National Soccer
The Guatemala selection complied with advancing to the Gold Cup, but not all were lights for the bicolor in the series against Guyana.
Óscar Santiz de Guatemala disputes a ball with Isaiah Jones de Guyana. (Free Press Photo: EFE)
Guatemala selection He played between March 21 and 25 against Guyana the repechage series to the Gold Cup 2025. After having played two games, the Guatemalan team won on the global marker 4-3.
This result allowed Luis Fernando Tena to classify what will be the second Gold Cup of his project, which began in December 2021.
After more than three years, the Mexican coach He has directed 45 matches under the command of the bicolor With record of 18 wins, 11 draws and 16 losses.
In all that time the national team has demonstrated interesting things, but in particular in the series against Guyana some successes and other errors that impact the tie.
The good and the bad of Guatemala against Guyana
Successes
- New faces: If something marked the series against Guyana, it was the incorporation of new faces in the Guatemala selection. One of Luis Fernando Tena’s successes was to include Rudy Muñoz in the lineups. The young Pearl of Municipal was a constant creator of danger and showed that she has personality to compete in the selection. On the other hand, Erick Lemus, who only saw Action for a few minutes, also showed that he can count on him.
- Mental strength: Luis Fernando Tena showed that his group knew how to control the pressure of the second leg after having lost 3-2 in the first leg. The costume management also contributed to the necessary triumph at home to advance.
- APPROACH CORRECTION: The Mexican coach himself admitted this point in the press conference. His best moments in the series occurred in the second times, after Guyana demonstrated his weapons, the selection showed that he has revulsions that respond.
Mistakes
- Fewish defense: Perhaps the area in which Guatemala suffered the most was in his defense. The Guatemalan team had a rear that at times was overcome in rapid transitions and its reaction capacity was to the limit.
- Little control: Following the above, Guatemala lost at times the battle in the midfield and although he maintained more possession, for lapses he did not know what to do with the ball.
- Air game: Both in the first leg and in the return one of the most lazy points of the bicolor were the offensive and defensive actions with the ball in the air. Guyana took advantage of that to generate danger actions, in the first leg, the Guyanés combined won 63% of these duels, while in the return this was attempted to correct.