Technical study after friendlies necessary for football development

12 Apr Technical study after friendlies necessary for football development

[April 10, 2024 – Harmon, Guam] An analysis of Guam’s performances in both the men’s and women’s competition of the recently concluded 2024 Marianas Friendlies in Saipan will be part of a collective effort by Guam National Program coaches to continue elevating the level of football in Guam.

“This past weekend’s competitions affords coaches the opportunity to further identify areas for improvement and to make necessary adjustments in their preparations for future competitions,” said Ross Awa, Guam Football Association Technical Director, who also traveled as Head Coach of the Guam men’s side that competed. “This approach will better ensure that teams are adequately equipped to meet the requirements and challenges of upcoming competitions. Analyzing both the teams’ overall performance, as well as each individual player’s performance with data we have gathered will be pivotal in shaping training strategies and tactics for upcoming international tournaments before the year ends.”

The 2024 Marianas Friendlies officially kicked off with the men’s competition Saturday, with both Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands settling for a 2-2 draw. The men’s competition also closed out the weekend, with the final match Sunday that ended in a 2-1 win for NMI. In the first men’s competition match, E.J. Manibusan and Samuel Stenson scored Guam’s goals. Curtis “Meto” Harmon scored Guam’s lone goal in Sunday’s match.

The 2024 Marianas Friendlies also featured a women’s competition, with Guam winning 3-0 Saturday evening and later forcing a 2-2 draw with NMI in Sunday’s match. In Guam’s first match, Anjelica Perez, Giselle Dahilig, and Anna Jones scored for Guam. In Sunday’s match, Yae Kawauchi and India Sheppard scored Guam’s goals.

“I am so happy for the win and the draw, but more importantly, I am excited about the way they played,” said Kristin Thompson, Guam Women’s Team Head Coach. “They played composed and with determination – they moved the ball quickly and with purpose. Of course, there are always things you see as a coach you want to fix and that will be our job moving forward, but for now, we are celebrating the positive highlights from the matches.

“Based on the results, I just want to keep the momentum going – the players are excited to get back to training to work on key areas for improvement and to prepare for future competitions,” Thompson added.

The Guam women’s team consisted of players solely from the Bud Light G-League Women, while the Guam men’s team consisted of players from the Budweiser G-League at the younger age brackets, the majority of whom have previously played for Guam in either the U15, U17, or U20 age divisions within the past three years.

“I have identified gaps in the teams’ performance for improvement and will be reviewing them with the technical team,” Awa said. “I look to utilize this collaborative approach to ensure that the teams can address these areas effectively and make necessary enhancements to strengthen their overall performance in future competitions.”

Confirmed international tournaments for players in this past weekend’s friendly matches include the AFC U20 Asian Cup™ 2025 Qualifiers and the AFC U17 Asian Cup™ 2025 Qualifiers. More information on the official draw and tournament dates will be announced at a later date.