Guam national football team facts for kids
![]() |
|||
Nickname(s) | Matao (The Noblemen) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | Guam Football Association (GFA) | ||
Confederation | AFC (Asia) | ||
Sub-confederation | EAFF (East Asia) | ||
Head coach | Ross Awa | ||
Captain | Jason Cunliffe | ||
Most caps | Jason Cunliffe (68) | ||
Top scorer | Jason Cunliffe (26) | ||
Home stadium | GFA National Training Center | ||
FIFA code | GUM | ||
|
|||
FIFA ranking | |||
Current | 192 ![]() |
||
Highest | 146 (August–September 2015) | ||
Lowest | 207 (March 2022) | ||
Elo ranking | |||
Current | 207 ![]() |
||
Highest | 96 (June 2015) | ||
Lowest | 108 (March 2007) | ||
First international | |||
![]() ![]() (Tumon, Guam; 2 August 1975) |
|||
Biggest win | |||
Unofficial![]() ![]() (Koror City, Palau; 27 July 1998) ![]() ![]() (Koror City, Palau; 31 July 1998) Official ![]() ![]() (Hagåtña, Guam; 1 April 2007) |
|||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Taipei, Taiwan; 11 March 2005) |
|||
Pacific Games | |||
Appearances | 5 (first in 1975) | ||
Best result | Sixth place (1979) | ||
Micronesian Games | |||
Appearances | 1 (first in 1998) | ||
Best result | Runners-up (1998) |
The Guam national football team plays for Guam in men's international football games. Guam is an overseas territory of the United States. The team is managed by the Guam Football Association. Guam joined FIFA in 1996 and the AFC in 1991.
In 2015, Guam reached its highest ever spot in the FIFA World Ranking, placing 146th. This happened after they won games against Turkmenistan and India. Guam's first ever FIFA World Cup qualification match was played against Iran national football team in Tabriz.
Contents
History of Guam Football
How it All Started (1960s–1990s)
Football in Guam began in the 1960s. Two important people helped start it: Tony Gillespie, an Irish priest, and Charles Whang, who owned a construction company. Charles Whang moved to Guam and created the Guam Soccer Cup. He later became the first president of the Guam Football Association in 1975.
Guam played its first international game at the 1975 Pacific Games. They lost 5–1 to the Solomon Islands. After that, they lost 11–0 to Fiji and were out of the competition. In the 1979 Games, Guam lost again to New Caledonia (11–1) and New Hebrides (5–0).
However, in a special tournament called the Consolation Tournament, Guam got their first wins! They beat Western Samoa 4–2 and Tuvalu 7–2. They then lost to New Hebrides again, 5–1.
Joining AFC and FIFA (1991–2011)
Even though Guam was seen as part of Oceania, they joined the AFC in 1991. They still played in the Pacific Games. In 1996, Guam became a full member of both the AFC and FIFA. This was a big step for their football team.
As a full member, Guam played its first games against Asian teams in the 1996 AFC Asian Cup qualification. They lost all three matches. They lost to South Korea (9–0), Vietnam (9–0), and Chinese Taipei (9–2).
In 1998, Guam played in the Micronesian Games. This was a special 9-a-side tournament with shorter matches. Guam finished first in their group but lost 3–0 to Northern Mariana Islands in the final game. Guam also played in the 2000 AFC Asian Cup qualification. They finished last in their group, losing to Vietnam (11–0), China (19–0), and Philippines (2–0).
In 2002, Guam helped start the East Asian Football Federation. They played in the first 2003 East Asian Football Championship qualifiers but finished last without scoring any goals. The same happened in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they lost to Bhutan and Mongolia. For the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Guam was supposed to play Nepal. However, both teams pulled out because of money problems.
In the 2005 East Asian Football Championship qualifiers, Guam lost all four games by a lot. They lost to Chinese Taipei (9–0), Hong Kong (15–0), Mongolia (4–1), and North Korea (21–0). After these losses, Guam joined the 2006 AFC Challenge Cup. This competition was made to help "emerging nations" improve their football. Guam lost all three matches there too, to Palestine (11–0), Bangladesh (3–0), and Cambodia (3–0).
Guam moved to the second stage of qualifying in the 2008 East Asian Football Championship. They beat Northern Marianas 12–2 over two games. But they were then knocked out by Chinese Taipei (10–0) and Hong Kong (15–1). In the 2010 East Asian Football Championship qualifiers, Guam got its first win against a FIFA member team, beating Mongolia 1–0. They finished first in their group but were eliminated in the next stage. Guam returned to the 2011 Pacific Games after 16 years. They only managed to beat American Samoa 2–0, finishing second to last and not moving to the next round.
Building the Team (2012–Present)
Gary White became Guam's manager in 2012. He brought in players of Guamanian background who lived in the United States, like Ryan Guy and A. J. DeLaGarza. This helped make the team stronger. In the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup, the Matao team moved past the first round. They beat Northern Marianas (3–1) and Macao (3–0). Guam also played in the 2012 Philippine Peace Cup. They lost to Philippines (1–0) and Chinese Taipei (2–0). However, they beat Macao (3–0) in their last group game and finished third. Guam also reached the second qualifying stage of both the 2015 and 2017 EAFF Championship. They finished third and fourth, so they did not reach the final competition.
In the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Guam won against Turkmenistan (1–0) and India (2–1). They finished fourth in their group. This meant they qualified for the 2019 Asian Cup third round qualifiers. However, Guam decided to withdraw before the draw for those games happened. Guam then did not get past the first qualifying round for the 2019 EAFF Championship.
During the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Guam beat Bhutan 5–1 over two games. But they lost all eight of their second-round matches. They finished last in their group, scoring two goals and letting in 32.
After almost a year without playing an international match, Guam took part in the first round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification. They played against Singapore and lost 3–1 overall.
Team Nickname
Before 2011, the Guam team was called Chamorros. This name referred to the local people of Guam. When Gary White became the coach, the team changed its nickname to Matao. Matao means the highest social class in the old Chamorro society. Coach White also encouraged the team to say the Guam pledge, called the Inifresi, before each game.
Recent Games and Schedule
Here are the results of matches played in the last year, and any games that are planned.
Win Draw Loss Fixture
2024 Matches
6 April 2024 Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands ![]() |
2–2 | ![]() |
|
--:-- UTC+11 |
7 April 2024 Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands ![]() |
2–1 | ![]() |
|
--:-- UTC+11 |
14 December 2024 2025 EAFF E-1 preliminary | Macau ![]() |
1–2 | ![]() |
Kowloon, Hong Kong |
14:00 UTC+8 |
|
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 | ![]() |
So Kon Po, Hong Kong |
20:00 UTC+8 | Stadium: Hong Kong Stadium Attendance: 8,236 Referee: Wiwat Jumpaoon (Thailand) |
21 December 2024 Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands ![]() |
1–2 | ![]() |
Koblerville, Northern Mariana Islands |
Stadium: NMI Soccer Training Center |
22 December 2024 Friendly | Northern Mariana Islands ![]() |
0–8 | ![]() |
Koblerville, Northern Mariana Islands |
Stadium: NMI Soccer Training Center |
Team Staff
Current Coaching Staff
Coaching History
Willie McFaul (1999–2003)
Sugao Kambe (2003–2005)
Norio Tsukitate (2005–2009)
Kazuo Uchida (2011–2012)
Gary White (2012–2016)
Darren Sawatzky (2016–2017)
Karl Dodd (2017–2021)
Seo Dong-won (2021)
Kim Sang-hoon (2021–2023)
Ross Awa (2023–present)
Players
Current Squad
These players were chosen for the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship preliminary competition.
Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of December 14, 2024, after the match against Macau.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | GK | John-Michael Guidroz | January 1, 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | GK | Josiah Jones | November 28, 2006 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | GK | Dallas Jaye | June 19, 1993 | 22 | 0 | free agent |
GK | Zaine Rocca | June 28, 2007 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
|
|
||||||
2 | DF | Morgan McKenna | January 16, 2003 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Takumi Ito | February 3, 2000 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Kyle Halehale | June 3, 2002 | 13 | 0 | ![]() |
5 | DF | Leon Morimoto | December 18, 2001 | 5 | 1 | ![]() |
13 | DF | Anthony Quidachay | June 11, 2002 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Shane Healy | July 3, 1998 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
20 | DF | Levi Buckwalter | December 29, 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
22 | DF | Isiah Lagutang | August 3, 1997 | 13 | 1 | ![]() |
23 | DF | Jonahan Romero | March 17, 1988 | 34 | 0 | ![]() |
DF | Nate Lee | May 6, 1994 | 11 | 0 | ![]() |
|
DF | Dane Agustin | January 23, 2006 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
|
|
||||||
6 | MF | Joey Ciochetto | October 22, 1996 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
8 | MF | Alec Taitague | May 9, 2000 | 31 | 3 | ![]() |
10 | MF | Jason Cunliffe (captain) | October 23, 1983 | 69 | 26 | ![]() |
11 | MF | Nainoa Norton | April 3, 2004 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | MF | Nathan Sablan | August 10, 1993 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | MF | Jason Castro | July 6, 2007 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
MF | John Matkin | April 20, 1986 | 30 | 2 | Free agent | |
MF | Jude Bischoff | April 26, 1992 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
|
MF | Travis Nicklaw | December 21, 1993 | 36 | 1 | Free agent | |
|
||||||
7 | FW | James Gomez | September 15, 2004 | 5 | 3 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Oz Rocca | August 10, 2004 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
16 | FW | Levi Berg | April 15, 2008 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
17 | FW | Shuntaro Suzuki | October 21, 2005 | 3 | 1 | ![]() |
19 | FW | Daniel Glasscock | May 19, 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
FW | Marcus Lopez | February 9, 1992 | 39 | 7 | ![]() |
|
FW | Eddie Na | February 12, 1996 | 8 | 0 | ![]() |
|
FW | Ka'eo Gonsalves | January 6, 2005 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent Player Call-ups
These players have also been called to the Guam team in the last 12 months.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
INJ Withdrew due to injury |
Player Records
- Players in bold are still playing for Guam.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jason Cunliffe | 68 | 26 | 2006–present |
2 | Marcus Lopez | 43 | 7 | 2012–present |
3 | Ian Mariano | 42 | 3 | 2007–2019 |
4 | Dylan Naputi | 40 | 4 | 2011–2019 |
5 | Travis Nicklaw | 39 | 1 | 2012–present |
6 | Dominic Gadia | 36 | 0 | 2003–2019 |
Mark Chargualaf | 36 | 0 | 2007–2021 | |
Jonahan Romero | 36 | 0 | 2012–present | |
9 | Shawn Nicklaw | 35 | 2 | 2012–2019 |
10 | Ryan Guy | 33 | 4 | 2012–2016 |
Micah Paulino | 33 | 0 | 2008–2016 |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jason Cunliffe | 26 | 68 | 0.38 | 2006–present |
2 | Matthew Naputi | 13 | — | — | 1998–2005 |
3 | Zachary Pangelinan | 8 | 12 | 0.67 | 2005–2008 |
4 | Marcus Lopez | 7 | 43 | 0.16 | 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 | 2014–2019 | |
Ryan Guy | 4 | 33 | 0.12 | 2012–2016 | |
Dylan Naputi | 4 | 40 | 0.1 | 2011–2019 | |
10 | Elias Merfalen | 3 | 19 | 0.16 | 2005–2012 |
Ian Mariano | 3 | 42 | 0.07 | 2007–2019 |
Team Achievements
Friendly Cups
- Marianas Cup (3): 2007, 2008, 2010
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guam para niños