By Peter Goldstein (planetworldcup.com)
When Guatemala passed the post first in the group of death, the locals were already booking their flights to Munich. After all, the lads had notched a plus score against Honduras and split two games with Costa Rica. OK, they might not win the Hexagonal, but at least they wouldn't finish worse than fourth. Some fifth-place team from some desert or something over in Asia? Pack the bags.
But a few weeks later, in a friendly in the USA, Guatemala sent out their first string against Mexico's second--and were whipped 0:2. And in the final game of the round, at home no less, the first eleven lost 0:1 to another second-string side, this time (horrors!) Canada. Suddenly the phones went just a little bit silent at the travel agencies.
Was Guatemala a fluke? Not at all. But the losses highlight an important fact: Guatemala isn't Mexico or the USA. They can't just go out on the field and expect to get a result. It's a team largely without stars (Carlos Ruiz the exception), and gets its results from cohesive, disciplined play. They're accurate rather than spectacular, steady rather than explosive. If the engine isn't working to perfection, it can easily break down--witness the 5:0 demolition by Costa Rica. Yes, Guatemala is no worse than even odds to qualify, but they'll have to pay attention if they want to make the trip.
The
chapines are the only team in the field that's essentially the same now as when the semifinals began. No major injuries, no new sensations. The only significant change has been in goal, where Miguel Klee took over in the last two games for Ricardo Trigueño Foster. (And the only surprise there was that Foster got the nod in the first place.) Klee is a solid keeper, generally better on his line than coming off. He played well in a recent friendly against Colombia, and looks like he'll keep the job for now.
The 4-man back line is the smallest and the quickest in the field, but not the best at marking, and has been subject to occasional breakdowns. Pablo Melgar is the leader in the middle: he doesn't have much muscle, but compensates with fast movement to the ball, good reading of the game, and effective tackling. His partner is the wild and woolly Gustavo Cabrera; he's good in the air and has astonishing pace for a centerback, but finds himself out of position now and then. Plus, he's suspended for the opener against Panama, which could be a problem. Nelson Morales is a capable backup, but can't match Cabrera's air game, and Roberto Brown is just the man to take advantage.
The fullbacks are a quiet strength. On the left, Ángel Sanabria replaced the injured Denis Chen just before the semis began, and performed well. He's small and very quick, at home both on attack and defense. Chen is finally back on the roster, but the job now looks like Sanabria's to lose. On the right is Nestor Martínez, the most consistent of the back four: he's a reliable marker, good on the overlap, and the best crosser on the team.
The best Guatemalan midfielder in the semis was Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez. He's an aggressive player, and has been known to lose control. But during the semis he showed his strengths: good technique and vision, powerful attacking strides, and a dangerous shot. He recently came up empty in tryouts in England, but that'll just keep him closer to home for the qualifiers. (Right now LA Galaxy is showing some interest.) He usually plays on the left side, but when either Gonzalo Romero or Fredy Thompson are unavailable, he goes into the middle either as playmaker or defender. Romero is the central playmaker; he was a bit off form in the semis, but at his best he's a cool, intelligent passer both short and long. Thompson is the holding midfielder, quick, a good reader of the game, small but with excellent balance. He can also deliver the well-timed pass. On the right is Mario "El Loco" Rodríguez, very assertive, plenty of pace, but only average technique--he's the kind of guy who'll break free only to send in a poor cross. Another candidate is Carlos Figueroa, nearly as fast and with better skills, but not quite as good on defense and without Rodríguez' all-around loconess.
The top three strikers are Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Ruiz, and Carlos Ruiz. In the semis the team scored 7 goals; Ruiz got 4 himself and provided the pass for 2 more. Everyone knows El Pescadito is a great finisher, but he's so much more: intelligent, hard-working, creative too. His backheel for Dwight Pezzarossi's goal against Honduras was a classic, and don't forget his cheeky overhead lob that led to a Juan Carlos Plata goal against Costa Rica. And I bet you didn't know this: he's the strongest man on the roster. In a recent camp competition he threw the 8-pound medicine ball farther than anyone else, including the keepers.
Right now the second forward spot is bouncing around between Pezzarossi and Plata, and they may both get regular time. Pezzarossi is known as "El Tanque," and is good at the dirty work, but he's also mobile and imaginative, and can go touchline to touchline. We talked about Plata in an
earlier column; he's near the end of his career, but still has plenty of stamina, and can slip in to score the goals that no one else would ever dream of attempting.
During the semis Guatemala were helped by a significant preparation advantage, since their opponents had new coaches and/or had played few friendlies. For the Hexagonal it looks like another strong buildup: they've played matches against Colombia (1:1) and Paraguay (1:2), and when the tournament starts, they'll have had more time training together than any other side in the field. It helps, too, that almost all of their players are home-based. Right now Ruiz is the only exception, and since MLS isn't in session, he can join camp like all the rest. That stability is the hallmark of the team, and coach Ramón Maradiaga, a quiet and dignified sort, fits the profile. If he can keep a steady ship, they can ride it all the way across the Atlantic.
