Marquense head coach Francisco Melgar (left) during a Guatemalan Apertura match against visiting Comunicaciones on October 29, 2014 at the Estadio Marquesa de La Ensenada. (Photo: Douglas Suruy Franco).

SAN MARCOS, Guatemala – Without foreign players, but with a unique project, surprising Marquense tops the table in the Liga Nacional de Guatemala.

Under the guidance of head coach Francisco Melgar, the Lions have amassed 28 points through 15 games.  Municipal (26 points) and Comunicaciones (25 points) -- the two most successful sides in Guatemalan football history – sit in second and third, respectively.

The club from San Marcos - west of Guatemala City, near Mexico – is the only one in the league to field a roster solely Guatemalan players, many of whom come from its youth system.

"It is a four-year process, which have worked seriously with the youth teams," Melgar said in an exclusive interview with CONCACAF.com.  "We had scholarship players in the younger levels of River Plate (Luis Herrador, Marco Tulio Rodas and Brailin De Leon), who grew up and now play for the team.

"We have players who not only have the desire to grow, they also have the quality to stand out here and abroad.  Technically, they are very gifted.”

The Yellow and Green’s growth has not gone unnoticed by Guatemala head coach Ivan Franco Sopegno, who called in three players -- Brandon De Leon, Edwin Fuentes and Kevin Merida Lam – for a 1-0 loss at Peru in a friendly on October 14.

With tremendous support from the local fans, Marquense remains unbeaten at the Estadio Marquesa de la Ensenada with seven wins and a draw, including Wednesday’s 1-1 stalemate with four-time defending champion Comunicaciones.

"Evolution is embryonic and the short-term objective is none other than fight to reach the final and become champions," commented Melgar, seeking to give the club its first title.

The 57-year-old also hopes that his team can compete in its first CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) next year.

"Our players need to rise above and the Champions League is essential for individual and collective growth," he added enthusiastically.

Marquense played once in the CCL’s predecessor – the CONCACAF Champions Cup – falling to Pachuca in the 2007 quarterfinals, 3-0 on aggregate, also under Melgar’s tutelage.

Looking forward to more hard work and growing Marquense further, Melgar finished by sharing, “The younger categories are far from being an expense, they are an investment that bears good fruit.”