CNMI scores in last game in Laos

The CNMI U16 National Team hit the board in its last game in the AFC U16 Championship India 2016 Qualifiers yesterday at the National Sports Complex Stadium in Vientiane, Laos.

The CNMI U16 National Team players and officials pose for a group photo after the opening ceremony of the AFC U16 Championship India 2016 Qualifiers last weekat the National Sports Complex Stadium in Vientiane, Laos. (Contributed Photo)

Midfielders Anthony Fruit and Sunjoon Tenorio drilled one goal apiece in the CNMI’s 2-9 loss to the Philippines in the first match in the last day of the Group G qualifier.

Fruit lit up the board for the CNMI at the one minute extra time in the first half, ending the Commonwealth’s long silence against the Philippine crew, which got early back-to-back goals en route to building a 4-0 advantage. The PHL bets had its first two goals in the eighth and 11th minute, courtesy of midfielders Kier John Napolitano and Fidel Victor Tacardon. The next two were recorded in the 18th and 41st with forward Mariano Suba Jr. converting the third one and another midfielder, Kyle Ronquillo, tallying the fourth.

The CNMI then avoided a first-half shutout, thanks to Fruit’s late goal, while Tenorio’s shot just two minutes into the second half boosted the Commonwealth crew’s recovery bid before the Philippines got its rhythm back and pulled away.

Suba and Tacardon teamed up in the breakaway as they tucked on two goals apiece with the former getting his second and third in the 65th and 73rd. Tacardon completed his own hat-trick with his two consecutive goals (67th and 69th minute), while forward Jelani Borbon came off the bench and handed PHL its last goal in the match in the 77th minute.

Meanwhile, goalie Chris Aninzo, Euly Ermitanio, Jonathan Capayas, Alan Hinson, Alex Park, Louie Calayag, Emmanuel Aniana, Edwin Kim, and Chad Shankweiler joined Fruit and Tenorio on the CNMI’s starting unit. Joshua Abragan, Mareko Tekopua, and Thaiphi Austria were the substitutes.

Before facing the Philippines, the Kiyoshi Sekiguchi-coached team trained last Friday morning and then watched the Malaysia-PHL match in the afternoon.

“We had our usual morning exercise but we did it inside the hotel. We canceled pool exercises due to rainy weather condition that morning and replaced it with stretching exercises,” team manager Eric Abragan said.

“Players were then required to take notes about the Philippine Team,” he added.

Malaysia won the game, 7-0, while the other match featuring Laos and Timor-Leste resulted in a draw, 1-1. With these results, Malaysia kept the top spot and moved closer to the qualifying slot to next year’s competition. Malaysia, which has a 3-0-0 win-draw-loss record, was scheduled to face Laos (2-1-0), in the second game last night. A Laos upset would give the host the Group G qualifying berth.

In related news, bulk of the CNMI U19 National Team leaves Saipan for Thailand this morning.

The squad will make a stop in Chonburi for a five-day training camp before proceeding to Bangkok to compete in the AFC U19 Championship Bahrain 2016 Qualifiers that will run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.

The CNMI U19 National Team is composed of goalkeepers Joshua Galarion and Aninzo, midfielders Joel Fruit, Hunter Jewell, Scott Kim, Yoshi Mafnas, Greg Sablan, Terrence Thosert-Belcher, and Aniana, defenders Tekopua, Ermitanio, Hinson, Kennedy Izuka, Won Young Kim, John Diego Masga, and Ryan Relucio, and forwards Shankweiller, Sean Perez, and Ryu Tanzawa. Russell Zapanta is the team manager, while NMIFA treasurer Elna Curate is the CNMI delegation head. Some members of the squad who are still in Laos will fly straight to Thailand to join the rest of the team in the training camp.

In Bangkok, the Commonwealth bets will play Chinese-Taipei, Singapore, South Korea, and the host country for the Group H qualifier.