El Salvador bans 14 players for life

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- El Salvador's soccer federation has banned 14 national-team players for life for their role in alleged match-fixing, including games against the United States and Mexico.
Among those banned Friday from all soccer activities were goalkeepers Miguel Montes and Dagoberto Portillo, Christian Castillo -- a former DC United player -- and William Osael Romero, who played for Chivas USA.


The bans are connected with suspected match-fixing in four games involving the national team, including a 2-1 loss in an exhibition against the U.S. in 2010 and a 5-0 loss to Mexico in the 2011 Gold Cup.
Last month, 22 players received one-month suspensions while the games were investigated.

Banned for life are: Luis Anaya, Osael Romero, Ramón Sánchez, Christian Castillo, Miguel Granadino, Miguel Montes, Dagoberto Portillo, Dennis Alas, Darwin Bonilla, Ramón Flores, Alfredo Pacheco, Mardoqueo Henríquez, Marvin González and Reynaldo Hernández.

In addition, Carlos Romeo Monteagudo was banned for 18 months, while Eliseo Quintanilla and Víctor Turcios received six-month bans. Yimmy Cuéllar, Alexander Escobar and Christian Sánchez were suspended for 30 days.

Four other players are still under investigation, while Carlos Carillo was acquitted.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.