Guatemala national football team

The Guatemala national football team (Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guatemala) represents Guatemala in men's international football and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it has been affiliated to FIFA since 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF.

This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Guatemala women's national football team.

Guatemala
Nickname(s)Los Chapines
La Bicolor
La Furia Azul
AssociationNational Football Federation of Guatemala
ConfederationCONCACAF (North America)
Sub-confederationUNCAF (Central America)
Head coachAmarini Villatoro[1]
CaptainVacant
Most capsCarlos Ruiz (133)[2]
Top scorerCarlos Ruiz (68)
Home stadiumEstadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores
FIFA codeGUA
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 130 (11 June 2020)[3]
Highest50 (August 2006)
Lowest163 (November 1995)
Elo ranking
Current 85 2 (2 April 2020)[4]
Highest40 (April 1972)
Lowest105 (February 2010)
First international
Guatemala 10–1 Honduras 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; September 14, 1921)
Biggest win
Guatemala 10–0 Anguilla 
(Guatemala City, Guatemala; September 5, 2019)
Biggest defeat
 Costa Rica 9–1 Guatemala
(San José, Costa Rica; July 24, 1955)
CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup
Appearances18 (first in 1963)
Best resultChampions (1967)

The team has made three Olympic tournament appearances, competing at the 1968, 1976, and 1988 Olympic Games. Guatemala have never qualified for the finals tournament of the World Cup, although they have reached the final round of qualification on four occasions.

Guatemala won the 1967 CONCACAF Championship and the 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup. The team's best performance in a CONCACAF Gold Cup was in 1996, when they finished fourth. Guatemala has also earned a bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. The national team kits are supplied by Umbro. Past kit suppliers include Atletica, Adidas and Puma.

History

Beginnings

Guatemala created its first soccer team, made up of 22 players, on 23 August 1902. The team was split into two sides, blue and white. With time, clubs were made and eventually the Guatemalan national team, nicknamed "la Azul y Blanco" (the blue and white), was created in 1921. Guatemala had its first game on 14 September 1921, in the Independence Centenary Games held in Guatemala City, against Honduras. The game was played in Guatemala City and Guatemala beat Honduras 10–1.[5] In the final, Guatemala were defeated 6–0 by Costa Rica.[6]

Guatemala had success in several editions of the CCCF Championship, the precursor of the Gold Cup, by being the runners-up in 1943, 1946, and 1948. In 1958, Guatemala began participating in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup. They finished last, without a point, in a group with Costa Rica and the Netherlands Antilles.[7]

Success in the 1960s

Guatemala’s performance in the World Cup qualifying rounds began to improve in the 1960s. In 1962 they against both Costa Rica (4–4) and Honduras (1–1). However they again finished last in their qualifying group.[8]

Guatemala did not participate in the qualifying round in 1966, as FIFA refused theirparticipation for administrative reasons.

Guatemala joined CONCACAF in 1961. In 1967, they again showed the progress they had made when by participating by winning the Gold Cup for the only time in their history.[9] In that tournament, hosted by Honduras, Guatemala began with a 2–1 win against Haiti, followed by a 1–0 win over the defending champions, Mexico, a 0–0 draw against Honduras, a 2–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago, and a 2–0 win over Nicaragua. The forward Manuel "Escopeta" Recinos was Guatemala's top scorer with four goals, including the goal against Mexico.

Guatemala were also the runners-up in the CONCACAF Championship in 1965 and 1969.

Main article: 1967 CONCACAF Championship

Results

Rank Team Pts Pld W D L GF GA GD
1  Guatemala 95410716
2  Mexico 854011019
3  Honduras 65221422
4  Trinidad and Tobago 45203610−4
5  Haiti 2510459−4
6  Nicaragua 15014312−9

In 1967, Guatemala showed further progress by qualifying for the 1968 Olympic football tournament in Mexico City. In the first round, they won 1–0 against Czechoslovakia, and 4–1 against Thailand, and lost to Bulgaria 2–1. They went on the next round, where they lost 1–0 to the eventual champions, Hungary.

2006 World Cup

Before the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, many fans saw Carlos Ruiz as the main focus in providing goals for the national team along with Juan Carlos Plata. Many other stars such as Fredy, Garcia, Gonzalo Romero, Guillermo Ramirez and Martin Machon were expected to play huge roles as well. In 2006 World Cup qualifying, Guatemala advanced to the third round by beating Suriname 4–2. There they finished second in Group B, behind Costa Rica, with 10 points each. In the fourth round they started with a 0–0 draw against Panama and a 5–1 win against Trinidad and Tobago. Then followed a 2–0 loss against the United States and Mexico and a 3–2 loss against Costa Rica, and a 2–1 win against Panama. They lost against Trinidad and Tobago 3–2, drew against the United States 0–0 and then lost to Mexico 5–2. Guatemala had 8 points with one game left, and a win alongside a Trinidad and Tobago defeat against Mexico would send them into the play-offs. They won 3–1 against Costa Rica but Trinidad and Tobago beat Mexico 2–1. They finished fifth place, two points away from the play-off spot. Juan Carlos Plata and Martin Machón announced their retirement from International Football in 2006.

2010 World Cup

After a third-place finish at the 2007 UNCAF Nations Cup, and reaching the knockout stage in the Gold Cup of the same year, along with a couple of satisfying friendly matches including a 3–2 win against Mexico, many saw Hernán Darío Gómez as the next coach to lead Guatemala into the Hexagonal in the World Cup qualifying stage. However, after losing 5–0 in early 2008 against a under-23 Argentine team, the Colombian soon departed. During 2010 World Cup qualifying, expectations of qualifying for the finals were set among the national team as Ramon Maradiaga returned as coach. They began well by advancing to the third round by defeating Saint Lucia 9–1 on aggregate.

In the third round, Guatemala began with a 1–0 home loss to the United States, with controversies surrounding the Panamanian referee Roberto Moreno, including not awarding a penalty to Guatemalain the first half after a handball from Steve Cherundolo as well as Gustavo Cabrera being sent off after colliding with Eddie Lewis in the second half. In their second match, Los Chapines salvaged a draw in the closing minutes of the game against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain after Carlos Gallardo deflected a free kick by Marco Pappa. On 10 September, Cuba shocked the Guatemala fans by taking the lead after Roberto Linares scored in the 25th minute, but by half-time, Carlos Ruiz had equalised, and in the second half, Ruiz scored again. Mario Rodríguez and José Manuel Contreras also scored and Guatemala won 4–1.

On 11 October, many fans gathered around the Estadio Mateo Flores for the game against Trinidad and Tobago. Despite being reduced to 10 men, the Soca Warriors were able to hold Guatemala to a 0–0 stalemate. Guatemala then lost in Cuba, falling behind 1–0 after Jaime Colome scored a penalty. Marco Pappa volleyed in an equalizer in the 80th minute, but Urgelles won the match for Cuba in the 90th minute. Meanwhile, the Trinidadians defeated the United States 2–1 at home, putting them in second place. Maradiaga was fired and Benjamin Monterroso was appointed, focusing on the Copa UNCAF the following January. A 2–0 away loss against the United States confirmed the elimination of the national team from the World Cup.

At the UNCAF nations cup, Monterroso wanted to introduce more younger players into the starting line up such as Minor Lopez, Ricardo Jerez and Wilson Lalin, but Guatemala lost both group stage matches against Costa Rica and also lost 2–0 to Nicaragua in the play-off match for the final berth to attend the next Gold Cup; Minor Lopez was the lone goal scorer for Los Bicolores. As a result, the national team were inactive for the next two years and Monterroso stepped down after two months in charge.

2014 World Cup

In May 2010, the Uruguayan-born Paraguayan Ever Hugo Almeida was appointed as the Guatemala's next coach. At the 2011 Copa Centroamericana, formerly known as the "UNCAF Nations Cup", Guatemala finished in fifth place, losing 2–0 to Costa Rica and 3–1 Honduras before defeating Nicaragua 2–1 to qualify for the 2011 Gold Cup.

At the Gold Cup, Guatemala drew 0–0 against Honduras despite being reduced to nine men. They lost against a physically superior Jamaica 2–0, but managed to redeem themselves by beating Grenada 4–0, with goals from José Javier del Águila, Marco Pappa, Carlos Ruiz, and Carlos Gallardo. In the quarter-finals, they lost to 2–1 the reigning champions Mexico, after Ruiz had given them the lead in the first half.

For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Guatemala began in the second round with six wins in six games, advancing to a third round group alongside the United States, Jamaica and Antigua and Barbuda. Before the third round, three key players – Guillermo Ramirez, Gustavo Cabrera and Yony Flores – were sent home during a practice session after their team-mates Ruiz and Luis Rodriguez heard of their involvement in money laundering and bribery in fixing multiple fixtures; they were subsequently banned for life.

The team began with an away loss to Jamaica, with Dwight Pezzarossi only managing to pull back one goal in stoppage time. In the next match, Guatemala drew at home against the United States, after they equalised from Marco Pappa's free kick. At home against Antigua and Barbuda, Guatemala again fell behind, but after the Antiguan goalkeeper Molvin James was sent off for wasting time, Ruiz scored a brace and a goal from Pezzarossi sealed a 3–1 victory. Four days later, a goal from Ruiz sufficed for an away win against the same opponents in North Sound.

Guatemala beat Jamaica at home 2–1, leaving them needing a draw against the United States to progress to the final stage of the qualifiers. After they taking the lead in the first five minutes thanks to Ruiz, the United States scored three times, and Guatemala finished behind Jamaica on goal difference.

In January 2013, still led by Almeida, Guatemala participated in the 2013 Copa Centroamericana. With a team of mainly younger players, they could only manage three draws in their group play (1–1 against Nicaragua, 0–0 against Belize and 1–1 against Costa Rica), losing out to Belize for direct qualification for the 2013 Gold Cup. They faced Panama in the fifth place match, but lost 3–1, and Almeida stepped down in favour of the technical director, Victor Hugo Monzón.

2016 suspension

On Oct 28, 2016, the Guatemalan football federation was suspended indefinitely by FIFA, after the international football governing body had appointed an oversight committee to look into allegations of corruption.[10] FIFA stated that the Guatemalan federation (FEDEFUT) had rejected the committee's mandate to run FEDEFUT's business, organize elections, and modernize its statutes, and would remain barred from international competition until FEDEFUT ratified an extension of the mandate.[11] The football team missed their chance on qualifying on the 2017 and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments (2017 Copa Centroamericana and 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualifying) as they missed deadlines to have their suspension lifted.

The suspension was lifted on 31 May 2018 after FEDEFUT's normalization committee became fully operational.[12]

Home stadium
Main article: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores

The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores, also known as Coloso de la Zona 5, is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon. It has a capacity of 26,000 seats.

Used mostly for football matches, the stadium has hosted the majority of the home matches of the Guatemala national football team throughout its history.

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup record FIFA World Cup qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 Did not enter Did not enter
1934
1938
1950
1954
1958 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 4 12
1962 4 0 2 2 7 10
1966 Entry not accepted[13] Entry not accepted
1970 Did not qualify 4 1 2 1 5 3
1974 7 2 3 2 6 6
1978 11 4 3 4 23 16
1982 8 3 3 2 10 2
1986 4 2 1 1 7 3
1990 10 3 2 5 9 10
1994 2 0 1 1 0 2
1998 8 4 2 2 6 9
2002 13 6 3 4 23 15
2006 18 7 4 7 27 29
2010 8 3 2 3 15 8
2014 12 9 1 2 28 11
2018 10 5 2 3 21 12
2022 To be determined To be determined
2026
Total – 0/21 – – – – – – 122 49 31 42 191 148

CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Championship / CONCACAF Gold Cup record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1963Fourth place4th412176
1965Runners-up2nd5311115
1967Champions1st541071
1969Runners-up2nd5320102
1971Did not qualify
1973Fifth place5th503246
1977Fifth place5th5113810
1981Did not qualify
1985Round 15th421173
1989Fourth place4th611447
1991Round 17th310215
1993Did not enter
1996Fourth place4th410335
1998Round 17th302134
2000Round 110th201135
2002Round 112th200214
2003Round 111th201113
2005Round 111th301249
2007Quarter-finals8th411225
2009Did not qualify
2011Quarter-finals8th411254
2013Did not qualify
2015Round 112th301214
2017Disqualified due to FIFA Suspension
2019
Total1 Title18/25691920308288

Copa Centroamericana
Copa Centroamericana record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1991Third place3rd302101
1993Did not enter
1995Runners-up2nd420225
1997Runners-up2nd5320103
1999Runners-up2nd531152
2001Champions1st523095
2003Runners-up2nd5311104
2005Third place3rd5311105
2007Third place3rd531132
2009Round 16th300316
2011Fifth place5th310236
2013Sixth place6th403135
2014Runners-up2nd430174
2017Disqualified due to FIFA Suspension
Total1 Title12/14512314146348

Pan American Games
Pan American Games record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
1951Did not qualify
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979Group stage7th201124
1983Bronze medal3rd412164
1987Group stage5th311132
1991Did not qualify
1995
1999Group stage7th311245
2003Group stage7th301225
2007Did not qualify
2011
2015
2019
Total1 Bronze medal5/18153671720

Note: Football at the Pan American Games has been an under-23 tournament since 1999.

All-time head-to-head record
Main article: Guatemala national football team results

As of 4 March 2020 after the match against  Panama[14]

  Positive Record   Neutral Record   Negative Record

  1. Includes matches against the  Netherlands Antilles.
  2. Includes matches against the  Soviet Union.

Schedule and results

The following is a list of match results from the previous 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss

2019
9 June FriendlyParaguay 2–0 GuatemalaAsunción, Paraguay
17:00 Gómez  48'
González  76' (pen.)		 Report Stadium: Estadio Defensores del Chaco
Referee: Rodolpho Toski Marques (Brazil)
5 September Nations League CGuatemala 10–0 AnguillaGuatemala City, Guatemala
22:00
Report Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores
Referee: Randy Solano (Dominican Republic)
10 September Nations League CPuerto Rico 0–5 GuatemalaMayagüez, Puerto Rico
14:00 Report
Stadium: Mayagüez Athletics Stadium
Referee: Ismael Cornejo (El Salvador)
12 October Nations League CAnguilla 0–5 GuatemalaThe Valley, Anguilla
20:00 Report
Stadium: Raymond E. Guishard Technical Centre
Referee: Reon Radix (Grenada)
15 October FriendlyBermuda 0–0 GuatemalaHamilton, Bermuda
20:00 Report Stadium: Bermuda National Stadium
Attendance: 1,105
Referee: Ted Unkel (United States)
16 November Nations League CGuatemala 5–0 Puerto RicoGuatemala City, Guatemala
20:00
Report Stadium: Estadio Mateo Flores
Referee: Nelson Salgado (Honduras)
21 November FriendlyGuatemala 8–0 Antigua and BarbudaCoatepeque, Guatemala
 Report Stadium: Estadio Israel Barrios
Referee: Sergio Reyna (Guatemala)

2020
4 March FriendlyGuatemala 0–2 PanamaGuatemala City, Guatemala
 Stadium: Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores

Players

Current squad

The following players were called up for a friendly game against Nicaragua on 26 March 2019.[15]
Caps and goals updated as of 26 March 2019 after the game against Nicaragua.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1GK Nicholas Hagen (1996-08-02) 2 August 1996 4 0 CSD Municipal
1GK Manuel Sosa (1987-04-05) 5 April 1987 0 0 Malacateco
2DF Carlos Gallardo (1984-04-09) 9 April 1984 58 3 Guastatoya
2DF Rafael Morales (1988-04-06) 6 April 1988 21 2 Comunicaciones
2DF José Carlos Pinto (1993-06-16) 16 June 1993 4 0 Antigua
2DF Eduardo Soto (1990-03-03) 3 March 1990 4 0 Cobán Imperial
2DF Ángel Cabrera (1986-02-10) 10 February 1986 3 0 Cobán Imperial
2DF Allen Yanes (1997-07-04) 4 July 1997 3 0 New York Red Bulls II
2DF Manuel López (1990-04-26) 26 April 1990 2 0 Municipal
2DF Manuel Moreno (1992-06-18) 18 June 1992 2 0 Xelajú MC
3MF José Manuel Contreras (1986-01-19) 19 January 1986 69 5 Antigua
3MF Jorge Aparicio (1992-11-21) 21 November 1992 15 0 Guastatoya
3MF Luis Martínez (1991-12-14) 14 December 1991 11 2 Guastatoya
3MF Rodrigo Saravia (1993-02-22) 22 February 1993 10 0 Comunicaciones
3MF Marvin Ceballos (1992-04-22) 22 April 1992 9 1 Universidad de Guadelajara
3MF Alejandro Galindo (1992-03-05) 5 March 1992 8 0 Antigua
3MF Jorge Vargas (1993-02-26) 26 February 1993 6 0 Comunicaciones
3MF John Méndez (1999-06-24) 24 June 1999 1 0 Municipal
4FW Edi Danilo Guerra (1987-12-11) 11 December 1987 8 1 Cobán Imperial
4FW Robin Betancourth (1991-11-25) 25 November 1991 7 0 Comunicaciones

Records

Previous squads
CONCACAF Gold Cup

Managers

[17]

Name Period Matches Wins Draws Losses Winning % Notes
Roberto Figueredo 1930 2 0 0 2 00.0% [18]
Jimmy Elliott 1935 5 0 1 4 20.0% [18]
Manuel Felipe Carrera 1943 6 4 1 1 66.7% 1943 CCCF Championship 2nd place[19]
Juan Francisco Aguirre 1946 5 3 1 1 60.0% [19]
Juan Francisco Aguirre
Manuel Felipe Carrera		 1946 6 1 1 4 16.7% [19]
José Alberto Cevasco 1948 8 3 4 1 37.5% 1948 CCCF Championship 2nd place[19][20]
Enrique Natalio Pascal Palomini 1950 6 3 1 2 50.0% [21]
Juan Francisco Aguirre 1953
Alfredo Cuevas 1955–1957
José Alberto Cevasco 1960–1961
Lorenzo Ausina Tur 1963
César Viccino 1965
Rubén Amorín 1967 1967 CONCACAF Championship
César Viccino 1968–1969
Lorenzo Ausina Tur 1969
Carmelo Faraone 1971
Afro Geronazzo 1971–1972
Rubén Amorín 1972
Néstor Valdez Moraga 1972
Rubén Amorín 1976
Carlos Cavagnaro 1976
Carlos Wellmann 1976
José Ernesto Romero 1979
Rubén Amorín 1980
Carlos Cavagnaro 1983
Dragoslav Šekularac 1984–1985
Julio César Cortés 1987
Jorge Roldán 1988
Rubén Amorín 1989–1990
Haroldo Cordón 1991
Miguel Angel Brindisi 1992
Jorge Roldán 1995 1995 UNCAF Nations Cup 2nd place
Juan Ramón Verón 1996 11 6 1 4 54.6%
Horacio Cordero 1996 18 7 5 6 48.1%
Miguel Angel Brindisi 1997–1998 23 9 11 3 39.1% 1997 UNCAF Nations Cup 2nd place
Carlos Bilardo
Eduardo Luján Manera		 1998 8 2 3 3 25.0%
Benjamín Monterroso 1999 11 4 2 5 36.4% 1999 UNCAF Nations Cup 2nd place
Carlos Miloc 2000 5 0 3 2 0.0%
Julio César Cortés 2000–2003 33 13 12 7 39.4% 2001 UNCAF Nations Cup
2003 UNCAF Nations Cup (Runner-up)
Víctor Manuel Aguado 2003 7 1 2 4 14.3%
Ramón Maradiaga 2004–2005 42 17 9 16 40.5%
Hernán Darío Gómez 2006–2008 21 5 4 12 23.8%
Ramón Maradiaga 2008 5 2 1 2 50.0%
Benjamín Monterroso 2008–2009 5 1 0 4 20.0%
Ever Hugo Almeida 2010–2013 40 16 7 17 45.8%
Víctor Hugo Monzón 2013 4 0 1 3 11.1%
Sergio Pardo[22] 2013-2014 1 0 0 1 0.0%
Ivan Franco Sopegno 2014–2015 23 9 4 10 44.9% 2014 Copa Centroamericana (Runner-up)
Walter Claverí 2016–2019 11 4 2 5 40%
Amarini Villatoro 2019-Present 8 5 1 2 76%


Honors
Champions (1): 1967
Runners-up (2): 1965, 1969
Champions (1): 2001
Runners-up (5): 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2014
Third Place (3): 1991, 2005, 2007
  • CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament
Silver Medal (2):1976, 1988
Bronze Medal (1): 1983
Third Place (1): 1999

See also

References
  1. "Guatemala - Association Information". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  2. Guatemala – Record International Players RSSSF
  3. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  4. Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. RSSSF.com: «Guatemala – List of International Matches» (en inglés)
  6. Courtney, Barrie (14 August 2008). "Guatemala International Soccer Matches Since 1920". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  7. Rinke, Stefan (2014). The FIFA World Cup 1930 – 2010. Wallstein Verlag: Göttingen. pp. 52–53. ISBN 9783835314573.
  8. "Preliminaries North, Central America and Caribbean". Fifa.com. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  9. "CONCACAF NATIONS CUP 1967". rsssf.com. Retrieved 5 March 2017.
  10. Menchu, Sofia (28 October 2016). "FIFA suspends Guatemalan soccer federation, citing resistance to oversight". Reuters. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  11. "Guatemala suspended from international football". Reuters. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
  12. "FIFA lifts suspension of Guatemalan Football Association". FIFA. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  13. "History of the FIFA World Cup Preliminary Competition (by year)" (PDF). FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  14. "World Football Elo Ratings: Guatemala". Elo Ratings. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  15. "NOMINA OFICIAL SELECCION DE GUATEMALA ANTE NICARAGUA" (in Spanish). National Football Federation of Guatemala. 25 March 2019.
  16. Central America is seen as especially vulnerable to match-fixing... 10/16/2012 Reuters. Retrieved 10/18/2012.
  17. Olenev, Maxim (15 July 1999). "Guatemala National Team Coaches". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  18. "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  19. "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  20. "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  21. "Guatemala, 100 años de Fútbol". prensalibre.com. Archived from the original on 19 November 2006.
  22. "La historia del chileno que será el técnico de la selección de Guatemala". 9 August 2013.
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