Budweiser League Selection Plays Japan’s Nihon University

[November 15, 2017 – Harmon, Guam] – A visiting Japan university tournament championship team brought its expected caliber of play in a 9-1 victory over Guam’s Budweiser Soccer League selection, made up mostly of the league’s rising Under-23 talents combined with veteran league stars Tuesday at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.

Guam’s team, expecting a high intensity of play from the opening whistle, matched the visiting team shot-for-shot in the first ten minutes of play. Adjusting to the Guam selection’s physicality, Nihon University caught a break in the 12th minute, when midfielder Ryosuke Saito sent a through ball to teammate Yoshitaka Shimizu, muscling his way to the goal for the finish. Moments later, Ryo Nihei scored the eventual game winner on a give-and-go play with teammate Kanta Furuya on the right side.

The Guam selection scored its lone goal of the match in the 55th minute on a penalty kick by captain Jason Cunliffe.

Atsuya Shisido led all scorers with four goals and teammates Shimizu, Nihei, Furuya, Toru Kamibeppu, and Shin Endo also scored in the win.

The Guam Challenge has become a tradition twice a year among over 100 university football teams in Japan all competing with each other in a tournament for the ultimate prize of traveling to Guam to play a friendly match. Earlier this year, a team from Kyoto Sangyo University played against four-time defending Budweiser Soccer League champions, NAPA Rovers FC.