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CNMI Women’s All-Stars win in HK
The CNMI Women’s All-Star Team prevailed in the opening match in the 2015 Luen Thai Cup after slipping past a selection from Chelsea FC Soccer School, 2-1, yesterday in Hong Kong.
The CNMI Women’s All-Star Team’s starters pose for a group photo before playing against Chelsea FC Soccer School yesterday in Hong Kong.
(Contributed Photo)
Lalaine Pagarao and Dianne Pablo delivered the goals for the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association-backed squad. Pagarao scored the first goal in the match off a miscue from Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong), while Pablo nailed the winning goal off a penalty kick.
Both Pagarao and Pablo were part of the CNMI Women’s All-Stars’ starting 11, joining Angie Ito, Mia Carreon, siblings Jeralyn and Jeraldine Castillo, Elaine Enriquez, Lyka Sally, Alexandria Vergara, Krizel Tuazon, and goalie Chevy Kate Alipio. Other members of the squad are Carla Ballesteros. Guinevere Borja, Chloe Salvosa, De Jana Muna, Diana Maniacop, Jennifer Perena, and Sara Allen. Former Olympian and Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) technical director Luam Ken Koo is the team’s coach and is assisted by Jimmy Tang.
The game against Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) came less than 24 hours after half of the team arrived in Hong Kong for the three-day tournament. The second batch of the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team left Saipan on July 6 in time for their 8:30am match versus Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) yesterday, while the first group has been there since June 22, training with the club’s coaches.
Meanwhile, the CNMI Women’s All-Star Team will go for win No. 2 when it takes on South China Agricultural University Women’s Football Club today at 10:30am (12:30pm Saipan time). The team from China is the top favorite in the four-squad tournament. After their duel against China, the CNMI players will challenge Singapore National Women’s A Team tomorrow morning.
The squad with the best record in the round-robin competition will be declared the champion in the tournament being held in celebration of Luen Thai’s 50th anniversary.
