SOCCER GRASS ROOTS TOURNAMENT

PRESS RELEASE – The success of the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament 2 has sparked an interest in organizing more similar tournaments in Guam and in island neighbors, the Northern Mariana Islands.

“These types of small-sided tournaments in the CNMI are reserved mostly for adults or teenagers, but this tournament was a great experience for our young players,” said Patty Coleman, visiting Paire Football Club coach from the NMI. “I think we should do a similar tournament for the youth in the CNMI. I’m thankful for GFA, Coach Randy (Vavra), Cheri (Stewart) and Robby (De Guzman) for informing us about the tournament and helping us register to play. It was a good event for all teams.”

Members of the Wings Red pose with there U12 championship trophies of the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament at the GFA National Training Center. (courtesy photo)

Paire FC entered a pair of teams in the U10 division of the grassroots tournament, made up of over 20 teams of youth players from the recently concluded Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League. In addition to the U10 division, the tournament, supported by the Japan Football Association, also featured U8 and U12 divisions, with over 300 total players in close to 60 teams.

“I liked playing against the teams from Guam – the competition is pretty good,” said Paire FC’s Maui Johnson, a nine-year-old student at Gregorio T. Camacho Elementary School in the NMI. “Before we came to Guam, I was hoping the tournament was going to be easy, but it was really challenging. We usually play with eight players on a bigger field in our league, but in this tournament, we played with only three players on a smaller field. The game strategy is different.”

In the U10 playoffs, the Tiger Sharks bested the ASC Trust Islanders Betde for the title. In the U8 division, the Bulldogs earned its second title in as many 3v3 tournaments, this time defeating the Blue Dragons. In the U12 playoffs, the Wings Red bounced back from near elimination in earlier rounds to win the division title against Community First Dededo Soccer Club in the final.

“It was a surprise that we won the title – in the semifinals, we were down 3-0, but came back in the end,” said the Wings Red’s Niclas Vavra, an 11-year-old student at CDR William C McCool Elementary/Middle School. “We were upset last year when the team lost early on. This time, we made it our goal to mostly have fun and to do our best to make it further than last year.”

At the conclusion of the tournament, each player on championship and runner-up teams were presented trophies for their efforts. The tournament will be held twice yearly, after the conclusion of each season of the youth league.

PHOTO GALLERY:

Maui Johnson, a visiting Paire Football Club team member from the Northern Mariana Islands, tries to advance the ball through a pair of Sidekick SC defenders in the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament at the GFA National Training Center. (courtesy photo)

Members of the Bulldogs pose with their U8 championship trophies of the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament at the GFA National Training Center. (courtesy photo)

The Bulldogs and Quality Distributors play a group stage match during the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament at the GFA National Training Center. (courtesy photo)

Members of the Tiger Sharks pose with their U10 championship trophies of the recently concluded Guam Football Association 3v3 Grassroots Tournament at the GFA National Training Center.