CNMI, Guam collide anew in Marianas Cup

The CNMI’s Sunjoon Tenorio, second left, is surrounded by Guam All-Stars defenders during their game in the Marianas Cup 2017 held at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in Dededo. (Guam Football Association)

All is set for the CNMI-Guam showdown at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville with the staging of the 2018 Marianas Cup in October.

“We will be hosting the Marianas Cup on Oct. 7,” Northern Mariana Islands Football Association general secretary Ross Zapanta said during the send-off ceremony for the CNMI national teams that will be playing in a tournament in Mongolia last Friday at the facility’s main pitch.

NMIFA president Jerry Tan, who was also present at the ceremony, added the Marianas Cup will feature back-to-back games with the opposing squads’ girls U18 teams playing in the curtain-raise and the boys U17 players seeing action in the second tiff.

In this year’s Marianas Cup, the CNMI will be on a mission, as it would want to avenge its twin losses to Guam the last time they met. Guam’s boys U18 team edged the Commonwealth bets, 1-0, in last year’s game at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in Dededo, while the host’s national women’s team eased past the visiting squad in the other match, 6-0.

The CNMI last hosted the Marianas Cup in 2013 at the Oleai Sports Complex with its U12 national team routing Guam, 4-0. In the other game, Quality Distributors nipped the CNMI U19 National Team, 2-1. After the 2013 competition, Marianas Cup took a three-year hiatus and was then revived just last year.

Guam and the CNMI take turns in hosting the event and the latter’s holding of this year’s Marianas Cup is timely as games will take place about three months after the opening of the NMI Soccer Training Center.

At this early, NMIFA is encouraging football fans and other members of the community to go to the Koblerville facility and watch the highly-anticipated games between the rival teams.

M-League eyes Sept. 23 opening
Meanwhile, the NMIFA Men’s Committee is planning to kick off the 2018 M-League Fall Season on Sept. 23 and is requesting teams to start their preparation for the competition.

Organizers intend to have an 11 vs 11 format, but would want to know first how many teams will be playing in Divisions A and B. They are also eyeing to hold games every Sunday and Thursday night both at the NMI Soccer Training Center and the Oleai pitch.

Team and players confirmation must be made by Aug. 31, while a meeting for coaches/managers or representatives of clubs/squads is set for Aug. 30 at 6pm at the Koblerville pitch.