NMIFA thanks former technical director

Johann Noetzel, left, shakes hand with the captain of Macau Men’s National Team before their game in the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary Round 1 in Guam in July this year. (Guam Football Association)

Noetzel is now with Guam Football Association, serving as its goalkeeper director and the goalkeeping coach of the Guam Men’s National Team.

“On behalf of NMIFA and the members of the CNMI football community, I would like to thank Johann for creating and implanting programs that helped develop the sport in the Commonwealth, for his leadership, and for being part of a historic moment in CNMI football,” NMIFA president Jerry Tan said.

“In his tenure as technical director of NMIFA, he was able to bring valuable changes and improvements to CNMI football, particularly with its youth and grassroots programs.

Noetzel, a former MLS player (Dallas Burn/FC Dallas), established the NMI Goalkeeper Development Program, which helped train a host of young goalkeepers in the CNMI. One of them is Christopher Aninzo, who was part of the CNMI U14 National Team that gave the Commonwealth its first win in an Asian Football Confederation-sanctioned tournament after slipping past rival Guam, 1-0, in the FC U14 Championship 2014 Qualifiers in Beijing, China, in April 2013.

The former All-American goalkeeper at Seattle Pacific University also created the NMI National Elite Academy (NEA), which is for U8, U10, and U12 players. The academy provides elite coaching for selected players with Noetzel leading each cycle (three cycles in one year) and drawing assistance from one member of NMIFA’s pool of coaches. Sixty players enrolled in the academy and several of them later became members of the youth national teams.

Noetzel thanked NMIFA for supporting him in instituting these programs.

“I want to say thank you to people of the NMI, the football community, president Jerry Tan, vice president Vickie Izuka, the NMIFA Exco: and many other leaders and sponsors in the NMI for their support of me and my programs and of the NMIFA in general during my tenure here. I feel, under the guidance and vision of president Jerry Tan, I was able to accomplish some very important goals I had set out to do,” Noetzel said.

“I also want to thank Triple J Motors, Choco Milk (MARPAC), and the Japan Football Association for their dedicated support of the program. Also a special thanks to IT&E for its support to the NMI youth/senior national teams,” he added.

Noetzel left the island late last month after helping the Blue Ayuyus earn a historic win in the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup Preliminary Round 1. The CNMI defeated Macau, 2-1, to post its first international victory in the men’s competition.

“International wins at the youth and senior levels have catapulted the NMI on to the AFC radar. I am encouraged by the progress Saipan and the NMI has made over the last three years since my return. Saipan will always be in my heart wherever I am in the world. I will continue my international playing career with the CNMI Men’s National Team and look forward to our next AFC competition in September 2015. I am extremely grateful for my time here with NMIFA and the people of the NMI. The progress and the development of the FA under president Jerry Tan have been impressive. I believe NMIFA serves as a model for other organizations on the island and there is no better avenue of positive human development than through the beautiful game of football. Good luck NMIFA and thank you,” Noetzel said.