The CornerBlue Podcast
Andrés Rico and Hugo Alvarado
The CornerBlue is podcast by Hugo Alvarado and Andrés Rico about what it's like to be a fan of la Selecta far from home, and a space to digest ups and downs revolving the national team.
Episodes
Episode 83- Bridging the gap with Andrés Flores
The new qualifying cycle begins, with a new board, new administrative positions filled, but what can be done differently? How can the federation support its players who are signed by clubs abroad? We chat with Portland Timbers II Assistant Coach Andrés Flores.
Episode 82- Putting the work in
We break down the double losses October, and the hirings being made to make sure ES makes a habit of qualifying to Youth World Cups.
Episode 81- True Grit with Steven Levy Cruz
El Cusca mode is activated as La Selecta heads into it's final qualifying matches at home, with four more matches to go. Emotions are high, but one question remains: what is Bolillo Ball? We get help from AFJA's Steven Levy Cruz on breaking it down.
Episode 80- ES v GT WCQ
Hugo fills us in as he joins the coaching staff and team in Guate. Is something brewing in Guatemala City?PS We going on five years and counting! Thanks to everyone for listening/watching us for the past five years!
Episode 79- The Walk
Hugo's been called up, we go over his experiences being re-introduced as Official Scout, the job ahead, the status with el Cusca, and sensations as the last round of qualifiers start in less than a month.
Episode 78- Copa Oro 2025 Recap
We go over the La Selecta's dismal performance at the 2025 Gold Cup. Time is ticking. Will an overhaul of personnel help La Selecta's chances for 2026?
Episode 77- Doable
La Selecta is in the final round of qualifying. We go over el Bolillo's first matches at the helm, and what to look forward to between now and November. Will Panamá, Guatemala, and Suriname keep us from reaching the World Cup, or will La Selecta itself get in the way?
Episode 76- El Bolillo Era Begins
The Bolillo Era begins, the honeymoon has started, the clock keeps ticking... what does this mean for the national team? We break it down.
Episode 75- Inevitable
The word of the day is inevitable. Despite a short window of preparation and little to no hype heading into qualifiers, El Salvador's U17 squad has qualified to another youth world cup. We talk about Fito's retirement, Norberto Huezo's legacy, and the storm brewing in El Salvador heading into March.
Episode 74- Back to League A and Copa Oro 2025
The results continue to go La Selecta's way as they hack their way into League A and Copa Oro for the upcoming year. We break down the good, bad, and the ugly... a lot of ugly. Plus Hugo gives us his scouting report on recent call-up Gabriel Pereira.
Episode 73- Caribbean Double Header
Another opt-out affects La Selecta while heading into the 2nd Nations League window. It's become a thing. We discuss that, Dóniga's tactics, Gama's "legacy," and the overall appeal of watching La Selecta when playing away in the Caribbean.
Episode 72- Bigger Fish
The road to Gold Cup 2025 starts off... "perfectly"?
Episode 71- Accepting the Challenge with Pablo Punyed
We sit down with Pablo Punyed, our 1st guest ever to talk about his comeback, staying ready, getting Concacaf'd, and his outlook for the future.
Episode 70- Four Points
The winless streak is over. La Selecta avoids disaster in Suriname by taking a 3-1 win over St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Is it time to cheer?
Episode 69 Opening Day
It's the Opening Day of the 2026 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Puerto Rico is first up, we break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 68- March Call-up
March brings change, and the last chance to fine tune things before qualifiers start in June. We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 67- Caribbean Battle Royale 2.0
The stage is set for the next qualifying campaign. We go over the group, conclusions from Dóniga's debut against Inter de Miami and more.
The CornerBlue Episode 66- New Year, New Coach...
Guess who's coming to town? We break down the call-up list ahead of the much anticipated Selecta vs Inter Miami friendly, but also talk about another important debut taking place at El Cusca.
The CornerBlue Episode 65- Joke
El chiste se cuenta solo: a timeline and breakdown of La Selecta ending up without a manager, a month prior to facing Inter Miami, and 7 months away from 2026 WCQs.
The CornerBlue Episode 64- What's Next? (2024)
After closing out 2023 on a down ending, as 2024 looms, what is there to look forward to?
The CornerBlue Episode 63- Sensatez
We chat with former Selecta captain, former Portland Timbers midfielder, and now Timbers II Assistant Coach Andrés Flores about the abroad vs local debate, what it's like to have cycles disrupted, and how to handle a globalized national team moving forward. In Spanish.Charlamos con un ex-capitán de La Selecta, recién retirado mediocampista de Portland Timbers, y actual técnico auxiliar de Timbers II, Andrés Flores sobre el debate de jugadores de aquí y allá, cómo afrontar un proceso cortado, y cómo ir asimilando y manejando a una Azul globalizada de cara al futuro.
The CornerBlue Episode 62- End of the noble experiment
The Hugo Pérez era comes to an end. Once again La Azul finds itself in familiar territory: coachless and disrupted. We break it down and decompress all the frustration of reliving the vicious cycle of the quick overturn of coaches. 2026 never felt so far away.
The CornerBlue Episode 61- Second Chances
The Squad List for Nations League matchdays 1 and 2 drops. We break it down on the CornerBlue's Third Anniversary.
The CornerBlue Episode 60- Insight w/ Hugo Pérez
Selecta Manager Hugo Pérez sits down with us to discuss the Asian Tour, Gold Cup 2023, the game versus Martinique and what we can look forward to with the upcoming Nations League.
The CornerBlue Episode 59- Gold Cup 2023
As in usual CornerBlue fashion, we waited for some dust to settle before giving our 2 cents and observations on La Selecta's performance in this year's Copa Oro, and what lies ahead.
The CornerBlue Episode 58- Asian Affair
La Selecta prepares for Copa Oro in the long awaited Asian Tour, albeit on the wrong foot. All six of them. What's missing? Is this team better than in 2021?
The CornerBlue Episode 57- The Ecosystem
We sit down with Diego Henríquez, former sporting director of La Selecta, and talk fútbol, his tenure with La Azul, his journey in Salvadoran soccer, and his aspirations for the future.#thiskitchoseme
The CornerBlue Episode 56- Competent
La Azul takes another L in the US. We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 55- Rollercoaster w/ Randy Chavez
We sit down with former radio personality and current NFL podcast producer Randy Chavez to talk about repping ES in media and how La Selecta has helped forge a connection with his parents' home country.
The CornerBlue Episode 54- 2022 World Cup Pt. 2
We go over the WC so far, our picks to take it, reflections on CONCACAF's teams, and what that means for ES looking forward to 2023.
The CornerBlue Episode 53 2022 World Cup Pt 1
VAR: The Love/Hate
The CornerBlue Episode 52- Assuming the Risk
We break down La Azul's 4-1 loss to Perú. There has to be a silver lining in anything right?
The CornerBlue Episode 51- Regulators
The CornerBlue hits the two year mark and breaks down the current state of the Fesfut Saga, La Selecta returning to action, the LMF season being cut short, and much more.
The CornerBlue Episode 50- Apocalypse Averted
Despite Salvadoran Football imploding at the end of the Carrillo era, there seems to be hope at the end of the tunnel. We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 49- wash, rinse, repeat
La Azul gets its 2nd draw in a year at home versus the Stars and Stripes. Things got messy. We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 48- 1st step 2026
La Azul makes its debut in Concacaf's Nations League against Grenada. We go over the good, bad, and ugly.
The CornerBlue Episode 47- We're all blue and white
We chat with Javier Mariona, recent signing of the Oakland Roots of the USL Championship, who was recently called up for La Azulita in March. He breaks down the importance of following in the footsteps of his grandfather Salvador Mariona, who played the 1970 WC, and the experience of getting his first call-up and going to ES for the first time.
The CornerBlue- El Salvador vs Guatemala Post Game Report
An impromptu and brief breakdown of La Selecta's worst appearance during the Hugo Pérez era.
The CornerBlue Episode 46- Turning the page
The octagonal is long over, the WC group draws as well. What is there to look forward to in 2022 for La Azul? It's not all despair.
The CornerBlue Episode 45- 2026 it is
The road to Qatar comes to an end as La Azul gets a draw in Kingston. We break down the match and look for the silver lining in a campaign filled with ups and downs.
The CornerBlue Episode 44- Continuity
La Azul self-implodes and then gets Concacaf'd. We break it down and look to what's on the horizon.
The CornerBlue Episode 43- Achievement Unlocked
La Azul grabs a historic dub in Honduras after a tight loss vs the US. We break it down heading into the pivotal match vs Canada at el Cusca. Will La Azul come out alive? What does it mean for La Hugoneta?
The CornerBlue Episode 42- Make it or break it
La Azul's qualification hopes are still alive heading into the 1st match window in 2022, but will the US and the cold freeze it in its steps? Plus Hugo's story about meeting his Chilean counterpart, and much more!
The CornerBlue Episode 41- Winter's here
The next matchday window of the Octa is upon us! We break it down: the camp, the cold, the convocatoria, the players on the fringe, and the new stadium. Happy New Year!
The CornerBlue Episode 40- Bite the bullet w/ Gerson Pérez
We chat with Gerson Pérez after the two tough results against Jamaica and Panamá. Is all hope lost or what is the big picture?
The CornerBlue Episode 39- No time to bleed
La Selecta meanders at the bottom of the table, but the repechaje is still in reach! Hugo and Andrés break down the head to head match-up with the Reggae Boyz and the players coming in from the UK. ¿Quien dijo miedo?
The CornerBlue Episode 38- Growing Pains
Now that the smoke has cleared, we break down La Azul's matches vs Costa Rica and México. It's time to hit the ground running for the next match window and make it past the growing pains.
The CornerBlue Episode 37- Dub in the bag
After serious questions heading into the match with Panama, La Selecta comes up big with a win, and is now within 3 points of 1st place. We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 36- Rise up
With Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico on the horizon, and with some question marks surrounding the starting XI, is it go time or let's get ready for 2026 time? We break it down.
The CornerBlue Episode 35- Still Early
La Selecta makes it out of the 1st qualifier window with a great result vs the US, but not so great results against Honduras and Canada. Is it time to jump ship? We break it down.