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New England Revolution’s Ryan Guy stops the ball with his chest during an MLS match. Guy is in his second season with the U.S. professional team. Following the 2012 season, Guy will join the Matao, Guam men’s national football team, in the second round of the East Asian Cup in Hong Kong. (courtesy photo)

PRESS RELEASE – For professional soccer player Ryan Guy, it was a tough decision choosing between waiting for a spot to open up on the United States men’s national team or earning an international cap with the Matao.

Luckily for Guam, Guy chose the latter.

“I had been weighing the pros and cons and it came out about even,” Guy said via telephone. “What it came down to was something bigger than me – to be part of a group that has been positively influencing the future generations of Guam soccer.

“It’s a community that I’ve always felt a part of … I am really excited. I look forward to helping the team push Guam soccer to new heights internationally. I really hope we’ll blow it out of the water and surprise other international teams,” the 26-year-old midfielder added.

The Matao recently qualified for the second round of the East Asian Cup after defeating the Northern Mariana Islands and Macau at the tournament’s preliminary competition. The Matao will travel to Hong Kong in December to compete against Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and DPR North Korea in the second round of the EAFF tournament.

“Ryan will bring the experience we need in dealing with game scenarios and also a level of creativity on the field that will take pressure off of our current leading players,” said Matao head coach Gary White. “His style of play, which is very attack-minded, fits perfectly with our team’s style. He not only creates opportunities to score goals, but he also scores goals as well. He’ll provide a new dimension of attack for the team.”

Guy currently plays for the New England Revolution, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team based in Massachusetts. Since signing with the professional team in 2011, Guy has started 15 times in 22 games played over two seasons. The Revolution still has 13 games left in the 2012 season, not including possible playoff games. Guy was recently voted as “Man of the Match” after his team’s scoreless draw against Sporting Kansas City July 21. Earlier in the year, he assisted his team’s third goal in its 3-1 win over three-time MLS Cup winner L.A. Galaxy.

Prior to signing with the Revolution, Guy played for St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland. During the 2010 season, Guy was selected to play for the League of Ireland XI, which had played against Manchester United. In the Irish team’s 88-year history, Guy is one of only nine non-Irish players selected for the team.

Guy graduated from the University of San Diego in 2007 and played soccer for the Toreros. He appeared in all 79 games in his four seasons with the NCAA Div. I team, starting in 77 games, according to his biography on the Revolution Web site.

Guy, born in San Diego, is the son of former senator Jesse Lujan and Sandra Guy-Willoughby. Guy most recently was in Guam after graduating from college and held soccer clinics for youth soccer players in the region.

This year will be his first time back since then. He and his wife Nicole have a two-year-old son Zander and another child on the way.

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