It’s Calm Before the U.S.-Guatemala Storm

The luggage didn’t get lost, Guatemalan fans haven’t caused any problems and the heat’s not so bad.

After two weeks of speculation about the potential problems for today’s World Cup qualifier between the United States and Guatemala, U.S. Coach Bruce Arena said the trip has “been very easy.”

“We’ve had absolutely no problems,” a sunburned Arena said Saturday after a business-as-usual practice in this sugar-growing town with a population of about 80,000. “It’s gone better here than even we thought it would and we weren’t expecting any problems.”

The workout occurred in temperatures near 100 degrees and under heckling of a few dozen locals who scaled light towers and screamed from nearby rooftops as fresh paint dried on the bleachers in Carlos Salazar Jr. stadium.

As the U.S. team arrived at the stadium, police, soldiers and 40 members of a security force hired by the U.S. Embassy held billy clubs and prodded with the blunt ends of machine guns to keep 200 jeering fans from getting too close to the American team.

“We are just showing the United States that soccer is our game and we know more about it than they do,” said Alberto Sanchuro, a 51-year-old truck driver. “We want them to know up there that this is our sport and this is our team.”

The 11,000-seat stadium, home to a second-tier state soccer squad, has fans so close to the field that some have suggested it’s a riot waiting to happen.

To help avoid outbursts, officials sold only 9,000 seats to today’s game. The security force will feature 150 police officers and 450 soldiers.

In 1998 World Cup qualifying, the U.S. team prevailed, 2-0, in their first game with Guatemala and managed a 2-2 draw in the second matchup. But the U.S. has never beaten a Guatemalan team in a World Cup qualifier on Guatemalan soil.