Some Fun Facts about Sports in Guatemala

Some Fun Facts about Sports in Guatemala located in Central America, this country offers you splendid beauty. You can enjoy its nature to culture. The nation has magnificent views all over the place.

Aside from the panorama beauty, the nation also provides you with sports which is part of their daily activities. Now, let us have a look at the below fun facts about it.

Favorite Sports

Football is the most famous sport in this country. It is a favorite for Guatemalans of all ages. Yet, they prefer to call it football instead of soccer.

Their national football teams are well-known all over the world. They are often participating in World Cup Champion. Additionally, they have the Guatemala Liga Nacional, where you can find the top professional in football.

You may recognize their figure becomes a member of international clubs or national leagues. It is possible to watch the match from your screen or directly from the Mateo Flores, the largest nation’s football stadium.

Besides, the people fans of baseball, kickboxing, and basketball too. They have a national baseball team that is regularly participating in World Cup as well.

Meanwhile, kickboxing and basketball are growing its popularity now, especially for the young generation. Both national teams are recognizable across the country.

Some people find yoga to be their preferred choice. This one allows them to do it, whether indoor or outdoor. Moreover, you may do it at home or in the community too.

Oldest Sport

Maya is known as the early inhabitant in Guatemala. Maya people identified as the most developed communities from pre-colonial America. History found some important proof from its historical relics.

In the past, these people were fans of sports too. They had the game called Maya Ballgame, which was known as the oldest sport in the country. It was played often in a place called ball courts.

Historians found over 500 ball courts in this country. The oldest one was estimated built in 500BC. Meanwhile, 7 of them located in the Tikal.

The exact rules remained unknown. However, the member played the games neither using hands nor feet. They used the rubber ball whose weight was varying.

Outdoor Sports

The people also like to enjoy outdoor sports. They did it while enjoying the tropical climate as well as the scenic beauty. These outdoor sports are favorite among holidaymakers too.

Other sports have most participants as well. You can see people do jogging or triathlons. Guatemalans always like to spend time for any outdoor activity.

You may find rafting and kayaking that become the most preferred not only for locals but also visitors. It is the best pick for those who would like to do sports in nature.

Apart from that, several people would like to spend their day on the ocean. They do fishing, snorkeling, and even scuba diving.

Some people choose other outdoor sports too, such as volcano climbing or mountain climbing. Select a beautiful spot like in the mountainous Antigua of Guatemala. This kind of sport is suitable for those who like a challenge.

The Famous Ball Sports In Guatemala And Where Do They Exist

The Famous Ball Sports In Guatemala’s tropical climates, along with the natural sceneries that support the hot sun, make it one of the countries with the most amounts of sport achievements. Ball-related sports are among Guatemala’s specializations.

Guatemala’s ball-related sport histories can be traced back to the Mayan civilization era. As one of the earliest countries in the world to adopt Mayan culture elements, Guatemala was also among the first countries to practice the Maya Ballgame, which is a branch to the Mesoamerican Ballgame.

Maya Ballgame

Originated more than 3,000 years ago, the Maya Ballgame has the unique I-shape playing arena that was decorated with hacha (portable stone court markers) that were depicting animals and skulls.

The two teams’ players pass the rubber balls around while using their right hips to coordinate the balls’ motions and preventing the right elbows and right knees to touch the ground. There were some sorts of strange rituals performed as parts of the original versions of Maya Ballgames.

Sinaloan Village Areas

Now, passing the rubber balls without involving any strange ritual elements is a part of Guatemala’s traditional ball game named U’lama. This ball game which name is derived from the Nahuatl word ollamaliztli is well-known in the Sinaloan village areas. The players can be more than five, the balls can be played high or low, and the field sizes can be smaller.

Like the original Mayan version, the hips are still the important parts to coordinate with the balls’ motions. However, the difference lies in the more complex ways of winning. Not only that you should prevent your right elbows and right knees to touch the ground. But you and your teams should also prevent from missing the balls. Letting the balls stop before reaching the center lines drawn by chalks, accidentally touching your teammates, and many other rules.

Modern Ball Games

The modern ball games also have places in many Guatemalan people. Apart from the traditional ball games, Guatemala is also well-known for the football sports’ reputation. The national football teams have competed in the international levels, and there are also tons of competent national football clubs, such as Comucaciones FC.

There are many places in Guatemala to enjoy football games. Estadio Mateo Flores, the biggest football stadium at the center of the city. is the best stadium to watch football teams training. On the other hand, you can also play football, as well as other types of popular. Ball games in Guatemala, in parks near to the Antigua Guatemala area.

Soccer and Futsal

Soccer and futsal also belong to the two among the most famous ball-type sports in Guatemala. The best place to watch futsal performances is in the Domo Polideportivo, the Guatemala National Futsal Team’s official stadium. With the audience capacities of much lesser than the gigantic Estadio  Mateo Flores. Domo Polideportivo guarantees a more personal touch in watching your favorite futsal players in action.

As with playing football, parks near the Antigua Guatemala area. Are also great places to play futsal and soccer with your closest ones. Be sure to look for the smaller-sized parks, as both of the ball sports. Tend to have smaller equipment and tools compared to footballs.

Guatemala Sports News

Guatemala Sports News. In Guatemala, soccer is the most popular sport. The national soccer team in Guatemala competes internationally. Guatemalan players also stand out in national league clubs, especially in the Mexican and Uruguayan clubs.

The latest manager of the Guatemala National Soccer Team is Amarini Villatoro. Amarini Villatoro has been a manager since 2019 until now. He has been successfully reaching 76% of winning for the team. There are 8 matches in total and got 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses.

About the Republic of Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala is a country in Central America. In the north and west, it is bordered by Mexico, the Caribbean, and Belize to the northeast. In the south, it is bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, in the southeast, it is bordered by El Salvador. The country has a population of around 17.2 million people which is the most populous country in Central America. The largest city and its capital are known as Guatemala City.

About Guatemala National Football Team

The Guatemala National Football Team is founded in 1919 and has been affiliated with FIFA since 1946. This team is also a member of CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football). Furthermore, this team also represents the Republic of Guatemala in international football competitions. The team is controlled by the National Federation of Football in Guatemala.

The Guatemala National Football Team has competed in three Olympic tournaments, which are in 1968, 1976, and 1988. However, Guatemala had not been in the finals tournament of the World Cup, even though they have made the final round on four occasions.

The best performance of The Guatemala National Football Team was in CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1996. The team also won CONCACAF Championship in 1967 and UNCAF Nations Cup in 2001. Guatemala also won a bronze medal at Pan American Games in 1983 which was held in Caracas, Venezuela.

Guatemala Soccer Team’s Schedule

On January 23^rd, 2021, Guatemala won over Puerto Rico with a score of 1-0. On 24 February 2021, the Guatemala soccer team also won with a score of 1-0 over Nicaragua. Both matches take place in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

In March 2021, the Guatemala soccer team has been scheduled for at least four matches. The first match will be Guatemala versus Cuba on Sunday, March 21^st, 2021 at 6 P.M. The Second match will be Guatemala versus British Virgin on Saturday, March 27^th, 2021 at 5 A.M.

Guatemala also has another match versus St. Vincent on Friday, June 4^th, 2021. Furthermore, there is also another match between Guatemala versus Curacao on Monday, June 8^th, 2021. In July 2021, Guatemala also has another match versus Guyana.

2016 Suspension from FIFA

On October 28, 2016,  FIFA suspended the Guatemalan football federation indefinitely. This happened after the international football governing body appointed a monitoring committee to investigate allegations of judi bola corruption.

FIFA said the Guatemalan federation (FEDEFUT) rejected orders from the committee to run FEDEFUT’s business, modernize laws and organize elections. FIFA has also said it will continue to ban Guatemala from international competition until the mandate is extended.

Extreme Sports and Adventures You Can Do In Guatemala

Extreme Sports and Adventures You Can Do In Guatemala. Whether you are an avid diver or cyclist or maybe a fisher, Guatemala has fun and extreme sports and adventures for you to enjoy. While some activities can be considered extreme if you are a thrill seeker, there are also not so extreme sports to do if you want to have fun and unwind from the stress of modern life.

Here are the lists of sports and adventures you can do in Guatemala. Make sure you spare your time to try everything in these lists.

Diving

Diving is considered as extreme sport that every extreme seeker wants to practice. With this sport you can discover new undersea world that motivates you to learn more about the beauty of sea life. If you want to join diving adventure in Guatemala, you can find diving agencies that provides diving session for beginners and pro divers as well.

Rafting

Rafting is good to train your adrenaline and it gives you excitement to have such experience. In Guatemala, you can do rafting near Semuc Champey located in Cahabon. The rafting sport is conducted after the members comply with the safety rules where they need to wear a helmet and a lifejacket.

Biking

If you are into biking, Guatemala has a spot to explore the city landscape with a bike. You can rent a bike to explore the surroundings. You can visit some tourists’ location easily with a bike thus you can enjoy the scenery and beauty of Guatemala.

Fishing Sport

If you have fishing hobby then you might enjoy fishing in Guatemala. Sport fishing can be done in fresh water or salt water. The fishes you can fish in Guatemala are so diverse. If you are lucky you can find sailfish, tuna, mero, mahi mahi, barracuda, wahoo, blue marlin as well as black marlin. After you catch the fish you can proceed to take memorable photograph of you along with your fish.

Horse Riding

You can rent a horse in Guatemala and enjoy horse tour on the outskirt or remote place of Antigua. In this place you have opportunity to take a tour inside a coffee ranch with a horse.

Hiking

In Guatemala there are mountains, immense wooded flatland and terrain. This makes this country a suitable place for hikers.  Hiking gives you opportunity to interact and talk with locals. There are numerous hiking routes that are run by local community. You can find hiking place in flat terrain of the region of Western Highlands and Verapaz cloud forest.

Hiking can give you a chance to see the situation and culture of how local occupants live their life. If you hire guides from the service community, it provides them with source of profits as well as gives them a sense of satisfaction or pride. The most popular hiking places are the peaks of 33 volcanoes in Guatemala. The lists include Acatenango, Agua, San Pedro, pacaya, Tajumulco and Santa Maria.

Lake Fishing

You can also enjoy fishing in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. This lake has extreme depth and has large fish inhabitants. You have bigger opportunity to catch big fish in this lake throughout spring spawning season. This spawning season is between March and May. Check out most popular sports in Guatemala.

Interesting Facts of the Most Famous Guatemalan Football Player, Carlos Ruiz. It will be quite difficult to list the Guatemalan football players that play in a famous professional football league. However, it does not mean that Guatemala does not have famous football players. There will be several names that will appear when people are searching for the best Guatemalan football players but Carlos Ruiz will appear in the search result often. It seems that he can be considered as the most famous football player from Guatemala. Yet, here are some interesting facts about Ruiz.

Playing Football in the Streets during Childhood

Carlos Ruiz might be one of the most successful and wealthiest football players in Guatemala. People have heard of the story of many football players who can be successful through football although their family background was not that promising. Ruiz was definitely not born into a wealthy family at all. He grew up in zone 21 which was known as a deprived neighborhood in Guatemala City. Nevertheless, he loved football and trained his skill playing the ball in the streets along with his friend. He has been successful but he does not forget his roots. He still visits his childhood neighborhood today.

World Record and MVP

He might come from the deprived neighborhood in the capital city of Guatemala but his achievement is pretty amazing and even inspiring. People must be amazed that he holds the world record of the most goals scored during the qualifying matches of the World Cup. Ruiz took part in more than give qualification competitions and he made 39 goals. Because of this achievement, Ruiz got Pescado or Fish as a nickname. Unfortunately, he could not bring his team to an international tournament. He might not be fortunate enough to be part of the Guatemalan national football team but he was not lacking achievement at all especially when he was playing for Major League Soccer in the United States. He was in MLS for eight seasons. He won the MVP award when playing for LA Galaxy in the 2002 season.

Life after Professional Footballer

A football player indeed cannot be a professional player forever. There was a time when Carlos Ruiz had to stop his career as a professional football player. However, it does not mean that he completely left the football world. After his career in professional sports ended, he started in punditry and worked as an analyst in Miami. He was also running for president of Guatemala national football federation. He also runs a business with his brand of the Mexican agave spirit called Hechizo that is sold not only in Guatemala but also in the United States. https://selecciondeguatemala.net/a-brief-history-of-the-guatemala-football-journey/

Reputation on and out of the Football Field 

Carlos Ruiz has good achievements and also a tricky reputation in the professional football world. It seems that he was mastering the dark arts of football playing that can help him reach his goal. He would do anything to win. Even his teammates do not want to play against him in the field. He loved partying and there was a time when it caused him trouble. He is also very active and opens on his social media account.

Football as National Sports in Guatemala. Guatemala might be one of the small countries that can be found in Central America. Nevertheless, just like other Latin countries, people in Guatemala have a big passion for football. It seems that football is the most popular sport in this country. The football activity in this country is held under the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. It means the national football and the Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala of this country will also be under this federation. International football lovers might not be that familiar with international football players from Guatemala, but the football competition atmosphere in this country is quite active and attractive actually.

Local Tournament

The interest of football in Guatemala can be seen from the local tournament of the country. The capital city of the country. Guatemala City becomes the place where the first football called The Guatemala FC football club was established. This is also the place where the second club. Olympic FC was built at the beginning of the 20^th century. Those two clubs joined the Copa Centroamericana in 1904 as their first competition. It was also interesting that both teams had to meet each other ten times during the competition. The second competition was joined by three football clubs. Soon after, the fun of football was not only centered in Guatemala City because another football club was established in Quetzaltenango that is the second-largest city in Guatemala.

Nevertheless, the introduction of professional football in the country was started by the establishment of the Campeonato de Liga in 1942-1943. Football in Guatemala was developed further since then but it seems that the competition was dominated by CSD Comunicaciones and SCD Municipal from Guatemala City became a kind of major rivals.

International Competitions

There is no doubt that with the existing football clubs and the professional football system in Guatemala. The country took part in the international football competition. It includes international club football competitions such as the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It was a big success for CSD Municipal to win the championship in 1974. The national team of Guatemala also took part in some international competitions. The best result achieved by the national team of Guatemala might be placed at the fourth place for the 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Unfortunately, the Guatemalan national team is not qualified for any FIFA World Cup yet.

League System

Because of the popularity of football in Guatemala, this country holds a national football competition. The league system includes three divisions. The highest level of the football league in the country must be Liga Nacional that includes 12 football clubs in the competition. There is also the Primera Division. It can be considered as the second level league in Guatemala with more football clubs attending the competition. There are 20 football clubs within this division but they are divided into two series with ten football clubs for each series. Under Primera Division, Segunda Division is joined by 40 football clubs with five series. Last but not least, 92 football clubs are joining the Tercera Division with 16 series to play.

5 Greatest Football Players from Guatemala. Guatemalan loves football very much. The football competition in this country is pretty packed as well. It has been run for a long time so there is no surprise that people can find some great football players in the Country. Here they are.

Oscar Enrique Sanchez

The popular nickname for Oscar Enrique Sanchez is El Conejo, which means the rabbit. He became a player and coach mostly in Comunicaciones FC. Oscar Enrique Sanchez was mentioned as one of the best football players in the history of Guatemalan football by the journalists. He was part of the team that won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1978. Of course, he was also in the national team for the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup Qualification.

Juan Carlos Plata

He played as a striker before he retired and became a football coach. He became the top scorer of the top division in Guatemala. Juan Carlos Plata was considered as one of the most prolific scorers among the world’s professional football players in the top division leagues. As part of the Guatemalan national football team, he was considered as the second top scorer after Carlos Ruiz.

Jorge Roldan Popo

He was a former midfielder from Guatemala. Later, he became a football coach after he retired from the professional football league. His entire football career was spent in a local football club called Aurora FC. He could be the most loveable representation of this club after all. Jorge Roldan Popo has a popular nickname called El Grillo which means cricket. He was part of the Guatemalan national football team not only as a member but also as a captain. Besides bringing the team as the winner of the CONCACAF Championship in 1967, he also played in the squad for Olympic Games in 1968 and the World Cup qualification two times.

Carlos Ruiz

Carlos Ruiz must be considered as one of the greatest Guatemalan football players. He also becomes the most famous footballer from Guatemala. His nickname is El Pescadito, which means the little fish. Nevertheless, his long nickname was shortened into Pescado, which means fish. He became a professional football player after training in the youth academy of CSD Municipal. He can be considered as one of the most active players in the MLS league in the United States. Carlos Ruiz has played for five clubs in this league. He recorded the most goals in MLS postseason history with his 16 goals in total. There is no surprise that he became MLS MVP in the 2002 season. He also recorded top scorer in the World Cup qualification match of all time with a total of 39 scores.

Martin Machon

Last but not least, we have to include Martin Machon in the list of the greatest football players in Guatemala. When playing for the professional league, he played mostly as a midfielder. He was playing for Comunicaciones in the local league of Guatemala and Los Angeles Galaxy as well as Miami Fusion in Major League Soccer in the United States. Martin Machon also became a member of the national team of Guatemala in three qualification processes for the World Cup. He had to retire from the professional football career due to a knee injury. Yet, he is still active as a radio commentator as well as an entrepreneur. He even worked with the DGEF organization in Guatemala that focuses on helping young children do physical activities while complementing their academic training.

Facts about Guatemala National Football Team. Guatemala might not be a popular football country name in the world but we can make sure that the popularity of football in this country is undeniable. With four league divisions in the country, bola 88 people can imagine how many football clubs that take part in the local competition. Of course, the Guatemalan national football team also plays a role in the international football competition. Here are some interesting facts that can be found from the national football team of Guatemala.

The 60s Success

Guatemala has a long story in the international football championship history. However, the most success that can be found by the national football team of Guatemala could be found in the 60s. Before this era, Guatemala has given an attempt to get through World Cup qualification although the result was not that satisfying. The improvement of the Guatemalan national football team could be seen in the early 60s. The team could finish a tie game against Costa Rica and Honduras in 1962. Unfortunately, Guatemala did not participate in the 1966 World Cup qualifying round due to administrative problems before the elimination round. Guatemala participated in CONCACAF in 1961.

Good progress can be seen since the team ended in the first place in the 1967 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This was the first time in the history of the Guatemalan national football team. In 1965 and 1969, the team got the runner up position.

FIFA World Cup Story

Being a country that loves football so much. Guatemala surely tried the best to participate in the most respectable championship in the football world, FIFA World Cup. There are some attempts by the Guatemalan national football team to go to the final round but it seems that the dream must be suspended. This country took part in the elimination round of the FIFA World Cup in 2006, 2010, and 2014. The team performance is quite surprising especially with the achievement made by Carlos Ruiz in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification round. However, Guatemala has not qualified to play for the FIFA World Cup final in history.

Suspension from FIFA in 2016

In 2016, the football federation of Guatemala was suspended by FIFA due to the corruption problem. The Guatemalan football federation did not follow the mandate from the FIFA committee to modernize the statutes, organize a fair election, and run the business of the football federation. It means that the national team could not participate in the international football competition including the qualification round for the 2017 and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup. After the national football federation of Guatemala had a fully operational normalization committee in 2018, the suspension was lifted.

Home Stadium

The Guatemalan national football team training is centered in the Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores located in Guatemala City. It is also called Coloso de la Zona 5 that is also used for various sports activities. Nevertheless, the stadium is used mostly for the football match. This stadium is considered the largest in the country. The interesting thing is that this stadium was named after Mateo Flores, a long-distance runner that won the Boston Marathon in 1952.

Get to Know Carlos Humberto Ruiz Gutierrez, Guatemala’s Favorite Player. For someone who likes football. Surely they are very familiar with this player. He is Carlos Humberto Ruiz Gutierrez or better known as Carlos Ruiz. Although he has retired from the world of football. This player is still a conversation because of his football career which is very instrumental for the progress of football in his native Guatemala. Carlos Ruiz Guatemalan football player is known as a talented football player and has contributed well in Guatemala.

Carlos Ruiz, known as Pescado or fish born in Guatemala City, Guatemala

has started his career at a young age by joining local football club San Carlos. As a teenager he made his debut in the world of football and began his career with CSD Municipal and the Guatemalan league. Then he went to Europe at the Greek club PAS Giannina for a while until finally he returned to the Municipal. He has joined soccer clubs for MLS clubs such as Los Angeles Galaxy, FC Dallas, Toronto FC, Philadelphia Union and DC United).

The Los Angeles Galaxy club recruited Carlos Ruiz in 2002 to 2005

In this debut, the Guatemalan footballer Carlos Ruiz has scored 24 goals and led the Los Angeles Galaxy to the MLS Cup and is known as the player who scored the golden goal in the MLS Cup and won a lot of praise. with the talent to play soccer. Then Carlos Ruiz moved to FC Dallas in 2005-2007. Followed by Carlos Ruiz joining several football clubs starting from returning to LA Galaxy (2008), Olimpia (2009), Puebla (2009-2010), Aris FC (2010), Philadelphia Union (2011), Veracruz (2011), DC United (2013), Guatemala (2014) and FC Dallas (2016).

With his various experiences in the world of football. Ruiz Guatemalan football player is believed to be the Guatemalan national team from 1998 to 2016. He is trusted as the captain of the national team. He has scored a lot in the history of World Cup qualification by scoring 39 goals. This achievement is the biggest achievement obtained by Carlos Ruiz during his career in the world of football. The achievements achieved by Ruiz even continue to increase by scoring goals during World Cup qualifications and other soccer tournaments such as the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Surprisingly on February 9, 2009, Carlos Ruiz decided to resign from the world of football

However, Carlos Ruiz decided to return to his career in the world of football on January 4, 2011. After he returned to the world of football, he returned by fighting at the 2011 UNCAF championship held in Panama. Then he also joined the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup championship. Furthermore, in 2012, Ruiz again decided to resign from his international football career. After some time since his resignation. Carlos Ruiz of the Guatemalan football player returned and struggled to qualify for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. During his career in the football world, Ruiz has contributed a lot by scoring many goals. During 47 matches in the qualifying match, Raiz has donated 39 goals which is the highest goal that made him known as the top scorer in history in FIFA World Cup qualification.

FIFA sanctions ever given to Guatemala. Getting sanctions from FIFA is something that must be avoided so that football can continue to run well. Some players who are already aware of the severity of sanctions imposed by FIFA sanctions on Guatemala will certainly avoid the prevention of sanctions. Then FIFA’s biggest sanction on Guatemala is the freezing of several types of tournaments so that it will not participate to be able to compete. In addition, the other impact is the cessation of FIFA funding from the world cup.

Suspension of the Football Association

FIFA itself has also given sanctions to individuals related to several scandals that could harm players. Some football players or coaches who have been sanctioned by FIFA will get penalties that can have fatal. Consequences such as not being able to participate in various poker online tournaments or matches for some time. Those who are very competitive are not allowed to return to the world of international football. This is certainly a strict sanction given by FIFA sanctions on Guatemala.

Some players who have received severe sanctions from FIFA include Ramirez Ortega, Tony Wilson, Flores Monroy and Gustavo Adolfo Cabrera Marroquín for which they were given sanctions from FIFA for not activating in the world of football for a lifetime. Of course things will give you boredom and discomfort. Therefore, doing various things in accordance with the standards that have been found to improve quality and stay away from various things that can avoid the harsh sanctions given by FIFA.

The cases that cause these people are caused by many factors

If the mistake is fatal, FIFO imposes sanctions on people who commit illegal acts ranging from disobeying important rules such as not fulfilling the requirements set by FIFA, committing fraud and bribery. FIFA will crack down on dishonest behavior because basically what is sought is its attitudes. As in the first three players they do jinn and jin, and so on, quite hot immediately accepted.

The next sanction which is wider in scope is the imposition of sanctions against the Guatemalan federation which results in a match or tournament that cannot be carried out more optimally. This has happened to Guatemala. Guatemala was given sanctions by FIFA because the administrators of the Guatemalan soccer federation refused to recognize the committee. This does not only apply to small clubs but also nationwide. In addition, it takes some time to get back to activating soccer.

Suspension of the Guatemala Football Association

FIFA said that the federation could be restarted when the suspension was lifted and the normalization committee’s madat extension was implemented. It is fortunate that this sanction has a sufficient time limit. FIFA sanctions on Guatemala need to be considered so that it will not happen again in the future. Sanctions given by FIFA sanctions on Guatemala can be a separate lesson. If sanctions are given on a national scale it will certainly have many negative impacts from the club. Opportunities to develop a career become disrupted because the team must be done together. For self-harming effects of course depend on the initial problem as well, it turns out so.

A Brief History of the Guatemala Football Journey. Guatemala is a country that has a very high interest in football. Football seems to have become a culture inherent in Guatemala. Football is very popular with various groups of people in this country. But do you know how to travel from football in the country of Guatemala? Guatemala has a long history of football. Please note that football in Guatemala has a federation called the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala which is the body that acts as a football controller in the country of Guatemala, especially those controlling the Guatemalan national soccer team.

The history of Guatemalan football

The history of Guatemalan football begins since the founding of the Guatemalan soccer federation which was founded in 1919 and began to join FIFA which is an international football federation in 1946 and became a member of CONCACAF. In its initial journey the Guatemalan team had participated in several Olympic tournaments in 1968, 1976 and 1988. In 1967, the Guatemalan Team had won the 1967 CONCACAF championship by beating Haiti 2-1, Mexico 1-0, Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 and Nicaragua 2-0. Performance given by Guatemala is increasing by passing the 1968 Olympic Tournament held in Mexico City. The Guatemalan team made it into the next round. But in the end had to lose to the Hungarian country with a score of 1-0. Even so, the Guatemala national team has not been able to qualify for the World Cup final tournament.

The journey of the Guatemala national team is very long

The national team continues to struggle to get to a higher level. The CONCACAF Gold Cup in 1996 was a good start for the Guatemalan national team because at this time one of Guatemala’s talented players, Carlos Ruiz managed to score the most goals for the team at that time. The Guatemalan team won the bronze medal at the 1983 Pan American Games in Caracas, Venezuela. For the first time Guatemala were able to qualify for the World Cup in 1958.

also check Carlos Ruiz

The history of Guatemalan football is very tested when they have to struggle to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. Starting in the 2006 FIFA World Cup championship where the team had to fight to defeat various opponents to advance in the World Cup. On the way to this World Cup, the Guatemalan team suffered many defeats and they had to accept fifth place. In the same year the mainstay of the Guatemalan main player had to resign from the world of football namely Juan Carlos Plata and Martin Machon.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers until the 2014 World Cup

the team was still struggling to get through to the World Cup with a long match and full of challenges. The team experienced many difficulties especially with the release of 3 mainstay players such as Guillermo Ramirez. Gustavo Cabrera and Yony Flores who were involved in serious problems around money laundering and bribery which required them not to compete for life in football.

In 2016 or precisely on October 28, 2016, FIFA gave a suspension to the Guatemalan football federation regarding allegations of corruption and several issues ranging from refusing the committee’s mandate to run a FEDEFUT business, changing laws and regulating elections. After nearly two years of procrastination, finally on May 31, 2018 the FEDEFUT normalization committee began operating again. The history of Guatemala football is so long with various challenges.

Football has become an inseparable sport from the population of Guatemala. This sport seems to have become an inherent culture in Guatemala. Basically football has become the most popular sport by people around the world.

In Guatemala itself football or soccer has even been known since ancient times, so it is not surprising that in Guatemala this sport gets a lot of attention from the public. Guatemala also has a national football federation known as Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala which was founded in 1919. Guatemalan football has also joined FIFA since 1946 and CONCACAF in 1961.

Football has its own value for the population in Guatemala. Football become one of the activities that is not only fun but also entertaining. From children to adults, they have a great interest in playing football. Seeing lots of people playing football on the street is a common sight when visiting Guatemala. In addition, playing football is easier because it does not require special physical requirements.

Rules that tend to be easy and can be played anywhere make the sport of football increasingly loved by the Guatemalan community. Moreover, it has a tropical climate that makes many people often spend time outdoors. Guatemala is known as a country that is fond of football also has the largest stadium not only in Guatemala itself, but also the largest in Central America.

National Team

Like other countries in Central America, Guatemala also participated to participate in the international football event which was held in various places. Guatemalan football has also evolved over the years with the start of the Guatemalan national team debut and has even entered the World Cup qualification process for the first time in 1958.

Efforts have been made by the Guatemalan national team to advance to various tournaments such as the CCCF championship, the Cup Gold Concacaf to Pila World. Efforts to advance football in Guatemala have been made in order to advance national football.

also read https://selecciondeguatemala.net/

Enjoying a football match is an exciting moment to do for most Guatemalans. Watching the match directly will be more exciting and stimulate adrenaline. Not only people who enjoy watching football matches, tourists are usually also interested in watching matches in this country such as watching matches from Antigua GFC or Municipal playing in Guatemala City. They will start to gather and support their favorite team. Watching lots of enthusiastic people makes watching more fun.

Visiting Guatemala and watching live football matches will be even more interesting. Football indirectly unites many people and provides its own entertainment that challenges and drives adrenaline. For someone who likes football, seeing the match live in Guatemala will definitely feel a different part.

Football provides entertainment that is quite effective for the public, especially those who really like this game. Watching matches indirectly can also provide happiness. Watching the ball with family will certainly be more fun. Try to come and watch Guatemalan football with your friend or family if you have the opportunity to visit Guatemala.

You don’t have to be a football enthusiast to know that Guatemala never becomes the power house among countries in this world. However, the case about how FIFA banned this football federation in 2017 was surprisingly shocking. Or maybe not, if you consider about the track record of Guatemala regarding the corruption index.

The highest world federation of football, FIFA, brought down the ban from following years of investigation that involving international law enforcement teams and FBI regarding the case about high level corruption that involving former president of Guatemalan national soccer federation, Brayan Jimenez Hernandez.

This case that happened in December 2015, literally setting off a chain of events which brought tears to the eyes of football lover around Guatemala.

At the very first place, investigators began to dig deeper into Fedefut’s problem. Then, they found evidence of fraud and recommended suspension for the federation afterwards. And FIFA gave sanction to Guatemala in 2016 after they failed to authorize normalization committee after this international corruption scandal showed up and rocked the football world.

Hector Trujillo, a former Fedefut general secretary, was the person who brought down in the scandal to be convicted in jail with eight months by the judge in New York.

It is a common secret that corruption cases become a huge problem in Guatemala. Unfortunately, football has gotten that collateral damage.

This team has suffered enough not to participate in several world level tournaments such as: Gold Cup, Central American Games, https://agenpoker899.com/,  and CONCACAF Champion League.

But it is just a past story. Since 30 May 2018, a letter from Chairman of the Fedefut Normalisation Committee sent a letter to FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, which was confirmed that it is already fully operated. The suspension is lifted and the rights as federation member of FIFA is restored. And this announcement is welcomed warmly.

This is a good news, not only for the team player but also for all Guatemalan all over the country. With the end of suspension, means that they are able again to compete in international tournament.

It is important to them, not only for the sake of achievement but also to re-establish the dignity of Guatemalan football lover.

It is not important even though this team is not a power house. Because society still respect and proud to see how this team is growing and improving.

Guatemala was defeated US U-17 National Team 0-3 in order to achieve the highest rank in group F Concacaf U-17 Tournament 2019, 6^th of May 2019. This match made USA, team who got the victory point, facing pre-qualification from the winner’s group at Guadeloupe, in round 16, 9^th May 2019.

The U.S. dealt with an uncompromising effort from physical side of Guatemala, but the two of essential goal scorers provided by Griffin Yow caught courageous on halftime’s both sides right before Alfonso Chavez finished that game in the very last minutes in order to keep the third victory in a row of USA.

Semifinalists

The teams who were in top three position from every group qualified to the 16^th round. Among these: Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Guadeloupe, https://daduonline888.com/ , they were directly advanced to the 16^th round as group of winners in this pre-championship qualification stage. The fourth championship semifinalists would earn spots to the World Cup which was dedicated for U-17 only.

The head coach of U.S, Wicky, made roughly ten differences for the line-up which brought down Barbados 6-1 in the second match. The USA blown up for the slow start toward the rough and tumble Guatemalans. But then, Yow gave the right shot on the wing.

After a little terrifying chances, he fortunately made it in the 25^th minutes, when Cuevas pushed him into a finishing tight angle for the furthest point in the free kick aftermath. This first goal signed the USA to be placed in seventh position through three matches, whether it was fairly based on or throughout dead end conditions.

The second half

During the half of second part, U.S. fullered through a resilient effort. Three major stuffs: white, red, and blue represented the possession and would spend the number of expansion curses in the final third of Guatemala.

Gio Reyna, the captain, sparked the second goal of USA in the 51^st minute. It was begun with the left wing instead of the central, Reyna rolled down past to the defenders as he handled it into the finish line along the six yards where Yow led it home to make the U.S. leverage became double.

Ocampo Chavez already confirmed the points with the head in the 86th. Daniel Leyva, the Sounders of Seattle and FC teammate made several common things throughout that box right before giving it into an astonishing cross at the furthest post.

A resilient national football team always start with tough local club. Not uncommon for a top players in World Cup level also comes from local club first.

In the football world, maybe you barely hear anything about Guatemala. Yes, a small country in Central America also has a football national team. Since we have already talked about it on the previous post, so we want to talk about one of the local clubs in Guatemala: Antigua GFC.

Antigua Guatemala Football Club or abbreviated into Antigua GFC is a professional Guatemalan football local club in Antigua, Guatemala. Their uniform using green stripes is easily to remember. Turns out, this greenery things are related to the local avocados and dadu online on Antigua Guatemala. No wonder if this team also well known with nickname Los Panzas Verdes with the meaning is “green bellies”.

This club was established since 1958 by Antonio Martinez Barrios and Miguel Angel Soto Bustamante as founders. After it was founded, it had Rogelio Toldeo Estrada as the first president and Cesar Rodriguez Gudiel as first manager.

Promotion

In the 1957 till 1958 season, they earned promotion into the maximum division of Major League A and Antigua finished on the third in 1959 to 1960 afterwards. Unfortunately, it was hard for them to retain their level in the next years and suffered relegation after 1964 season.

After long period in Major League B, the administration of this club was inherited by Antigua Guatemala Municipality. In December 1976, they earned position again to the Major League A, but should face relegation the following two years and the quantity of the teams were reduced from 18 to 12.

The relegation in 1983 marked the starting point of 16 years long period which the club faced financial strain and was unable to go back to the top fight. The team’s administration finally was given again to the Municipality in 1998. 22^nd May 1999 was the time they were able to earn a spot in Liga Nacional.

Talking about achievement, on 20^th December 2015, Antigua defeated the Apertura for the very first time. After their very first time, they always won of Guatemalan football for three years in a row.

Antigua GFC want to compete in highest level league in Guatemala to purchase some positions offered by Heredia Jaguarez from Izabal because after 2015 season, Italian sports company Diadora will supply the club kit for Antigua GFC.

Football striker Carlos Ruiz is debatably to be the famous Guatemala’s most famous sportsman ever, played for the national team as well as FC Dallas and MLS clubs LA Galaxy among others. These things are everything you don’t know about this valuable player.

Apparently, he has a tough childhood in Guatemala City. He was sharpening his skills when he was young by playing in the street with friends. No fancy training, no private coach, simply playing kiu kiu online.

He also has unique nickname “Pescado” or fish in English. This Pescado holds astonishing record as the most goals scorer in World Cup qualification matches. Regardless this knocking in 39 goals among five qualification competitions, but Ruiz never manage to carry Guatemala to any international championship.

He spent the whole eight seasons in United States for Major League Soccer (MLS). During 2002 season, he played for LA Galaxy and won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award. Ruiz was notorious over the course of his career for his footballing dark art approximately as much as his goal scoring.

After his retirement, Ruiz committed to take the well worn path from professional athlete into highbrow. Currently he works as an analyst in Miami.

Turns out, his jaw-dropping experience and performance has inspired an offer for running the presidency of Guatemala’s national soccer federation. As you know before, this federation had corruption issue earlier, but if Ruiz elected as president, he will vow to commit to clean all that mess.

Like another public figure out there, Ruiz has so much interest in using social media to engage with public. He is well known with his strong view on corruption scandal in Guatemala and any other famous issue.

So many football enthusiasts believe that Ruiz is someone who deserves celebration and all the spotlight. Moreover, public also have gut if Ruiz more concentrated on his soccer career, his achievement could be so much bigger than this. Even though he is already retired, but his existence on social media still continues to intrigue huge public reaction.

Pescado loves party and he never try to hide that. He is known for being regular fixture in nightclubs and bars, sometimes got trouble for missing training session too.

Guatemalan should be grateful, whether or not you are football enthusiast, because Ruiz was there to bring and to establish the pride and dignity of Guatemala’s soccer by his mind blowing achievement.

The first national team at Banc of California Stadium has pitted the two of Central American nations who are well represented in Los Angeles.

The men’s national football teams for Guatemala and El Salvador, which have competed for each other more than any nation, tied an announced attendance to the home of Los Angeles Football Club for the victory on Salvadorans 3-1.

Fans In the Mood

It brought the mood from both sets of fans that like poker uang asli in the stadium to be joyous after the day’s heavy rain prior to the kickoff of their 26^th championship since 2000 with the last 10 matches have taken place on American soil.

El Salvador directly jumped ahead when Oscar Ceren cleaned up a shot from midfielder Marvin Monterrosa in the second minute when had rolled across the edge of the goal, his fourth finish among 21 international appearances.

The early fuse lifted supporters of Salvadoran in the standing section in north end of stadium, some of them filled the air with typical song of LAFC matches and quieted Guatemalan placed at the opposite corner of the pitch.

Just the half hour afterwards, El Salvador pushed their lead into to when the defense by Monterossa put Jamie Alas toward the box with space.

David Rugamas

The midfielder already found a striker David Rugamas touched Guatemalan goal keeper Ricardo Jerez for their very first goal in five appearance.

Dressed up in the first team who wore all blue uniforms, El Salvador gave pressure to Guatemala to be down both flanks in the whole match, always finding wide swaths of space which allowed them to sprint behind the defenders and created jeopardy situations.

However, El Salvador’s move and ability to look for attackers meant that for the very first time in forever since 1984, they made a third goal toward their bigger neighbor in the north side.

Bryan Tamacas took a short pass in 68^th minute in front of Salvadoran fans from the initial goal football and finished it for the first time with the national team.

Tricking Salvadoran goal keeper, Henry Hernandez with the sneaky deflection off a well-placed from Rafael Morales’ free kick, Guatemala supported their fans to celebrate it in the 80^th minute.

The classic Central American victory, 3-1, served as a strike up for Salvadoran and Carlos de Losa Cobos as coach who led La Selecta toward essential match with the Gold Cup spot on 23^rd March in Concacaf Nations Cup battle with San Salvador against Jamaica.

Even though it was already over, but the topic of FIFA World Cup still on the people’s mind that barely can be forgotten. Especially in World Cup 2018 when all miracles and impossible thing could be reality.

One thing that got so much spotlight from every football enthusiast at situs judi online back then was Carlos Ruiz. A striker from Guatemala national football team is an important player who gave so much influence for Guatemala.

This striker get so much attention until now after he successfully executed five touchdowns during World Cup 2018. What makes it amazing is the fact that he did this in 36-year old and 355 days.

No wonder if this astonishing football player becomes a superstar on the field Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City. The moment when Guatemala got match with St. Vincent & The Grenadines, Ruiz showed up to break opponent’s wicket and made the score 9-3.

Other football players from Guatemala who contributed to this score were: Gerson Tinoco (minutes 13), Jairo Arreola (minutes 56), and Jean Marquez (minutes 83).

Top Scorer In Concacaf Zone

Ruiz did this heroic movement in the minutes 19, 27, 37, 58, and 60. Thank to this achievement, Carlos Ruiz became a number one top scorer in Concacaf Zone. Not to mention, he had more points compare to Jozy Altidore from United States of America.

Maybe, people are confused, “how come a 37-year old can become so wonderful like this?”. Perhaps, most people think 37 is not an ideal age to be an athlete. Especially an athlete in a sport which requires healthy and lusty body condition.

However, this age gives him so much leverage than many other young athletes, which is experience. It is undeniable that he did so many tournaments before, faced so many opponents, and competed with so many superstar football players. The fact that he dug those experiences into valuable field lesson and he implemented it on World Cup was great.

Nickname

Ruiz who get nickname “The Fish” started his career by joining the junior academy CSD Municipal. After he had proven to be a good player along domestic league, he got chances to experience in 5 clubs Major League Soccer (MLS), which are: FC Dallas, Los Angeles Galaxy, Philadelphia Union, DC United, and Toronto FC.

During his work in United States, he scored 87 goals on 168 matches regular league. Besides that, he also collected 16 goals play-off league and became life time achievement on MS history.

Even though internet is very helpful tool to find every information you need, but sometimes internet is not so fair in giving exposure. Especially when we are talking about football. Some national teams are so easy to be found but on the other hand, the rest of it are barely visible.

One of that countries on the second category is Guatemala. It is not easy to dig deeper about history, review, or any other word to Guatemala football team. Turns out, there are so many talented players in the history of Guatemala that worth knowing and worth searching. They are not only talented, but also did many ground-breaking achievements that deserve to get more attention.

This is a list from several top scorer player who did fantastic job in the past and still counting.

Wilmer Garcia and Carlos Figueroa are midfielders who are part of Guatemalan soccer player. Currently, they hit first and second place of player list. Followed by Carlos Humberto Ruiz Guiterrez or also well-known as El Pescadito.

In fourth until sixth place there are all defender: Claudio Albizuris, Denis Chen, and Dor Yasur. Same with Carlos Ruiz in the third place, Claudio Albizuris plays for local club CSD Municipal in top division of Guatemala team player. Denis Chen or Denis Geovani Chen Fernandez is a national team player who also plays in Guatemala’s second division for local club Coban Imperial. He is one of very few player who has Chinese blood on Guatemala.

Then another forward player is on the list: Dwight Anthony Pezzarossi Garcia. He is a retired professional football player who played for Comunicaciones in the national league of Guatemala. Then we have Edgar Estrada, the eighth hit list. Has real name Edgar Eladio Estrada Solis or popularly well-known as El Gato. He is a goalkeeper for many Guatemana’s top division clubs.

Last but not the least, in the ninth and tenth, there are Fredy Thompson and Guilermo Ramirez. They are a midfielder who scored many rewards. Fredy Williams Thompson Leon is a professional player who plays for Antigua GFC in first division.

While Guilermo “El Pando” Ramirez Ortega is a former soccer player who unfortunately being suspended for any football related activities from convicted to participate in money laundering and fixing games with other fellow national members: Gustavo Cabera and Yony Flores.

But either way, regardless on what did he do in the past and how bad it was, he still a talented football player who contributed a lot for the sake of Guatemala.