Tena is betting on Guatemala’s full triumphs to keep the hope of qualifying alive

Home Sport Tena is betting on Guatemala’s full triumphs to keep the hope of qualifying alive
Sport
October 11, 2025October 11, 2025By Mario Vásquez
Tena is betting on Guatemala’s full triumphs to keep the hope of qualifying alive

The Guatemalan National Team tied 1-1 against its counterpart Suriname at the start of the Group A day of the World Cup qualifiers towards the World Cup to be held in 2026 in North America.

It was a highly contested match, especially during the first half, in which the Bicolor suffered under the intense pressure of the Caribbean team. However, in the second half, the team led by Luis Fernando Tena advanced his lines and began to generate constant danger in the rival goal, showing a notable improvement in his performance.

The tie came in the last minutes of the match, leaving Guatemala with two points out of a possible nine, after a defeat in their debut and two consecutive draws as a visitor: first against Panama and now against Suriname. With this result, the national team cannot get out of the bottom of the table.

During this knockout phase, the Chapín team has conceded three goals, all from set pieces, an aspect that the Mexican strategist will have to improve for the next matches.

At the end of the match, coach Luis Fernando Tena expressed in a press conference: “One is left with a very bitter taste, but at the same time very proud of our players: how they defend their shirt, their flagwith what pride they kill each other in every play, in every ball. “They don’t stop running, fighting, no matter what.”

Regarding the team’s performance against Suriname, he added: “We played a very intense match, because we knew that they were a very strong opponent, that they were going to attack us a lot. We knew how to hold on and little by little we overflowed more to the center, more to the attack, until the goal fell”.

Regarding the result, Tena lamented: “It hurts a lot to lose two points like that in the last minute, but once again we realize that we have a strong, very capable team, with a lot of personality. The team stood with character, both in Panama and today here in Suriname, two very complicated fields.”

Finally, the Aztec technician concluded: “Today we felt very hurt by how things turned out, because we felt that we deserved to win. But hey, now we have to think about Tuesday in El Salvador, with the obligation to win. Ties are of no use to us.”

Now the Guatemalan team is getting ready for its fourth match of the qualifying rounds, in which it will face the Salvadoran team at the Cuscatlán stadium.

Source