WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOCCER TRAINING

PRESS RELEASE – National team coaches are inviting all soccer players eligible to play either on Guam’s U14 Girls, U16 Women’s, or the senior women’s national teams to training sessions at the Guam Football Association National Training Center beginning Monday.

The best and most consistent players from the training sessions will be selected for Guam’s traveling teams, set to compete in the 2014 AFC U14 Girls Regional Championship and the 2014 AFC U16 Women’s Championship qualifier later in the year. The Masakåda, Guam women’s national team, is slated to play in the EAFF Women’s East Asian Cup preliminary competition to be held in Guam in the summer this year.

“We will be looking for each players’ technical ability, discipline, confidence, creativity and character on and off the pitch,” said Samuel San Gil, assistant coach for both teams. “For our teams to be successful, it will not only take the effort of the players, but the parents as well. We have to establish an affirmative community working toward a common goal.

“When the national team wins, we all win,” San Gil added.

San Gil will be assisting head coach Sang Hoon Kim, who recently returned to Guam as GFA’s new assistant technical director.

Training sessions for the U14 Girls team will be held Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Jan. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Those eligible for the U16 Women’s team will train on Fridays beginning Jan. 31 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Masakåda will train Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with Kim.

All players must wear a royal blue jersey or T-shirt and must have own pair of cleats and shin guards for training. Players must also bring water to drink to each training session.

Particularly for parents wanting more information about the U14 Girls national team requirements, an open house will be held at the GFA National Training Center Monday at 6 p.m. before the first training session. Coaches

and GFA staff will be on hand to disseminate information and also to answer any other questions parents may have regarding selection to the Mini Masakåda, the U14 Girls national team.

In last year’s tournament, the team blanked the Northern Mariana Islands and was edged by Korea Republic and China. In 2012, Guam was pooled in the Southeast Asian region with host country Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia and Myanmar. Guam finished tied for second place based on points, picking up wins over host country Vietnam, the Philippines and Cambodia.

The U16 Women’s national team, the Junior Masakåda, made Guam history by becoming the first national team from Guam to advance to the championship round of an AFC tournament on its own merit in November 2012. International media recognized the team’s maiden appearance in the AFC U16 Women’s Championship in China the following year. The team was drawn into Group D with eventual champions, Japan, and also with I.R. Iran.

The Masakåda last competed in the 2012 edition of the EAFF Women’s East Asian Cup preliminary competition held at the LeoPalace Resort Guam. The team soundly defeated the Northern Mariana Islands and played a nail biter against Hong Kong to the final minute, falling 4-3 when the final whistle blew.

For inquiries about the teams, call the GFA Main Office during business hours at 637-4321.