CNMI mantra: Beat Guam

Players and officials of the CNMI Girls U15 National Team pose for a photo after the send-off ceremony yesterday at Kanoa Resort. The group will be participating in the 2019 East Asian Football Federation U15 Girls Festival in Mokpo, South Korea from Aug. 5 to 10. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

After the CNMI Women’s U19 National Team’s shutout win over Guam in the 2019 Marianas Cup, it’s the CNMI Girls U15 National Team’s turn to deliver against the Commonwealth’s rival.

Guam is one of the five squads that the CNMI U15 players will be facing when they play in the 2019 East Asian Football Federation U15 Girls Festival in Mokpo, South Korea from Aug. 5 to 10.

“Enjoy the games in South Korea, represent the CNMI well, and beat Guam,” said Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan, echoing NMIFA Executive Committee member Norman Del Rosario’s earlier call for the squad to down the islands’ southern neighbor.

Tan, Del Rosario, other NMIFA officials, club officers, visiting coach Ryuji Sueoka of St. Catherine University, and the players’ parents were among the well-wishers of the U15 squad during a send-off ceremony held yesterday at Kanoa Resort.

“I would like to commend all our players for their hard work in preparing for this festival. I’ve noticed that your skin color is turning darker and darker and that is a testament to your diligence in training under the sun, doing everything to get better,” Tan added.

The CNMI U15 team, which is made up of Pia Ngewakl, Christina Atalig, Julianne Hall, Rizza Relucio, Jannah Casarino, Summer Manahane, Andrei Kaithlyn Chavez, Marinel Falalimpa, Nathanette Blas, Stephanie Flores, Allyssya Angeles, Julie Ann Capayas, Sophia Quintos, Aubrey and Audrey Castro, Mary Joy Aniana and Paulynn Joyce, will play Guam on Aug. 5, Mongolia on Aug. 6, and Hong Kong on Aug. 7. The group will also duel two other teams in Group A of the festival. Japan, China, Chinese-Taipei, and host South Korea are in Group A.

“You will have an opportunity to play against some of the best teams in Asia. Whatever results you have in the EAFF festival, being able to play there is already a victory in itself. It’s very difficult to organize a group of players and send them over to an off-island event, especially we are in the recovery process from Super Typhoon Yutu,” the NMIFA head added.

“But we are able to pull it through with the help of our friends in the EAFF, our coaches, NMIFA staff, and your parents. Our youth program will not be possible without your supportive parents,” Tan added.

Getting younger and better
The CNMI U15 team will be coached by Olympian Luem Khen Koo and he is pleased to see half of the squad are first-timers.

“It means the CNMI national team is getting younger and younger and more and more players are joining the program. This bunch of young players is also getting better since we started the training and they will learn more after this event,” Koo said.

“This is a festival so everybody gets to play and that means every player will experience how it feels like to be at this level. I also believe we will have some positive results from these games,” the coach added.

Aubrey Castro is one of the newcomers on the squad, and is excited and nervous at the same time with the prospects of playing against different countries for the first time.

“It’s a privilege to be selected on the national team. I’m quite nervous about playing there, but I just have to keep reminding myself to do the things we learn from our training and trust my teammates and our leaders,” said the Grace Christian Academy student.

One of those leaders is captain Hall, who also suited up for the triumphant U19 team in the Marianas Cup. With her teammates looking up to her and co-captain Blas, she vowed to lead by example and also keep the team together on and off the pitch.

“We just have to remain focus and be observant throughout the event so we can learn a lot from the festival. This is what we trained for, we know what do to and hopefully after these games, we will become better players and a better team,” Hall said.

As for Blas, she thanked all those people who worked hard for them to have this special opportunity.

“Not every player can make it to the national team and compete off-island, so we would like to thank everyone who helped us become one, for shaping us into becoming members of the CNMI team,” Blas said.