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Noetzel to hold goalkeeper mini camp for MPU
Former Northern Mariana Islands Football Association technical director Johann Noetzel will be in town this weekend to conduct a goalkeeper mini camp for MP United Football Club.
Johann Noetzel, seen here saving the ball during the CNMI’s game against Macau in the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup at the Guam Football Association Training Centre in Harmon last year, will be on Saipan this weekend to conduct a goalkeeper mini camp for MP United. (Guam Football Association)
MP United technical director Norman Del Rosario said Noetzel will hold the goalkeeper mini camp for two days at the Oleai Sports Complex Field with the Saturday and Sunday sessions beginning at 9am.
“The program will be focusing on the four major components of goalkeeping: technical, tactical, psychological, and physical training. Johann’s training sessions are challenging and fast-paced to replicate in-game situations. It will really help our goalkeepers this coming season,” Del Rosario said.
“In addition, we will also have video session on saves analysis, training standards, and others. These are the opportunities that MP United FC is looking for our players and they could learn a lot from Johann, who already experienced playing college and pro soccer,” Del Rosario added.
Noetzel played for the five-time national champion Seattle Pacific University in the NCAA and earned Pacific Coast Conference Player of the Year and NCAA All-American honors. After his collegiate career, he played for Aston Villa in the English Premier League and the Dallas Burns in the Major League Soccer.
He also worked as a goalkeeper coach for Cal State San Marcos before coming to the CNMI to serve as NMIFA’s technical director for about two years. The 36-year-old also played for the Blue Ayuyus in the Asian Football Confederation 2014 Challenge Cup Qualifiers in Nepal and in the team’s historic win over Macau, 2-1, in last year’s Preliminary Round 1 of the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup at the Guam Football Association Training Centre in Harmon.
Noetzel is now with the Guam Football Association, serving as its goalkeeper coach.
Meanwhile, around 29 goalkeepers from MP United are expected to attend this weekend’s mini camp, which will be divided into five categories: U10, U12, U15, U18, and women’s division.
MP United and the six other NMIFA-member clubs are preparing for the 2015 NMIFA Spring Youth League, which will kick off on Feb. 6 at the various schools pitches on the island.
