 El Salvador hosted the 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup . The tournament switched formats to a two round system , with two three – team groups in the first round , with two teams advancing from each group , and a knockout style competition for the remaining four teams . El Salvador was placed in a group with Costa Rica and Belize . They topped the group with 2 wins and faced Guatemala in the knockout round , where they lost 0 – 1 . They won the third place match against Costa Rica 2 – 1 and thus advanced to the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup along with Guatemala and tournament winners Honduras . This was their first appearance at the Gold Cup . At the finals of the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup , El Salvador was placed in a group with Trinidad and Tobago and the United States . They defeated Trinidad and Tobago 3 – 2 , with goals from Raúl Díaz Arce ( 34 ' , 72 ' ( pen . ) ) and Ronald Cerritos ( 50 ' ) in their first game but lost 2 – 0 to the United States , and thus did not advance from the first round . 
