Saipan Tribune

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Guam Sidekicks duels MPU, CNMI training team

Guam's Sidekicks Soccer Club was on Saipan over the weekend and played three exhibition games at the Koblerville Elementary School Field.

The visiting club brought its 11-player U12 team with Roy Abril coaching the squad and Gian Tenorio assisting him. The team was composed of Matias Calvo, Tyler Talai, Clayton Mitchell, Giancarlo Abril, Vince Cruz, Noah Bamba, Richard and Reuben Leyba, Christian Taitano, Marcus Schrader, and Joe Tisdale and had Len Calvo as manager.

Abril's strikers played two matches against MP United Football Club and had a split, while the visitors lost to the CNMI U14 National Team training pool.

The Sidekicks first played the Reena Patel-coached MP United U12 squad, which has Gillian Villagomez, Steven Martin, Joshua Abragan, Juan Quitano, Matthew Ong, Madeleine Taisacan, Steven Goodwn, Mackie Custodio, Kentaro Kitagawa, Daniel Kim, Mack Yu, Isaiah Dela Cruz, Clayton Izuka, and Alex Park as members. The visitors went on to blank the host team last Saturday, 7-0. Reuben Leyba and Calvo made two goals apiece for the visiting team, while Richard Leyba, Mitchell, and Cruz added one each.

Also last Saturday, the Sidekicks challenged players trying out for the CNMI U14 National Team that will compete in an Asian Football Confederation event this April and the latter cruised to a 6-1 triumph.

Then last Sunday, the Joon Lee-mentored MP United U12 redeemed the club with a 2-1 victory over the Sidekicks. Michael Lee and Sunjoon Tenorio logged one goal apiece for MP United. Other members of the squad are Alex Park, Izuka, Joy Makie, Alex and Daniel Kim, Eui Jin Byun, Wataru Tajima, Kitagawa, and Abragan.

“It was a good training for our teams which are warming up for the spring youth league season. Our teams were a bit rusty since club practice hasn’t resumed yet, but we will do so next week. Our club referees too were able to get back into officiating after the long break since the fall league ended in November,” MP United president Vickie Izuka said in an email to Saipan Tribune.

“The weekend culminated with a BBQ party for MPU and Sidekicks players, coaches, managers, and families,” she added.

Izuka also said the Sidekicks is looking forward for a return trip to Saipan to play in another series of exhibition games, while MP United is planning to compete in Guam again next year.

Meanwhile, MP United would like to thank IT&E, IP&E, Pacific Trading Co., and Gatorade for supporting the weekend matches.