Previous Story
CNMI vs Taipei in EAFF U15 tourney opener
|
Posted on Jul 19 2011
The CNMI U15 Team will play host Chinese-Taipei today in the opening game of the 2011 East Asian Football Federation U15 Youth Tournament.
The opener is set for 4pm (6pm on Saipan) at the Taipei Municipal Stadium. Two other games are scheduled for Day 1 of the competition that will run until Sunday. In the second match, defending champion Korea will take on last year’s runner-up Hong Kong in an early rematch at 6pm, while the last game of the day at 8pm will feature Macau and Guam.
The Commonwealth strikers will be facing the host after completing a mini camp in Japan over the weekend. The CNMI U15 Team, which is composed of Jordan Butcher, Enrico del Rosario, Ethan Dickinson, Kenneth Domingo, Gregzon Fontanilla, Joel and Mason Fruit, Dakota Hall, William Hinson II, Kennedy Izuka, Hunter Jewell, Andrew Johnson, Angelo Jones, Jehn Joyner, Jake Lee, Sean Perez, John Taisacan, and Jirech Yobech, arrived in Chinese-Taipei on Monday.
When the CNMI youth strikers first dueled Chinese-Taipei last year in Guam, the Commonwealth bets suffered a 0-14 spanking at the hands of the 2011 host. In their second encounter, though Chinese-Taipei is heavily favored to win, the CNMI is expected to put on a better showing in its first game in the five-day competition.
After its match against the host country, the Commonwealth strikers will take on Hong Kong next in the last game tomorrow at 4:30pm at the YingFung Riverside Sports Park Field B. The CNMI didn’t face Hong Kong in last year’s U15 tournament, as the former British colony was in Group A, while the Commonwealth was in Group 2. Two more matches will be played simultaneously tomorrow in Day 2 of the competition with Macau battling Korea at YingFung’s Field A and Taipei squaring off with Guam at the BaiLing Riverside Sports Park.
The CNMI’ s last three games in the round-robin tournament will be against Korea (July 22), Guam (July 23), and Macau (July 24). The defending champion demolished the CNMI in their previous meeting in Guam, 23-0. Against Macau last year, the Commonwealth also lost, 0-7. Guam and the CNMI collided in the consolation game last year with the former winning, 22-0.
