After Friday’s comprehensive 3-0 victory over Guadeloupe, Costa Rica now journeys to Guatemala City to face off against Guatemala in the CONCACAF Nations League. Both nations hope to maintain their 100% record in the competition, as the home side also won their opening fixture 3-1 to Martinique last week.
Guatemala Profile
Bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador, Guatemala has a complex yet proud footballing history, the most populated country in Central America (with 18 million inhabitants) has long been seen as the sleeping giants of Concacaf football. 2024 has been a mixed year for Los Chapines, recording four victories, four defeats, and three draws in 11 fixtures.
Nonetheless, they still possess many high-quality players; goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen and defender Aaron Herrera both ply their trades in the MLS for Columbus Crew and D.C. United. Striker Rubio Rubin is the main attacking threat; the one-time USA international who currently plays for Querétaro in Mexico scored the country’s opener against Martinique and has an impressive 10 goals in 24 international appearances. Tricky winger, Oscar Santis of Dinamo Tbilisi, also poses a significant threat to the Los Ticos backline.
There will also be a couple of familiar faces to followers of the Costa Rican leagues, with Rodrigo Saravia of A.D. Municipal Pérez Zeledón and Darwin Lom of C.S. Cartaginés (teammates of La Sele reserve goalkeeper Kevin Briceño) both part of the Guatemalan squad.
Coached by experienced Mexican Luis Fernando Tena since 2021, his tenure has brought much-needed stability to a nation banned that was from international football matches from 2016 to 2018 due to governance issues within the Guatemalan Football Federation. Tena focuses on a cohesive team setup, emphasizing defensive discipline, organized structure, and tactical awareness. This approach has yielded steady results, with a credible 16 wins out of 39 games under the Mexican.
The Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores is somewhat of a fortress for Los Chapines, as they have never lost a Nations League game played at home, conceding only once at the ground when they drew 1-1 with Panama last September. So, Los Ticos players can expect a hostile and intense atmosphere in the 26,000-seater stadium.
Costa Rica Team News
After the victory over Guadeloupe last week, interim coach Claudio Vivas has a healthy selection dilemma, with numerous players vying for starts.
Forward Warren Madrigal will be pushing to start after his impressive goal to round off the scoring against Guadeloupe. Likewise midfielder Brandon Aguilera and striker Manfred Ugalde, two recent national team stalwarts, will be hoping for a place in the starting 11. Right-back Haxzel Quirós has a tear in his right thigh, meaning he won’t travel to Guatemala, with Gerald Taylor the likely replacement. Winger Kenneth Vargas is also a doubt for the tie.
Despite the home advantage, Costa Rica will be expected to defeat a nation ranked 107th, a significant 58 places behind them in the FIFA World Rankings.
Possible Starting 11
Sequeira; Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo (C), Taylor, Aguilera, Brenes, Lassiter; Alcocer, Ugalde, Madrigal.
The two countries are well acquainted, playing each other 64 times since their first meeting in 1921, with Costa Rica winning 32, Guatemala 17, and the remaining 15 encounters ending in draws.
However, Los Chapines have won the last two encounters, each by a 1-0 scoreline, with the most recent victory occurring in June of last year. So, La Sele will be looking to exact revenge this time around!
Kick-off is at 20:00 CDT (20:00 UTC−6) tonight at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala.
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Isaac Roblett
