ITO/PEPSI: Guam's Takumi Ito in this file photo from Ezra FC of the Pepsi Lao League in Laos TAKUMI ITO/MATAO: Guam's Takumi Ito is shown in this file photo from Ezra FC of the Pepsi Lao League in Laos Through his consistent efforts to hone his skills and broaden his knowledge of the sport on and off the pitch Takumi Ito’s childhood dreams of playing football at the highest levels – for club and country – are coming true who plays football professionally for Ezra Football Club in the Pepsi Lao League 1 in Laos recently accepted a call-up to the Matao Guam national team for the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition in Hong Kong “The first time I saw a Matao match was the match between Guam and Chinese Taipei in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifier in 2013,” said Ito I still remember when Jason (Cunliffe) and Ian (Mariano) scored goals in Guam’s first-ever win against Chinese Taipei It’s a childhood dream for me and a great honor to wear the Matao jersey alongside my teammates.” Ito began his national team career with Guam in 2012 when he was selected to Guam’s U14 national team as a midfielder Ito was first called up to the Matao for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone in 2019 and most recently played for Guam at the next iteration of World Cup qualifiers last year The Matao will next play against Macau in Group A of the EAFF tournament at 4 p.m “Takumi has elevated his football since he was part of our national academy,” said Ross Awa he actively participated in the men’s national program progressing from the youth teams to the Matao He continues to excel with his current club and I am confident he will carry this success into our upcoming match against Macau.” Ito played for Wings FC in the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth League and later for the ASC Trust Islanders FC in the U18 Division of the Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League Ito concurrently played in the top flight men’s league in Guam for the 2015 to 2017 seasons for the NAPA Rovers FC Ito traveled to the Kyrgyz Republic to compete in the AFC Cup 2017 Playoff Qualifiers Ito began his international player career in Montenegro in 2019 playing for FK Iskra D1 U19 and next in Japan for Ichikawa SC The club is currently undefeated in the current 2024-2025 season and on top of the league’s leaderboard with seven wins in seven matches so I always dreamed of playing football overseas when I got older,” Ito said and now I am happy to have signed my first professional contract in Laos in 2022 the language and cultural differences were so big that it was always difficult to live alone I was grateful for the environment that allowed me to concentrate on football and it’s also important that I always continue believing in myself and my capabilities regardless of the environment I am in.” The winner of the match between Guam and Macau will move on to play the champion of Group B to determine the tournament winner on Dec The winning team will advance to the final round of the EAFF tournament next year to play against Japan More information on the EAFF tournament is online at https://eaff.com/competitions/eaff2024pre/index.html Matao authentic jerseys are in stock and available for purchase at https://gufanshop.myshopify.com/ Poll results are published every Monday in The Guam Daily Post Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Editor’s note: This biweekly column by Gary White a UEFA “A” license and The FA Elite Coaches Pro license coach delves into concepts and best practices adopted by developing nations to efficiently groom local athletes and teams There has been an incredible amount of hype in India for the country’s home match against Guam 12 at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru a stadium that can hold close to 25,000 spectators I am currently in India with the Matao for a short training camp ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 match and the environment here is rich with the buzz about the upcoming contest as its national team looks to derive dignity from its already disappointing World Cup Qualification campaign; however the Matao will be ready to face a hostile stadium environment in Bengaluru and return home with confidence to go up against Asia’s No In our first World Cup Qualifier fixture against India in June the Matao shocked the world with a dominating performance against the second-most populous country in the world a 2-1 result that drew waves of positive international and local media attention on Guam and a host of other international media that may not have otherwise expected to publish “Guam” in their headlines India truly felt the sting from the result returning home after the match to jeers from their local media and a heavy outpouring of negative criticism from their fans on blogs and other social media attacking the country’s football development strategy we have worked hard to remain at least tied in the top three in Group D which included a scoreless draw with Oman in Guam in September while India still searches for a single point in its campaign with only three more matches left in Round 2 The Matao’s success has also attracted other football associations in the continent looking to arrange international friendly matches the Matao returns home to face Iran in another FIFA World Cup Qualifier match in what is considered the biggest football match to come to Guam to date 17 match are on sale at the GFA Main Office with VIP seats going for only $25 and general admission at $10 a true bargain for a high-level football spectacle based on ticket prices from other matches we’ve played in our opponents’ countries Both Guam and Iran are in a must-win situation to earn enough points to qualify for the next round Iran is just one point ahead of Guam in Group D standings the Matao also will have a training session open to the public on Nov at the GFA National Training Center in a Meet the Matao event all members of the team and coaching staff will be available for photos While the Matao is hard at work preparing for our match against India future football stars selected to Guam’s U13 national team will also be tested in international competition The team will be playing against visiting teams representing Chinese Taipei and the Northern Mariana Islands in the EAFF East Asian U13 2015 Festival of Football at the LeoPalace Resort Guam I encourage the local community to also support this young team, with some players competing in their first international competition representing Guam. The tournament schedule is online on GFA’s Web site at http://www.guamfa.com/all-leagues-youth-tournaments-results This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: Matao ready to face hostile stadium in India We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money The family of Matao Herrera created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Guam’s Mason Grimes celebrates after defeating Turkmenistan in the World Cup Qualifiers JUST one day after the Guam National Rugby team defeated China in the Division III Asian Rugby Football Union championship game in Jakarta the Guam National Soccer Team tipped Turkmenistan 1-0 a country with a population of over five million people It was the first time ever that Guam hosted a World Cup Qualifying match Turmenistan was ranked #173 in the world while Guam was #174 Although the win came off an own goal by Turkmenistan’s Serdar Annaorazov displayed soccer of a much higher caliber than we’ve seen in the past few years the Matao went after the Turkmenistan goal Ryan Guy found Shane Malcolm deep inside the Turkmenistan goal box but Malcolm’s shot was off target Matao Captain Jason Cunliffe had a long carry through the midfield before passing to teammate Alexander Francis who connected with Ian Mariano but Mariano’s header was no good Turkmenistan then had a chance on goal with a breakaway by Hojaahmedov Bahtiyar but his shot was no good The Matao then got the ball back and proceeded to move it down the field The throw-in was taken by Guy who sent the ball deep across the Turkmenistan goal box and eventually hit a Turkmenistan defender and bounced into the back of the net The Matao kept control of the ball for a majority of the half getting good chances from Cunliffe and Guy dominating the midfield Guam’s Francis helped keep up the Matao’s offensive rhythm with excellent crosses throughout the half The Matao’s AJ DelaGarza also contributed greatly in the half winning almost every ball sent through the air by Turkmenistan Turkmenistan had few chances to score in the half but as the first half came to an end Turkmenistan Captain Atayev Ahmet sent a laser towards the Guam goal but keeper Doug Herrick dove forward to punch it over the top The half ended after an unsuccessful corner by Turkmenistan as Guam remained in the lead 1-0 the Matao continued to run on the momentum from the first half as Malcolm was able to break through the Turkmenistan defense and get a 1-on-1 with the Turkmenistan keeper but his shot was deflected out The Matao’s momentum then seemed to die down a few minutes later Turkmenistan then got into an offensive rhythm and were constantly attacking the Guam goal but were stopped time and time again by DelaGarza and Mason Grimes Doug Herrick also picked up numerous saves during Turkmenistan’s offensive drive As the Turkmenistan team continued to pressure team Guam the Matao’s Brandon Marquee stepped up and began to intercept passes in the midfield A good portion of the half was traded possessions between the teams and as time ran down tension began to rise and the game became more and more physical Multiple yellow cards were given to both teams Turkmenistan was given a number of corners and free kicks but the Matao defense stayed solid and denied all chances for them to score Travis Nicklaw then subbed in for Ian Mariano at striker in hopes of getting the Matao offense going Nicklaw then had a chance to score off a connection from Guy but the shot was off taking multiple shots from outside the box Nicklaw and Grimes kept Guam safe from any shots taken by Turkmenistan The teams then traded possession as the final whistle blew ending the match 1-0 with Guam coming out on top Guam hosts India (#141) on Tuesday at the GFA Training Center in Harmon at 4:15 p.m The Matao will face the Philippines Friday in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers Although out of the race to make the World Cup Guam’s national team aims to finish on a high note moving next into the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 playoff round according to a news release from the Guam Football Association More: 24-man roster finalized for Matao's qualifying matches More: Matao gets interim coach for upcoming FIFA matches we haven’t been able to score goals during this tournament,” said Suh Dong Won “Rather than winning the game itself (against the Philippines) we will instead focus more on creating the best attacking opportunities and to score goals We’ll do our best until the end.” Guam faced the top two teams in Group A in the first two matches of the qualifiers The Matao had to pack its bags to head to the United Arab Emirates “Although we only had a short time to prepare (against Syria) we focused on ball possession training during the training camp,” Suh said Syria’s Mardek Mardkian opened with two quick goals before the 10-minute mark with the first after intercepting a back pass from Guam’s Alexander Lee to goalkeeper Dallas Jaye Mardkian finished a cross from teammate Khaled Kerdagli to double Syria’s advantage coming off a hat trick match against the Maldives entered the match as a second-half substitute and scored his team’s lone second-half goal in the 84th minute The win by Syria cemented its spot in the third round of qualifiers for the World Cup Only the group winners and the top four second-ranked teams from all groups will advance to the third round of qualifiers for the World Cup All other teams will continue on to the next qualification round for the Asian Cup or into a playoff round to stay alive Based on the results so far from Guam’s seven matches the Matao will be placed in the playoff round Guam forward Jason Cunliffe heads a corner kick at the FIFA World Cup Qualifier game against Turkmenistan at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in Harmon in this file photo Goalkeeper Douglas Herrick and Guam's national soccer team blanked the visiting national team from Turkmenistan 1-0 in the first FIFA World Cup Qualifier match ever played on Guam yesterday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center According to the most recent FIFA World rankings Neither team was able to score on the other Guam's one goal came via an own goal on Turkmenistan In the first half Guam applied most of the offensive effort and was able to control the tempo Midfielders Ian Mariano and Ryan Guy aided forwards John Matkin and team captain Jason Cunliffe as they drove the ball into the Turkmenistan defense they were able to get several shots on goal Guy had a long throw in from the right sideline As the ball approached Guam's waiting attackers around the goal box Turkmenistan defenseman Annaorazov Serdar attempted to clear the ball with a header The ball glanced off his head and found the back of the net for the only score of the game but either missed its shots or had them stopped by Nikita In the second half Turkmenistan came out with more energy and pushed the attack Despite the increased offensive pressure from the Turkmenistan forwards An estimated 3,500 Guam soccer fans filled the stands and supported the team by standing and cheering each time Guam broke through for another attack-on-goal Even though their cheers ended in excited sighs each time a shot failed to reach the net GFA encourages everyone to support the Matao in their next match 4:15 p.m June 16 against the national team from India at the National Training Center This article originally appeared on Guam: Matao beat Turkmenistan 1-0 Question: How long have you been with the Guam men’s national soccer team Answer: I’ve been on with Matao for over four years I was part of the Matao from the start under coach Gary White Q: You mentioned the group of tattoos on your left arm are soccer related and what you saw as you traveled A: It started off on my left arm with the Virginia cardinal bird I was blessed to go and travel to many countries for camps compete in games or to live in if I signed a contract so that’s about eight years of traveling and 26 different countries all the way down to my elbow are the countries thus far They are all detailed little symbols of the countries I have seven more countries I need to add plus a few more memories or stories I want on me Q:What are some of the stories behind the other tattoos A: I always knew I wanted tattoos; it was just a matter of time I have Proverbs 16:9 — “A man’s heart leads his way but the Lord directs his steps.” I feel it has the perfect words to how life should be lived my mother would light a candle and pray to them The other half of my quarter sleeve is the favorite animals of my immediate family Lion is my brother; Pitbull is my dad and elephants are my mother and grandmother My most recent tattoo is the name Camila on my left chest as well with a rose for my 7-month baby girl the country my parents are from and my culture Guam seal for the island I love and my kids are all born on This shows where my heart is and where my heart is from Q: Did you get any of the tattoos done on Guam A: The Guam seal was done by Art at Lots of Art Anthony and my son's name on the right forearm and my daughter’s name was done by Vic at Twisted Tattoos Everything else was done by Pinoy Artist Butch Bautista in Marikina PI and Mongolian Artist in Mongolia name ANUUKU the head coach of Guam's men's national soccer team since January 2018 Dodd told members of the team earlier this week that he was leaving Guam national team head coach Karl Dodd recently advised us of his decision to resign,” said Marvin “Ike” Iseke Guam Football Association General Secretary “We supported his decision to put his family first and continue to support him through this tough situation His decision was made at a very difficult time as he was preparing for the upcoming Asian Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 to be completed in June in China." More: Dodd announces preliminary roster, Matao preps for FIFA Asian qualifiers More: Karl Dodd: We must improve soccer standards on Guam Iseke added: "We thank Karl for all his contributions to Guam’s national program and wish him and his family all the best during this time and in future endeavors.” Matao captain Jason Cunliffe said Dodd helped steer the team toward self-empowerment "Karl is the best thing that's happened to us since Gary White he had to leave to take care of his family but he has taken Guam football to a whole new level," he said "It's definitely hard for us to lose him at this point but he always prepared us for this day by ensuring we held each other accountable and self-regulated our environment We will continue to build and improve because of him." Guam had its largest victory margin over a FIFA member nation a 5-0 victory over Bhutan on Guam on June 11 Dodd also coached Guam in the EAFF E-1 Football championship preliminary competition in September 2018 as well as the first and second rounds of the World Cup qualifiers in June 2019 He coached Guam in matches against Maldives and Philippines in away games and one to play Syria in the United Arab Emirates He also led the team to away matches in China and Maldives to play the host countries according to GFA spokeswoman Jill Espiritu The victories were against Bhutan and the Northern Mariana Islands and the draw was against Mongolia in Mongolia food and other topics for the Pacific Daily News A total of 24 players have been called up to the Matao for a training camp ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers in Shanghai Guam-based players will depart May 20 and will meet U.S.-based players before entering China for a week-long training camp The Matao will play its first match of the tournament against the host China at 9:30 p.m. More: High school soccer standings offer early glimpse in short seasons More: Track and Field All-Island Meet set for May 27 “In consultation with (head coach Suh Dong Won), we have made the final selection," said Sang Hoon Kim Guam Football Association technical director “We will make all necessary adjustments in tactical strategy during the training camp for the team’s best performance in the upcoming matches.” The players selected to travel to China are: the Guam-based players will take part in an inter-squad training match Tuesday evening at 8:30 p.m Traveling squad players will comprise the Matao Blue Team and the reserve training squad players will comprise the Matao White Team Although GFA remains closed for spectators during all national team training sessions the training match will be available via live stream on https://mycujoo.tv/guamfa Guam will next play the Philippines June 3 and will close out the qualification round against current table toppers Syria June 11 The matches against the Philippines and Syria will kick off at 5 p.m. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page TEAM GUAM: Guam’s starting 11 players pose for a photo ahead of its Group A match of the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition Saturday at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground in Hong Kong Guam won 2-1 and advanced to the championship match of the tournament NORTON/MATAO: Guam’s Nainoa Norton looks to make a move around a Macau defender in a Group A match of the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition Saturday at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground in Hong Kong Guam is one more win away from qualifying for the final round of the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Football Championship for the first time in history following a 2-1 victory over Macau Saturday at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground in Hong Kong China at Hong Kong Stadium Tuesday at 10 p.m The winning team will move on to the final round of the region’s flagship tournament “Winning the final match of this tournament will not just be a win for the Matao who also plays for Claremont McKenna College “This team has worked so hard to get to this point We all sacrificed to be here and winning the final would mean so much to us It will be a reward for all the work we have put in This National Team Program has so much talent and quality I’m excited for the future and what we can accomplish.” a follow-up from Alec Taitague on a parried shot from Gomez in the 73rd minute was the eventual game-winner in Guam’s 2-1 victory Leon Morimoto scored Guam’s first goal in the first half in the 31st minute the biggest difference was that we controlled the momentum of the game from the start,” Gomez said we created good chances and kept pressure on their goal we were able to use this momentum to continue creating chances and eventually putting in our first goal “I also think a big difference was our game plan Coach (Ross) Awa set a plan for us in this match and our ability to follow his tactics and believe in ourselves after Macau tied and stick to our game was crucial to the win Another big difference was our substitutes – every player that came on had an instant impact to help us secure the win.” Seven players made their debut for the Matao in the win – starting players John-Michael Guidroz The average age of the seven debutants is just over 19 years old pausing their club and college football commitments for international duty we were playing against all odds – for one coming into the competition on match day minus one was not the ideal way to prepare for the competition,” said Awa “Most of the team flew in on over 14-plus-hour flights Although we are familiar with facing adversity and this wasn’t going to be an excuse to not play our brand of football against Macau the goal was to play with confidence and unity trusting in each other and the willingness to win.” forming more cohesive attacking plays as a unit which was a key focus leading up to the match Our overall team mindset was clear: We needed to win to advance Approaching this match as if it were a final reinforced our determination elevating the team’s sense of purpose,” Awa added earned its ticket to the final match with wins against Mongolia and Chinese Taipei in Group B play China blanked Mongolia 3-0 in the tournament’s opening match Dec 8 and followed with a 2-1 win over Chinese Taipei Saturday The winning team from the Guam and Hong Kong China fixture will move on to the tournament’s final round to face East Asian heavyweights Japan China has previously advanced to the final round of the tournament on previous attempts “A victory in the championship match would signify a major achievement for Guam and elevate the national program’s status within our region showcasing the team’s growth and resilience,” Awa said “It would foster a sense of pride and unity within our community and enhance Guam’s recognition in the global game.” Guam’s Leon Morimoto controls the ball in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match against Singapore in October 2023 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo Guam’s Oz Rocca advances with the ball to the goal in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match against Singapore in October 2023 in Singapore in this file photo Guam’s Takumi Ito moves to gain possession of the ball in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match against Singapore in October 2023 in Singapore in this file photo {!--StartFragment--}{span data-olk-copy-source=”MessageBody”}Guam’s Alec Taitague keeps back a Singapore defender to stay in control of the ball in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match in October 2023 in Singapore in this file photo Taitague has been called up to the Matao for the upcoming EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition in Hong Kong-China Guam's Jason Cunliffe looks for options on the pitch in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match against Singapore in October 2023 in Singapore in this file photo Long time National Team veteran Cunliffe has been called up to the Matao for the upcoming EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition in Hong Kong-China Guam's Kyle Halehale looks to advance the ball forward in a FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers of the Asian Zone match against Singapore in October 2023 in Singapore in this file photo Halehale has been called up to the Matao for the upcoming EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition in Hong Kong-China Guam National Team Head Coach Ross Awa officially announced his roster of 20 players set to compete for Guam at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition in Hong Kong-China this month The Guam Football Association shared the news in a release Tuesday Accepting the call up to play in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition 2024 are goalkeepers John-Michael Guidroz and Josiah Jones and field players Levi Berg “I am eager to witness a style of football that will thrill our fans and this group of players are capable to demonstrate our potential,” Awa said in a release “With a dynamic mix of veteran and emerging talents we have players ready to embrace an attacking style against the opposition Leadership will come from the experienced members of the squad but I am confident that the next generation will also rise to the occasion The team will play against Macau in Group A of the tournament at 2 p.m Guam will need only to win against Macau to advance to the championship match against the winning team from Group B The winning team from the preliminary competition will move on to the final round of the tournament with Japan Tournament information is online at https://eaff.com/competitions/eaff2024pre/index.html Players and staff will meet in Hong Kong-China Thursday ahead of its match against Macau Traveling staff with Awa are Assistant Coach Christopher Malenab Playing a sport at the highest level can take a toll on an elite athlete with recovery in both areas key for top performance Guam’s national football teams have consistently included strength and conditioning coaches The Matao has added sports psychologist Marcel Noronha of Australia to its staff “Sports psychology focuses on how our mental state can impact athletic performance,” Noronha said “Just like you would see a strength and conditioning coach to get stronger you go and see a sports psychologist to train your mind Top teams and athletes understand the importance of the mental game and the benefits of mental health and well-being in relation to their performance.” Noronha joined the team at the request of Guam Men’s National Team Head Coach Karl Dodd Noronha has been a sports psychologist for close to 10 years the Queensland Academy of Sport and with individual athletes He already has worked with some players on the Matao squad ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 “Mental health is super important – not just for athletes but for humans in general,” Noronha said “Athletes that compete at an elite level are constantly under pressure and are evaluated by their results Working with a sports psychologist can help reduce the amount of stress they experience and help to develop and maintain consistent peak performance.” sessions with Noronha continue to develop him as a better athlete he always gravitated toward playing the striker position and he enjoyed scoring goals for his teams At the highest level of the game representing Guam the pressure to score goals compounds and a great deal of mental strength is required “Karl Dodd is a tactical genius and him bringing in a sports psychologist allowed us to lift our game to another level,” Lopez said “Marcel is a top guy and I’ve been working with him for a few months now He fits great with the team and we’re all benefiting from his inclusion in our national program.” Lopez played a key role in helping Guam advance to the semifinal round of the EAFF East Asian Cup Championship in 2012 when he made his debut scoring a goal against Macau and assisting a goal by teammate Zachary Deville in Guam’s first-ever win against its East Asian neighbor He’s played in key tournaments for Guam including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup 2019 qualifiers and has been called up to the Matao for the next cycle of FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualification Faced with a $1.2 million price tag to compete the Guam Football Association has decided to pull the plug on Matao's further participation in the international qualifying games The Matao have pulled out of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Qualifiers Primarily due to the foreseeable strain on the organization’s financial capabilities the Guam Football Association submitted its intention to pull out of the next round of the tournament’s qualification stage “We were very fortunate to have competed in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 2 in 2015 thanks to the timely financial support from the Government of Guam and all of our business sponsors,” GFA President Richard K "It cost over $1.5 million to compete in four away matches and to stage four home matches at GFA that year it is anticipated to cost an additional $1.2 million for the next set of home and away fixtures." “We earned such a grand opportunity to play at the next level of international football and it seems that we are giving it away The truth is that we currently are not in a position to fund the expected expenses of the next round in a very short time frame," Lai said "It was also discussed that if we were able to source such a grand amount of money by next month it may be better spent to further develop our youth and grassroots programs to prime those players to exceed the success enjoyed by the Matao in 2015." Information was provided in a press release the work doesn’t stop with selection to the Guam’s final national football team roster there are two main factors for team selection The first is sacrifice,” Mariano said “Are you willing to sacrifice time with family and friends to train More: Matao will debut new national team badge in match against Bhutan More: Teen called up to play for Matao "The second factor may seem like a cliché it’s one thing to show up for sessions but to actually put your head down and grind out the hours you’re there for is another animal.” He arrives at the Guam Football Association National Training Center by 5:45 a.m Mariano considers himself fortunate to have family and friends who support his ambition playing at the international level “I have the best support system,” said Mariano who made his debut for Guam in 2006 at age 15 Head Coach and is assisted by Daniel McBreen and Matthew Ham Campos also have been named to the team’s traveling staff “The Matao is going through a generational change and this four-year cycle is seeing the implementation of a new playing style “Selection is based on the best performing players that are willing to wear the shirt with pride and be willing to work harder than their opponent it comes down to accountability for performances with the players ensuring that they are doing everything they can from a training sleep and analysis point of view to optimize their performance,” Dodd said The Matao are in Bhutan to play the first leg of the round on June 6 then return to Guam to play the second leg against Bhutan June 11 at GFA Frank Camacho defeats Nick Hein in Stockholm match Shieh Scholar Athlete finalists announced New England Revolution's Ryan Guy sends a pass during an MLS match in the second round of the East Asian Cup in Hong Kong (GFA) – New England Revolution’s Ryan Guy will be joining the Matao Guy was granted approval from Revolution club management for a weeklong leave to play on the Guam men’s national team during the Philippine Football Peace Cup formerly named the Paulino Alcantara Peace Cup he was expected to first join the Matao in December for the second round of the East Asian Cup football tournament in Hong Kong after the conclusion of the MLS season The MLS regular season officially concludes in late October; however the New England Revolution missed its opportunity to play in the league playoffs “I felt that joining the team before the December tournament to build chemistry with them was just as important than playing the rest of the games left in this (MLS) season,” Guy said via telephone from Boston “I hope that by playing in the Philippine tournament with the team I’ll understand how each of them plays on the field and also their personalities off the field I think the tournament in the Philippines will help them find the best team lineup and determine the team’s strengths and weaknesses before the December tournament it’s always a goal to win and I hope to be able to help the team win all three games in the Philippines tournament,” Guy added White also has a winning mentality for the traveling team that will be playing in the tournament in the Philippines without any disrespect to the other teams,” White said we have been working to create this winning mentality it’s won or lost on the field,” White added Chinese Taipei and Macau in the four-nation tournament the Philippines is the highest ranked competitor at No The traveling team roster will officially be released Monday White and his coaching staff have close to 30 players in the training squad to be considered The training squad also includes some of Guam’s U.S collegiate soccer athletes in addition to the ones currently training under White at the Guam Football Association facility in Harmon “With the announcement of Ryan Guy joining us in the Philippines it creates a better environment for the coaching staff as there is even more competition for spots on the team,” White said “There really isn’t any room for any player to be complacent we will be ironing out the wrinkles in the team and also use it as a platform to be 100 percent ready in December,” White added Guy will play one game with the Revolution the night before boarding a plane to meet the Matao in the Philippines Guy will still have a few more games with the Revolution when he returns to the club after the tournament Guam’s men’s national soccer team will face Bhutan in June in an early qualifier for the FIFA World Cup The news came as a result of the draw for the Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 for both the FIFA World Cup and the AFC Asian Cup 2023 The news was shared on the Asian Football Confederation’s official website Bhutan and Mongolia were handed challenging fixtures for a place in the next qualifying round.” Unlike Guam’s participation in the last World Cup qualifier four years ago where it had several weeks between its two matches against Iran Guam will face Bhutan twice within a week's time One match will be held in Bhutan and the other on Guam More: Matao ends tournament with draw against Mongolia the Matao first played in Iran in early September Bhutan is a country in South Asia with a population of more than 800,000 people According to the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking There are 211 national confederations ranked in the FIFA/Coca-Cola list The Matao's Jason Cunliffe controls the ball in the midst of a trio of Cambodia defenders during a FIFA international friendly match at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh Tuesday (GFA) - The Matao’s combination of high intensity and smart football style of play has continued to stymie its Southeast Asian tour opponents with Cambodia as the latest victim in a 2-0 shut out at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh Tuesday Guam has made history again by going undefeated in three-straight international matches this year solidifying an immensely improved national program implemented just over a year ago “I think when the senior men’s national team wins the tremor goes right down to the youth national teams and the youth league too,” said Matao head coach Gary White “It gives everybody a boost to work harder I think it really shows the potential the program has Now it’s a question of how to continue building on that “We’re now seeing the fruits of all the continued support we’ve been getting from Guam Football Association President Richard Lai and all the GFA executives back home,” White added the Matao trusted its long passes and aerial attack more against the scrappy Cambodia team Ryan Guy scored his first international goal for Guam in the 18th minute after finishing a play initiated by right back Jonahan Romero Romero’s pass into the box was deflected to Shawn Nicklaw who sent the ball back into the box for Guy’s header past Cambodia keeper Sou Yaty “I think the goal was the spark that we needed at that point in the game – it gave us the confidence to go on and finish the game strong,” Guy said after the match We really needed to assert ourselves in this game and show that we deserve to be where we’re at now.” Cambodia deployed forward Chhunly Pagenburg in his first appearance for the host country in an international match but could not find a solution to Guam’s organized defensive line in the second half Guam’s lead later doubled in the 68th minute when Matao captain Jason Cunliffe exploited an open channel on the left flank and sent in a shot that was misplayed by defender Sok Sovan “This is a big step for us – it’s the first time in GFA history for our men’s program that we’ve gone undefeated in three straight matches,” Cunliffe said “It’s a great feeling and I think it’s going to do wonders for our team “Now we’re just full of confidence and we look to build on that move forward and get results,” Cunliffe added White was able to give playing minutes to all of Guam’s substitute players in the uneven match The Cambodia match was the final stop in the Matao’s Southeast Asian tour Guam’s undefeated streak dates back to March 6 during the AFC Challenge Cup Group A Qualifier in Yangon with the team’s first-ever win over Chinese Taipei The Matao will compete in the EAFF-E1 semifinals in Hong Kong beginning today The Matao are under the leadership of interim head coach Darren Sawatzky The team previously had been led by Gary White reaching their highest-ever FIFA world ranking at No Sawatzky has only been with the team for two months and has never coached at the international level “We are looking forward to competing in the EAFF,” said Sawatzky but football is football and I look forward to competing.” With a number of their players coming from off-island the biggest issue for the team could be chemistry The team hasn’t played together since the joint FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup qualifier in March of this year while some have been able to meet with Sawatzky Sawatzky is confident the team can come together in Hong Kong “Every competition has its different challenges and this is no different,” he said but the players know each other and are eager to get on the pitch.” the Matao faced the same three teams — DPR Korea Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei — they will face this year They tied Hong Kong and beat Chinese Taipei by one goal Looking to advanceThough doing their best to prepare for the competition there still are many questions left about the Matao’s opponents the team is choosing to focus on ensuring they get the points they need at the competition to advance “Anytime you have the opportunity to compete against top teams in your region but each of the teams we face is a challenge and we know we will need to be our best to take the points we need It is an honor to be a part of this round of the EAFF and we will work hard to represent well.” The Matao will open the tournament on Sunday against Hong Kong at 4 p.m. Each Matao match will be live streamed on the EAFF website, www.eaff.com Guam's men's national team the Matao beat Bhutan 5-0 Tuesday afternoon Head coach Karl Dodd said the team wanted to redeem themselves from their first match against Bhutan More: New sports psychologist joins Matao staff More: Matao's Ian Mariano dedicated to success The team lost to Bhutan 1-0 on June 6 in their first match in Bhutan of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification.  The team redeemed themselves on home soil scoring 5 goals in front of more than 100 fans Isiah Lagutang scored Guam's first goal and a few minutes later team captain Jason Cunliffe scored the second goal A few minutes into the start of the second half Guam's Shane Malcolm scored the third goal of the match.  Cunliffe would score goal four towards the end of the second half and give Guam's last and final goal in the five minutes added to the match Cunliffe scored a hat trick to give Guam the 5-0 win against Bhutan.  Guam needed 2 goals to move to the second round of the joint qualification but was able to get five goals in the Tuesday match Dodd said the team in the first match didn't do as well as they should have and the second match they performed for what they've been working for the last 13 months Cunliffe said he's happy with the performance and results We played the way we always knew we could play," he said Going forward to the next round the team is excited and will wait to see what the draw is for the next round to see which team they will compete with next.  Playing at home is always goodCunliffe said the team didn't play as well as they could have in Bhutan whether it was from altitude or from nerves He said playing at home is always good for the team "Playing in front of our friends and family we always perform," Cunliffe said He said as hard as it is for the players to play in Guam's heat it is even harder for the Bhutan players He noticed that the Bhutan players by the end of the match were walking on the field from the heat "We knew it was going to be tough for them from the get-go and we just pushed for that first goal and once we got that first goal we knew it was going to keep coming," Cunliffe said He said competing in Bhutan was an advantage for the team because they knew what they needed to do once they came to compete at home "We got that third goal early in the second half and we just knew they were going to keep coming They kind of put their heads down and struggled a bit through the heat and we just kept pushing on," he said Bhutan's head Coach Pema Dorji said the weather conditions were very hot and his players were tired "They can't move because we are used to playing cold weather," he said India to try to get used to the heat on Guam but he said he's not complaining about the heat because his players didn't give 100%.  Tritons sign Dale Bautista to basketball team Sports Shorts: University of Guam signs Harold Gaerlan to play hoops Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCHARLOTTE NC (WBTV) - Two people have been charged in connection to an armed robbery in east Charlotte in September According to a release from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department- the two suspects later identified as Matao Kenly and Marquis Smith entered the T-Mobile store in the 4400 block of E Independence Boulevard shortly before 11:30 a.m officials say the suspects forced two employees to the back of the store while brandishing weapons During the investigation CMPD received information that the suspects were sitting in a vehicle on Somersworth Drive Officers say they made contact with the two and located stolen merchandise belonging to T-Mobile in the vehicle Kenly and Smith were charged with two counts of 2nd degree kidnapping robbery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon hopes to end the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Round 2 The Matao lost 3-2 on the opening day to host Hong Kong “I’m proud that the guys fought and that they’re learning — they’re better today than they were two days ago,” said Darren Sawatzky at a press conference after the loss to DPR Korea That’s what you do at this level so we expect to go out and beat Chinese Taipei (on Saturday).” “The Guam team — their defense was very good,” Kim Jong Min “The team had to play very calmly and then they were able to play according to our original tactics and strategies against Guam DPR Korea and Hong Kong play Saturday evening for a spot in the final round of the EAFF tournament Guam will play Chinese Taipei at 5 p.m. Guam time at Mong Kok Stadium. The match will be live streamed on www.eaff.com for its bid in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1 during Guam’s first-ever FIFA World Cup qualifier home matches Halehale marched onto the pitch at the Guam Football Association National Training Center as a flag bearer and ball boy It inspired him to push forward with his aspiration to someday earn a spot on the Guam team More: Guam's Matao will face Bhutan in FIFA World Cup qualifier More: Notre Dame senior Brianne Leon Guerrero named MVP of Girls Soccer All-Island “I love challenges,” Halehale said I love them because they help me develop as a player both on and off the field.” The challenge started with an email from Karl Dodd when the Australian professional coach and former professional player arrived in Guam last year “I brought him into the office and went through his match footage and explained what is required from his position and what he needs to work on to be included in the Matao program,” Dodd said “I was impressed at how quickly he made the changes and how much extra work he would put in training on his own.” Halehale developed his passion for the sport at an early age playing for the Wings FC and the Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League He also played for various teams in Japan during summers visiting his uncle “Whenever someone would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up I’ve always said I wanted to become a professional football player but to also show the kind of potential players from Guam have to open doors for others who have the same dream.” “I believe that Kyle has the ability to play at the professional level and had no hesitation in giving him his debut in the Matao at 16 years of age during the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Round 1 last year,” Dodd said The worldwide search for players eligible to compete for the Guam men's national soccer team has been ongoing since head coach Gary White took over the team in 2012 The hunt for coaches took a similar path this year when White added his friend Creamer has pro and youth experience — for the past several years he's been academy coach for Watford FC which was promoted to the Premier League after last season — but his time with the Matao is his first national team experience "I got a phone call out of the blue just two months ago from Coach Gary," Creamer said on the phone from the United Kingdom I need a goalkeeping coach and I really want you to come out.' I jumped at the chance Creamer's first work with the national team was during its recent friendly matches in Hong Kong and Singapore to work with the team during its World Cup qualifying process The Matao are scheduled to play host to World Cup Qualifiers tomorrow vs Creamer has had only a few days to work with Matao's goalkeepers "As far as goalkeeping coaches I've had in my life — which I've had more than I can remember — Adie has been one of the most influential Jaye played for the University of South Florida for four years will complete his NCAA eligibility at Xavier University in the fall and he's currently a member of FC Tucson who had less positive influence on his training than Creamer did in a week White hoped that would be the case when he asked Creamer to come on but he couldn't have known how big his impact would be The two British coaches first met eight years ago when they attended an UEFA A License course together "We hit it off straight away again," Creamer said staying connected on social media and sharing tips via email from their various stops but nothing too substantial developed and there weren't any talks of teaming up That changed when Matao's part-time goalkeeping coach Johann Noetzel left the team earlier this year to pursue a playing career in the Philippines The vacancy gave White an opportunity to add a full-time coach for the first time and he reached out to his old friend the chance to work with a national team filled a major hole on his resume He agreed and shortly after met the team in time for its friendly matches Creamer came to Guam for the first time only late last week The pair had never worked together before but they connected on the pitch and in training sessions immediately "Every training session he gives me time to work with (the goalkeepers) individually," Creamer said "He wants to listen to other people's opinions of how they're working I'd tell him what I was going to do before every session and I would give him a review after "His attention to detail was really impressive and that's what I really liked." The goalkeepers enjoyed the sessions as well While their time was limited to just a week Creamer gave them detailed instruction on techniques he prefers styles he expects and drills to work on before they rejoin the Matao for the World Cup Qualifiers we were able to accomplish a lot in such a short period of time," Jaye said "He's very progressive in his coaching style The goalkeeping position is adapting and changing Creamer prefers his goalkeepers to play a "sweeper keeper" style high up the line like many top modern stars He also had a few individual tips for each of the three goalkeepers that traveled with the squad a skill he's worked on most days since then All the goalkeepers kept in touch with Creamer after the friendly matches ended There's only so much coaching one can do from abroad particularly with athletes who are actively working with other coaches on other teams — Jaye also has coaches at Xavier and in Tucson trying to help him become a better keeper — so the players are looking forward to getting to Guam entering training camp and focusing on what Creamer has to offer on his FC Tucson team and the two talk daily about their goals for the World Cup Qualifiers but it's one we're definitely buzzing to get started here soon," Jaye said "It's definitely something big for the island … I'm looking forward to getting to play in front of a big home crowd that will help us in those games." Guam narrowly lost 3-2 to Chinese Taipei Saturday in a match they dominated until a raft of second-half changes handed momentum to the hosts In front of almost 5,000 people at the Taipei Municipal Stadium the home side took the lead in the 5th minute but Guam responded 29 minutes later as Justin Lee grabbed his maiden goal for the Matao Shane Malcolm’s effort fell to Lee who was on hand to prod past the home side’s goalkeeper and level the scores Guam then stunned the hosts by adding a second on the 44th minute saw his effort flash across the face of goal and after rebounding off a defender Malcolm was on hand to stroke home the follow-up to send Guam to the break with a well-deserved lead Dallas Jaye replaced Doug Herrick in goal at the break and a host of substitutions followed as the second half wore on including another debutant in the form of Hawaii-based striker Tye Perdido which were planned in advance to ensure players were rested ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 2 match against Oman March 24 Guam struggled to find a consistent rhythm Chinese Taipei scored twice to ultimately win the match there were still plenty of positives to take from the match “I felt that we were comfortably in control of things up until the break and then we wanted to give everyone a run and that led to the expected and inevitable broken rhythm but the positives were that we used all 21 players including three goalkeepers as agreed with Taiwan prior to the game,” White said the most important thing was testing our strategy for the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Oman on Thursday and after being fairly comfortable at the break we sacrificed the result for the bigger picture the Oman game and as much we wanted the win sometimes you have to think of the bigger picture as the head coach.” Guam will continue their preparations in Taipei before departing for the Omani capital media and marketing officer for Guam Football Association for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 against Bhutan poses for a photo in front of a newly painted mural at Guam Football Association National Training Center depicting the new Matao team badge created to be affixed on all Guam national match kits worn for international competition they will be sporting uniforms with a newly created team logo scheduled to play in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round 1 this badge serves as a reminder that we are representing much more than just ourselves,” said Mark Chargualaf “I know that whenever I am given the opportunity to wear this badge who spearheaded the development of the logo formed a focus group made up of current and former national players “This new badge was developed to follow the theme of our National Team programs in that we are in this rebuilding phase and we wanted something fresh and new to symbolize that,” Chargualaf said Chargualaf said the process of creating the logo “was the tricky part in that there were no guidelines as to how we would go about this.” “we approached a graphic artist (Ricky Catindig of W5 Design Studios) who was very passionate about helping with this and who also had some great points in the concept and design of the logo.” we ended up with the final product which was simple yet meaningful,” added Chargualaf I commend Mark and all involved in creating this new identity badge for our National Teams,” said GFA President Tino San Gil among other upcoming cultural immersion initiatives at GFA will instill even more pride and confidence in our players and staff representing Guam on the international stage.” The match, against Bhutan, will be livestreamed at https://mycujoo.tv/video/bhutan-football?id=46379. the match will be shown live on the Guam Football Association’s giant screen in the second leg of the qualification round For more information, call 637-4321 or E-mail info@theguamfa.com this badge serves as a reminder that we are representing much more than just ourselves.” ADRENALINE RUSH: Players celebrate after learning their fate during the live draw for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers first round Guam drew Singapore in the home and away two-leg matchup The first match will be played in Singapore Oct 12 and the second leg will be held on Guam Oct BATTLE TESTED: 2007 born Jason Castro wins the ball off of an opponent as teammate James Gomez looks on These are two of the up-and-coming players in the Guam national player pool Gomez debuted for the Matao against Cambodia in October 2021 scoring his first goal in a training match Rocca scored four goals over the two matches BOY WONDER: Erwin "EJ" Manibusan is another one of the young up-and-coming players in the Guam national team player pool This is his second camp with the national team CATCH ME IF YOU CAN: Leon Morimoto gets by his opponent during a training match in San Diego Morimoto represented Guam in the last World Cup qualifying campaign OLD GUARD: Kyle Halehale looking to keep possession in a training match during a national team identification camp in San Diego The Guam Football Association recently held an identification camp at the Chula Vista Elite Training Center in California The weeklong camp was an opportunity for newly announced head coach Ross Awa and his staff to take a look at some of the stateside-based players eligible to represent Guam at the U20 While some of the players have been to at least one camp before there were a number of fresh faces that were called in for the first time These types of opportunities to see the stateside players in person don’t come around too often and with each of those age groups having tournaments in the near future starting with the U23s trip to Vietnam in September the timing of the camp couldn’t have come at a better time The camp started off with a basic movement assessment by team physical therapist JP Thompson in order to identify any potential weak points within each player's movement patterns that may raise some potential red flags along with his assistant coaches Chris Malenab and Jeroen Bos held an initial team meeting in order to communicate the standards and expectations for the group while also identifying what the goals were at both team and individual levels At the end of the meeting coach Ross asked Jonah Romero and I two of the senior players brought into the camp to speak briefly on what it means to represent Guam at the international level and the responsibility that comes with such an honor There were a number of players that Romero and I had both coached at one point now in the room with us preparing to train with us as teammates That in itself is a pretty special feeling consider the fact that there were multiple players in that room who weren’t even born yet when I first made my debut for Guam in 2006 That definitely put an extra special twist on the occasion While I continue to play the game because I still absolutely love it and am just as passionate about it now as I was when I was 19 I work extremely hard to make sure I’m as fit and healthy as possible because that’s the minimum requirement to put on the shirt and represent our island I wasn’t quite sure I could see the day when I would hang up my boots not because I don’t have a firm grasp on reality but because I was a bit worried that the next generation of players weren’t ready to carry the torch without a drop in the standard I can say that I don’t have that worry anymore The veteran players and I were very happy with what we saw in this young group of players The future of Guam football is very bright Camps like this are always the same in the sense that day one always seems like it takes forever to get here but once the last day arrives it feels like it went by in the blink of an eye Five training sessions and two training matches later and we were calling it a wrap Just before we all said our goodbyes and went our separate ways there was one more special event for us to experience together and that was the official draw for Round 1 of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers as well as the 2027 Asian Cup for the Matao we drew Bhutan as our opponent in the home and away two-leg playoff After losing on the road 1-0 we took care of business at home in emphatic fashion Knowing that we would be learning who our opponent would be for this year’s qualifiers is always a big moment but getting to watch the live draw together was really pretty cool This year’s edition of the first round and second rounds had a slight adjustment with 20 teams being split into two pots based on their latest FIFA rankings There were a number of countries we wanted to avoid Some because of the strength of their teams There were a few that we were indifferent about and then there were the handful that we It didn’t take long after the draw began for us to learn our fate We avoided Afghanistan who were picked first out of Pot 1 a team we had in our World Cup qualifying group from our last campaign and one of the squads from our indifferent list a foe we have only ever faced once before in 2015 Singapore was definitely one of the teams we preferred to match up against for a number of reasons the biggest one being that we feel we can get the necessary results to advance to the second round of the qualifiers While we have the utmost respect for any team we play against getting a bit of luck with these matchups goes a long way toward being successful and Knowing our fate for October was a good way to end the camp as it gives everyone that extra bit of motivation to go home with to ensure they give themselves the best opportunity possible to make that 26-man roster there is no greater honor than to represent one’s country and being able to do so in World Cup qualifiers gives it an extra bit of meaning As much as I’d love to still be on the Matao the day we actually get into the World Cup tournament I don’t think Father Time is going to allow me that honor I do hope that I can help plant the seed into the minds of our current and future Matao players to understand that can be a reality for them and our island at some point It won’t come easy but achieving greatness never does and to shoot for anything less than that would be a disservice to the shirt and the badge We’ve beaten India and Turkmenistan in the past and drew with Oman who were the 10th-ranked team in all of Asia at the time From what I saw at this identification camp there will be a few more wins for Guam and the Matao in the near future and beyond When the day comes that I’m not able to be on the field fighting for the shirt you can guarantee I’ll be the loudest one in the stands cheering our team on My goal has always been for there to be 11 players better than me playing for the Matao – because that would show me that we are headed in the right direction That day doesn’t look as far off as it once did and I couldn’t be happier A total of 22 players will represent Guam when the Matao PR and Syria – Group A leaders – in this week’s Round 2 matches of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Qualifier of the Asian zone More: Guam's Matao, Syria switch home matches More: Philippines' Azkals beat Guam's Matao 4-1 In a news release from the Guam Football Association PR on Thursday at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre Stadium beginning at 8 p.m the Matao will fly to Dubai to play against Syria at the Maktoum Bin Rashid Stadium on Oct The Guam-Syria fixture will kick off at 6 p.m “The Matao is continuing its mantra of continual improvement and looking to put in a performance better than the last game against the Philippines,” said Karl Dodd “We have reviewed the matches from September and identified what we did well and also areas of improvement We have been working hard on the training park to rectify these areas along with fine-tuning our tactics for the China match “We can expect the Matao to give a good account of ourselves and look to unsettle the Chinese team,” Dodd added Benefits of an extended talent poolGuam’s roster of players includes goalkeepers Sean Evans and Alexander Stenson and field players Mark Chargualaf “With the matches coming thick and fast in the back end of the year this impacts on player availability due to school “This is where the benefits of an extended talent pool demonstrate its importance with these games giving opportunities to other players within the talent pool.” The current squad has an average age of about 25 years Notably absent from the current roster from Guam’s most recent World Cup qualifier matches are goalkeeper Dallas Jaye and field players A.J the Matao will close out the year with an away match against the Maldives on Nov with an away match against the Philippines Azkals on Mar followed by Guam’s home match against China The final match for Guam in the qualification round will be a home match against Syria on Jun The Matao’s resounding success in their first-ever matches of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers held at home last month catapulted Guam to its highest-ever FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking to date: No a 20-spot jump in the latest listing updated by FIFA July 9 With the rise in rankings Guam also enters the top 30 countries in Asia for the first time Guam is in fifth place in the East Asia region “This is definitely one of the proudest moments for Guam Football Association and our men’s national team which not only had achieved some of its best results to date but also the international recognition we deserve,” said Richard K it’s been quite a remarkable year for us and I look forward to what more we can achieve I’d like to express my appreciation for all the support we’ve continued to receive from FIFA all of our local business sponsors and the community throughout the years “I’m pleased that we can share this journey with all of our supporters,” Lai added “Given the hard work and efforts by all the players and staff that have contributed to our football success on the international stage I’m not surprised that we’ve achieved a new milestone that once again raises the standard and profile of Guam’s national program,” said Gary J head coach of the Guam men’s national team but the reality is that there is so much more to accomplish as the team continues its journey to the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in upcoming joint qualification matches “None of this would have been possible without the continued support and belief in Guam’s national program by GFA President Richard Lai Guam Local Organizing Committee chairman and GFA vice president Joe Cepeda our generous local business sponsors and the local community The entire Matao team and staff are all elated to be recognized for our recent achievements – the team has definitely earned it,” White added ENTER THE DRAGONS: Matao Head Coach Karl Dodd watches his team warm up before its June 11 game against the Bhutan Thunder Dragons at GFA in Dededo IN THE ZONE: Matao's Isiah Kazunori works the ball deep into the Dragons' zone in the second half during the first round against the Bhutan Thunder Dragons The game was played at the Guam Football Association in Dededo on June 11 So it was only natural for Karl Dodd to take up the game as a kid a former professional A-League defender from Australia the Matao faced elimination on their home soil It was in the first round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualifications the team beat the Bhutan Thunder Dragons 5-0 (with help from a hat trick by Jason Cunliffe) The Matao had the Dragons on their heels throughout the game We are not here to take the back foot,” Dodd said the philosophy for Guam may have been defensive-minded take the game to them and keep constant pressure on them.” The victory over the Dragons has a long and rich backstory and one of its strands took root decades ago and far from Guam The seed was planted when Dodd was a youngster “I’ve been taken down the fields as early as I could remember,” Dodd said “I was a ball boy and just helping out at my father’s training sessions when I was 2 years of age so I think it was just brainwashed into it “I love the coaching side from watching my father as a head coach You can only play for a certain period of time so I’ve been chipping away at the coaching side.” Dodd started playing when he was 5 years old He played in the A-League for the Queensland Roar and the Wellington Phoenix Dodd also made an appearance for the Falkirk Football Club in Scotland Learned strategy by listening to his elders “I spent a fair bit of time rehabbing some major knee injuries early on I had a good spell and then it caught up with me towards the end It just got to the point where it wasn’t worth it and I wasn’t the same player,” Dodd said Dodd started coaching early and got a coaching badge when he was only 19 He coached kids and worked his way through all the age groups gaining an understanding of what he could expect from each “I’ve always enjoyed that side of it,” Dodd said “My father would involve me with discussions about tactics on what he would do during different situations I spent a fair amount of time at the clubhouse after the games and I would listen to the coaches talk I probably heard them talk for over a thousand games I just enjoyed that and the tactical side on why they did things.” Then the head coach position for the Guam National team came up At first he was hesitant because this was international competition and he didn’t have experience with international football “I got the confidence to throw my hat in the ring And I got an interview and it came down to four people I think I did well enough in the interview and I went with myself.” Dodd was named the Matao head coach in January 2018 and with the 2019 FIFA qualifiers coming up he immediately knew he had to make changes to the national program FIFA announced a member of the Guam national men’s soccer team The player was tested following the team’s World Cup qualifying match against Oman in Muscat The player has been provisionally suspended from all matches for 30 days according to a report by The Associated Press Neither the player nor the substance can be named according to article 60 paragraph 2 of the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations The regulations state that further information may only be disclosed either after it has been determined in a hearing that an anti-doping violation has occurred or the assertion of an anti-doping rule violation has been challenged within the relevant deadline The Guam Football Association was unable to speak about the player due to the bounds of these regulations but released the following statement: “The case currently is under investigation by FIFA and based on FIFA anti-doping regulations no other information can be released pending a fair GFA has extended full cooperation to FIFA for the resolution of the case.” there are an average of 30,000 doping samples taken a year Matao is next scheduled to play in November in the EAFF East Asian Championship semifinal round in Chinese Taipei after receiving a bye from the preliminary round What team and when they will play won’t be determined until the preliminary round taking place in Guam from June 29 to July 4 pushes forward with the ball as Daniel Glasscock looks for an opportunity to gain possession during a training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this May 2021 file photo CUNLIFFE: Guam National Team captain Jason Cunliffe controls the midfield as Matt Iseke tracks him on defense during a training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this May 2021 file photo stays in control of the ball as Nichika Fermin track his movement during a training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this May 2021 file photo attempts to get around Nainoa Norton during a training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this May 2021 file photo In preparation for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup China 2023 playoff round against Cambodia the Matao have announced preliminary selection of 30 players to the domestic squad for training “We have many young players who have shown their potential to represent Guam at the highest level and those selected to this training squad are deserving of a spot on the final roster if they work hard for it,” Guam Football Association technical director Sang Hoon Kim said “It’s important that we actively and consistently work toward integrating talented young players into training to ensure long-term sustainability within the program inclusive of players training and playing in leagues off island will be made closer to the September match dates local closed training sessions for the domestic squad will begin July 1 The sessions include twice a week on the pitch and once a week in the gym “Particularly with this preliminary selection of 30 local players we will be able to narrow the focus on these players and build on team tactics to best prepare for upcoming matches,” Kim added close to half had been training with the Guam U20 Manhoben squad or with their U.S learned of the squad's next opponent – Cambodia – during the AFC Asian Cup China 2023™Playoff Round Official Draw held in Kuala Lumpur The other playoff round pairing is Chinese Taipei and Indonesia The playoff round and the next round of qualification currently are set in a home and away format More details on venues and times will be made at a later date In Guam’s most recent fixture against Cambodia the Matao won 2-0 in a 2013 international friendly match held in Phnom Penh Guam also will be competing in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition Round 1 BAKER: Guam U17's Gavin Baker looks for options during a training match against a mix of Matao/U20/U17 Training Squads at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo MOSS: Guam U17's Donovan Moss plays the ball forward during a training match against a mix of Matao/U20/U17 Training Squads at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo HALEHALE: Guam U17's Sean Halehale looks for options as he advances the ball through the midfield during a training match against a mix of Matao/U20/U17 Training Squads at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo CHARGUALAF: Guam U17's Nicolas Chargualaf takes part in a cool-down session after a training match against a mix of Matao/U20/U17 Training Squads at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo PEREZ: Guam U17's Beau Perez takes the ball through the midfield during a training match against a mix of Matao/U20/U17 Training Squads at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo Guam’s U17 boys select team will be heading out for training and competition this weekend to flex their muscles against several stateside club teams in two California elite tournaments The team of 17 players first will compete against other teams from Bracket D of the Davis Legacy College Showcase (Boys Edition) beginning July 15 at the Tsakopoulos Family Soccer Complex formerly known as the Davis Legacy Soccer Complex in Davis the team will travel to San Diego for the 2022 Surf Cup in the Boys U17 Division at the So Cal Sports Complex and begin tournament play July 22 “Playing in these tournaments is something we are definitely looking forward to because it will be a good opportunity for us to gain high-level international experience which we need,” said 16-year-old Nicolas Chargualaf Chargualaf said he’s looking forward to the gains they’ll make in development after competing against higher-caliber players “We’re always wanting to keep our standards high and also to keep that competitive spirit among the team,” added Chargualaf who attends Father Duenas Memorial School and plays for Wings FC Guam U17 Boys Team head coach Samuel San Gil and team manager Jude Bischoff will depart Guam Wednesday morning with 11 players and will meet the remaining players in California “I commend all the players in this group for putting in the work and sacrifices to not only better themselves as players but to collectively contribute to the success of the team,” said San Gil He commended the parents for supporting their sons in their bid for elite soccer development “We are going into these tournaments to learn and gain experience against high-level opponents while also attracting college and club coaches at the tournaments to Guam’s Youth National Program and its players by asserting our playing style to produce results,” he said the training provides an opportunity to assess the levels of the players in terms of ability fitness and decision making in competition “We have the upcoming AFC U17 Asian Cup Qualifiers in October this year in Indonesia that we are also preparing for and we will be taking the best players eligible to represent Guam,” San Gil added Guam’s team will officially open the Boys U17 Premier Division at the Davis Legacy College Showcase with a match against the Davis Legacy 06B Red/ECNL at 6 p.m California time match against the El Dorado Hills Soccer Club 06B Gold the next day Guam’s team will take on the LAFC SoCal-SCV B2006 Black-Cardenas at 10 a.m as well as three wild cards will advance to the tournament’s quarterfinal matches beginning July 17 Guam’s team will open against Placer United Soccer Club U16 06 ECNL at 7:30 a.m followed by a match against the Albion SC Hawaii B2006 Academy at 4:20 p.m The team’s final match of pool play is set for 7:30 a.m California time on July 24 against the FC Golden State West ECNL The playoffs are reserved solely for top teams from each of the division’s four groups • Information about the Davis Legacy College Showcase, including schedules, is online • Information about the Surf Cup, including schedules TEACHING FIRST: Matao coach Karl Dodd wants a balanced system at all levels of the soccer program to establish maximum performance Photo courtesy of Guam Football Association via GSPN LEARNING THE INS AND OUTS: Karl Dodd is settling in as the Matao head coach and provides some perspective early on in his job ACCLIMATING: Karl Dodd is settling in as the Matao head coach and provides some perspective early on in his job and he’s ready to take Guam’s men’s national soccer team into the future What that future holds is now in the hands of Australian Karl Dodd Guam Sports Network sat down with Dodd to talk about settling in to the island what he’s seen so far and what path he plans to lead the Matao down in the foreseeable future GSPN: You’ve been on Guam for more than a month now since arriving in January Have you acclimated to the island style yet Australia was actually hotter before I came here We were experiencing high 30 to 40 degrees Celsius before I left except the unexpected downpours of rain at training I have bought myself a valuable piece of equipment – a rain jacket I spent a few months in Europe gaining educational experience at some top European clubs in the middle of last year so I got some experience with driving on the right-hand side GSPN: You came into the mix in the midst of an internal political rift at GFA after a clear split in the last federation elections How do you “duck down and avoid the bullets,” as they say Dodd: There are two sides to football – the football side and the political side what was your impression on Guam soccer and why did you accept the position but then I started to do research on Guam and the footballing history The main thing that garnered my attention was that the football program was broke which is the perfect time to come in and lay solid foundations and take the program forward Meeting the players and the people on the island has only reinforced my decision to accept the role as they are all willing to help build the program and put pride back into the shirt what have been some of the initial issues you need to take care of right away from a national team perspective designed and implemented a strategy along with the technical director (Belinda Wilson) to take the program forward in a sustainable manner I believe that this is the main priority to ensure that we have a continual production line of players from the island to the Matao This will then increase the competition for spots in the Matao expectations and level of professionalism are key aspects that need embedding straight away so that we can continue to evolve as a football program This program is just as much about developing people as it is players We have been training the Matao and the U23 players for the last five weeks on a part-time basis to allow me to assess the current talent pool for those age groups in March to do the same with the players residing in the U.S and to also implement the new program with those players We are also looking to set up networks with colleges and the CHamoru people based in San Diego so that if a player does move overseas they still have that family-orientated approach with the CHamorus living in San Diego We are also looking to do this in other areas of the U.S GSPN: Under the guidance of former coach Gary White an aggressive approach was made as we recruited professional players some who never stepped foot on the island before Dodd: The program that I am looking to set up is a full-time training program on the island that stems from the Centre of Excellence through the U15 then the quality of soccer players on the island will improve which means that they have a better chance of playing professional soccer overseas or going to colleges on scholarships people want to know the current status of the team How about the college players in the states Are we still going to be using pro players where performances on and off the field dictate selection into a team and in order to accommodate the cyclical nature of player selection we are looking to increase the talent pool size of each age group to allow those players not selected to continue to train and improve themselves Right now we are currently assessing the talent pool for each of the age groups and by the end of April we should have a better idea of who those players are selection is based on performance on and off the field GSPN: With a new coach comes new philosophies Who are some of the players that have stuck out in your mind that have bought into your philosophy and that can be the new leaders of the team Dodd: I have been very impressed with the players and the level of buy-in that I have had since implementing the program Sometimes programs take a little longer to achieve that but I think the island was desperate for a program like this I am very happy how the group is going regarding leading the operating environment and maintaining the standards that we have set out GSPN: Whether it be climbing up the FIFA ranks or a more stable progressive overall national program what are your short-term and long-term goals for the Matao Dodd: My goal for the Matao is to ensure that whatever game we play we are in the best position possible to deliver our footballing philosophy and to give 100 percent for the shirt We want to make the Matao the pride of Guam GSPN: Your business card also has you as the high performance manager Dodd: A high performance manager can mean different things in soccer depending on the club size it means you are in charge of setting up an environment utilizing a holistic approach to soccer rather than just focusing on the soccer aspects psychological and sociological aspects of a player that need to be considered in developing a player and not just the technical and tactical soccer components Something that I have learnt throughout my career is that head coaches fail to fully understand their operating environment and the scope of practice of their staff By having an education in these areas allows me to maximize my staff’s output which in turn improves the performance of the players by being able to implement a holistic development program what types of international competition do you have us scheduled to play this year Dodd: This year we have the EAFF for the U15 in late July – unsure of location in which the hosts of the tournament will be decided in late March when EAFF Exco have their meeting then EAFF Round 2 in November – unsure of this location We are also using this year as a building year for all teams for the following year So it is very important players are training now to allow us to maximize our chances in the qualifiers NEW MATAO COACH: Korea Republic's Suh Dong Won accepted the appointment as head coach of the Matao for upcoming matches of Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers who resigned from the position earlier this month due to a family emergency GEARING UP FOR COMPETITION: Guam's starting 11 players stand for the Guam Hymn at the Guangzhou Tianhe Sports Centre Stadium during the team's away match against China PR in Round 2 of the Asian Qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 in this October 2019 photo Photo courtesy of Guam Football Association with permission from Chinese Football Association The Guam Football Association Technical Department announced the appointment of Korea Republic's Suh Dong Won as the head coach of the Matao – Guam's National Team – for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Asian Qualifiers Round 2 including the head coach of Korea University which has earned several titles under his leadership He was also a member of the Technical Study Group for the Korea Republic National Team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Suh accepted the role after the departure of Karl Dodd due to a family emergency earlier this month said the national team is very fortunate to have "a very highly qualified coach" take on the role on such short notice “We have about one month before the team plays its first match in the qualification group in China and he’s been working very closely with GFA Technical Director Sang Hoon Kim getting acquainted with the team and also preparing tactically for Guam’s opponents in the round who is also the 2016 Korea Football Association (KFA) Coach of the Year has been in calls with several training players to open the lines of communication I am first focusing on identifying players with the help of GFA Technical Director Sang Hoon Kim - this short time we have in selecting and preparing players is very challenging but we are doing the best we can with all information we have to prepare for the upcoming games and for the team’s best performance by next month,” Suh said via email “The goal of this tournament is to earn points and we’re going to focus on the condition of the players and all tactical points we can make "We will have a short training camp before the matches to prepare players for a strong team mentality and effective tactical points for each opponent," he said "We’ll be preparing for a cooperative defense and also engaging in set-play repetitive training and tactical training so players gain more confidence in ball possession “For the fans of the Guam national team who will be cheering for us we will show all fans a courageous game that we never give up,” Suh added first taking on the host country on May 30 followed by a June 3 match against the group’s currently third-ranked Philippines team against current table-topper Syria on June 11 Asia’s other countries will also engage in a centralized competition in seven other groups The top teams from each group will move on to the next qualification round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 along with the best four runner-up teams from the eight groups while also qualifying directly for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 and the top four fourth-placed teams will move to Qualification Round 3 of the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 The remaining 12 teams – the four lower-ranked fourth-place teams and the eight fifth-place teams – will be drawn into a playoff round with home and away legs for spots in the Qualification Round 3 Matao captain Jason Cunliffe gets held back by Singapore’s Hariss Harun as Safuwan Baharudin (21) converges on the pair for support during a FIFA international friendly at the Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore The Matao defeated Turkmenistan 1-0 yesterday in a Group D qualifying match hosted by Guam at the GFA National Training Center in Harmon (ADELUP) – In the first FIFA qualifying match hosted by Guam home team Matao held the Turkmenistan men’s national team for almost 90 minutes to secure a 1-0 victory This win brings the Matao one step closer to the FIFA World Cup in 2018 Eddie Calvo attended the match and was proud of the performance of the Guam men’s team Not only did Guam host our first FIFA qualifying match was also able to pull off an exciting victory against the tenacious Turkmenistan national team The governor also commended the Turkmenistan men’s national team for making it an action-packed game “This was a huge win not just for the Matao The young men who played their hearts out on that pitch today made history for Guam – they kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time I also want to congratulate the Guam men’s national rugby team on their remarkable win against China Our tiny island is making huge waves across the region An own goal by Serdar Annaorazov in the first half gave Guam the 1-0 win over Turkmenistan Annaorazov's own goal in the 14th minute at the GFA National Training Center was all Guam needed to earn three points in Group D Guam was playing in its first home World Cup qualifier Guam’s last World Cup campaign was in 2000 when it was thrashed 16-0 by Tajikistan and 19-0 by Iran on June 16 at the GFA National Training Center before traveling to Iran for a match on Sept Marcus Lopez of the Matao at a recent training session at the Guam Football Association National Training Center have benefited from sessions with sports psychologist Marcel Noronha Guam’s national football teams have consistently included strength and conditioning coaches “Sports psychology focuses on how our mental state can impact athletic performance,” Noronha said “Just like you would see a strength and conditioning coach to get stronger Top teams and athletes understand the importance of the mental game and the benefits of mental health and well-being in relation to their performance.” Noronha joined the team at the request of Guam Men’s National Team Head Coach Karl Dodd “Mental health is super important – not just for athletes “Athletes that compete at an elite level are constantly under pressure and are evaluated by their results and maintain consistent peak performance.” “Karl Dodd is a tactical genius and him bringing in a sports psychologist allowed us to lift our game to another level,” Lopez said “Marcel is a top guy and I’ve been working with him for a few months now He fits great with the team and we’re all benefiting from his inclusion in our national program.” scoring a goal against Macau and assisting a goal by teammate Zachary Deville in Guam’s first-ever win against its East Asian neighbor This article originally appeared on Pacific Daily News: New sports psychologist joins Matao staff Harvest Christian Academy senior Marlon Evans poses for a photo with Gary White Guam Football Association technical director and head coach of the Matao as he signs his National Letter of Intent to play men's soccer for North Greenville University in South Carolina with a full-ride athletic soccer scholarship recently at the GFA National Training Center (GFA) – With thousands of athletes across the U.S signing national letters of intent to play collegiate sports can boast of a call-up to their country’s national team squad before receiving a high school diploma like Guam’s Marlon Evans In the same week Evans officially signed a national letter of intent to play men’s soccer for North Greenville University for the team’s upcoming FIFA friendly match against Hong Kong later this month Matao head coach Gary White will make his selections for Guam’s roster for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers beginning in June “Being given these two huge opportunities – in the same week – I felt like I was on top of the world,” said Evans a 17-year-old senior at Harvest Christian Academy “I really felt like anything was possible with the hard work and dedication I’ve put into soccer I look forward to using these opportunities to continue to build my character on and off the field and also to help Guam Football Association continue to grow as an organization.” Evans received dozens of offers from universities across the country which offered him a full-ride athletic soccer scholarship Coaches at NGU first started tracking Evans after he was selected to the Matao training squad for the EAFF East Asian Cup First Round last year Evans will declare Biology as his major in the hopes of entering the medical field but he will continue to keep his aspirations of professionally playing soccer He currently is in the top ten in his graduating class with a 4.13 GPA “Marlon is the perfect example of an intelligent and creative individual in the classroom and on the field who has worked tremendously for the opportunities given to him,” said Gary White GFA technical director and Matao head coach Marlon has really set the standard for thousands of youth soccer athletes in Guam looking to reap the true benefits of the sport at the collegiate and professional level through GFA’s Elite Player pathway “The country has made massive steps in football development in such a short time and our young athletes have been given more opportunities now than many believed possible just a few years ago The elite player pathway is much clearer now than it ever has been and Marlon has taken advantage of that,” White added Evans began playing soccer at the age of 10 While playing in the IIAAG Middle School Boys Soccer League he was spotted by coaches from the Wings FC and invited to play for the club With his rapid football development in club soccer he was selected to play on Guam’s youth national teams starting from the U13 level he played in the EAFF U18 Youth Championship where he started at the central defender position He next made waves last year after a call-up to the Matao’s training camp for the EAFF East Asian Cup First Round before his recent call-up to the team’s traveling squad this year At last year’s camp at LeoPalace Resort Guam he trained with Matao captain Jason Cunliffe and other professional players as well as successful collegiate athletes from Guam like Micah Paulino but became increasingly serious about soccer through his involvement in Guam’s national program “I really got serious about soccer about three years ago with the program Gaffer (White) had developed for Guam’s athletes,” Evans said “When I saw the opportunity to play alongside professionals like A.J players who I’ve only previously seen play on TV when we played well in the U18 tournament against some of the best players the same age as me from bigger countries I knew that I could do so much more to help GFA as an organization to grow and for Guam to continue to rise in FIFA rankings – if I worked hard enough I learned to prioritize my time with school and athletics This has helped me build character and has moved me in the right direction to achieve some of my biggest goals right now like getting a free college education through soccer GFA offered a clear pathway for me to achieve this Evans plays for the Payless Supermarkets Strykers FC in the Men’s Premier Division of the Budweiser Soccer League and Wings Red in the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League U17A division The Wings Red are poised to three-peat in his final youth league season “It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you are from – if you are good enough the GFA will identify you and find opportunities for you like the ones I’ve been afforded,” Evans said “Develop a love for the sport at a young age take advantage of all the programs GFA has to offer and surround yourself with coaches and teammates with the same aspirations of success you have “I would really like to thank GFA President Richard Lai and the executives GFA technical director and Guam’s national team head coach Gary White and all others at GFA who have helped me develop into becoming an elite player my parents (David and Hiroko) and my younger brother Sean who also is moving up through Guam’s national program for constantly supporting me in everything I do (Kevin) Inafuku at Harvest for guiding me every step of the way Coach Jimmy Okuhama for constantly motivating me and my teammates to strive to be the best A total of 15 players have been called up to a Guam men’s national team training camp set to begin March 19 in San Diego “We are using this camp to evaluate the players off island and to implement the new professional standards and playing style to those players,” said Karl Dodd we will be able to assess players playing in U.S we want to call up the best players available to produce the best results for Guam.” The training camp runs March 19 to 27 with friendly matches against San Diego State University and L.A Galaxy II on March 23 and March 27 respectively McCloughan and Ham  will meet the team in California Domestic players on the Matao and the U23 National Team training squads have been training three times a week since February with the U17 and U15 National Team training squads starting April 10 The U15 will be preparing for the EAFF U15 Boys Championship held this summer will train with head coach Belinda Wilson three times a week in preparation for the EAFF E-1 Football Championship The Matao’s meteoric rise to its highest ranking followed its first-ever wins in FIFA World Cup qualifiers (GFA) – The Matao’s resounding success in its first ever matches of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers held at home last month catapulted Guam to its highest-ever FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking to date Guam also enters the top 30 countries in Asia for the first time “This is definitely one of the proudest moments for the Guam Football Association and our men’s national team I’m pleased that we can share this journey with all of our supporters,” Lai added The Matao’s meteoric rise to its highest ranking followed its first-ever wins in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers – a 1-0 shutout of Turkmenistan on June 11 and a 2-1 victory over India June 16 which was covered extensively by local media The feats also caught the attention of international media, including FIFA.com, the-AFC.com, EAFF.com, BBC.co.uk Over 25,000 households around the world tuned into each of the matches via Live Stream and television broadcast made possible by the joint collaboration of Docomo Pacific Before the July 9 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings update Guam previous highest world ranking was No Guam Local Organizing Committee Chairman and GFA Vice President Joe Cepeda 1 team in Group D rankings after the team’s first two fixtures in Round 2 of the qualifiers Information on ticket sales for the upcoming Sept 8 match against Oman will be forthcoming from GFA The local community will have an opportunity to meet players from the Matao in a special autograph-signing event this morning at the Bank of Guam main headquarters in Hagåtña coordinated by the Bank of Guam Employee Club and conclude at noon at the bank's first-floor lobby All who attend will receive a limited edition Bank of Guam Carabank as well as a 2015 team photo card while supplies last including team captain Jason Cunliffe and striker Ian Mariano will be available for autographs and photos winning their first two 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 Joint Qualification Round 2 matches The feat was unparalleled by most countries in Asia including the continent's top two countries which began their FIFA World Cup campaign with draws against Turkmenistan and Singapore The Matao's two wins over Turkmenistan and India earlier this month catapulted Guam to the top of Group D standings an unprecedented feat since Guam joined FIFA in 1996 8 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center For news and updates about the team, visit GFA's official website www.GuamFA.com A two-person open beach volleyball tournament will take place starting at 8 a.m with the proceeds benefitting the Guam national beach volleyball team "All money raised will help send the men's and women's teams to the Pacific Games next month," said Endo "We invite everyone to register and help support our team as they represent our island in Papua New Guinea." Registration is now open at maulegvibe.com The tournament will feature a mixed-team division for $20 per person and a 16-and-under division for $10 per person Prize packages will be awarded to the top three teams in each division The tournament is sponsored by Volleyball Indoor / Beach Everyday and is to help the Guam Volleyball Federation Nyles Groff scored seven points to lead the Barrigada Crusaders Black to an 18-15 victory over Yellow Jackets Yellow in the Guam Youth Basketball Association Drug-Free Basketball League Thursday at Astumbo gym Site manager Marie Borja provided information on all of the games Lady Mavericks 13: The Warriors' Bryzen Punongbayan scored 10 points and the Lady Mavericks' Bella Roberto scored six points and the 76ers' Noah Aguon scored six points Barrigada Crusaders Red 9: The Rebels' Tyler Cruz and Raven Reyes scored four points apiece and the Crusaders' Sabrina Frias scored three points Mavericks Blue 15: The Warriors' Ronaldo Ollet and Myles Perez scored six points each and the Mavericks' Daniel Akimoto scored seven points Agat Stars 11: The Yellow Jackets' Rylen Cajigal scored nine points and the Stars' Cisco Brown scored nine points Mavericks Gold 14: The Rai's Dean Weilbacher scored 18 points and the Mavericks' Kaine Santos scored seven points ASC Islanders 12: The Yellow Jackets' Arnett Hines scored 16 points This article originally appeared on Guam: Want a Matao star's autograph? Get it today MATAO 2023: The Matao played Singapore Thursday night during a FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1 game against at the National Stadium in Singapore GUAM NEEDS TO WIN: The Matao team captain Jason Cunliffe shoots and scores in the 90th minute during a FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1 game against Singapore Thursday night at the National Stadium in Singapore Everything will be on the line for the Matao Guam’s Men’s National Soccer Team in Tuesday's match against Singapore in the second leg of the FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1 at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Guam’s team will need to win by a margin of two goals or more to advance to the next round and eliminate Singapore from FIFA World Cup qualification this has been his objective for this round – do everything necessary to get the team to Round 2 “Coming back to Guam to play in front of our family and friends will be a huge advantage for us and while the match takes place in the afternoon on a Tuesday I hope our local football fans will come out to support us in droves,” Cunliffe said big hearts – we need each other to be successful and we need the island to come out on the 17th to let the Singapore team know that they are coming into our house and that we will back each other full tilt but after a few adjustments and some key substitutions the Matao was able to pull one back before the final whistle from a Cunliffe free kick it came down to the mindset we’ve been instilling in the players and staff,” said Ross Awa Guam National Team head coach said in the post-match press conference the players continued to press on in the second half – we made some changes on the pitch there were many learning moments to take away that we will build on and adjust for our next match.” The Matao was in a similar predicament in 2019 in that year’s FIFA World Cup Round 1 qualification playoff earned a slim 1-0 win at home and in the second leg at GFA Guam crushed Bhutan 5-0 to win 5-1 on aggregate Cunliffe scored his first hat trick against a FIFA member nation in the match Guam’s strongest showing in FIFA World Cup qualification has been at GFA in front of a home crowd The Matao won its first two matches in 2015 at GFA: a 1-0 win over Turkmenistan and 2-1 victory over India and also drew with Oman 0-0 the same year Cunliffe has taken part in all of Guam’s FIFA World Cup qualification home-and-away campaigns to date “Not many people get to partake in one World Cup qualifying campaign it’s an absolute honor to step out on the pitch to represent Guam and to lead the Matao as we look to advance to the second round With my 40th birthday just around the corner I’ve taken a lot of time to reflect on my career with the national team I put a lot of time and effort into being the best version of myself both on and off the field and my family has had to sacrifice so much so that I can continue to represent our island With my kids being old enough to really understand all of the elements that go into my participating with the Matao it really is a blessing as they can see the culmination of my family’s collective sacrifice It’s definitely something I do not take for granted The median age of the final roster of players selected for Guam’s first match against Singapore is only 23 The age gap between Cunliffe and the team’s youngest player “We have a very young group here now and they have all the potential in the world,” Cunliffe said “It’s my job to help them fulfill that potential The reality is that success only comes with hard work and sacrifice and in order to get to where we want to go I need to show them the intangibles that are needed to take our program to the next level have so many amazing athletes but in order to maximize our potential we need to show the next generation that they need to move beyond the instant gratification and validation that they’ve become so accustomed to searching for in the age of social media “Real success takes time to culminate and it starts with being willing to do the work most people aren’t willing to do analyzing one’s wins and losses to find ways to improve being able to say no to your friends when they invite you out to a party; these are some of the small details that create champions but nowadays everyone wants to be the popular guy or girl If I can help this next generation of footballers understand these things I’ve mentioned then they will surpass anything that I’ve ever accomplished with the Matao and that’s something I can be proud of,” Cunliffe added five players made their debut for the Matao: Dane Agustin The average age of the debutants is only 18 years Guam’s match against Singapore kicks off at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at GFA. Tickets for the match are available for purchase online at https://secure.hafatickets.com/gfa/tickets/asian-qualifiers-oct2023 Fans can show their support for the Guam National Team by purchasing merchandise including authentic custom kit Macron jerseys to wear to the match via its online shop at https://gufanshop.myshopify.com or buy on site Head coach Sang Hoon Kim directs players on potential movement in an attacking play during a Matao training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo Jason Cunliffe looks for options as he advances the ball in the midfield during a Matao training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo Marcus Lopez takes a look at the goal before attempting a shot during a Matao training match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center in this file photo Noah Bamba passes the ball to a teammate during a Matao a physical therapist with Custom Fitness Physical Therapy offers advice about pelvic floor dysfunction Guam Men’s National Team Head Coach Sang Hoon Kim called up 22 players for the AFC Asian Cup China 2023 Qualifiers Playoff Round set to begin Oct “It was difficult to decide on the final 22 players for the travel roster with 30 domestic players training consistently as well as dozens of players abroad who also have been consistently training and playing in leagues,” Kim said “The final roster consists of many of Guam’s most experienced players at the international level as well as a handful of new players called up the Matao for the first time.” “Two of the first-time players on this roster have been selected from Guam’s U20 Manhoben squad It was important to bring in young players who’ve stood out consistently at training to further promote sustainability in the men’s program The results from these two upcoming matches are key to the team’s lineup of international matches for next year and 2023,” Kim added Called up to the Matao for the Playoff Round are goalkeepers Dallas Jaye and Sena Morimoto and field players Noah Bamba The 22 players are set to arrive in Bahrain a few days ahead of their first match against Cambodia on Oct 9 to begin training in the West Asian country Both matches will be played at Khalifa Sports City Stadium The matches will be available to view via Internet Live Stream and links will be announced closer to match days on Guam Football Association’s official social media accounts Guam was placed in the Playoff Round as one of four of the bottom-ranked teams from the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and AFC Asian Cup China 2023™ Preliminary Qualification Round 2 which saw Guam drawn against Cambodia and Chinese Taipei drawn against Indonesia Jaye has retired from professional soccer to take the opportunity as assistant coach for Saint Mary’s men’s team in the fall of 2022 Jaye has retired from the team to take the opportunity as assistant coach for Saint Mary’s men’s team in the fall of 2022 For professional soccer player Dallas Jaye The Matao player recently announced that he would be retiring from the Monterey Bay FC during the mid-soccer season to take on the role of assistant coach for the Saint Mary’s men’s soccer team Jaye said that he had to cut his season short due to the offer to coach Division I at Saint Mary’s needing to be taken before the fall season begins “Knowing I was close to the end of my soccer career this kind of just vaulted me straight into the next thing I wanted to be doing,” Jaye said “Very bittersweet to walk away from the playing side of things but I’m fortunate that I’ll still get to be on the soccer field every day I’ll still be around the game; it's just in a different capacity.” Jaye also said that the appeal he had with Saint Mary’s men’s team is that this can be a competitive group of guys Though he said it was never planned to abruptly retire midseason he admitted that the most difficult conversations to have was between him and head coach Frank Yallop he couldn’t have been more supportive and understanding He said that Yallop understood the bigger picture especially when it comes to players transitioning out of their playing days Though it was a difficult but relieving conversation between him and Yallop it didn’t get any easier with his teammates “I called a meeting with my entire team in the locker room “I think I got about maybe five or six words in before I started kind of choking up myself and getting a little emotional about it.” Jaye said that his teammates were nothing but supportive of him “It’s been an emotional decision-making process has made it feel like I’m retiring like when Tom Brady retired – he obviously came back – but I’m like ‘did I have the career to deserve all this,’” Jaye said his team made his retirement process as much of a positive experience as possible “It’s just been an incredible process to go through; they made it really special Everyone giving me a hug afterward and is happy excited for the opportunity that I’m getting understanding the timing of it and why I’m doing it now Jaye could be nothing but excited to meet more of the fresh new talent that he’ll be working with Shawn Nicklaw and Jaye have met back in 2012 when Shawn Nicklaw and his brother The three immediately clicked due to their backgrounds and have kept that bond since the bond was strong enough for Shawn Nicklaw to do his buddy a solid and let him in on the opportunity to be an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s “He knew I was starting to explore different ideas of what I wanted to be doing when I was done playing so I think that’s why my name got thrown into the conversation of ‘hey here’s a guy who can be great at it,’” Jaye said “He played friend and salesman during the process He was like ‘Hey this is what it would be like.’ He wanted to give me a whole picture of what the job would be like.” Jaye has since met Saint Mary’s returning group of players who he says are a great group that are good students and great athletes He has yet to meet the new recruits or transfers “I plan on connecting with a lot of them next week once I’m formally done with Monterey and transitioning into that role,” Jay said those are going to be my first phone calls I’ll make.” The transition from player to coach will be a daunting skillset Jaye will be working on he said that he reflects and realizes that he’s been guiding young players throughout his time with the Matao and Monterey it’s learning to properly navigate and bring the best out of the Saint Mary’s men’s team as being the fun what makes him play at his best,” Jaye said “My expectation for the team is to do really well and compete to be in that top 25 in the country.” it’s best not to count him out of the Matao just yet He said he will be supporting the team — from a distance — as they get ready to train in Korea next week He also said he’s spoken with coach Kim about his recent opportunity and has said he’d love to remain a part of the Matao whether it’s in a playing capacity or coaching capacity He even offered to assist in coaching the goalkeepers if schedules aligned the most unbelievable sports experience that I’ve gotten to have over my entire career,” Jaye said Jaye will be playing his last game with Monterey Bay against the NY Red Bulls II at noon Sunday He hopes that his last game would have the team be at a one to three-goal lead have his family out on the field to close out his last game CASTRO: Guam's Jason Castro passes the ball facing defensive pressure at a training match against De La Salle University during the Guam national team training camp in the Philippines ahead of its Round 1 fixtures against Singapore in the FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification HALEHALE TRAINS: Guam's Kyle Halehale moves to get around his defender at a training match against De La Salle University during the Guam national team training camp in the Philippines TEAM GUAM: The Guam national team took part in a training match against De La Salle University during a training camp in the Philippines ahead of its Round 1 fixtures against Singapore in the FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification ROCCA ROCKS: Guam's Oz Rocca advances with the ball at a training match against De La Salle University Guam National Team head coach Ross Awa officially released the names of the 23 players called up to represent Guam in this month’s FIFA World Cup 26 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027 Joint Preliminary Qualification Round 1 against Singapore Leading the team are Asian qualifier veterans Jason Cunliffe First-time call-ups for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers are Dane Agustin “The Matao has a well-balanced team with a mix of experienced players and young talent,” Awa said “This gives them a good advantage as the experience of the veterans is complemented by the energy and enthusiasm of the younger players This balance of experience and new talent bodes well for the Matao’s future success as they can draw from a myriad of perspectives and skill sets the Matao is well on their way to reaching its goals and achieving success in its upcoming matches.” 12 at the National Stadium in Singapore in its away leg of Round 1 The team will return to Guam to play against Singapore Oct at the Guam Football Association National Training Center as the teams’ lone previous encounter resulted in a 2-2 draw at Jalan Besar Stadium in Singapore in 2015 Cunliffe and Shawn Nicklaw scored Guam’s goals in the 2015 friendly match against Singapore the winner will be determined by the most goals scored in both of this month’s matches If the aggregate score is tied after regulation time at the Oct extra time will be added with the potential of a penalty kick shootout The winner of the Guam-Singapore fixtures has been drawn into Group C of Round 2 of the Asian qualifiers and Thailand await the results of the Guam-Singapore fixtures Tickets for the Oct. 17 match are available for purchase online at https://shorturl.at/pIO57 GFA launched an online store, at https://gufanshop.myshopify.com, with merchandise including authentic custom kit Macron jerseys GFA encouraged residents to buy merchandise and to wear it to the match in support of Guam's national team.