Update (March 29, 12:35 pm ET)
After initially tweeting that Carlos Ruiz would be in the US and available for selection for Tuesday’s match in Columbus, the Guatemalan federation backtracked a bit on Monday afternoon, when they announced that the veteran striker was still in the Central American country dealing with a dispute with his landlord.
Ruiz has apparently sorted the situation out, as the Guatemalan federation announced on Tuesday that he will be in the US for the match, which will kick at 7 pm ET. The longtime MLS striker is reportedly currently on a private flight to Columbus with the president of the Guatemalan federation.
Original Text (March 28, 2:30 pm ET)
The US national team's current task got a bit more complicated on Monday.
Guatemala will have Carlos Ruiz and Hamilton Lopez in their squad for Tuesday night's World Cup qualifier in Columbus, Ohio (7 pm ET; ESPN2, UniMas, UDN) after all, the Guatemalan federation announced via Twitter.
One of the top goalscorers in MLS history, Ruiz's participation in Tuesday's match had been in doubt due to a rent dispute with his landlord. “El Pescadito” scored Guatemala's game-clinching second goal in Los Chapines' 2-0 upset win over the USMNT in Guatemala City on Friday.
Lopez, who plays his club soccer for domestic side Xelajú, had reportedly been dealing with visa issues but has gained clearance to join his teammates. The 32-year-old played 90 minutes at center back in Friday's win.
