USA vs Guatemala – World Cup Qualifier – Preview

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Sreya

USA hosts Guatemala at the MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday evening in a must-win qualifying game for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The CONCACAF qualification grid has been a struggle for Klinsmann’s boys, who performed exceptionally during the previous World Cup in Brazil.

After starting off their campaign in style against Saint Vincent in a 6-1 rout, the US men’s national football team’s qualifying campaign has halted to a pause with defeats against Guatemala and Trinidad & Tobago.

The USA sit in third-place in Group C with four points from three matches, trailing first-place Trinidad and Tobago (seven points) and second-place Guatemala (six points). While a win would leave them in prime position for their final two matches at home against Trinidad and Tobago and Saint Vincent, a loss will effectively eliminate Klinsmann’s side.

According to Head-2-Head statistics, Friday’s 2-0 defeat at Guatemala City not only put a dent in USA’s 2018 World Cup hopes but also ended a twenty one-match unbeaten run against the Los Chapines.

Guatemala will be eager to get a positive result while USA will feel the pressure. It should be a closely contested affair with a 1-1 draw being the most likely result.

“You question every time, no matter if you win or lose, you question everything that happens during a game. Then you question yourself. ‘Was this the right lineup? Was this the right substitutions? Was this the right way to approach it? Should we have done something differently, and better?’ Absolutely you question that and you figure out how you can fix this, this and this.”

– Jurgen Klinsmann, USMNT Head Coach.