Soccer

DODD RELEASES 32-MAN PRELIMINARY MATAO ROSTER

by
GSPN
March 23, 2021

Press Release – Guam National Team Head Coach Karl Dodd released his preliminary 32-man roster ahead of the team’s final three Round 2 matches of Asian Qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and AFC Asian Cup China 2023™ set to be played in a centralized format in China, PR.

“For our program to continually improve we need to ensure that we have players that embody the island, playing style and our values,” Dodd said. “We need to ensure that we are in the best possible condition for any match that the national team plays in to give the best account of ourselves. Asian football has improved dramatically over recent years and we need to rise to the challenge of meeting the standards of international football.”

Guam’s 32-man roster features goalkeepers Dallas Jaye, Sean Evans, Alexander Stenson, and Sena Morimoto, and field players Shawn Aguigui, Mark Chargualaf, Joey Ciochetto, Jason Cunliffe, Marlon Evans, Kyle Halehale, Shane Healy, Takumi Ito, Isiah Lagutang, Alex Lee, Nate Lee, Marcus Lopez, Shane Malcolm, Ian Mariano, John Matkin, Jacob McDonald, Morgan McKenna, Devan Mendiola, Anthony Moon, Leon Morimoto, Shawn Nicklaw, Travis Nicklaw, Robert Niu, Junior Pedemonte, Dominic Perez, Ryan Quitugua, Nate Sablan, and Clayton Sato.

Guam National Team Head Coach Karl Dodd, right, takes part in a press conference following Guam’s match against China PR in Round 2 of the Asian Qualifiers f the Asian Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and AFC Asian Cup China 2023™ played at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre Stadium in this Oct. 2019 file photo. The Matao will return to China PR for its remaining three matches of the qualification round which will be played in a centralized format as announced by Asian Football Confederation. Guam National Team Head Coach Karl Dodd recently released his preliminary 32-man roster for the round. The Matao will play against Philippines, Syria, and the home country. Oct. 2019 file photo by IC Photo for use by Guam Football Association with permission from Chinese Football Association.

Of the 32, close to a dozen players may receive their first call-up to the Matao. Remaining for the team in Round 2 of the qualification stage are fixtures against the Philippines, Syria, and the home country. The three matches will be played in a centralized format following an official announcement from Asian Football Confederation and all matches must be played by Jun. 15. Further details, including actual match schedule, will be released at a later date by AFC. Dodd is expected to cut down the preliminary roster to a final roster of 23 players who will comprise the team’s traveling squad by the end of May.

“The expectations for the players to earn a spot on the final roster are always increasing towards more professional standards,” Dodd said. “This means compliance with strength and conditioning programs that are sent out for off-island players, attendance and commitment to training on the island, understanding and employing the tactics set out in our playing style, and playing regular matches at the highest level possible. Another aspect for the selection is on personal growth, inline with our values.

“COVID-19 has provided us some time for reflection and it has been interesting to see which players have applied a growth mindset to their development and provided an honest reflection on how they have performed in the past, and also who is actually doing what they say and not giving lip service,” Dodd added.

With the exception of a handful of matches before the end of this month, all other remaining matches in the Asian qualifiers also will be played in a centralized format. Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Japan, United Arab Emirates, and Korea Republic will all play host to their respective group’s matches between May 31 and Jun. 15.