PRESS RELEASE – The Guam U20 National Team will have an opportunity to test its mettle against its Northern Mariana Islands counterpart in a pair of matches this weekend in the U20 Marianas Cup 2024 at the NMI STC in Koblerville, Saipan.
“We’ve been training for several months now and the upcoming matches will be a good test for us to see where we are,” said Shuntaro Suzuki, one of the players selected to the final traveling squad. “Against NMI, we’ve lost the last couple of matches, but we can do it this time. We’re all going in with the same goal, the same mindset, to get the result.
“It’s good for us to get these matches in to gain more experience before the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers in September; it’s a good steppingstone for both teams,” Suzuki added.
Suzuki joins 19 other players called up for the final traveling roster for the U20 Marianas Cup: two goalkeepers Josiah Jones and Renzel Reburiano, and field players Gavin Baker, Giacomo Bustamante, Nicolas Chargualaf, Landen Diaz, Aldryn Ednaco, Micah Elwell, Sean Halehale, Curtis Harmon, Matthew Hodgins, Luciano Jameson, Takayuki Kobayashi, Mason Manibusan, Nicholas Moore, Donovan Moss, Beau Perez, C.J. Sablan, and Samuel Stenson.
The selected players’ ages range from 14 years old to 18 years old, with the average age at 16.7.
The teams will play matches Aug. 3 and Aug. 4. Both matches will kick off at 6 p.m.
“The main objective is for the team to put out the best performance possible,” said Dominic Gadia, Head Coach of the Guam U20 National Team. “This is an opportunity for the current squad to showcase themselves in international competition against a very strong opponent. The key for our players is to continually develop and evolve as we want to see this program and its players raise the standards and expectations of the National Team program.
“We’ve been busy monitoring several players based in Guam and aborad. There are a lot of talented players in our playing pool and it’s been a new challenge for our coaching staff, one which we welcome. We want to see players in this squad eager to prove a point to the staff and anyone who watches them play – go out and express yourself, seize all opportunities in front of you,” Gadia added.
Guam’s team departs Friday morning to Saipan for the U20 Marianas Cup tournament. Traveling staff with Gadia are Assistant Coach Michael Milner, Goalkeeper Coach Jeroen Bos, Team Manager Vance Manibusan, and Team Physiotherapist Ryan Claros. Following the U20 Marianas Cup tournament, both teams will prepare for their upcoming matches in the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers beginning Sept. 21.
The AFC tournament’s official draw took place Jun. 13 with Guam placed into Group A with host country Vietnam, Syria, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. NMI will be traveling to Kuwait to play in Group C matches against Korea Republic, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, and the host country.
Gadia will make the final selection for Guam’s team for the AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers closer to the September tournament dates.
Guam’s U17 National Team will also play later in the year in the AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in October. The team will travel to Singapore and will play against the host country, Tajikistan, and Oman. Gadia also is the Head Coach for the Guam U17 National Team.
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