CNMI gears up for EAFF tournament

The CNMI’s Lucas Knecht, second right, and Kennedy Izuka, right, chase the ball during their final training session at the Oleai Sports Complex Field last Friday. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The CNMI men’s and women’s national football teams are now in the Philippines for the final stage of their preparations for the EAFF E-1 Football Championships 2017 Round 1.

The two squads left early Monday morning and will have a training camp at Global Clark, Pampanga, in the northern part of the PH, until June 26 in time for the EAFF competition, which will run from June 29 to July 4 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in Dededo.

Twenty-one players on the men’s team are attending the week-long training camp in the Philippines. Goalkeeper Johann Noetzel led the list and is joined by Christopher Aninzo, Evan Belcher, Jordan Butcher, Enrico Del Rosario, Trey Dunn, James Ermitanio, Joel Fruit, Michah Griffin, Alan Hinson, Kennedy Izuka, Hunter Jewell, Jehn Joyner, Darin Keizer, Lucas Knecht, Peter Loken, John Diego Masga, Joe Miller, Nick Swaim, Ryu Tanzawa, and Sunjoon Tenorio. Bo Barry was also included in the delegation, but missed the PH trip after sustaining an injury (ruptured Achilles) while training on Saipan early this month. He is now back in the mainland and will have to undergo an operation this weekend.

Barry and other off-island players reunited with their Saipan teammates mid last month for a series of intensive training sessions at the Oleai Sports Complex under the watchful eyes of CNMI coach and Northern Mariana Islands Football Association technical director Kiyoshi Sekiguchi. Jersh Angeles is assisting Sekiguchi, while Taketomo Suzuki of Chelsea FC Soccer School (Hong Kong) serves as the squad’s goalkeeper coach. Completing the group’s officials list is team manager Norman Del Rosario.

“While training on Saipan, we focused on individual techniques and physical training. Now, when we go to Philippines, we will have tactical training and test matches there,” Sekiguchi said last Friday during the squad’s last training session at the Oleai pitch.

“I appreciate NMIFA’s decision to allow us to have a camp in another country because it is hard to have games with a strong team on Saipan. The teams that we will play against in Guam for the EAFF tournament are all stronger than us. However, we will try our best to go to the second round,” Sekiguchi added.

In the EAFF tournament, the Blue Ayuyus will meet Chinese-Taipei, Macau, and Mongolia. Host Guam is not playing in the competition, as it automatically qualified to the second round, which is set for November this year.

To prepare for their Round 1 games in Guam, the CNMI men’s crew will have three training matches in the PH, beginning with their June 23 duel against Agila/Ateneo FC at the Gatorade-Chelsea Blue Pitch. Then, the following day, the Blue Ayuyus will face Nine FC of Malaysia at the Clark Development Parade Grounds, while on June 25, Sekiguchi’s wards will take on Kaya FC at the Emperador Stadium.

Meanwhile, the CNMI women’s squad had their first training match yesterday and they lost to Nomad FC U17, 1-2, while the team’s last two will be against Ateneo University tomorrow and versus Chlesea FC Women’s on June 25.

NMIFA brought 22 female players to the Philippines for the squad’s separate training camp. The list includes Mary Kay Alferos, Chevy Kate Alipio, Sarah Allen, Carla Ballesteros, Guinevere Borja, Angelica Carreon, Jeraldine and Jeralyn Castillo, Elaine Enriquez, Renita Fleming, Marielle Gariguez, Bernadette Horey, Taylor Knecht, De Jana Muna, Dianne Pablo, Gabrielle Race, Lyla Sally, Chloe Salvosa, Krizel Tuazon, Mikky Vargas, Alexandria Vergara, and Gillian Villagomez. Olympian Luam Khen Koo is the head coach and will be assisted by Jacky Lee and goalkeeper mentor Jimmy Tang. Angie Ito is the team manager.

The Commonwealth’s female players will be up against Guam and Macau in the EAFF tournament later this month and the final 18-player roster is expected to be announced once the PH camp is completed.