Guam players celebrate after scoring a goal against Mongolia.
Guam Women’s U21 National Team’s Olivia Haddock dribbles past a Mongolian defender during their Three Nations Cup match at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville on Wednesday.
THE Guam Women’s U21 National Team bagged their first win in the NMIFA Women’s U21 Three Nations Cup by outscoring the Mongolian Women’s National Team, 2-1, at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville on Wednesday.
The first half saw a defensive battle with both teams fighting for control.
Mongolia’s defense, led by Enrel Sukhbat and Saruulgaia Boldbaatar, stood firm against Guam’s aggressive forward lines. However, Guam played wide, utilizing the field’s space to keep the possession moving. Mongolia protected their turf throughout most of the action, but Guam managed to break through just before halftime with Sarah Benavente capitalizing off a lob pass and mustering enough strength to power through defenders and drain an off-balanced shot two minutes into the extra time (45+2) to give Guam the lead, 1-0.
The match intensified throughout the second half with a series of exchanges filling the early portion as both teams tried to create scoring opportunities.
At the 65th minute mark, Guam’s tenacity took over and was highlighted by an inbound play that found Olivia Haddock with a clear lane forward. As she made her way to the 18-yard line, Mongolian goalkeeper Zambaga Tumurbat denied entry but allowed Haddock to follow through for the finish to extend Guam’s lead, 2-0.
Defeat was inevitable, but Mongolia showed no signs of surrender and continued to fight back. Their efforts were finally rewarded within the first 15 seconds of the two-minute extra time as a transition play led Guam to commit a foul inside the box, handing Mongolia a free scoring opportunity via a penalty shot by Khaliut Munkhgarid.
The match ended with Guam securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mongolia. The players of both teams displayed excellent sportsmanship, shaking hands and exchanging words of encouragement after the final whistle. Guam’s supporters, for their part, cheered their team’s resilience and strategic play.
