Guatemala City’s Estadio El Trébol will stage a Nations League meeting carrying pressure for Guatemala and early momentum for El Salvador, but Luis Fernando Tena has used the build-up to raise a wider concern about the competition’s travel demands.
The Guatemala coach believes the present Concacaf Nations League format places a heavy physical burden on players, particularly for teams facing difficult multi-stop journeys between fixtures. His side are seeking a response after an opening defeat, while El Salvador arrive atop Group B.
A demanding route to El Trébol
- Guatemala first travelled to Jamaica during their Nations League campaign, where they were beaten 3-2.
- The squad then faced another lengthy journey to Suriname, a sequence Tena said had made recovery harder in a competition with limited time between matches.
- Before the El Salvador fixture, the Guatemala delegation was held up in Panama while their opponents had already reached the match venue.
Tena said the competition system “creates a great deal of physical wear on the players”, arguing that the travel schedule can leave some national teams at a physical disadvantage. He stressed, however, that he was not presenting the issue as an excuse before facing El Salvador.
The Mexican coach suggested Concacaf should consider restoring home-and-away series. In his view, reciprocal visits would offer a fairer balance and lessen the effect of long-distance travel on national-team squads.
El Salvador arrive as Group B leaders
Guatemala need points after their loss in Jamaica, but Tena rejected the idea that his team should be regarded as favourites at home. He pointed to El Salvador’s improvement, their quick forwards and their threat when moving rapidly into attack.
El Salvador began the group with a 3-1 victory over Martinique, a result that put them first in Group B and gave them confidence for the trip to Guatemala. Tena also cautioned that home advantage alone would not settle a match of this kind.
At El Trébol, Guatemala will look to restore their Nations League position through tactical discipline and close attention to El Salvador’s attacking transitions. Yet, ahead of the contest, Tena’s central message remains directed beyond this single fixture: the tournament calendar, he believes, must better account for the distance its teams are asked to cover.
