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Agence France-Presse

Off the football pitch it is a total mismatch: China’s 1.4 billion population versus Guam’s 170,000.
But the two collide in a World Cup qualifier on Sunday with the US island territory’s squad – which includes high-school and college players – trying to cut their Chinese hosts down to size.
Guam will be massive underdogs and anything other than a Chinese victory in front of a sell-out crowd of about 30,000 in Suzhou would be a shock.
But Guam have done something similar before. In 2015 they stunned India – which has the second-biggest population after China – in World Cup qualifying.
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It did not bring them a maiden World Cup appearance, but it lifted Asian football’s smallest member association to 146th in the Fifa rankings. Guam are now 198th of 210 teams.
Underlining the scale of the task against China, Guam’s comparatively minuscule population means the national side only has about 50 players to choose from, Guam Football Association president Valentino San Gil told AFP by telephone.

Of the current squad, a couple are in professional or semi-professional football in the United States, but most play in Guam’s domestic league – while juggling full-time jobs – or college football in the US.
One of their players, Eduardo Pedemonte, will graduate from high school this year, and there are two sets of brothers.
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The Western Pacific island may be a US territory but football, rather than baseball or basketball, is the most popular sport in Guam, San Gil said.
“Here we just play football year-round because our weather permits,” he added, in a nod to the beaches and sun that make Guam a popular tourist destination.
Guam has invested in its football infrastructure and also brought in coaches from abroad.
“That’s why our football quality has improved over the years,” San Gil said.
Guam are bottom of the qualifying group with five defeats in as many games and a goal difference of minus 17, and cannot qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
But while they could be said to have overachieved in the past, the opposite is true of China.
The Chinese have ambitions to win a World Cup but are 77th in the Fifa rankings and a distant second behind Syria in the group. Only the top team is guaranteed to reach the next stage on the road to Qatar.
As with many places that rely on tourism, the coronavirus has hit Guam hard.
Football is no exception, with domestic leagues suspended since March last year and the team losing “six or seven” players who backed out of the China trip because of pandemic-related travel and health requirements, San Gil said.
When we first started football we were like the punch bag
Valentino San Gil, Guam Football Association president
The depleted squad will be kept in a virus-secure “bubble” in Suzhou for matches against China, the Philippines and Syria.
Guam lost 7-0 to China earlier in qualifying and San Gil is not predicting an upset this weekend to rival the breakthrough victory over India.
But he is buoyant about the future of football in Guam, which only became a member of Fifa in 1996 and were beaten 19-0 by China in 2000.
“When we first started football we were like the punch bag,” San Gil said.
“But we strived to do a lot better and we are actually now competing.
“The government here believes that there is good potential to compete against India, Turkmenistan, Oman ... all the other countries.”


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Fifa World Cup 2022

World Cup 2022: Guam’s student footballers size up China in qualifying mismatch

Guam are set to take on China in Suzhou in World Cup 2022 qualifying on Sunday. Photo: AFP

(FILES) This file photo taken on October 10, 2019 shows Chinese players (L-R) Zhang Linpeng (#5), Wu Xi, Yang Xu and Chi Zhongguo celebrating a goal during the 2022 World Cup football qualifier between China and Guam in Guangzhou. - China and Guam collide in a World Cup qualifier on May 30, 2021 with the US island territory's squad -- which includes high-school and college players -- trying to cut their Chinese hosts down to size. (Photo by STR / AFP) / China OUT / TO GO WITH FBL-WC-2022-GUM-CHN, FOCUS BY PETER STEBBINGS

Saudi Arabia puts World Cup every two years back on Fifa’s agenda

The Fifa World Cup would be held every two years under new proposals from the Saudi Arabia representatives to Fifa. Photo: EPA

FILED - 05 July 2019, France, Decines-Charpieu: FIFA President Gianni Infantino attends press conference. A special prosecutor investigating Infantino has been removed, a federal court said on Wednesday. Photo: Sebastian Gollnow/dpa

Qatar 2022: Hong Kong boss Mixu Paatelainen rings changes for Fifa World Cup qualifiers in Bahrain

Hong Kong head coach Mixu Paatelainen (centre) takes his first training session at the HKFA’s Tseung Kwan O Football Training Centre. Photo: Felix Wong

World Cup 2022: banned Sayed Baqer back in Bahrain squad to face Hong Kong

Bahraini defender Sayed Baqer makes a gesture to Hong Kong football fans after the teams met in a Fifa World Cup qualifier in November, 2019. Image: Twitter/@pjrydo

Sport

Football


Guam became a member of Fifa in 1996 and were beaten 19-0 by China in 2000



Guam became a member of Fifa in 1996 and were beaten 19-0 by China in 2000.
