Guam Masakåda ready to compete in 2023 EAFF tourney

28 Nov Guam Masakåda ready to compete in 2023 EAFF tourney

[November 29, 2023 – Harmon, Guam] A total of 19 players called up to the Masakåda, Guam Women’s National Team, will represent Guam at the return of the Women’s EAFF E-1 Football Championship Preliminary Competition beginning Nov. 30 in Zhuhai, China PR.

Guam was drawn into Group B with Chinese Taipei and Macau. The seven-team tournament also includes DPR Korea, Hong Kong-China, Mongolia, and Northern Mariana Islands in Group A. The winners from each group will advance to the championship match in Macau to determine the team moving on to the final round of the competition where China PR, Japan, and Korea Republic wait.

“We are ready to compete and show what we can do,” said Kristin Thompson, Head Coach of the Guam Women’s National Team. “We have a very solid roster and having the time to bond and to work collectively as a team during a training camp in Guam is priceless.

“I’m excited for the team to play against Macau and Chinese Taipei, as each country presents different sets of challenges for Guam’s team,” Thompson added.

The 19 players making up the 2023 Masakåda traveling roster are goalkeepers Isabella Hara, Gabrielle Moser, and Sierra Ruehl, and field players Mariah Anaya, Rebecca Bartosh, True Dydasco, Mariana Gomez, Jada Han, Samantha Kenney, Salora La Rosa, Kaia Malakooti, Analea Meno, Jenna Merrill, Inyssa Perez, Jenae Perez, Mihaela Perez, Sophia San Agustin, Lexi Taitague, and Kaia Villanueva.

Of the 19 players, only Moser, Kenney, Merrill, and Inyssa Perez have been called up previously to the Masakåda for international tournaments. Other players on the roster have appeared in previous Masakåda training camps in California or have officially competed internationally at the youth level for Guam. Moser, Kenney, La Rosa, Malakooti, Meno, San Agustin, and Taitague all featured for the Guam U20 Women’s National Team in March this year for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers. Ruehl, Gomez, and Villanueva were part of the Guam U17 Women’s National Team that competed at the AFC U17 Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in April this year held in Guam.

During the team’s weeklong training camp, the team staff set aside time for the players to experience Guam’s unique culture and traditions, as well as meet-and-greet opportunities with the Hon. Lou Leon Guerrero, Governor of Guam, Speaker Therese Terlaje, Guam Football Association Executives, and Guam’s youth national players, among others. The team also visited the George Washington High School campus for a cultural experience and Guam history session.

The team will open its bid 1 p.m. local time (3 p.m. Guam time) Dec. 2 against Macau, followed by its match against Chinese Taipei at 4 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Guam time) on Dec. 4.

Based on the results from the two matches, the top-ranked team from Group B will move on to play in the championship match against the top-ranked team from Group A at 8 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Guam time) on Dec. 7 in Macau. The second and third ranked teams from both groups will play each other on Dec. 6.

Traveling with the team are Head Coach Kristin Thompson, Assistant Coach Michael Milner, Assistant Coach Marnelli Dimzon, Goalkeeper Coach Chima Mbakwem, Team Manager Sheena Newell, and Team Physiotherapists Dr. Kelsey Kuehn and Ann Margaret Fortaleza.

Guam last played in the region’s flagship tournament in 2018 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the following edition of the tournament. This year’s tournament signals the re-start of the preliminary competition and the multi-tier format.

The Masakåda will debut the new women’s custom kits produced by Macron at the tournament. To purchase authentic jerseys and other merchandise to support the team, visit https://gufanshop.myshopify.com/

For EAFF tournament information visit: https://eaff.com/competitions/weaff2023pre/index.html