FRISCO, Texas – Guatemala’s debut in the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup ended in disappointment with a 2-0 loss to El Salvador to open Group A, but an opportunity to bounce back is on the horizon with a Wednesday showdown versus Mexico.
Following Sunday night’s defeat to El Salvador, Guatemala DF Gerardo Gordillo noted that the best thing he and his teammates can do now is to shift their focus to their meeting with El Tricolor.
“Guatemala has a history of players who have always bravely fought against big teams like Mexico and we have to use them as a reference, like Carlos Ruiz, Jose Manuel Contreras, Marco Pappa, who were always great fighters,” said Gordillo in an exclusive postgame interview with Concacaf.com
“We are going to use them as a reference and pay as much respect to them as possible,” added Gordillo.
The contest against El Salvador was a difficult one for the Chapines, as their Central American rivals were able to control the tempo.
Still, Gordillo felt like there were positives to take from the defeat, such as Guatemala’s defensive performance, as they kept things scoreless until the final 10 minutes of the match.
“It was a tough match. We ran a lot. They controlled the ball in midfield, we weren’t able to control things as a team, but with the strength and effort of my teammates, we never gave up on any ball. You’ll remember that the first goal came on a rebound, and that hurts us a lot,” concluded Gordillo.
