CNMI to challenge best teams in AFC tourney

Members of the CNMI Girls U14 National Team pose for a photo during a send-off ceremony yesterday at Kanoa Resort. The Commonwealth’s players will be competing in the AFC U14 Regional Championships in Beijing, China next week.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The CNMI Girls U14 National Team will get a rare opportunity to challenge three of the best squads in the region when it plays in the AFC U14 Girls Regional Championships next week at the Xianghe Football Training Center in Beijing, China.

The 18-player Commonwealth crew will be facing host China, Japan, and South Korea in the May 17 to 22 tournament.

“The results may not be pretty, but the experience of playing against these three tough teams is very valuable. Go out and learn from the best,” Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan said during a send-off ceremony for the team yesterday at the Kanoa Resort.

“It’s a tough group and your goalies will be very busy every game so other players, you have to help your keepers to give China, Japan, and South Korea a good match,” the NMIFA head added.

Irish Viray and Theresa Marie Toves are the CNMI team’s goalkeepers. Completing the squad are Princess Alcantara, Jerlyn Castillo, Patricia Surima, Kristelle Itaas, Sharmaine Francisco, Paulynn Joyce, Julianne Hall, Leisha Sally, Francesca Bucalig, Katrina Costales, Esther Jones, Lillian Podziewski, Therize Millare, Alisa Gatharngeg, Hannah Santos, and Valeria Myers. Olympian Luam Khen Koo is the head of the delegation, while Tang Chi Ming and Wong Shuk Fang are the coach and assistant coaches, respectively. Mae Ito and Pamela Carhill are also with the squad as manager and physiotherapist.

“Not all teams are given a chance to play China, South Korea, and Japan, whose members, in a few years, will play in World Cup and Olympics, so I hope you learn a lot from these top squads and when you get back on Saipan, you’ll become better players,” Tan added.

NMIFA vice president Vickie Izuka, club officials and players, and their parents joined Tan on the well-wishers list for the CNMI U16 Girls National Team and encouraged the group to be good ambassadors of the Commonwealth.

“You will be representing, not your club, but your country—the CNMI. Do your best, behave well on and off the pitch, and never give up until you hear that last whistle,” Izuka said.

The CNMI bets will leave for China this Sunday and will have one day to prepare for their first game—which is against Japan at 5pm (7pm Saipan time) on May 17. Next up for the Commonwealth players is host China with the match also set for 5pm on May 18. The CNMI-South Korea tiff is scheduled at 5pm, too, on May 19.

The Top 2 placers in the CNMI’s pool (Group A) will advance to the semis against the Top 2 finishers of Group B, which has Guam, Chinese-Taipei, North Korea, and Hong Kong.

“We have to be realistic with our goals in the tournament. We won’t be able to finish in the Top 2. However, if we could lower down the scores in every game, that’s already a big achievement for our team. We just have to focus on defense and give our best in each match. In this tournament, we are after the experience our players could get as the things they will learn in the AFC tournament will help them when they compete in future regional events,” Koo said.