PRESS RELEASE – Testament to the team’s confidence and unwavering pride in representing Guam, the island’s women’s national soccer team will be known in international circles as the Masakåda – a deep Chamorro word which has been translated into English as “brave woman.”
“The name ‘Masakåda’ is true to our heritage,” said first-year Masakåda head coach Elias Merfalen. “Although the Chamorro people lived in a matrilineal society, history has revealed that over time, the island’s women has had to struggle more so than men to find their place, thus having a word to specifically identify brave women in society.
“In a similar sense, the ladies on this team also struggle to earn respect, but despite the struggle to gain their place, they continue to move forward. The team hopes that with success on the field, they will leave a lasting impression on younger footballers to aspire to represent Guam in international competition. We’ll continue to pave the road for future generations,” Merfalen added.
The women’s team is gearing up for the East Asian Women’s Football Championship preliminary round tournament beginning July 17 at Leo Palace Resort Guam. The team will face CNMI and Hong Kong to qualify for the second round in October in China. Second-round opponents include China PR, Chinese Taipei and the recently added Matildas, Australia’s women’s national football team.
The last time Guam faced Hong Kong was in 2009 in the semifinal round of the EAFF Women’s Football Championship. Guam lost a close 1-0 contest that year.
“To be honest, I had not heard of the word ‘Masakåda’ before,” said Masakåda assistant coach Brett Maluwelmeng. “The idea of giving the women’s team a nickname had come up in the past and we had wanted a nickname that provoked thoughts of powerful women. After some discussion with community members working to preserve the Chamorro language, ‘Masakåda’ seemed to be the right word to capture that concept.”
The Masakåda currently are ranked No. 79 out of 175 in the world as of July 7, 2012 according to the FIFA Web site. According to the same ranking table, Hong Kong is ranked No. 67.
In the competitive Asian region, Guam’s women’s team is ranked No. 17 out of 35 countries. Japan, winners of the 2011 Women’s World Cup over the United States, is ranked No. 1 in the region.
Guam’s women’s teams have had success in past tournaments, including winning the silver medal at the 2003 South Pacific Games in Fiji. Kristin Thompson, one of the youngest players from the 2003 medal-winning team, is on the current squad.


GPS Sports Calendar
February 2023
- SU
- MO
- TU
- WE
- TH
- FR
- SA
Events for January
1st
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
2nd
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
3rd
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
4th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Events for February
6th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
7th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
8th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
9th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
10th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
TRITONS BASEBALL INVITATIONAL FINALS
Events for February
12th
MONSTER ENERGY MOTOCROSS ROUND 2
Events for February
13th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
14th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
15th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
16th
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
Events for February
17th
ISA TRACK & FIELD MEET
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
Events for February
18th
BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2K/5K
World Athletics Cross Country Championships
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
Events for February
20th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
21st
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
22nd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL
Events for February
23rd
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
Events for February
24th
ISA GIRLS SOCCER
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL QUARTERFINALS
Events for February
24th
Events for February
25th
Events for February
27th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS
ISA BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS
ISA GIRLS SOCCER SEMIFINALS
Events for February
28th
IIAAG BEACH VOLLEYBALL FINALS
ISA BASEBALL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
IIAAG TENNIS LEAGUE
IIAAG BOYS BASKETBALL SEMIFINALS

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