Guatemala City, January 17 – The senior national teams of Guatemala and Canada will face each other today in Los Angeles, California, United States, in a friendly soccer match with a recent history but a different present and future.
At BMO Stadium, the players coached by Mexican Luis Fernando Tena, after the failure in the World Cup qualifiers, will seek to start the new cycle on the right foot, focusing in the short term on the 2026 Nations League and in the long term on the 2030 World Cup.
The blue and white team, with some of the players set to participate this Saturday, faced the North Americans last June in the Gold Cup and achieved a surprisingly unexpected victory on penalties, which placed them in the semifinals of that tournament.
The Guatemalans hope that their young and promising additions will start gaining experience, continue demonstrating growth, and narrow the gap in the rivalry that currently favors the Canadians, who have nine wins, three draws, and three losses.
The two-color team also has specific motivations, such as winger Óscar Santis, who will try to score a goal to enter the country’s list of all-time top scorers with 20 or more goals, only preceded by Carlos Ruiz (68), Juan Carlos Plata (31), and Freddy García (23).
The students of former American soccer player and coach Jesse Marsch look forward to their upcoming debut as hosts of the World Cup, so they will test 18 players under 25 years old, all eager to be included in the final roster.
The squad is mostly composed of athletes competing in Major League Soccer (MLS) and its Premier League, although Matteo De Brienne, who belongs to GAIS of Sweden, one of the most important clubs in that European country, is also included.
The Canadian Soccer Federation clarified that they have ruled out most top-level athletes because the match will be held outside an active FIFA window and they have commitments with their clubs.
However, analysts from both sides explained that the match will serve as a showcase to evaluate team strategies and observe talents, such as Marvin Ávila Jr., who was transferred in early November to São Paulo FC of Brazil.
