Guatemala and Costa Rica will aim to keep their 100% record intact in the 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League when they square off Monday in matchday two action from Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores.
In their opening match on Thursday, Los Mayas defeated Martinique by a 3-1 score, while Los Ticos were 3-0 winners over Guadeloupe.
Match preview
© Imago
The Guatemalans wasted no time in their opening fixture, playing with intensity from the start, scoring in the third minute against Martinique.
Both sides traded chances throughout the encounter, but in the end, Luis Fernando Tena's men showed a little more quality in the attacking third, claiming maximum points.
That ended a three-match winless run for them across all competitions and a three-game stretch without a victory at this tournament.
Guatemala have never lost a Nations League contest played at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, conceding only once at that venue, when they played to a 1-1 draw with Panama last September.
Thanks to their opening match victory, the Guatemalans are in the same position from a year ago, though in League A last season, La Bicolor failed to keep that early momentum going, claiming just one point in their final three Nations League affairs after winning their opener, 2-0 over El Salvador.
Los Chapines have won the last two meetings against Los Ticos by a 1-0 score, including the last time out in Guatemala City in 2019.
© Imago
It was an ideal start to the managerial career of Claudio Vivas at Costa Rica, with his side rarely in danger against the Guadeloupeans on matchday one.
On the other side, they looked dangerous going forward throughout the encounter, with 62% possession and six efforts on target, many of which were high-quality scoring chances.
In their opener, the Costa Ricans were as well-organised and compact defensively as we have become accustomed to seeing, posting three successive clean sheets against CONCACAF opposition.
Their next two encounters at this tournament are away from home, where this team have struggled, losing two of their previous three Nations League affairs as the visitors, most recently in the quarter-finals last November against Panama (3-1).
Costa Rica have failed to claim a single point away from home versus a Central American opponent, losing twice in Panama by a combined margin of 5-1.
Los Ticos have not won a match played in Guatemala City against Los Chapines since a January 1988 friendly, when they claimed a 2-1 triumph at Estadio del Ejercito, a stadium that was demolished in 2021.
Team News
On Thursday, Guatemala introduced five newcomers to their starting 11 who did not begin their 1-1 draw versus the Uruguay A team, with Aaron Herrera, Jose Ardon, Jose Morales, Oscar Santis and Rubio Rubin all coming into the lineup.
Rubin put his side in front in the early stages against Martinique before captain Jose Pinto converted a second-half penalty for his first with the national team, Jose Martinez scored in injury time and goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen stopped Brighton Lebeau from the penalty spot when his team were leading 2-1.
Two Costa Ricans will be seeking their first appearances with the senior side on Monday as neither Rashir Parkins nor Sebastian Acuna were on the team sheet against Guadeloupe, while Francisco Calvo is now just three caps shy of 100.
Calvo had the winner for Los Ticos on matchday one, while Warren Madrigal capped off the scoring with a goal five minutes after Ariel Lassiter had given them a 2-0 advantage in the second half, with Patrick Sequeira securing his first clean sheet of the competition.
Guatemala possible starting lineup:
Hagen; Herrera, Pinto, Ardon, Morales; Castellanos, Franco; Altan, Cardoza; Rubin, Lom
Costa Rica possible starting lineup:
Sequeira; Mitchell, Vargas, Calvo; Taylor, Brenes, Aguilera, Lassiter; Campbell, Ugalde, Alcocer
We say: Guatemala 1-1 Costa Rica
Both sides are coming off solid performances on matchday one, but given the Costa Ricans' struggles away from home at this tournament and the Guatemalans' lack of consistency, we are projecting a stalemate.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
