On Tuesday, the Portland Timbers will face CONCACAF Champions League Group B opponent C.D. Dragón in San Salvador, El Salvador (7pm PT, Univision Deportes / CONCACAF Facebook).
While there, the Timbers will likely discover a country whose fortunes on the soccer pitch have swerved dramatically over the past 30 years. El Salvador, eliminated earlier this month from qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has failed to qualify for that tournament every cycle since 1982.
Yet Dragón will still provide the Timbers with a stern test at home. This is a team that, despite having lost several of its players after the first match against Portland, managed a scoreless draw against Costa Rica's Deportivo Saprissa.