CNMI strikers search for elusive goal

After two games in the ongoing 2011 East Asian Football Federation U15 Youth Tournament in Taiwan, the CNMI U15 National Team has yet make it to the scoreboard of the annual competition.

The Commonwealth youth strikers played their first game in the EAFF tournament Wednesday night at the 20,000-seater Taipei Municipal Stadium, and bowed to host Chinese-Taipei, 0-18. Then on Thursday, the visitors played better defense, but still lost to Hong Kong, 0-15, leaving the CNMI still scoreless in the youth tournament. Last year when Guam hosted the same event, the Commonwealth bets failed to make a single goal.

Despite the twin losses, CNMI coaches and Northern Mariana Islands Football Association officials were happy with the strikers’ performance, especially in the game against last year’s runner-up Hong Kong.

In the Thursday night match at the YingFung Riverside Sports Park, team official Carrie Schuler, in an email to Saipan Tribune, said the CNMI changed its defensive formation, using five defenders, four midfielders, and one striker.

Hong Kong, which came from a 1-0 upset win over defending champion Korea, scored seven goals in the first half and could have pulled away further if not for the CNMI’s much-improved defense.

On offense, the CNMI was also aggressive and had several scoring opportunities, according to Schuler.

“A string of passes in the first half led Jireh Yobech up the right flank, allowing him to shoot for a goal, but his shot was blocked by Hong Kong’s goalkeeper. Dakota Hall hit a corner kick, which ricocheted back and then Kenneth Domingo followed it up with a shot over the crossbar. Hall wound up for another corner kick from the right side in the second half and hit the near post. Also, as the lone striker in part of the second half, Joel Fruit shot from outside the 18-yard box, but missed on the left side of the goal,” Schuler said.

After two botched chances, the CNMI was gunning for the elusive goal last night against Korea at the BaiLing Riverside Sports Park. The Commonwealth absorbed a 0-23 beating at the hands of Korea in last year’s U15 tournament.

The Jershwin Angeles-coached CNMI U15 National Team will close out its round-robin elimination assignments this weekend when in faces Guam today at the YingFung Riverside Sports Park Field B and Macau tomorrow at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.

After the round-robin elimination, the Top 2 teams will square off for the championships on Monday, while the remaining four teams will battle in the consolation games. Last year, Korea beat Hong Kong in the finals, 3-2.

After Day 2 of the 2011 tournament, Hong Kong and Chinese-Taipei share the lead with their identical 2-0 records. The host notched its second victory against Guam, 14-1. Korea won over Macau last Thursday, 9-0, to improve to a 1-1 slate. Guam also has a 1-1 mark, as it prevailed over Macau (0-2) last Wednesday, 1-0.