NMI Football Association Vice President Vickie Izuka, left photo, addresses the crowd during the awards ceremony for the Marianas Football Cup 2024. Right photo shows spectators glued to the rain-soaked game 2 of the Marianas Football Cup Sunday night at the NMI Soccer Training Center.
(NMIFA) — Heavy rain poured during the epic finale of the Marianas Football Cup 2024, but so did the home crowd’s support for the triumphant NMI Men’s U20 National Team.
Amid the seemingly never-ending downpour, parents, other family members, friends, and fellow athletes of the NMI Men’s U20 National Team stayed at the NMI Soccer Training Center for nearly four grueling hours and witnessed the home squad escape with a 5-4 victory over Guam in the penalty shootout.
The Marianas Cup showdown between the NMI and Guam went to a deciding shootout as the opposing teams split the two-leg series. The NMI won the opener on Saturday, 2-0, and Guam came back with a similar 2-0 win in game 2 on Sunday. NMI and Guam players played the second half of the second game in heavy showers, causing them to slip as they hustled for the ball in complete disregard of the tough field conditions. At one point early in the second half, officials had to temporarily suspend the game, as the field was covered with puddles. The match resumed after nearly 40 minutes, but still the downpour continued so did the intensity of the game. Players, besides falling on the ground repeatedly, also started cramping as majority of the starters from both teams had been playing for more than 100 minutes, however they remained relentless and soldiered on. Personnel from the CNMI Department of Fire and Emergency Medical Services also stuck around to assist, and fortunately despite the slippery pitch, no one got seriously injured
Guam went on to win game 2 in regulation, 2-0, to force a tie. To break the deadlock, the opposing teams played for extra 30 minutes — while it rained — and with neither squad scoring, the match had to be decided via shootout. The rain subsided a bit, but not the support from the home crowd that was still glued to the game, as spectators watched and egged on each of the NMI PK shooters as well as goalkeeper Mark Chavez. The NMI goalie made the crucial save against Guam’s second shooter, Micah Elwell, using both his hands to knock the ball out. For their part, Dev Bachani, Daniell Pablo, Anthony Bergancia, Markus Toves, and Andrew Sablan delivered the shots for the NMI with a conversion that sealed it for the home team. Celebrations both from the crowd and the players erupted after Sablan scored, giving the NMI back-to-back Marianas Cup victories. The NMI Men’s U23 Team edged Guam via 3-1 aggregate scores in the 2023 edition of the competition.
After their victory, head coach Konomi Suzuki made special mention of the home crowd for supporting the NMI Men’s U20 National Team and for even staying for the awards ceremony, which, you guessed it right, was held under a downpour.
“Despite the inclement weather, a lot of supporters stayed with us, encouraged us, and celebrated with us,” Suzuki said.
Northern Mariana Islands Football Association Vice President Vickie Izuka, in her remarks at the awards ceremony, said Sunday night’s game was the longest, and probably, the toughest Marianas Cup match in the history of the event. And it was made memorable by the local community’s strong support and the hard work that the volunteers, organizers, game and team officials, coaches, and, referees put in together to pave the way for an epic Marianas Football Cup 2024.
