Come out and watch

The CNMI’s Sebastien Manabat, left, collides with a Guam player who leaps for a header during their game in the 2017 Marianas Cup at the Guam Football Association National Training Center. (Guam Football Association)

Northern Marianas Islands Football Association has this open invitation to the community, as it hosts the 2018 Marianas Cup that will feature two matches between the CNMI and Guam this Sunday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

“Come and join us, as we watch our squads—the CNMI men’s U17 and women’s U19 national teams—play against Guam. We are excited to host this year’s Marianas Cup and it will be great if we could have the members of our community support our teams as they play in our new pitch for the first time (official match) against Guam,” NMIFA general secretary Ross Zapanta said.

Game time is at 4pm for the women’s U19 and 7pm for the men’s. U17 Before each match, members from the opposing squads will be escorted by young players on their way out to the main pitch. These youth are selected from the various football clubs on Saipan and had a dry run of the opening ceremony early this week.

“Everyone is doing its part to make sure that we have a successful Marianas Cup,” said Zapanta, adding that they have also invited government officials and business leaders to this weekend’s event, while an East Asian Football Confederation official will also come to the island to witness the historic games on Saipan’s first soccer facility.

Commemorative shirts were printed for the event and NMIFA is calling spectators to wear them when they go to the Koblerville pitch to show support to the two CNMI national teams.

Fostering football development
Guam is bringing in 36 players (18 each in the men’s U17 and women’s U19) to Saipan for the Marianas Cup, which Guam Football Association said fosters the development of football in the region.

“Both teams have been preparing for various upcoming competitions, which includes the Marianas Cup this weekend. The Marianas Cup is of historical significance to both the Guam FA and the NMI FA. The tournament was established to create a consistent competition between teams from Guam and the NMI, and although the format and the teams playing may have changed over the years, the tournament continues to foster the development of football in the Marianas region,” GFA technical director Belinda Wilson.

She added that the tournament will also help them practice the new playing style of Guam’s youth teams.

“For this particular tournament, the main objectives for the teams from Guam are to continue to implement Guam’s new playing style with the U17 and U19 squads training for upcoming AFC tournaments and Guam’s culture, values, and expectations on the pitch and use the tournament as an additional platform to improve Guam’s current operating processes. If all these objectives are achieved, Guam’s teams will be successful.