U15 soccer team in China for EAFF championship

The NMI U15 Men’s National Soccer Team left early Tuesday morning for the FIFA Forward Developmental Programme EAFF U15 Men’s Championship 2023 in Qingdao, China.

The championship is scheduled from Sept. 1 to 8.

The team is in Group A and will face off against Mongolia on Sept. 1. They will then take on Macau on Sept. 2, then South Korea on Sept. 3, and finally square off against China on Sept. 4.

Head coach Michiteru Mita said that more than half of the players will be playing in their first off-island and international tournament.

With that said, “it is very important for them to learn to adapt quickly into a different environment and have good preparation on and off the pitch. The coaching staff are guiding players [on] how to prepare for the game, not only technically but also physically and mentally.”

He added that the players are looking forward to the learning experiences and they are all doing well as they prepare for the first match.

Team manager Mikky Vargas said the team had a light training session on Tuesday at the Qingdao Citizen Fitness Center Pitch 1, a stadium with a maximum capacity of 60,000 spectators. The team ended the night with a short meeting to recap all that they’ve learned about the importance of conditioning before the tournament.

The U15 team is made up of Terrel Kileleman-Hix, Taiga Namai-Scoggins, Aiden Camacho, Jayson Tagabuel, Michael Miller, Arstin Tagabuel, Mark Costales, Chan Woong Yeom, Chan Seo Yeom, Paul Lizama, Rooney Gil, Akoni Matsumoto, Bennet Haro, Bennetton Haro, Gaius Ranada, Yutaka Kadokura, Nolan Ngewakl, Moshe Sikkel, Kian Estolas, and Edward Arriola III.

Accompanying them are Mita, assistant coach Jireh Yobech, assistant coach Konomi Suzuki, Vargas, assistant team manager Khristelle Itaas, and physical therapist Hazel Mabasa.

Published by Saipan Tribune - Aug 31, 2023