FIFAworldcup.com
After surprising almost everyone by storming through to the final stage of the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone qualifiers, Guatemala currently find themselves in troubled waters and seemingly unable to snap a long winless streak.
The Chapines began the final 'Hexagonal' stage promisingly enough, taking a point in Panama and beating Trinidad and Tobago, but they have failed to add to their tally in three matches since then. Even more worrying is the team's recent sequence of results, which has seen them lose seven and draw one of their last eight outings.
This run includes their poor showing at the CONCACAF Gold Cup last month, where they were eliminated at the group stage after two defeats and a draw. However, having taken his side through to the six-team final qualifying round for the first time in their history, Guatemala's Honduran-born coach Ramon Maradiaga is adamant that his players can bounce back and secure a berth at the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germanyâ„¢.
El Primitivo, as the tactician is known in Latin America, explained how his side came to find themselves in their current predicament. "This recent slump is down to player errors, something that was not happening before," he said. "However, this is something that occasionally happens in football. With the second half of the qualifiers still to come, there is nothing else for it but to keep going."
Maradiaga is convinced that Guatemala will not make the same mistakes in their forthcoming games, and sees their progress in a positive light. "I have every confidence that my side will bounce back. We've worked well together and we're growing all the time. The players are in good spirits, and we're heading into the second half of the qualifiers in confident mood."
Guatemala surrendered third spot to Costa Rica after a painful last-minute defeat against the Ticos in their most recent qualifier in June. That left them with four points from five matches and Maradiaga's men now have to overturn a three-point gap on their neighbours and rivals if they are to reclaim the third and final automatic qualifying berth. It is a task that he insists they can fulfil.
"Of course we can still qualify for the World Cup. We can still take third spot in the group," he said defiantly. Failing that, a fourth-placed finish would give the Chapines a play-off berth against the fifth-placed side from Asia.
A separate tournament
Maradiaga believes that Guatemala's main rivals in the second half of the qualifiers will not be the United States or Mexico – both of whom are "practically assured of their places" - but the three other sides in the section. "Guatemala, Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago and Panama will in effect be playing a four-way tournament, which will make the results of games between these sides even more important. We are all still in the running," he said.
Guatemala face Panama in their next qualifier on 17 August, a match the coach sees as vital to their aspirations. "It's a huge game for both of us. Panama are coming off a superb performance at the Gold Cup, where they showed they are in excellent form (by reaching the final). For us it will be the first of five crucial games."
Another country that impressed Maradiaga at the Gold Cup were his native Honduras, who got to the semi-finals. "I liked what I saw. Honduras have come on considerably and had a very good tournament, although that won't have entirely have made up for their failure in the World Cup qualifiers," the coach said.
Finally, the experienced Maradiaga denied that there was a rift between himself and the Guatemalan press following his team's poor results and his decision to train behind closed doors before recent qualifiers. "If we train out of the public view, it doesn't mean we have secrets to hide, simply that we want to avoid distractions and keep the players fully focused on football," he explained. "We have good relations with the media, and that is important if we are to maintain harmony in the squad ahead of these vital games."
Only time will tell whether this concord will be sufficient to take Guatemala to the finals of a FIFA World Cup for the first time in their history.
