivo de Ahuachapan	Ruben da Silva	Mutual Consent	June 2022	Rodolfo Gochez	June 2022	th (2022 Apertura)
FAS	Jorge Humberto Rodriguez	Mutual Consent, Moved to be sporting director	June 10, 2022	Octavio Zambrano	June 2022	th (2022 Apertura)

During the Apertura season

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
Aguila	Agustin Castillo	Mutual Consent	August 2022	Sebastian Bini	August 2022	9th (2022 Apertura)
Jocoro	Carlos Estrada	Resigned due to family issues	September 6, 2022	Jorge Pineda	September 6, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
Jocoro	Jorge Pineda	Mutual Consent	October, 2022	Jose Romero	October, 2022	1st (2023 Clausura)

Between the Apertura and Clausura season

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
Once Deportivo	Rodolfo Gochez	Sacked	October 28, 2022	Erick Dowson Prado	December, 2022	6th Group B (2022 Apertura)
Alianza	Adonay Martinez	Sacked	November 16, 2022	Eduardo Lara	November 17, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
Platense	Erick Dowson Prado	Sacked	November 30, 2022	Ruben Da Silva	December, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
Jocoro	Jose Romero	Sacked	November 30, 2022	Guillermo Bernardez	December 27, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
Isidro Metapan	Hector Omar Mejia	Sacked	December 12, 2022	Jorge Rodriguez	December 13, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
LA Firpo	Carlos Romero	Sacked	December, 2022	Guillermo Rivera	December 21, 2022	th (2023 Clausura)
Chalatenango	Edgar Henriquez	Mutual consent	December 31, 2022	Ricardo Serrano	January, 2023	th (2023 Clausura)

Clausura seasons

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
Jocoro	Guillermo Bernárdez	Resigned due to poor results	February 28, 2023	Victor Coreas	February 28, 2023	10th (2023 Clausura)
Atletico Marte	Osvaldo Escudero	Mutual Consent	March 4, 2023	Omar Sevilla	March 4, 2023	11th (2023 Clausura)
Platense	Ruben Da Silva	Sacked	March 28, 2023	Juan Cortés Diéguez	March 29, 2023	10th (2023 Clausura)
FAS	Octavio Zambrano	Sacked	April 4, 2023	Efren Mercano (Interim)	April 5, 2023	6th (2023 Clausura)

Apertura 2022

Phase 1

Group A

Group B

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

First legs

Isidro Metapan	1–1	Jocoro
Carlos Salazar 41'		Henry Romero 91'

Platense	1–1	Alianza
Steve Alfaro 55'		Ezequiel Rivas 77'

Dragon	3–2	FAS
Yair Arboleda 39' Javier Ferman 64' Jhon Montano 89'		Alberto Henriquez 39' Rudy Clavel 62'

Second legs

FAS	3–1	Dragon
Luis Mendoza 3' 67' Marvin Marquez 78'		Jhon Montaño 56'

FAS won 5–4 on Aggregate

Aguila	1–0	Atletico Marte
Dustin Corea 87'		Nil

Aguila won 1–0 on Aggregate

Jocoro won 4–3 on penalties, after tying 1–1 aggregate

Alianza	0–1	Platense
Nil		Carlos Anzora 39'

Platense won 2–1 on aggregate

Semifinals

First legs

FAS	1–0	Aguila
Wilma Torres 72'		Nil

Platense	2–0	Jocoro
Jhon Machado 7' 13'		Nil

Second legs

Aguila	1–0	FAS
Dustin Corea 33'		Nil

4–4. FAS won 4–3 on penalties

Jocoro	4–2	Platense
Henry Romero 10' Yuvini Salamanca 12' 22' Júnior Padilla 19'		Steve Alfaro 15' 38'

4–4. Jocoro won 4–2 on penalties

Final

FAS	2–0	Jocoro
Rudy Clavel 26' Yilmar Filigrana 66'		NIL

FAS GK 1 Kevin Carabantes DF 20 Ibsen Castro DF 17 Roberto Domínguez DF 28 Rudy Clavel 26' DF 12 Rubén Marroquín  46' MF 22 Guillermo Stradella  62' MF 5 Jose Portillo MF 29 Rodrigo Rivera MF 7 Juan Camilo Salazar  78' FW 9 Luis Ángel Mendoza  11'  78' FW 27 Marvin Marquez  34' Substitutes: MF 8 Bryan Landaverde  62' MF 11 Denis Pineda  78' DF 16 Andrés Flores  46' MF 21 Wilma Torres  78' FW 15 Yílmar Filigrana  34' 66' Manager: Octavio Zambrano

Jocoro GK 22 Hector Ramirez DF 4 Salvador Galindo  46'  18' DF 2 Carlos Arevalo DF 19 Elvis Claros DF 23 Nelson Moreno  75'  33' MF 5 Henry Maldonado MF 10 Yuvini Salamanca MF 11 Ronald Aparicio  46' MF 16 Juan Carlos Argueta MF 17 Junior Padilla  75'  69' FW 23 Henry Romero  64'  61' Substitutes: MF 12 Enmanuel Hernandez  75' MF 27 Carlos Garcia  46' MF '29 Joel Turcios  64' MF 20 Roque Caballero  78' MF '24 Oscar Franco  75' Manager: Jose Romero

Apertura 2022 Records

Records

• Best home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points)
• Worst home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
• Best away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points)
• Worst away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
• Most goals scored: Aguila (23 goals)
• Fewest goals scored: Firpo (6 goals)
• Fewest goals conceded : Dragon (7 goals)
• Most goals conceded : Chalatenango (18 goals)

No.	Player	Club	Goals
1	Juan Carlos Argueta	Jocoro	8
2	Dustin Corea	Aguila	5
3	Victor Garcia	Santa Tecla	5
4	Carlos Salazar	Isidro Metapan	5
5	Gerson Mayen	Aguila	5
6	Rodolfo Zelaya	Alianza	4
7	Juan Carlos Portillo	Alianza	4
8	Ezequiel Rivas	Alianza	4
9	Raul Penaranda	LA Firpo	4
10	Edagr Cruz	Aguila	3

Scoring

• First goal of the season: Juan Carlos Argueta for Jocoro against Atletico Marte, 8 minutes (July 10, 2022)
• First goal by a foreign player: Brian Calabrese for Aguila against Once Deportivo, 55th minutes (July 10, 2022)
• Fastest goal in a match: 2 Minutes
  • Bryan Paz for Once Deportivo against Santa Tecla (October 2, 2022)
• Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 90+4 minutes
  • Dustin Corea goal for Aguila against Platense, (September 19, 2022)
• First penalty Kick of the season: Miguel Lemus for Chalatenango against LA Firpo, 67th minutes (September 18, 2022)
• Widest winning margin: 6 goals
  • Aguila 6–0 LA Firpo (October 13, 2022)
• First hat-trick of the season: Bryan Paz for Once Deportivo against Santa Tecla (October 2, 2022)
• First own goal of the season: Geovanny Henriquez (Chalatenango) for Platense (September 25, 2022)
• Most goals in a match: 6 goals
  • Aguila 6–0 LA Firpo (October 13, 2022)
• Most goals by one team in a match: 6 goals
  • Aguila 6–0 LA Firpo (October 13, 2022)
• Most goals in one half by one team: 4 goals
  • Jocoro 4–2 (4–2) Platense (1st half, November, 2022)
• Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals
  • TBD 3–5 TBD (, 2022)
• Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 goals
  • Bryan Paz for Once Deportivo against Santa Tecla (October 2, 2022
    Juan Carlos Argueta for Jocoro against Chalatenango (October 24, 2022)
• Players that scored a hat-trick':
  • Bryan Paz for Once Deportivo against Santa Tecla (October 2, 2022)
  • Juan Carlos Argueta for Jocoro against Chalatenango (October 24, 2022)

Clausura 2023

League table

Clausura 2023 Records

Records

• Best home records: TBD (00 points out of 33 points)
• Worst home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
• Best away records : TBD (00 points out of 33 points)
• Worst away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
• Most goals scored: TBD (00 goals)
• Fewest goals scored: TBD (00 goals)
• Fewest goals conceded : TBD (00 goals)
• Most goals conceded : TBD (00 goals)

No.	Player	Club	Goals
1	Dustin Corea	Aguila	10
2	Luis Peralta	Isidro Metapan	10
3	Jomal Williams	Once Deportivo	9
4	Jhon Montano	Dragon	8
5	Michell Mercado	Alianza	8
6	Juan Carlos Argueta	Jocoro	8
7	Luis Ibarra	Atletico Marte	8
8	Cesar Flores	Santa Tecla	7
9	Carlos Salazar	Isidro Metapan	6
10	Sebastian Julio	LA Firpo	6
11	Camilio Salazar	FAS	5
12	Luis Acuna	Jocoro	5

Scoring

• First goal of the season: Santos Ortiz for Aguila against Santa Tecla, 16 minutes (January 29, 2023)
• First goal by a foreign player: Victor Landázuri for Santa Tecla against Aguila, 23rd minutes (January 29, 2023)
• Fastest goal in a match: 35 seconds
  • Gabriel Giacopetti for Platense against Atletico Marte, (April 24, 2023)
• Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 90+7 minutes
  • Michell Mercado goal for Alianza against Platense, (January 30, 2023)
  • Jaime Ortiz goal for Platense against Santa Tecla, (April 12, 2023)
• First penalty Kick of the season: Luis Ibarra for Atletico Marte against LA Firpo, 35th minutes (January 30, 2023)
• Widest winning margin: 6 goals
  • Dragon 7–1 Chalatenango (February 12, 2023)
• First hat-trick of the season: Marcelo Díaz for Once Deportivo against Chalatenango (April 24, 2023)
• First own goal of the season: Roberto Domínguez (FAS) for Aguila (February 6, 2023)
• Most goals in a match: 8 goals
  • Dragon 7–1 Chalatenango (February 12, 2023)
• Most goals by one team in a match: 7 goals
  • Dragon 7–1 Chalatenango (February 12, 2023)
• Most goals in one half by one team: 4 goals
  • Dragon 4–0 (7–1) Chalatenango (1st half, February 12, 2023)
• Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals
  • TBD 3–5 TBD (, 2023)
• Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 goals
  • Marcelo Díaz for Once Deportivo against Chalatenango (April 24, 2023)
• Players that scored a hat-trick:
  • Marcelo Díaz for Once Deportivo against Chalatenango (April 24, 2023)

Playoff

Quarterfinals

First legs

LA Firpo	1–1	Dragon
Sebastian Julio 61'		Jonathan Nolasco 74'

FAS	1–0	Alianza
Camilo Salazar 93'		Nil

Jocoro	2–3	Aguila
Juan Carlos Argueta 74' Camilo Delgado 90'		Dustin Corea 13' (pen.) Carlos Pimienta 17' Dixon Rivas 89'

Isidro Metapan	1–0	Once Deportivo
Erivan Flores 13'		Nil

Second legs

Dragon	2–1	LA Firpo
Jhon Montaño 27' 62'		Styven Vasquez 65'

Dragon won 3–2 on Aggregate

Alianza	0–2	FAS
TBD 87'		Nil

Match Abandoned due to stadium tragedy, FAS awarded a 2–0 victory

Season was cancelled, due to Cuscatlan stadium

Aguila	0–1(3–4)	Jocoro
Nil		TBD 39'

Season was cancelled, due to Cuscatlan stadium

Aggregate table

The Aggregate table is the general ranking for the 2022–23 season. This table is a sum of the Apertura 2022 and Clausura 2023 tournament standings. The aggregate table is used to determine seeding for the CONCACAF tournaments and relegation to the Segunda Division.

1. As non-finalists with best aggregate
2. As Apertura runners-up
3. As Apertura champions

List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in the 2022–23 season. The following players:

1. Have played at least one game for the respective club.
2. Have not been capped for the El Salvador national football team on any level, independently from the birthplace

A new rule was introduced this season, that clubs can have four foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or a player is released and it is before the close of the season transfer window. \

(player released during the Apertura season due suspension of season, Never played a game) (player released during the Apertura season) (player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons) (player released during the Clausura season) (player naturalized for the Clausura season) (player released beginning the Clausura season, Never played a game)

References

1. Tovar, Diego (5 June 2022). "Dragón derrotó a Juayúa y asciende a la primera divisiónn" [Dragon Defeats Juayua and is promoted to Premier Division]. elgrafico.com (in Spanish). El Gráfico. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
2. "Municipal Limeño desciende a la segunda divisións" [Municipal Limeno relegated to second division]. elgrafico.com (in Spanish). 1 May 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
3. Sandoval, Williams (June 16, 2022). "FAS cambia de administración". elGrafico.com. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
4. Benítez, Jorge (2022-09-01). "Equipos de la primera división retornarán a entrenamientos". elgrafico.com.
5. Ortiz, Enrique (2023-01-26). "INDES se convierte en el principal patrocinador de la Primera División". Diario El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
6. "Tragedy in El Salvador: 12 killed in stampede at Cuscatlan Stadium during Alianza vs FAS game". MARCA. 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
7. Tovar, Diego (2023-05-24). "FESFUT confirma descenso de Chalatenango y deja sin campeón al Clausura 2023". elgrafico.com.
8. Valiente, Josué (2023-05-24). "Primera División da por finalizado el Clausura 2023". elgrafico.com.
9. Viana, Diego (2023-05-24). "Primera División solicitará que FAS, Águila y Jocoro vayan a la Copa Centroamericana". elgrafico.com.
10. Valiente, Josué (2023-05-25). "Fiscalía captura a directivos de Alianza y EDESSA". elgrafico.com.
11. "Santa Tecla anuncia a Ernesto Corti como técnico para el Apertura 2022". elgrafico.com. 2022-05-21.
12. cronologia/-/meta/juan-carlos-miranda. "El hondureño Jorge Pineda, nuevo entrenador del Jocoro FC de El Salvador". www.laprensa.hn (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
13. "Jorge Pineda rescinde contrato con el Jocoro FC de El Salvador". www.diariomas.hn (in Spanish). 2022-10-13. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
14. "Rodolfo Góchez no seguirá con 11 Deportivo". Noticias de El Salvador – Noticias de El Salvador, noticias internacionales, salvadoreños por el mundo, economia, negocios, politica, deportes, entretenimiento, tecnologia, turismo, tendencias, fotos, videos, redes sociales (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
15. Viana, Diego (2022-11-16). "Eduardo Lara, nuevo técnico de Alianza". elgrafico.com.
16. "¡BOOM! Platense de Zacatecoluca cambia su cuerpo técnico". Noticias de El Salvador – Noticias de El Salvador, noticias internacionales, salvadoreños por el mundo, economia, negocios, politica, deportes, entretenimiento, tecnologia, turismo, tendencias, fotos, videos, redes sociales (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-06-19.
17. Viana, Diego (2022-12-12). "Jorge "Zarco" Rodríguez vuelve a Metapán". elgrafico.com.
18. Tovar, Diego (2023-02-28). "Guillermo Bernárdez renuncia como DT de Jocoro". elgrafico.com.

External links

• Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador (Official website)

• Primera División de Fútbol Profesional seasons
• 2022–23 in Central American football leagues
• 2022–23 in Salvadoran football
• Football in El Salvador