The Guatemalan National Team could not achieve its first victory of the year. The Bicolor fell 3-0 to Ecuador this Sunday at the Scott Miracle Gro Field in Columbus Ohio in the second friendly of the June FIFA Date, adding their fourth consecutive defeat in 2026.
Although Ecuador was expected to line up a possible starting eleven as a final rehearsal for the World Cup, coach Sebastián Beccacece chose to save his main figures in the first half, which allowed for a fairly even match in the first half where Guatemala had opportunities in the rival area but could not find the way to the goal.
The first goal came in the 20th minute from the penalty spot when José Morales made a reckless tackle on Alan Minda inside the area and the referee awarded the maximum penalty without hesitation. Jordy Caicedo converted the penalty into the heart of the goal for the 1-0 that remained until half-time in the first half. Guatemala went to half-time empty-handed despite having shown a more organized and competitive image than in previous matches.
In the second half, Ecuador changed the script completely with the entry of its possible World Cup starters. The entry onto the field of Moisés Caicedo, Piero Hincapié and Pervis Estupiñán gave a completely different dimension to the Ecuadorian team that went on to dominate the match with authority.
In the 72nd minute came the second goal when Nilson Angulo headed in a cross from Ángelo Preciado to make it 2-0. It was then that Pervis Estupiñán entered, who soon left his mark by scoring the third and final goal to seal the 3-0 scoreline, which reflected the clear Ecuadorian superiority in the second half.
Fourth defeat of 2026
The result leaves a worrying outlook for the National Team, which so far in 2026 has accumulated four defeats without having been able to win a single game. The Chapines fell 1-0 against Canada in January, 0-7 against Algeria in March, 1-3 against the Czech Republic on Thursday and now 0-3 against Ecuador, closing a June FIFA Date without positive results under the direction of Luis Fernando Tena.
The Bicolor will have to improve significantly ahead of the Concacaf Nations League that starts in September and will be the beginning of the qualifying process towards the 2030 World Cup.
Ecuador, for its part, closes its preparation for the 2026 World Cup with a victory that gives it confidence ahead of its debut against the Ivory Coast on June 14 at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. La Tri demonstrated with the changes in the second half that it has significant squad depth and that when it lines up its starting figures it is one of the most difficult teams to face on the American continent.