2020–21 Primera División de El Salvador

The 2020–21 Primera División de El Salvador (also known as the Liga Pepsi) is the 22nd season and 43rd and 44th Primera División tournament, El Salvador's top football division, since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. Alianza F.C. and Once Deportivo de Ahuachapan 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 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. The other champion, and the runner-up with the better aggregate record will qualify for the 2020 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 semifinalist with the better aggregate record will qualify for CONCACAF League.

Team information
A total of 12 teams will contest the league, including 10 sides from the 2019–20 Primera División, 1 promoted from the 2019–20 Segunda División and 1 returning from self imposed exile.

No teams were relegated to 2020–21 Segunda División the previous season as that season was cancelled.

Further changes

 * El Vencedor later gave their spot to Atletico Marte.
 * Independiente lost their license and their spot was given to Firpo.

El Vencedor cessation of spot
El Vencedor announced that due to ongoing cost and lack of sponsorship, they would be ceding their spot to Atletico Marte.

Change of ownership
On 3 April, Chalatenango president Rigoberto Mejia announced that Chalatenango had been acquired by a new ownership group

Change of license owner
At the end of the 2020 season, Pablo Herrera (owner of the franchise license) announced that Independiente will lose their license and he will be giving the license to Luis Angel Firpo for the Clausura 2020.

Notable death from Clausura 2020 season and 2021 Apertura season
The following people associated with the Primera Division have died between the middle of 2020 and middle of 2021.


 * Miguel Herrera (ex Dragon player)
 * Hugo Ernesto Burgos Ventura (ex Chalatenango player)
 * Rodolfo Alvarado Barrientos (Ex Fuerte San Francisco, Cojutepeque and Chalatenango)
 * Hugo Ottenson (Chilean, ex Alianza player)
 * Marco Pereira (Brazilian, ex Aguila, Metapan, Chalatenango, Luis Angel Firpo, Once Lobos, FAS and Dragon player)
 * Jesus Velázquez Chacon (Ex Platense player)
 * Peter Sandoval (Guatemalan, ex Once Lobos player)
 * Delvani Quaresma (Brazilian, ex Dragon player)
 * Ruben Plaino "La Bruja" (Argentinian, ex Firpo player)
 * Mario Tiorra Castro (Ex Sonsonate, Atletico Marte and Aguila)
 * Hernan Sosa (Uruguayan, ex Alianza player)
 * Juan Carlos Masnik (Uruguayan, ex coach of Atlético Marte, FAS, Firpo and Alianza)
 * Agustin Balbueno Mencho (Argentinian, Ex FAS player)
 * Mario Carlos Rey (Argentinian, Ex Juventud Olimpica and Alianza player and coach of the latter)
 * Daniel Mena Luna (current Firpo player)

Apertura
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams will divided into groups of three: Orientale Group, Central Group and Occidentale Group. The first game would start 10 October 2020.

The games will be divided into three different stages:

Second legs
Aguila won 3-0 on aggregate 

Alianza won 5-2 on Aggregate

Jocoro won 2-1 aggregate

FAS won 3-2 on aggregate 

Second legs
Alianza advances 3-0 on aggregate.

Aguila advances 2-1 on aggregate.

Records

 * Best home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Worst home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Best away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Worst away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Most goals scored: Alianza F.C. (32 goals)
 * Fewest goals scored: C.D. Luis Angel Firpo (13 goals)
 * Fewest goals conceded : C.D. Aguila (14 goals)
 * Most goals conceded : Atletico Marte (33 goals)

Scoring

 * First goal of the season: 🇸🇻 Roberto Hernandez for Jocoro against Firpo, 78 minutes (10 October 2020)
 * First goal by a foreign player: 🇵🇦 Nicolas Munoz for Aguila against Limeno, 18 minutes (10 October 2020)
 * Fastest goal in a match: 15 Seconds
 * 🇸🇻 Ramon Rodriguez for Limeno against FAS (13 December 2020)
 * Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 90+2 minutes
 * 🇸🇻 Roberto Hernandez goal for Jocoro against Firpo, (October 10, 2020)
 * First penalty Kick of the season: 🇵🇦 Nicolas Munoz for Aguila against Limeno, 18 minutes (10 October 2020)
 * Widest winning margin: 6 goals
 * Isidro Metapan 6-0 Once Deportivo (October 18, 2020)
 * First hat-trick of the season: Elvin Alvarado for Once Deportivo against Sonsonate  (October 11, 2020)
 * First own goal of the season: 🇸🇻 Alexander Mendoza (Santa Tecla F.C.) for Alianza F.C. (October 11, 2020)
 * Most goals in a match: 8 goals
 * Atletico Marte 3-5 Alianza F.C. (November 23, 2020)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 6 goals
 * Isidro Metapan 6-0 Once Deportivo   (October 18, 2020)
 * Most goals in one half by one team: 3 goals
 * C.D. Sonsonate 2-3 (2-3) Isidro Metapan (2nd half, December 20, 2020)
 * Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals
 * Atletico Marte 3-5 Alianza F.C. (November 23, 2020)
 * Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 goals
 * 🇸🇻 Elvin Alvarado for Once Deportivo against Sonsonate  (October 11, 2020)
 * Players that scored a hat-trick':
 * 🇸🇻 Elvin Alvarado for Once Deportivo against Sonsonate  (October 11, 2020)

Second legs
Firpo won 4-1 on aggregate 

Santa Tecla won 3-2 on aggregate 

Alianza won 3-2 on aggregate 

2-2. FAS won 3-2 on penalties 

Second legs
2-2. Alianza advances 5-4 on penalties.

1-1. FAS advances 4-2 on penalties.

Records

 * Best home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Worst home records: TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Best away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Worst away records : TBD (0 points out of 33 points)
 * Most goals scored: Alianza F.C. (38 goals)
 * Fewest goals scored: Jocoro F.C. (9 goals)
 * Fewest goals conceded : C.D. Aguila (10 goals)
 * Most goals conceded : Atletico Marte (34 goals)

Scoring

 * First goal of the season: 🇸🇻 Ronald Rodriguez for Aguila against Limeno, 24 minutes (14 February 2021)
 * First goal by a foreign player: Ovidio Lanza for Jocoro against Firpo, 46 minutes (14 February 2021)
 * Fastest goal in a match: 2 Minutes
 * 🇨🇴 Jhon Machado for Isidro Metapan against FAS (February 14, 2021)
 * Goal scored at the latest goal in a match: 90 minutes
 * 🇸🇻 Diego Sanchez goal for Santa Tecla against Atletico Marte, (February 18, 2021)
 * First penalty Kick of the season: 🇸🇻 Esquiel Rivas for Chalatenango against Atletico Marte, 27 minutes (14 February 2021)
 * Widest winning margin: 5 goals
 * Firpo 5-0 Atletico Marte (April, 2021)
 * First hat-trick of the season: 🇯🇲 Kemal Orlando Malcolm for Chalatenango against Santa Tecla F.C.  (April, 2021)
 * First own goal of the season: 🇸🇻 Alexander Mendoza (Santa Tecla F.C.) for Atletico Marte, (February 18, 2021)
 * Most goals in a match: 8 goals
 * Atletico Marte 3-5 Alianza F.C. (November 23, 2020)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 5 goals
 * Firpo 5-0 Atletico Marte (April, 2021)
 * Most goals in one half by one team: 3 goals
 * C.D. Sonsonate 2-3 (2-3) Isidro Metapan (2nd half, December 20, 2020)
 * Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals
 * Atletico Marte 3-5 Alianza F.C. (November 23, 2020)
 * Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 goals
 * 🇯🇲 Kemal Orlando Malcolm for Chalatenango against Santa Tecla F.C.  (April, 2021)
 * Players that scored a hat-trick':
 * 🇯🇲 Kemal Orlando Malcolm for Chalatenango against Santa Tecla F.C.  (April, 2021)

List of foreign players in the league
This is a list of foreign players in the 2020–21 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.  

Águila
 * 🇧🇷 Bruno Kairon
 * 🇧🇷 Yan Maciel
 * 🇧🇷 Marlon Da Silva de Moura
 * 🇨🇴 Andrés Quejada

Alianza
 * Maximiliano Freitas Blue x.svg
 * 🇲🇽 Felipe Ponce Ramírez Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Oswaldo Blanco Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Mitchel Mercado
 * 🇦🇷 Jorge Córdoba

Atletico Marte
 * Luis Tatuaca Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Argenis Alba (*)
 * 🇲🇽 Daniel Guzman Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Eduardo Rodriguez Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Jhony Moran Chan (*)
 * 🇨🇴 Sebastian Viafara (*)
 * 🇨🇴 Yoan Ballesteros (*)

Chalatenango
 * Sergio Cordoba Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇺 Luis Paradela Blue x.svg
 * Emerson Lalin Blue x.svg
 * 🇲🇽 Carlos Felix Blue x.svg
 * 🇲🇽 Jesus Everardo Rubio
 * 🇯🇲 Craig Foster
 * 🇯🇲 Chevone Marsh
 * 🇯🇲 Kemal Orlando Malcolm

FAS
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Perea
 * 🇨🇴 Raúl Peñaranda Blue x.svg
 * Diego Areco Blue x.svg
 * Jose Luis Rodriguez Blue x.svg
 * 🇲🇽 Gullit Peña(*)
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Peralta
 * 🇵🇦 Roberto Chen

Firpo
 * 🇨🇴 Tardelius Pena
 * 🇳🇬 Fredrick Ogangan Orange x.svg
 * 🇵🇦 Armando Polo Blue x.svg
 * 🇵🇦 Nelson Barahona
 * 🇪🇨 Eber Caicedo

Isidro Metapán
 * 🇦🇷 Guillermo Vernetti (*)
 * 🇧🇷 Ricardinho Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Jhon Machado
 * 🇨🇴 Yeison Murillo Blue x.svg
 * Jomal Williams
 * 🇦🇷 Leonardo Incoruala (*)

Jocoro
 * 🇪🇨 Eder Moscoso Blue x.svg
 * Junior Jesus Padilla Blue x.svg
 * Arnold Josue Melendez Blue x.svg
 * Ovidio Lanza
 * 🇨🇴 Beitar Córdoba
 * 🇨🇴 William Guerrero

Limeño
 * 🇨🇴 Beitar Córdoba Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Jeison Quiñonez Blue x.svg
 * Samuel Jiménez Blue x.svg
 * Hugo Alexis Oviedo Jara
 * 🇨🇴 Robinson Aponzá
 * 🇨🇴 Eisner Loboa
 * 🇨🇴 Yosimar Quinones

Once Deportivo
 * Luis Fernando Copete Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Daley Mena Blue x.svg
 * 🇵🇦 Abdiel Macea Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Edgar Medrano
 * 🇲🇽 Édgar Solís
 * 🇲🇽 Dieter Vargas
 * 🇲🇽 Marvin Piñón

Sonsonate
 * 🇦🇷 David Boquín Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Daniel Buitrago Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Jose Mondragon Blue x.svg
 * 🇨🇴 Víctor Landazuri (*)
 * Andres Martin Lima (*)

Santa Tecla
 * 🇲🇽 Alejandro Dautt
 * 🇨🇴 Yosimar Quinones Blue x.svg
 * Cristian Olivera (*)
 * 🇨🇴 Eduardo Rodriguez (*)
 * Diego Areco

(player released during the Apertura season) (player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons) (player released during the Clausura season) (player naturalised for the Clausura season)