National Soccer
The Mexican coach made it clear that this friendly will serve as preparation for the most important challenges of the year, but also stressed that the team still has aspects to improve.
Luis Fernando Tena spoke to the media at the Chase Stadium facilities. (Photo: Free Press, ISIDEPORTES)
The National Team of Guatemala begins This Sunday, March 16, on 2025 with a friendly against Hondurasand in the previous meeting, coach Luis Fernando Tena provided a press conference in which he highlighted the importance of the game, the evolution of the team and the incorporation of Nathaniel Méndez-Laing, who will join the group in the next few days.
Tena made it clear that this friendly will serve as preparation for the most important challenges of the year, but also stressed that the team still has aspects to improve to reach the best version of official commitments.
“We know that we have a lot to improve individually and collectively. We know that the most important and most complicated matches come. Tomorrow will be a very hard game that we will take with all the seriousness, make the most of it and above all please all the people who go to the stadium, who leave happy,”said the Mexican coach.
The match against Honduras will be the first of the year for the blue and white, in a 2025 in which Guatemala will have key challenges, such as the classification to the Gold Cup and the World Cup tie to the United States, Canada and Mexico 2026.
Another topic that addressed a conference was the situation of Nathaniel Méndez-Laingwho will not be available for the duel against Honduras, but will join the team in the next few days to travel to Barbados, where Guatemala will face Guyana double match on March 21 and 25.
“We hope Méndez-Laing will join the National Team on Monday to accompany us to Barbados, where we will face Guyana. We appreciate his willingness to travel from England to be with the National Team.”
The end of Derby County has been one of the key pieces in the Tena process And his return to the call is great news for the blue and white. Its presence could be fundamental in the next meetings, especially in the duels of preclassification to the Gold Cup.
The friendly before Honduras will serve as the first test of the year for Guatemala and will allow evaluating the level of players for coming challenges. Tena and his team know that there are still aspects to polish, but they are also clear that each game is an opportunity to strengthen the game idea and consolidate a competitive team in this crucial year for the Guatemalan team.