CNMI strikers to get enough playing time in Taipei

All members of the 18-player CNMI U15 National Team are expected to get adequate playing time in the 2011 East Asian Football Federation U15 Youth Tournament after a modification in the substitution rules in the Taipei competition.

Northern Mariana Islands Football Association general secretary Ed Salas said in the EAFF tournament next week, organizers will now allow seven substitutions instead of the usual three subs.

“When we competed in the same tournament in Guam last year, though we want to give every player good exposure, we can’t because we were allowed to have only three substitutions. It’s a good thing that EAFF changed the rules and now our players will get more playing times and this will help them a lot. Everybody gets to play and experience competing against the five other teams in Taipei,” Salas said during the NMASA meeting at the conference room of the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium Thursday night.

The tournament in Taipei, Taiwan will run from July 18 to 24 and NMIFA is hoping for a better performance from the U15 team this time after failing to score a single goal in its debut in Guam last year.

“They are expected to have a better showing in Taipei, as several players already had the feel of what it was like to compete in this kind of tournament. They also have more rigorous training this year,” Salas reported to NMASA members.

The CNMI U15 National Team is composed of Jordan Butcher, Enrico del Rosario, Ethan Dickinson, Kenneth Domingo, Gregzon Fontanilla, Joel and Mason Fruit, Dakota Hall, William Hinson II, Kennedy Izuka, Hunter Jewell, Andrew Johnson, Angelo Jones, Jehn Joyner, Jake Lee, Sean Perez, John Taisacan, and Jirech Yobech.

Majority of the members came from MP United Football Club, which ruled the NMIFA U15 league for the last three seasons. Expected to lead the team on offense are Jehn Joyner, Jake Lee, Sean Perez, Dakota Hall, and Jirech Yobech, who were among the top scorers in the last spring league. Joyner had 16 goals for MP United, while Perez gave Matansa 13 goals in one season. Lee also of MP United had the third-most goals of the season with nine, while Yobech and Hall logged seven and four, respectively.

In Taipei, the CNMI youth strikers will debut against the host on July 20 and then duel Hong Kong (July 21), defending champion Korea (July 22), Guam (July 23), and Macau (July 24).