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4 more players to suit up for CNMI in Laos
Four more players from the U14 CNMI National Team arrived in Laos and may get a chance to play in the Commonwealth’s U16 crew’s last match in the AFC U16 Championship India 2016 Qualifier.
Cole Chambers, Cody Leon, Josh De Leon, and Dai Podziewski made it to Vientiane a few hours before the CNMI faced Malaysia last Monday and practiced with the team last Tuesday. The four players joined fellow U14 members Clayton Izuka, Thaiphi Austria, Joshua Abragan, and Jonathan Capayas, who arrived in Laos last weekend in time for the CNMI’s first game in the tournament against Timor-Leste.
“The addition of four players to the bench will help at least give the coaches more options for substitutions (we are limited to three substitutions per game). The previous games, we only had four players to choose from for three substitutions, and one was the reserve goalie, and two of the other three had pulled muscles so we’re not 100 percent,” said team manager Derek Chamber before leaving the host country last Tuesday and entrusting the squad to fellow manager Eric Abragan.
“The boys are in good spirits though. The addition of the four new players should give a little boost. They are looking forward to the game against Philippines, while they prepare for Laos,” the older Chambers added.
The CNMI U16 National Team was scheduled to challenge Laos last night at 7pm (10pm Saipan time) and results of the match were unavailable at press time. The Commonwealth bets will have its last game this Sunday against the Philippines.
Pending the results of last night’s matches, Timor-Leste leads the Group G qualifiers with its 2-0-0 win-draw-loss record. Malaysia is in second place with its 1-0-0 mark and 13 goals, followed by Laos (1-0-0 and six goals). The Philippines and CNMI are both winless in two games, but the former is slightly ahead in the standings with its one goal against the latter’s none.
The top finisher in the group after the round-robin play will earn a slot to the finals along with the winners in the 10 other pools and four best second-placed teams (combined groups).
