3 – 1
“Patrik Schick opened the scoring to give Czech Republic an early lead and set the expected tone of the match.”
“William Fajardo equalised for Guatemala just before the break, stunning the Czechs and levelling the contest at 1-1.”
Pivotal“Tomas Chory, one of the half-time substitutes, put Czech Republic back in front with a goal that proved to be the decisive moment of the match.”
Pivotal“Denis Visinsky added a fourth goal to seal the comfortable win and end any lingering Guatemalan hopes of a recovery.”
Czech Republic
Guatemala
Czech Republic had to work harder than expected in this pre-World Cup friendly, with Patrik Schick's early opener in the 11th minute giving the hosts a comfortable platform that quickly evaporated when William Fajardo levelled for Guatemala just before half-time. The equaliser prompted an immediate Czech response at the break, with manager Ivan Hasek throwing on four fresh players at half-time — including Tomas Chory and Denis Visinsky — and the gamble paid dividends. The second half became a Czech training ground, with Chory restoring the lead in the 72nd minute before Visinsky put the result beyond doubt seven minutes later. For Guatemala, Fajardo's goal was a moment of genuine quality against higher-ranked opposition, but the Central Americans ultimately had no answer to the Czech bench depth. For the Czechs, the result offers reasonable preparation ahead of tournament football, though the concession will give the coaching staff pause for thought defensively.
How entertaining was this match?
Czech Republic face Guatemala in a transatlantic friendly at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, as Jaroslav Šilhavý's side look to maintain momentum ahead of their 2026 World Cup Group A campaign. With the Czechs unbeaten in their last five matches and Guatemala coming off a sobering 7-0 defeat to Algeria, there is a significant form gap heading into this clash. Expect Czechia to test squad depth while Guatemala seek a confidence-boosting performance against European opposition.
