PAUL CLARKE, STAR Writer

Canada's national Under-20 men's team coach, Bob Gale, is lamenting Wednesday's 3-2 loss to El Salvador, telling STAR Sports his team has made it very difficult for themselves to advance with two rounds of matches left in Group B of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship before the semi-finalists are known.

He was responding to questions in the post-match interview after watching the El Salvadorians snatch a dramatic late winner from midfielder Romilio Hernandez at the Montego Bay Sports Complex to deny the Canadians a share of the points.

"Now we made it difficult for ourselves with this loss; it was just a matter of the players struggling with the heat, and although we changed tactics in the second half, they found a way to score, which is what all good teams do," said Gale.

Hernandez responded quickest to a snap save from Canada goalkeeper, Nolan Wirth, who parried a shot at point-black range, only for Hernandez to hit it past the diving keeper to make the score 3-2 at the final whistle.

The win moved them up to five points after three matches, and into the thick of semi-finals discussion. Canada, meanwhile, have three points from their lone win so far over Haiti.

Bryan Perez gave El Salvador the lead in the 43rd minute to send the team into the break, up a goal.

Tactical changes from coach Gale proved decisive, as substitute Hanson Boakai finished off a brilliant solo effort to bring the teams level in the 45th minute.

José Villavicencio restored El Salvador's lead in the 77th minute with a spectacular strike that left Wirth well-beaten to his right, but before those cheers could die down, Canada responded once again.

Kianz Gonzalez-Froese scored in the 79th minute for Canada's equaliser, and they must have been dreaming of at least a point from the encounter when Jamaican referee Valdin Legister called a free kick to the left of the penalty area for El Salvador.

The kick was floated in and the initial shot was brilliantly saved by Wirth, but he could do nothing from the rebound which was scrambled home from Hernandez to thrill his coach on the bench.