The game of soccer has been called “the beautiful game,” and yesterday at Robert R. Hermann Stadium, the CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifying Tournament proved why.

In the first match up of the day, El Salvador and Canada, played to a 1-1 draw.

From the opening moments, it looked as if Canada would try to use their larger line-up to play a more physical game. El Salvador used their quickness on and off the ball to play keep-away from the bigger and stronger Canadian team.

The Canadians were the first to get on the board, as they continued to pressure the El Salvadorans until they gave up an own goal in the 20th minute.

On a Canada corner kick, El Salvador goalkeeper Henry Hernandez punched the kick out to the top of the box, where it landed in front of Canadian forward Sita Taty Matondo. Matondo lined up the shot and blasted the ball with his right foot.

Hernandez made a diving save as he tipped the ball off to the right side of the box. A scramble ensued, and when it was all said and done, the ball ended up bouncing off an El Salvadoran defender into the net.

Shortly after the goal, the Canadian team began to lose their cool and the referee carded them for it. Wyn Belotte picked up his yellow card in the 26th minute, but the harshest blow came when Matondo was issued a red card and ejected after throwing an elbow and dropping an El Salvadoran player on a Canadian free kick.

Even though they were down a man, the Canadians continued to match the El Salvadoran’s effort and the teams remained deadlocked until the 46th minute.

Breaking away on a counterattack, El Salvador forward Dennis Alas Morales raced down the right sideline on a long ball from the midfield.

As he collected the ball, he was tackled by a Canadian back but kept his poise. As he was falling, he crossed the ball in front of forward Jose Miguel Ochoa Portillo. In order to reach the pass, Ochoa slid into the air-born ball and shot it into the wide open net, tying the game just before the half.

The teams played evenly through the second half, both missing opportunities to take the lead. Canada could only muster four corner kicks to El Salvador’s eight.

The more physical Canadians were called for 18 fouls, seven more than El Salvador. The El Salvadorans were running past the larger Canadians all day, as they were called offsides six times to the Canadian’s one.

El Salvador tangles with Jamaica on Friday at 5 p.m. for its second game.

Canada takes on the United States at 7 p.m. on Friday.