Capítulo III: fútbol, estado e identidad nacional en El Salvador (1897-1943)

Abstract

The practice oi soccer in El Salvador is originated like a cultural activity that formed part of the sociability of the economic and political elite oi the cities of San Salvador and Santa Ana. The promotion of its practice at the beginning of century XX is due to its appropriation on the part of the children, workers and to the support that some women did in the economic support and the maintenance of the soccer clubs and in the inclusion of soccer in the communal festivities. Nevertheless, soccer was dominated in its practice by the masculinity. The State, at economic level, contributed in meager form to the propagation of soccer like element of national cohesion. Such situation did not allow its modernization and affected in a negative form in the contribution that this sport could have done to the rise of the national pride. Soccer begins to institutionalize in the country from the support that Maximiliano Hernandez Martinez (7931-19 44) gave to the centralization of the sport activity, to the organization in El Salvador of regional soccer competitions and to the creation of a national soccer community. The few triumphs of the national team did not allow confirming the feeling of national property. At the end of the period of study the radio and the newspapers gave to soccer a greater pursuit to national and world-wide level that a greater identification in the country allowed.