Guatemala wins first Gold Cup group stage victory since 2011, securing top spot with three points

Posted : 28 June 2023

Darwin Lom, the forward for Guatemala, experienced a night of redemption as he recovered from a missed penalty kick to score the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Cuba in Group D of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. The match took place on Tuesday night at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

This triumph marks Guatemala's first victory in the group stage of the Gold Cup since the 2011 tournament when they defeated Grenada 4-0. With this win, Guatemala currently sits at the top of the group with three points.

Early in the game, star forward Rubio Rubin suffered an injury, leading Guatemala's head coach, Luis Fernando Tena, to make a substitution just 10 minutes into the match. Darwin Lom came on as a replacement for Rubin.

Despite the setback, Guatemala started to assert their dominance, with Nathaniel Mendez attempting a chip shot in the 18th minute that forced Cuba's goalkeeper, Raiko Arozarena, to make a jumping save. Shortly after, Alejandro Galindo's overhead kick from outside the area narrowly missed the crossbar.

Guatemala applied pressure in bursts, including a frantic sequence just before halftime where they came close to scoring the opening goal.

Towards the end of the first half, it seemed like Guatemala would finally find the back of the net when a foul was called on a tackle against Carlos Mejia in the Cuba area after a VAR review. However, Arozarena made an impressive fingertip save on Lom's penalty kick, pushing the ball onto the post before it bounced out.

Nevertheless, Guatemala capitalized on their next opportunity. Less than three minutes into the second half, they took a 1-0 lead as Mendez delivered a pass to Lom, who confidently fired a shot past Arozarena.

Cuba attempted to mount a comeback, with Aldair Ruiz having a chance in the 50th minute, but his right-footed shot was tipped wide by Guatemala's goalkeeper, Nicholas Hagen. Twelve minutes later, a well-executed set piece from a corner kick saw Hagen soar to deny Yasnier Matos.

In the final 15 minutes, Cuba persistently tested the Guatemalan defense but failed to break through. Tena's team remained steadfast, securing the victory by effectively shutting down their opponents.

Guatemala wins first Gold Cup group stage victory since 2011, securing top spot with three points

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