The 2018–19 Primera División de El Salvador (also known as the Liga Pepsi) is the 20th season and 39th and 40th Primera División tournament, El Salvador's top football division, since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format.

Alianza F.C. Alianza Fútbol Club, also known simply as Alianza, is a football club based in San Salvador, El Salvador. Founded in 1958, Alianza was almost immediately successful, winning its first championships in the 1966 and 1967 Salvadoran seasons. Even ...

are the defending champions of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments. 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 eight 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

2020 CONCACAF Champions League The 2020 CONCACAF Champions League (officially the 2020 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League for sponsorship reasons) was the 12th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current name, and overall the 55th edition of the premier footba ...

. The other champion, and the runner-up with the better aggregate record will qualify for the

2019 CONCACAF League The 2019 CONCACAF League (officially the 2019 Scotiabank CONCACAF League for sponsorship purposes) was the third edition of the CONCACAF League, a football club competition organized by CONCACAF, the regional governing body of North America, Cent ...

. Should the same team win both tournaments, both runners-up will qualify for CONCACAF League. Should the final of both tournaments features the same 2 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 11 sides from the 2017–18 Primera División and 1 promoted from the 2017–18 Segunda División. Dragon were relegated to 2018–19 Segunda División the previous season. The relegated team was replaced by the 2017–18 Segunda División playoffs promotion winner. Jocoro F.C. won the Apertura 2017 and Clausura 2018 title, meaning there was no need for a promotion playoff and were promoted automatically.

Promotion and relegation

Promoted from Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño as of June, 2018. * Champions: Jocoro F.C. Relegated to Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño as of June, 2018. * Last Place: Dragon

Personnel and sponsoring

Notable events

Change of Ownership of Aguila

The Grupo Aguila Deportivo, SA de CV announced in June, 2018 that they were selling their operating rights for Aguila, on the 6th of July a new group under Adolfo Salume (Club Social Águila) had purchased Aguila from the Arieta group (Grupo Aguila Deportivo) for undisclosed fees.

Pasaquina and Audaz moving stadium

Pasaquina announced that due to their home stadium not meeting new CONCACAF standards and minimal crowd numbers, they would play their home games at La Union stadium. Audaz also announced that they would play some games away from Estadio Jiboa.

New ball sponsorship for the league

The league signed a new deal with Mexican company Voit to provide the balls used in the national league

Change of Ownership of Audaz

The Audaz Apasteque group announced in January, 2018 that they were selling their operating rights for Audaz, on the 6th of July a new group under Roberto Campos had purchased Audaz from the Juan Pablo Herrera group for undisclosed fees

Deduction of Points

Audaz attempted to play in unapproved jersey, despite on the spot modification being done, referee abandoned the game and FESFUT decided to award the match to a 2-0 forfeit win to Isidro Metapan. On February 27, 2019 C.D. Municipal Limeno, Jocoro F.C. and

C.D. Pasaquina Club Deportivo Pasaquina Futbol Club, commonly known as Pasaquina F.C. are a El Salvador, Salvadoran professional football (soccer), football football club, club based in Pasaquina, La Unión Department. They currently play in the Salvadoran Pri ...

were deducted six points due to failing to sign the right paperwork for their respective under 17 teams to compete in the tournament

Notable death from Apertura 2018 season and 2019 Clausura season

The following people associated with the Primera Division have died in end of 2018 and mid 2019. * David Antonio Platero * Didier Gutiérrez * Darwin Alcides Melgar * José Vidal Hernández *

Mauricio Ernesto González Mauricio may refer to: *Mauricio (given name) *Maurício José da Silveira Júnior (born 1988), Brazilian footballer known by the mononym Maurício *Maurício (footballer) (Maurício dos Santos Nascimento, born 1988), Brazilian footballer *216428 M ...

* Tulio Quiros

Managerial changes

Before the start of the season

During the Apertura season

Between Apertura and Clausura seasons

During the Clausura season

Apertura

League table

Results

Records

* Best home records: Santa Tecla F.C. and

(27 points out of 33 points) * Worst home records: C.D. Luis Angel Firpo (6 points out of 33 points) * best away records :

(22 points out of 33 points) * worst away records : C.D. Luis Angel Firpo (6 points out of 33 points) * Most goals scored:

(44 goals) * Fewest goals scored: C.D. Sonsonate (16 goals) * Fewest goals conceded :

(16 goals) * Most goals conceded : C.D. Luis Angel Firpo (46 goals)

Top goalscorers

Scoring

* First goal of the season: Ronald Rodríguez for

Aguila Águila or Aguila is Spanish for "eagle". It may refer to: Places *El Aguila, Valle del Cauca, a town and municipality in Colombia *Aguila, Arizona, United States Ships * Chilean brigantine ''Águila'' (1796), the first ship of the Chilean Navy ...

against

Sonsonate Sonsonate () is a city and municipality of El Salvador. It is the capital of the department of Sonsonate; on the Sensunapan River and the Pan-American Highway from San Salvador to the Pacific port of Acajutla Acajutla is a seaport city in Sons ...

, 9 minutes (July 28, 2018) * First goal by a foreign player: Joaquín Vergés for

against

, 36 minutes (July 28, 2018) * Fastest goal in a match: 2 minutes ** Bladimir Diaz for Alianza against Chalatenango (September 17, 2018) * Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90 minutes ** Juan Barahona goal for Santa Tecla against Audaz (28 July 2018) * First penalty Kick of the season: Ricardinho for Santa Tecla against Audaz, 35 minutes (July 28, 2018) * Widest winning margin: 5 goals ** Alianza 5–0

Luis Ángel Firpo Luis Ángel Firpo (October 11, 1894 – August 7, 1960) was an Argentine boxer. Born in Junín, Argentina, he was nicknamed ''The Wild Bull of the Pampas''. Boxing career In 1917, Firpo began his professional boxing career by beating Frank Ha ...

(2018) * First

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

of the season: Christopher Ramirez for

against Isidro Metapán (August 18, 2018) * First

own goal An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...

of the season: TBA (

TBD To be announced (TBA), to be confirmed (TBC), to be determined or decided or declared (TBD), and other variations, are placeholder terms used very broadly in event planning to indicate that although something is scheduled or expected to happen, a ...

) for

(February 19, 2018) * Most goals in a match: 7 goals **

3-4 Isidro Metapán (August 18, 2018) * Most goals by one team in a match: 5 goals ** Alianza 5–0

(2018) * Most goals in one half by one team: 4 goals ** FAS 4-0 (4–0)

(2nd half, August, 2018) * Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals ** Jocoro 3–4 Municipal Limeño (September 15, 2018) * Most goals by one player in a single match: 3 goals ** Christopher Ramirez for

against Isidro Metapán (August 18, 2018) ** Ulises Tavares for

against Audaz (September, 2018) ** Clayvin Zúniga for Limeno against Jocoro (September 15, 2018) ** Rodolfo Zelaya for Alianza against

(September, 2018)

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

= First leg

= ---- ---- ----

= Second leg

= ''Aguila won 4-3 on aggregate.'' ---- ''Santa Tecla won 3-2 on aggregate.'' ---- ''FAS won 2-0 on aggregate.'' ---- ''Alianza won 7-0 on aggregate.''

Semifinals

= First leg

= ----

= Second leg

= ''Santa Tecla won 5-2 on aggregate.'' ---- ''2-2. Alianza advanced as the higher seeded team.''

Final

Clausura

League table

Results

Records

* Best home records:

(30 points out of 33 points) * Worst home records: Jocoro F.C. (5 points out of 33 points) * Best away records :

(19 points out of 33 points) * Worst away records : C.D. Sonsonate (6 points out of 33 points) * Most goals scored:

(49 goals) * Fewest goals scored: Jocoro F.C. and C.D. Luis Angel Firpo (16 goals) * Fewest goals conceded : C.D. Aguila (14 goals) * Most goals conceded : C.D. Sonsonate (39 goals)

Top goalscorers

Scoring

* First goal of the season: Joaquin Verges for

against Jocoro, 4 minutes (13 January 2019) * First goal by a foreign player: Joaquin Verges for

against Jocoro, 4 minutes (13 January 2019) * Fastest goal in a match: 2 minutes ** Ivan Mancia for Alianza against Metapan (24 February 2019) * Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+2 minutes ** Juan Jose Hernandez goal for Jocoro against Santa Tecla (January 24, 2019) * First penalty Kick of the season: Joaquin Verges for

against Jocoro, 4 minutes (13 January 2019) * Widest winning margin: 5 goals ** Alianza 5–0 Firpo (February, 2019) * First

of the season: Bladimir Diaz for Alianza against Limeno (January 20, 2019) * First

of the season: TBA (

) for

(February 19, 2018) * Most goals in a match: 8 goals ** Alianza 6-2 Audaz (April 8, 2019) * Most goals by one team in a match: 6 goals ** Alianza 6-2 Audaz (April 8, 2019) * Most goals in one half by one team: 3 goals ** Metapan 3-1 (3-3) Pasaquina (2nd half, January 24, 2019)
Alianza 3-0 (4-0) Limeno (2nd half, January 20, 2019) * Most goals scored by losing team: 3 goals ** FAS 3–4

(2019) * Most goals by one player in a single match: 4 goals ** Dustin Corea for FAS against Firpo (March 16, 2019) * Players that scored a hat-trick': ** Bladimir Diaz for Alianza against Limeno (January 20, 2019) ** Dustin Corea for FAS against Firpo (March 16, 2019) ** Bladimir Diaz for Alianza against Audaz (April 8, 2019) ** Ricardo Guevara for

against

(April 13, 2019)

Playoffs

Quarterfinals

= First leg

= ---- ---- ----

= Second leg

= ''4-4, Aguila won as highest seeded team.'' ---- ''Isidro Metapan won 3-2 on aggregate.'' ---- ''1-1, Limeno won as highest seeded team.'' ---- ''Alianza won 5-0 on aggregate.''

Semifinals

= First leg

= ----

= Second leg

= ''Aguila won 4-0 on aggregate.'' ---- ''2-2, Alianza won as highest seeded team.''

Final

Aggregate table

List of foreign players in the league

This is a list of foreign players in the 2018–19 season. The following players: # Have played at least one game for the respective club. # 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

Orange x

''(player released during the Apertura season)'' Blue x

''(player released between the Apertura and Clausura seasons)'' Green x

''(player released during the Clausura season)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2018-19 Primera División de El Salvador season Primera División de Fútbol Profesional seasons El Salvador 1