Guatemala (pictured) walks off the field after a 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying Tournament game. (Photo: Mexsport)
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala – Following the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship draw on Friday, Guatemala captain Coralia Monterroso expressed her delight with the results.
The Guatemalans will face the host United States, Caribbean champion Trinidad & Tobago and Haiti in Group A.
Monterroso believes that her team can make history at the October 15-26 event. The two finalists and the winner of the match for third place will book tickets to the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada, while the fourth-place side will face a South American team in a playoff for an additional berth.
"At first I was nervous about the draw,” Monterroso told CONCACAF.com. “I watched on the internet and then I was happy because we will play in a good group with the United States as the head and two Caribbean opponents."
The 22-year-old has experience in the competition, playing in the 2010 edition in Cancun, Mexico. That year, Guatemala also squared off against the U.S. and Haiti, losing both encounters, 9-0 and 1-0, respectively.
Monterroso, daughter of head coach Benjamin Monterroso, is confident that things will be different this time around due to increased familiarity with each of the foes.
"Trinidad & Tobago appeals to its speed up front and leans more on the aerial game," Monterroso noted, while recalling that the Trinidadians posted a 3-2 win in a 2010 Central American & Caribbean Games encounter between them.
Conceding that the United States will be a favorite, the Unifut-Rosal standout thinks the battle for the other semifinal spot will be determined by Guatemala’s results against the Caribbean representatives.
"We have to do really well against the Caribbean,” Monterroso finished. “Tactically, we will have to be ordered if we are to make history.”
In four previous attempts, Guatemala has never qualified for a Women’s World Cup.
