CNMI players train with Chelsea coaches, team

Nine members of the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team had a fruitful first week in Hong Kong, training and having scrimmages with host Chelsea FC Soccer School.

Members of the CNMI All-Star Team pose with Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) technical director Leslie Santos, fifth left back row, and coach Jacky Lee, right back row, after a training session in Hong Kong last week.
(Contributed Photo)

“The training has been great. We’ve been having morning sessions with Chelsea coaches Jacky (Lee) and Taketomo (Suzuki) at the Chelsea Soccer School’s ‘blue pitch’ and when we have afternoon sessions we train at different venues,” player/manager Angie Ito said.

Joining Ito in Hong Kong are goalies Chevy Kate Alipio and Carla Ballesteros. Guinevere Borja, Lyka Sally, siblings Jeralyn and Jeraldine Castillo, Dianne Pablo, and Renita Fleming. The first batch of the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team left for Hong Kong last June 22 to train and get ready for next week’s Luen Thai Cup. The rest of the squad—Alexandria Vergara, Angelica Mia Carreon, Chloe Salvosa, De Jana Muna, Diana Maniacop, Elaine Enriquez, Jennifer Perena, Krizel Tuazon, Sara Allen, and Lalaine Pagarao—will go to Hong Kong on July 6.

“Last Monday, we trained at Kowloon Bay Park with other boys and one female player on their team. We trained under coach David (Tsui). We had two scrimmages, one with Chelsea U20 ladies after training with them last Friday. Last Sunday, we scrimmaged against the Chelsea parents,” said Ito, who also joined the group’s morning training session with Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) technical director and former Hong Kong national player Leslie Santos.

“It the two days we were here, the weather was cold, but now it’s been hot and humid, so we’ve been getting used to the heat. The girls are responding great at the training sessions. Chelsea Soccer School has been very helpful and accommodating. We’ve been using public transportation when we go from one place to another and we walk from the apartment to the ‘blue pitch,’” Ito added.

The Northern Mariana Island Football Association-backed CNMI Women’s All-Star Team needs all the training sessions and scrimmages it could get in Hong Kong as it is scheduled to play against three squads in the Luen Thai Cup that will run from July 7 to 9. The Commonwealth bets will first challenge a selection from Chelsea FC Soccer School at 8:30am on July 7 before colliding against South China Agricultural University Women’s Football Club at 10:30am the following day. On July 9, the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team will close out against Singapore National Women’s A Team.

Meanwhile, the remaining members of the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team are also training regularly at the Oleai Sports Complex Field under former Olympian and Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) technical director Luam Ken Koo.