The East Asian Football Federation is a group of international football nations (unsurprisingly, from East Asia). Currently a large number of these teams are fighting it out in the East Asia Cup Preliminaries.
Six countries, Chinese Tapei, Guam, Hong Kong, Mongolia, North Korea and hosts of the premilinary rounds Macao are fighting it out to join Asian powerhouses China, South Korea and Japan in the East Asian Cup finals.
However, there's a more interesting story behind this year's competition. A group of islands three quarters of the way between Hawaii and the Philippines known as the "North Mariana Islands" were recently admitted to the EAFF (East Asian Football Federation).
In the past the Islanders had played against other islands teams in the region such as Micronesia and Palau, often losing heavily. But this was their big opportunity, admission to the EAFF and a 2 legged playoff against Guam for the right to play in the EAFF Preliminary competition.
North Mariana's first ever full international match took place on the 25th March 2007. A young, fit band of Guam players arrived in the North Mariana Islands not knowing quite what to expect. What faced them was possibly the oldest international side ever assembled. Eight of the Eleven North Mariana players were aged over 40 years old, one was born in 1958. What is more astounding is that they managed to get by only losing 3-2 to Guam. Incredible.
Unfortunately for the North Mariana islanders they couldn't fight back from the first leg defeat and lost the second match 9 goals to 0 in Guam with Guam striker Zachary Pangelinan scoring five goals.
Small acorns grow into large trees.
Labels: China, Chinese Tapei, EAFF, East Asian Cup, Guam, Hong Kong, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, North Mariana Islands, South Korea
Guam 2 - 5 Mongolia
