23 Jan Loha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite League Officially Launched
[September 15, 2016 – Harmon, Guam] – Wings Black’s Brandon Okuhama scored the first-ever goal of the Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup as the new elite youth league kicked off with its first U17 division matches Tuesday and Wednesday evening at the Guam Football Association National Training Center.
In Tuesday’s match played in rainy conditions, Wings Black needed over 30 minutes to score the league’s first goal against Quality Distributors FC, after Kyle Halehale managed to beat his defender on the right side to send in a cross to Phoenix Pahl. As defenders began to converge on Pahl, he dished the ball off to Okuhama for the finish.
Quality later leveled the match in the 72nd minute off a free kick from Eric Kim, whose shot took a bounce and slipped past Wings Black goalkeeper Kaito Atsuta. Both teams picked up the attacking tempo in the closing minutes, but neither could find the winning goal after 90 minutes of play.
In Wednesday’s match, also played in rainy conditions, Wings Red earned the first win in the league with a 2-0 shutout of the Bank of Guam Strykers. Takumi Ito gave Wings Red the lead early with a shot from about 20 yards out that curved into the goal in the seventh minute and later demonstrated his long-distance accuracy again, this time with a 40-yard shot from the right side to the opposite post in the 80th minute for the final goal of the night.
The Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup is an elite youth league made possible by a financial grant from FIFA for elite youth development. The new league features three age divisions – U12, U14, and U17 – with four teams each. Each divisions’ four teams were determined by final standings in the competitive divisions of the Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League in the spring.
Featured in the U17 division are spring champions Strykers, Wings Red, Wings Black, and Quality Distributors. The U14 division features spring champions Tigers, Wings, Community First/Days Inn Dededo Soccer Club, and Guam Shipyard Wolverines. The U12 division features spring champions Wings, Strykers, Wolverines, and the ASC Trust Islanders.
The league will feature a promotion-relegation system with the Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League, which will be in season concurrently with the Minetgot Cup.
The Triple J Auto Group Robbie Webber Youth Soccer League Fall season will kick off Saturday with close to 120 teams in six age divisions.
The U12 and U14 divisions of the Minetgot Cup will also kick off Saturday. The U17 division will feature four matches per week, two on Tuesday evenings and two on Saturday mornings.
Wings Black’s Brandon Okuhama celebrates with teammates after scoring the first-ever goal of the Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League during a U17 match against Quality Distributors at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Tuesday. Wings Black and Quality battled to a 1-1 draw.
Wings Black’s Kyle Halehale looks ahead for a teammate to pass the ball to in an Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League U17 match against Quality Distributors at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Tuesday. Wings Black and Quality battled to a 1-1 draw.
Quality Distributors’ Eric Kim looks for an opportunity to turn toward the goal as Wings Black defenders begin to converge on him during an Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League U17 match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Tuesday. Wings Black and Quality battled to a 1-1 draw.
Wings Red’s Jordan Jasmin attempts to stop Bank of Guam Strykers’ Alan Thomas from advancing with the ball near the touchline during an Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League during a U17 match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Wednesday. Wings Red won 2-0.
Wings Red’s Takumi Ito prepares to send a long pass from the midfield against the Bank of Guam Strykers during an Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League during a U17 match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Wednesday. Ito scored both of Wings Red’s goals in the 2-0 shutout of the Strykers.
Bank of Guam Strykers’ Xavier Naputi attempts to dribble through the midfield against Wings Red during an Aloha Maid Minetgot Cup Elite Youth League during a U17 match at the Guam Football Association National Training Center Wednesday. Wings Red won 2-0.