In the early 1980s, at the beginning of what would become a 12-year-long civil war, El Salvador's talented football team was one national institution upon which both the left and the right could agree. When the team pulled off a stunning 1-0 upset against Mexico and qualified to compete in the 1982 World Cup, it was a high point for the tiny country's national pride. Unfortunately, the team's Cinderella story devolved into a nightmarish farce. A corrupt national soccer federation robbed players of their pay and equipment. The team's opening match resulted in a 10-1 loss, still the worst defeat in World Cup history. And yet, Salvadoran players and fans still find much to be proud of in this David-and-Goliath sports story, one of endurance amid adversity.
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