Blue Ayuyus, Women’s NT triumph

The starting 11 of the NMI Men’s National Team pose for a photo before facing the M-League All-Stars in the second exhibition game in the 2021 Soccer Summer Madness last Sunday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

The NMI men’s and women’s national teams prevailed in the pair of exhibition games in the 2021 Soccer Summer Madness last Sunday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

The NMI Women’s National Team was pitted against the NMI Boys U15 National Team in the curtain-raiser of the event organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association and pulled off a 1-0 victory. The men’s crew, on the other hand, dueled the M-League All-Stars and cruised to a 4-1 triumph in the second match.

Guine Borja, who is back on island for the school break, scored the lone goal in the opening match of last Sunday’s double-header. The 20-year-old, who plays for Navarro College in the National Junior College Athletic Association, lit up the board in the 62nd minute to lift the WNT to the close victory.

Joining Borja on the winning squad were Marinel Falalimpa, Christina Atalig, Jannah Casarino, Diane Pablo, Kristelle Itaas, Julianne Hall, Summer Manahane, Britany Wally, Toremy Diaz, Katrina Costales, Pia Ngewakl, Kaithlynn Chavez, Allyssya Angeles, Tamia Hix, Stephanie Flores, Gabi Race, and Rizza Relucio.

Mark Chavez, Jonne Navarro, Anthony Austria, Leland Deleon Guerrero, Monico Claridades, Wataru Kadokura, Ian Song, Takeru Jim, Tristan Raho, Mark Costales, Anthony Bergancia, Philip Megino, Paul Lizama, Ruben Guerrerom Nolan Ngewakl, and Vicente Reyes suited up for the NMI Boys U15 National Team.

The NMI Boys U15 National Team’s Wataru Kadokura, left, and the NMI Women’s National Team’s Stephanie Flores battle for possession during their exhibition game in the 2021 Soccer Summer Madness last Sunday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

Meanwhile, four different players scored in the Blue Ayuyus’ win over the M-League All-Stars.

Logan Mister drew first blood for the NMI Men’s National Team as he found the back of the net in the 10th minute. Mister and company kept the shaky lead for a while before Li Zhe Xiong hit the equalizer for the M-League All-Stars in the 28th minute. The match remained in a deadlock at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Kaden Church put the NMI Men’s National Team back on top with his goal in the 52nd minute, Kohtaro Goto and Sunjoon Tenorio also scored in the second half, while the M-League All-Stars fired blanks to lose the exhibition match, Goto made it a 3-1 lead for the Blue Ayuyus with his goal in the 63rd minute, while Tenorio closed out for the squad in the 82nd.

Dane Hodges, Mareko Tekopua, Markus Toves, Thaiphi Austria, Taka Borja, Jireh Yobech, Joshua Abragan, Daniel Pablo, Rinto Takahashi, Ronnel Ocanada, Dev Bachani, and John Bucayo were also on the roster of the NMI Men’s National Team that played in last Sunday’s event.

The M-League All-Stars, on the other hand, also had Floyd Muna, Richard Steele, Jerald Aquino, Jeremiah Diaz, Andrew Omelau, Eunsyu Hahn, Skyler Poon, Alan Hinson, Eric Barajas, Jason Quimzon, Whit Altizer, Ajani Burrell, Jeff Seo, and Mark Esalan in the lineup.