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GUATEMALA CITY - Guatemala qualified for the Under-20 World Cup for the first time in its history, getting goals by Gerson Lima and Henry Lopez to upset the United States 2-1 Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF championship.
Lopez scored against the run of play to break a 1-1 tie in the 69th minute and send the crowd at Estadio Mateo Flores into delirium.
The result ended the Americans' quest for an eighth straight trip to the World Cup and sent "Los Chapines" to Friday's semifinals against Costa Rica, which beat Cuba 6-1 on Tuesday.
The United States had the better of play early, and had several chances, but Guatemala started to generate opportunities of its own midway through first half and went ahead in the 33rd minute.
Lima was left unmarked at the near post and headed in Kendel Herrate's corner kick from a step inside the six-yard box.
Guatemala was virtually defensive for the entire second half, and the Americans equalized in the 66th. Amobi Okugo threaded a pass behind a static Guatemala back line, Conor Doyle took a touch with the outside of his right foot and lofted the ball from a step inside the 18 past onrushing keeper Jose Carlos Garcia.
The hosts were still on the defensive when it retook the lead. A goal kick into the U.S. half was headed back toward the Guatemalan goal by Perry Kitchen only to drop at the feet of Jose Castillo, who launched a ball from midfield for teammate Marvin Ceballos sprinting toward the American net.
He and U.S. defender Gale Abgossoumonde collided shoulder-to-shoulder and fell at the edge of the area, allowing the ball to fall to a trailing Lopez, who struck it first time to send a rolling shot past American keeper Zac MacMath.
The Americans swarmed the net in the final minutes, with Guatemala making a desperate clearance from its own penalty area with the last touch to secure the victory.
The victory came 47 years to the day since the last Guatemalan victory over the United States in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship. The Americans had won seven and drew the other meeting since 1964.
