U15 SOCCER EDGES MONGOLIA 1-0

PRESS RELEASE – The strength of impact players made the difference for Guam in its 1-0 win over Mongolia in the Group B tournament opener of the EAFF U15 Women’s Championship 2024 in Dalian, China PR.

Tianna Magday, a late first-half substitute, scored the eventual game winner in the 59^th minute connecting on a corner kick from teammate Iliana Figueroa that slipped past Mongolia’s goalkeeper, Michidmaa Munkhbold.

“Our biggest strength was our deep reserve,” said Guam captain Hope Hutapea. “We have girls who can come off the bench and make an immediate impact on the game. They bring in fresh legs which is very valuable in China’s heat. The team can keep a good rotation of girls which maintains the level of intensity and play on the field. It was also one of our reserve players – Tianna – that put us up 1-0 to win.

“I was extremely excited for the team to get this initial win to kick off the tournament. It’s a good boost of confidence for the team, and especially for the younger girls who are playing in their first international tournament. This early win sets a positive mindset that we will carry thoughout the rest of the matches,” Hutapea added.

Tournament regulations require the team’s coaching staff to manage the rotation of players to ensure that each player receives at least 100 playing minutes in four matches. Tournament regulations also set the match time to just 70 minutes instead of the normal 90 minutes for international tournaments. 

“The support the players are constantly receiving from family and friends at home really motivated the team in the opening match,” said Chyna Ramirez, Head Coach of the Guam U15 Women’s National Team. “The first match in the tournament normally sets the tone for the team in the rest of the matches, and we hope to continue with this momentum for our next three matches. 

“Their high spirits from this match are keeping them motivated to train and continue doing their best to make Guam proud,” Ramirez added.

Guam goalkeeper Saya Green earned the clean sheet in the team’s shutout victory.

In other opening day matches, Macau China defeated the Northern Mariana Islands 2-1, Korea Republic defeated Chinese Taipei 1-0, and tournament host China, PR battled to a 2-2 draw with DPR Korea. Top-ranked teams from Group A and B, Japan and Hong Kong China, respectively, both received a bye on opening day.

Guam will next take on Macau-China at 4 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Guam time) on Tuesday, Aug. 20. Guam will next play against the Northern Mariana Islands at 10 a.m. local time (12 noon Guam time) on Friday, Aug. 23. The team’s final match will be against Hong Kong China at at 4 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Guam time) on Sunday, Aug. 25.

All matches are available to watch via Internet Live Stream on the EAFF Web site: https://eaff.com