Teen Ayuyus told to capitalize on EAFF event

CNMI U13 National Team coach Jersh Angeles wants the Teen Ayuyus to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the East Asian Football Federation Boys U13 Festival 2015.

Players and officials of the CNMI U13 National Team pose for a photo during a send-off ceremony yesterday at the lobby of Kanoa Resort. The squad is heading to Guam this weekend to participate in the East Asian Football Federation Boys U13 Festival 2015. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

“They are given a chance to represent the island, which a lot of kids are dreaming of. They will experience playing a high level of football at an early stage of their lives while having fun playing the most popular sport in the world,” said Angeles, who attended a send-off ceremony for the squad last night at the lobby of Kanoa Resort.

“Our players will have realization on the difference of Saipan football from high level of football of other countries and hopefully they will learn something from other teams and apply it here when they play in our tournaments,” the Teen Ayuyus head coach added.

Angeles, who will be assisted by Chelsea FC Soccer School Hong Kong’s Taketomo Suzuki, is bringing in an 18-member squad to the EAFF event that will have its actual games this Sunday and run until Nov. 10. The group is composed of goalkeepers Floyd Muna and Jason Quimzon, defenders Eun Syu Hahn, Kirt Andon, Lolobeyong Benito, and Ian Maniago, midfielders Mark Esalan, Thaiphi Austria, Sebastien Manabat, Kirro Batino, Raseff Altamirano, Angelo Bergancia, Justin Achas, and Jhoey Noble, and forwards John Michale Rojas, Edward Cho, Kaden Church, and Taka Borja.

The team has a good mix of first-timers and veterans of off-island competitions and Angeles expects the latter to provide leadership to the former.

“For our experienced players, this is another chance for them to improve from their last tournament. These players are the better ones and must help the first-timers and show to them that they are improving and their level of play is getting higher because of their experiences in the past tournaments,” Angeles said.

The Teen Ayuyus will be playing against four countries in the festival with each match having 30-minute halves. The CNMI bets will debut against Chinese-Taipei this Sunday and then will have two matches on Monday, facing Hong Kong first in the morning and Guam in the afternoon. Their last assignment will be North Korea on Nov. 10.

“I believe we have good chances against all the teams, but it would be a tough one against North Korea. We can win or draw against Hong Kong and Taipei and can beat Guam again. But again, it depends on their mental preparation. Physically they can compete, but sometimes it is their mental that is weak,” said Angeles, who asked his wards to give their 100 percent in every play.

The Commonwealth players have been preparing for the festival for more than a month, going all out in the last two weeks of their training session by practicing five times a week. They will have their last training today when they play the CNMI U14 National Team in a scrimmage at the Koblerville Elementary School Field before leaving for Guam tomorrow morning.

Well-wishers
Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan led the well-wishers for the Teen Ayuyus during last night’s send-off ceremony and was joined by CNMI head of delegation Associate Judge David Wiseman, NMIFA technical director Kiyoshi Sekiguchi, NMIFA Youth Committee chair Vickie Izuka, NMIFA general secretary Ross Zapanta, and players’ parents and various club officials.

“Do you best and have confidence,” said Tan, who took note of the CNMI’s win over Guam in a similar football festival (Asian Football Confederation) held in Beijing in September and hopes the Teen Ayuyus will duplicate that feat against the hosts on Monday.

“Be respectful to your fellow players, officials, and other participants in the EAFF event and I hope you will return to Saipan as better players,” Izuka said in a separate inspirational speech at the send-off rites.

Meanwhile, Austria, who is the Teen Ayuyus’ team captain, vowed to represent the CNMI well in the festival.

“We will do our very best. We will win as a team, lose as a team, and fight as a team,” said Austria, who is among the experienced players on the squad having represented the CNMI in the AFC event in Beijing and Laos this year.