Primera División de Fútbol Profesional – Apertura 2012

The Apertura 2012 season (officially known as Torneo Apertura 2012 or also known as the Copa Capri for sponsoring reasons) was the 29th edition of El Salvador's Primera División since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. C.D. Águila headed into this tournament as the defending champions. The season began on 14 July 2012 and concluded in the end of the year. Like previous years, the league consisted of 10 teams, each playing a home and away game against the other clubs for a total of 18 games, respectively. The top four teams by the end of the regular season took part in the playoffs.

Team information
A total of 10 teams will contest the league, including 9 sides from Apertura 2011 and Clausura 2012 and one promoted from the 2011–12 Segunda División.

Vista Hermosa were relegated to 2012–13 Segunda División the previous season.

The relegated team were replaced by 2011–12 Segunda División Playoffs promotion. Santa Tecla won the Clausura 2012 title, this led to take part of the promotion playoffs alone the Apertura 2011 champions side Titán. Santa Tecla won the playoffs by the score of 2–1.

Promotion and relegation
Promoted from Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño as of June 6, 2012. Relegated to Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño as of June 6, 2012.
 * Champions: Santa Tecla F.C.
 * Last Place: Vista Hermosa

Second leg
Isidro Metapán won 5-3 on aggregate.

''1-1 on aggregate. Alianza advanced due it to better position on the table.''

Top scorers
Updated to games played on 25 November 2012. Post-season goals are not included, only regular season goals.

Scoring

 * First goal of the season: 🇸🇻 William Bonilla for Santa Tecla against Isidro Metapán, 2 minutes (14 July 2012)
 * Fastest goal in a match: 25 seconds – 🇸🇻 Hugo Montes for Atlético Marte against Once Municipal (7 November 2012)
 * Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+4, 🇸🇻 Benji Villalobos for Águila against Isidro Metapán (15 September 2012)
 * First penalty Kick of the season: 🇦🇷 Carlos Escudero for Santa Tecla against Isidro Metapán, 74 minutes (14 July 2012)
 * Widest winning margin: 6 goals
 * Alianza 7–1 Santa Tecla (22 July 2012)
 * First hat-trick of the season:🇵🇦 Anel Canales for Luis Ángel Firpo against Once Municipal (12 November 2012)
 * First own goal of the season:🇸🇻 Juan Granados (Independiente) for FAS (21 October 2012)
 * Most goals by one team in a match: 7 Goals
 * Alianza 7–1 Santa Tecla (22 July 2012)
 * Most goals in one half by one team: 5 Goals
 * Alianza 7–1 Santa Tecla (22 July 2012)
 * Most goals scored by losing team: 3 Goals
 * Juventud Independiente 4–3 Atlético Marte (5 August 2012)
 * Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 Goals
 * 🇵🇦 Anel Canales for Luis Ángel Firpo against Once Municipal (12 November 2012)

Discipline

 * First yellow card of the season: 🇸🇻 Fabricio Alfaro for Santa Tecla against Isidro Metapán, 37 minutes (14 July 2012)
 * First red card of the season: 🇸🇻 José Alvarado for Isidro Metapán against Santa Tecla, 72 minutes (14 July 2012)
 * Card given at latest point in a game:Yellow 🇸🇻 Dennis Alas for Luis Ángel Firpo against Isidro Metapán, 90+4 minutes (4 August 2012)

List of foreign players in the league
This is a list of foreign players in Apertura 2012. The following players:
 * 1) have played at least one apertura 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 a few season ago, that clubs can only have three foreign players per club and can only add a new player if there is an injury or player/s is released.

C.D. Águila
 * 🇨🇺 Yaikel Pérez
 * 🇧🇷 Ricardo de Lima

Alianza F.C.
 * 🇯🇲 Sean Fraser
 * 🇦🇷 Diego Passarelli
 * 🇺🇾 Christian Vaquero

Atlético Marte
 * 🇦🇷 Daniel Ruiz
 * 🇯🇲 Garrick Gordon
 * 🇨🇴 Cristian Gil Mosquera

Juventud Independiente
 * 🇺🇾 Juan Carlos Reyes
 * 🇦🇷 Maximiliano Alexis Villega
 * 🇨🇷 Jeremy Araya

C.D. FAS
 * 🇦🇷 Alejandro Bentos
 * 🇧🇷 Emerson Reis Luiz
 * 🇨🇴 Mario Alberto Abadía

(player released mid season)

C.D. Luis Ángel Firpo
 * 🇵🇦 Anel Canales
 * 🇨🇴 Luis Torres
 * 🇬🇭 James Owusu-Ansah

A.D. Isidro Metapán
 * 🇭🇳 Ernesto Aquino
 * 🇺🇾 Jorge Ramírez

Once Municipal
 * 🇨🇴 Juan Camilo Mejía
 * 🇧🇷 Lucas Marcal Orange x.svg
 * 🇧🇷 Glauber Da Silva
 * 🇧🇷 Daniel Cruz

Santa Tecla F.C.
 * 🇦🇷 Carlos Escudero
 * 🇦🇷 Lucas Rocco
 * 🇦🇷 Facundo Nicolás Simioli

UES
 * 🇨🇷 Gustavo Peña
 * 🇨🇷 Allan Duarte