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Guam national football team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Guam women's national football team.

Guam
Nickname(s)Matao (The Noblemen)[1]
AssociationGuam Football Association
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationEAFF (East Asian)
Head coachDominic Gadia
CaptainJason Cunliffe
Most capsJason Cunliffe (66)
Top scorerJason Cunliffe (26)
Home stadiumGFA National Training Center
FIFA codeGUM
First colors
Second colors
FIFA ranking
Current 203 Steady (19 December 2024)[2]
Highest146 (August–September 2015)
Lowest207 (March 2022)
First international
 Guam 1–5 Solomon Islands 
(Tumon, Guam; 2 August 1975)
Biggest win
Unofficial
 Guam 16–1 Pohnpei 
(Koror City, Palau; 27 July 1998)
 Guam 15–0 Yap 
(Koror City, Palau; 31 July 1998)
Official
 Guam 9–0 Northern Mariana Islands 
(Hagåtña, Guam; 1 April 2007)
Biggest defeat
 North Korea 21–0 Guam 
(Taipei, Taiwan; 11 March 2005)
Pacific Games
Appearances5 (first in 1975)
Best resultSixth place (1979)
Pacific Mini Games
Appearances1 (first in 1993)
Best resultGroup stage (1993)
Micronesian Games
Appearances1 (first in 1998)
Best resultRunners-up (1998)

The Guam national football team represents Guam, an overseas territory of the United States, in international football and is controlled by the Guam Football Association. They are affiliated with the Asian Football Confederation's East Asian Football Federation region.

Guam reached its highest ever position in the FIFA World Ranking at 146th in 2015 after victories over Turkmenistan and India.[4] Guam's first FIFA World Cup qualification match was played against Iran national football team at Tabriz.[5]

History

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Beginnings (1960s–1990s)

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Football in Guam began in the 1960s, on the initiative of two pioneers: an Irish priest, Tony Gillespie, and an owner of a construction company, Charles Whang, who settled in Guam and created the Guam Soccer Cup before becoming the first president of the Guam Football Association in 1975.

Guam played its first international match at the 1975 Pacific Games against Solomon Islands, losing 5–1. This result was followed by an 11–0 loss to Fiji, eliminating them from the competition. In the 1979 Games, Guam again lost twice to New Caledonia 11–1 and New Hebrides 5–0. Progressing to the Consolation Tournament, Guam registered their first victories, beating Western Samoa 4–2, and Tuvalu 7–2 before losing again to New Hebrides, 5–1.

AFC and FIFA Member (1991–2011)

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Despite being considered part of Oceania, and having never faced an Asian team to that point, Guam became an associate member of the AFC in 1991 but continued to participate in the Pacific Games.[6] In 1996, Guam became both a full member of the AFC and of FIFA.

As a full member of the AFC and FIFA, Guam played its first matches against Asian teams as part of the 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification losing all three matches against South Korea (9–0), Vietnam (9–0), and Chinese Taipei (9–2).

In 1998, Guam played in the Micronesian Games, though the tournament was a 9-a-side competition with 80 minute matches. Guam finished top of the group stage but lost 3–0 to Northern Mariana Islands in the final.[7] Guam entered the 2000 Asian Cup qualification but finished last in their group again, losing to Vietnam (11–0), China (19–0), and Philippines (2–0).

Guam became one of the founding members of the East Asian Football Federation in 2002 and participated in the qualifiers for the inaugural 2003 East Asian Football Championship, finishing last again without registering a goal. The same is true for the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, beaten by Bhutan and Mongolia. For the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Guam entered and was scheduled to face Nepal in the first round but both Nepal and Guam withdrew for financial reasons before their first match.

In the 2005 East Asian Football Championship qualifiers, Guam lost all four matches heavily, against Chinese Taipei (9–0), Hong Kong (15–0), Mongolia (4–1), and North Korea (21–0). Following these defeats, Guam entered the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, a competition designed for emerging nations to help develop their football. Guam again lost all three matches to Palestine (11–0), Bangladesh (3–0), and Cambodia (3–0).

Guam advanced to the second stage of qualifying in the 2008 East Asian Football Championship by beating Northern Marianas 12–2 over two legs but they were eliminated in the next round by Chinese Taipei (10–0), and Hong Kong (15–1). In the 2010 East Asian Football Championship qualifiers, Guam managed to get its first victory over a FIFA member, beating Mongolia 1–0. They would go on to top the group before being eliminated at the next stage. Guam returned to the 2011 Pacific Games after a sixteen-year absence, but only managed to beat American Samoa 2–0, finishing second last and failing to advance to the knock-out stages.

Building the football structure (2012–present)

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Gary White became Guam's manager in 2012 and called-up players of Guamanian origin based in the United States like Ryan Guy and A. J. DeLaGarza to improve the level of his team. In the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup, Matao managed to advance past the first round by beating Northern Marianas (3–1) and Macao (3–0). Guam then participated in the 2012 Philippine Peace Cup, replacing Hong Kong, losing against Philippines (1–0) and Chinese Taipei (2–0) but beat Macao (3–0) in its final group game to finish third. Guam advanced to the second qualifying stage of both the 2015 and 2017 EAFF Championship finishing third and fourth respectively and failing to advance the final competition.

Map
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10km
6miles
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Leo Palace Resort; Main Field
3
2
Guam National Football Stadium
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Guam Football Association National Training Center
Map of Guam stadium

In 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, Guam beat Turkmenistan (1–0) and India (2–1), finishing fourth in their group and qualifying for the 2019 Asian Cup third round qualifiers, although Guam withdrew before the draw took place. Guam then failed to progress past the first qualifying round for the 2019 EAFF Championship.

During the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Guam beat Bhutan 5–1 over two legs but lost all eight of their second round matches and finished bottom of their group, scoring two goals and conceding 32.

After nearly not playing an international match for a year, Guam participated in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification against Singapore, where they would ultimately lose 3–1 on aggregate.

Nickname

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Until 2011, the nickname of the Guamanian selection was Chamorros, in reference to the local population of Guam. When Gary White took charge of Guam, the team has changed their nickname to Matao, referring to highest social class in ancient Chamorro society in the Chamorro language. White also promoted the use of the Guam pledge before each match of the selection, referred to as the Inifresi.[8][9]

Results and fixtures

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Main article: Guam national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

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6 April 2024 2024 Marianas Cup Northern Mariana Islands  2–2  Guam
--:-- UTC+11
  • M. Toves 8'
  • ??? 71' (o.g.)
 Report
7 April 2024 2024 Marianas Cup Northern Mariana Islands  2–1  Guam
--:-- UTC+11
Report
14 December 2024 2025 EAFF E-1 preliminary Macau  1–2  Guam Kowloon, Hong Kong
14:00 UTC+8
Report
Stadium: Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground
Attendance: 534
Referee: Tam Ping Wun (Hong Kong)
17 December 2024 2025 EAFF E-1 preliminary Guam  0–5  Hong Kong So Kon Po, Hong Kong
20:00 UTC+8 Report
Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium
Attendance: 8,236
Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand)

Current coaching staff

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Position Name
Head coach Guam Samuel San Gil
Assistant coach United States Chris Malenab
Assistant coach Wales Matt Holland
Goalkeeper coach Netherlands Jeroen Bos
Video Analyst United States Chris Malenab
Team Doctor Guam Dr. Luis Cruz
Physiotherapist United States J.P. Thompson
Physiotherapist Philippines Walfred Javier
Team Manager Guam Vance Manibusan
High Performance Manager Russia Pavel Gubenko
Media Officer Guam Jill Espiritu
Equipment Director Guam Thomas Castro

Coaching history

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Players

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Current squad

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The following players were called up for the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship preliminary competition.[10]

Caps and goals correct as of December 14, 2024, after the match against  Macau.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK John-Michael Guidroz (2004-01-01) January 1, 2004 (age 20) 1 0 United States University of West Florida
18 1GK Josiah Jones (2006-11-28) November 28, 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Guam Bank of Guam Strykers FC
1GK Dallas Jaye (1993-06-19) June 19, 1993 (age 31) 22 0 free agent
1GK Zaine Rocca (2007-06-28) June 28, 2007 (age 17) 0 0 United States Total Futbol Academy
2 2DF Morgan McKenna (2003-01-16) January 16, 2003 (age 21) 1 0 United States Muskingum University
3 2DF Takumi Ito (2000-02-03) February 3, 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Laos Ezra
4 2DF Kyle Halehale (2002-06-03) June 3, 2002 (age 22) 11 0 United States Mercyhurst University
5 2DF Leon Morimoto (2001-12-18) December 18, 2001 (age 23) 5 1 Philippines Loyola
13 2DF Anthony Quidachay (2002-06-11) June 11, 2002 (age 22) 2 0 United States Chatham Cougars
15 2DF Shane Healy (1998-07-03) July 3, 1998 (age 26) 3 0 Guam Bank of Guam Strykers FC
20 2DF Levi Buckwalter (2004-12-29) December 29, 2004 (age 19) 2 0 Guam Wings FC
2DF Isiah Lagutang (1997-08-03) August 3, 1997 (age 27) 13 1 Guam Bank of Guam Strykers FC
2DF Jonahan Romero (1988-03-17) March 17, 1988 (age 36) 34 0 United States SYC United
2DF Nate Lee (1994-05-06) May 6, 1994 (age 30) 11 0 United States FC Frederick
2DF Dane Agustin (2006-01-23) January 23, 2006 (age 18) 2 0 United States San Antonio FC Academy
6 3MF Joey Ciochetto (1996-10-22) October 22, 1996 (age 28) 4 0 United States Irvine Zeta
8 3MF Alec Taitague (2000-05-09) May 9, 2000 (age 24) 31 3 United States Roanoke Maroons
10 3MF Jason Cunliffe (captain) (1983-10-23) October 23, 1983 (age 41) 67 26 Guam Bank of Guam Strykers FC
11 3MF Nainoa Norton (2004-04-03) April 3, 2004 (age 20) 2 0 United States Olivet Nazarene University
12 3MF Nathan Sablan (1993-08-10) August 10, 1993 (age 31) 0 0 Guam Rovers FC
14 3MF Jason Castro (2007-07-06) July 6, 2007 (age 17) 1 0 United States Strikers FC Irvine
3MF John Matkin (1986-04-20) April 20, 1986 (age 38) 30 2 Free agent
3MF Jude Bischoff (1992-04-26) April 26, 1992 (age 32) 1 0 Guam Guam Shipyard
3MF Travis Nicklaw (1993-12-21) December 21, 1993 (age 31) 36 1 Free agent
7 4FW James Gomez (2004-09-15) September 15, 2004 (age 20) 3 0 United States Claremont McKenna College
9 4FW Oz Rocca (2004-08-10) August 10, 2004 (age 20) 3 0 United States Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners
16 4FW Levi Berg (2008-04-15) April 15, 2008 (age 16) 1 0 Guam Guam Shipyard
17 4FW Shuntaro Suzuki (2005-10-21) October 21, 2005 (age 19) 1 0 Guam Wings FC
19 4FW Daniel Glasscock (2004-05-19) May 19, 2004 (age 20) 1 0 Guam Manhoben Lalahi FC
4FW Marcus López (1992-02-09) February 9, 1992 (age 32) 37 6 Guam Bank of Guam Strykers FC
4FW Eddie Na (1996-02-12) February 12, 1996 (age 28) 8 0 United States Tacoma Stars
4FW Ka'eo Gonsalves (2005-01-06) January 6, 2005 (age 19) 2 0 United States Richmond Kickers

Recent call-ups

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The following players have also been called up to the Guam squad within last 12 months.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up

INJ Withdrew due to injury
PRE Preliminary squad
RET Retired from the national team
SUS Serving suspension

Player records

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As of October 17, 2023
Players in bold are still active with Guam.

Most appearances

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Jason Cunliffe is Guam's top goalscorer and their most capped player.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Jason Cunliffe 66 26 2006–present
2 Ian Mariano 42 3 2007–present
3 Dylan Naputi 40 4 2011–present
Marcus Lopez 40 6 2012–present
5 Dominic Gadia 36 0 2003–present
Mark Chargualaf 36 0 2007–present
7 Shawn Nicklaw 35 2 2012–2019
Travis Nicklaw 35 1 2012–present
9 Ryan Guy 33 4 2012–2016
Micah Paulino 33 0 2008–2016

Top goalscorers

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Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Jason Cunliffe 26 66 0.39 2006–present
2 Matthew Naputi 13 — — 1998–2005
3 Zachary Pangelinan 8 12 0.67 2005–2008
4 Marcus Lopez 6 40 0.15 2012–present
5 Joshua Borja 5 15 0.33 2009–2013
6 Christopher Mendiola 4 11 0.36 2007–2009
Shane Malcolm 4 29 0.14 2014–present
Ryan Guy 4 33 0.12 2012–2016
Dylan Naputi 4 40 0.1 2011–present
10 Elias Merfalen 3 19 0.16 2005–2012
Ian Mariano 3 42 0.07 2007–present

Competitive record

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Main article: Guam national football team results

FIFA World Cup

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FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L F A Pld W D L F A
1930 to 1998 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 35
Germany 2006 Withdrew Withdrew
South Africa 2010
Brazil 2014
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 8 2 1 5 3 16
Qatar 2022 10 1 0 9 7 33
Canada Mexico United States 2026 2 0 0 2 1 3
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total 0/7 22 3 1 18 11 87

AFC Asian Cup

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AFC Asian Cup AFC Asian Cup qualification
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GS GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Not a member of the AFC Not a member of the AFC
South Korea 1960
Israel 1964
Iran 1968
Thailand 1972
Iran 1976
Kuwait 1980
Singapore 1984
Qatar 1988
Japan 1992 Did not enter Did not enter
United Arab Emirates 1996 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 2 27
Lebanon 2000 3 0 0 3 0 32
China 2004 2 0 0 2 0 11
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Did not enter Did not enter
Qatar 2011 Did not qualify AFC Challenge Cup
Australia 2015
United Arab Emirates 2019 Withdrew during qualification 8 2 1 5 3 16
Qatar 2023 Did not qualify 12 1 0 11 8 36
Saudi Arabia 2027 Excluded during qualification 2 0 0 2 1 3
Total 0/18 — 30 3 1 25 14 125
  • 2019 – Withdrew from the third tournament due to financial constraints.

East Asian Football Championship

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East Asian Football Championship record Preliminary competition
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
East Asian Football Championship
Japan 2003 Did not qualify 4 0 0 4 0 22
South Korea 2005 4 0 0 4 1 49
China 2008 4 2 0 2 13 27
Japan 2010 6 2 1 3 9 28
EAFF East Asian Cup
South Korea 2013 Did not qualify 6 2 1 3 8 18
China 2015 6 3 2 1 10 6
EAFF E-1 Football Championship
Japan 2017 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 2 7
South Korea 2019 3 1 1 1 5 3
Japan 2022 Did not participate Not held
South Korea 2025 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 6
Total – 0/9 0 0 0 0 0 0 38 11 5 22 50 166

AFC Challenge Cup

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AFC Challenge Cup record Qualification record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006 Group stage 16th 3 0 0 3 0 17 No qualification
India 2008 Did not qualify 3 0 0 3 4 18
Sri Lanka 2010 Did not enter Did not enter
Nepal 2012
Maldives 2014 Did not qualify 3 1 0 2 3 9
Total Group stage 1/5 3 0 0 3 0 17 6 1 0 5 7 27

Pacific Games

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Micronesian Games

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Micronesian Games record
Year Result Position Pld W D* L GS GA
Palau 1998 Runners-up 2nd 6 5 0 1 52 7
Pohnpei State 2014 Did not enter
Yap State 2018
Marshall Islands 2022 To be determined
Total Runners-up 1/3 6 5 0 1 43 5

Head-to-head record

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As of 14 December 2024

Opponent First Last Played W D L GF GA GD Confederation
 American Samoa 2011 2011 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 OFC
 Aruba 2014 2014 2 0 1 1 2 4 –2 CONCACAF
 Australia 2012 2012 1 0 0 1 0 9 –9 AFC
 Bangladesh 2006 2006 1 0 0 1 0 3 –3 AFC
 Bhutan 2003 2019 3 1 0 2 5 7 –2 AFC
 Cambodia 2006 2021 4 1 0 3 3 6 –3 AFC
 China 2000 2021 3 0 0 3 0 33 –33 AFC
 Chinese Taipei 1996 2016 12 2 1 5 13 52 –39 AFC
 Fiji 1975 1996 2 0 0 2 1 19 –18 OFC
 Hong Kong 2003 2024 9 0 1 8 4 64 –60 AFC
 India 2013 2015 3 1 0 2 2 6 –4 AFC
 Iran 2000 2015 3 0 0 3 0 31 –31 AFC
 North Korea 2005 2016 5 0 0 5 3 42 –39 AFC
 South Korea 1996 1996 1 0 0 1 0 9 –9 AFC
 Laos 2013 2013 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 AFC
 Macau 2003 2024 7 3 2 2 10 7 3 AFC
 Maldives 2019 2019 2 0 0 2 1 4 –3 AFC
 Mongolia 2003 2018 7 2 1 4 7 17 –17 AFC
 Myanmar 2013 2013 1 0 0 1 0 5 –5 AFC
 New Caledonia 1979 2011 2 0 0 2 1 20 –19 OFC
 Northern Mariana Islands 2007 2024 15 11 2 2 48 18 30 AFC
 Oman 2015 2016 2 0 1 1 0 1 –1 AFC
 Pakistan 2008 2008 1 0 0 1 2 9 –7 AFC
 Palestine 2006 2006 1 0 0 1 0 11 –11 AFC
 Papua New Guinea 1995 1995 1 0 0 1 0 9 –9 OFC
 Philippines 2000 2021 5 0 0 5 1 13 –12 AFC
 Singapore 2015 2023 3 0 1 2 3 5 –2 AFC
 Solomon Islands 1975 2011 3 0 0 3 2 24 –22 OFC
 Sri Lanka 2008 2008 1 0 0 1 1 5 –4 AFC
 Syria 2019 2021 2 0 0 2 0 7 –7 AFC
 Tahiti 1993 1993 1 0 0 1 0 11 –11 OFC
 Tajikistan 2000 2000 1 0 0 1 0 16 –16 AFC
 Turkmenistan 2015 2015 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 AFC
 Vanuatu 1995 2011 2 0 0 2 0 2 –2 OFC
 Vietnam 1996 2000 2 0 0 2 0 2 –20 AFC

Honors

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Friendly

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  • Mariana Cup
    • Champions (3): 2007, 2008, 2010

References

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  1. ^ Mike Nauta Jr. (June 1, 2012). "Guam men's national soccer team now known as 'Matao'". Marianas Variety. Guam. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved June 2, 2012.
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 16, 2024.
  4. ^ "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking − Guam Men's Ranking". fifa.com. FIFA. August 6, 2015. Archived from the original on October 31, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  5. ^ "Biggest margin victories/losses" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2013. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  6. ^ "HISTORY OF GFA". Guam FA. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  7. ^ Cruickshank, Mark. "Micronesian Games 1998". RSSSF. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  8. ^ Vénétitay, Guillaume (March 24, 2016). "Interview with Gary White". So Foot. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  9. ^ Bate, Adam. "Gary White: Life in Guam, coaching in Japan and dreams of England". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Head Coach Kim calls up 22 to Matao for AFC Asian Cup Playoff". GuamFA.com. Guam FA. Archived from the original on October 9, 2021. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
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