El Salvador, New Zealand draw 2-2 in exhibition

HOUSTON (AP) Kosta Barbarouses scored in the 64th minute to lift New Zealand to a 2-2 draw with El Salvador in an exhibition match Wednesday night.

Rafael Edgardo Burgos scored twice for El Salvador, including the go-ahead score from eight yards out in the 56th minute - off New Zealand defender Michael Boxall's knee and inside the far post.

''We are incorporating new players to the team to make it better,''El Salvador coach Ruben Israel said. ''New Zealand defended the whole field with all 11 players, and did not give us space to create more plays.''

Barbarouses took a rebound off Shane Smeltz's shot that was batted back by El Salvador goalkeeper Benyi Oldai Villalobos Segovia and floated it over Segovia and into the right net from the penalty area.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert was very pleased with what he saw from his team that was missing seven national team players.

''We got a number of senior players that aren't here," Hebert said. ''Right now it's just about building that depth and building that quality. I thought we were good tonight. We had more shots on goal tonight and came back twice against a quality team is very encouraging for us.''

New Zealand's Ian Hogg tied the score 1-1 in the 28th minute, taking a give-and-go off the upper left corner of the box and hitting a shot from the left box past Segovia's diving attempt and just inside the far post.

Burgos had put El Salvador ahead in the 13th after getting a forward pass from Alfredo Alberto Pacheco and lobbing a shot over New Zealand goalkeeper Mark Paston from above the half circle.

Israel gave credit to Nelson Wilfredo Bonilla Sanchez, who was playing with the national team for the first time, for helping to create opportunities for Burgos.

''Bonilla had good movement, but did not touch the ball much,'' Israel said. ''He made a good pairing with Burgos up front because he created opportunities for him. They work well together.''

El Salvador faces Moldova on Saturday in Dallas and starts semifinal round of World Cup qualifying June 8 against Costa Rica in CONCACAF Group B play in San Jose, Costa Rica. New Zealand takes on Honduras in another exhibition match Saturday in Dallas and faces Fiji on June 2 in Oceania Group B play in the Solomon Islands.