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| Far East United |
When the page turns towards June, some of the best football players will battle it out on The Soccer Tournament, a $1M winner-take-all competition taking place at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC.
One of those teams is Far East United, composed of some of the best to have represented the region.
Leading the cast is Safee Sali, who helped Malaysia win the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup. He and Greg Nwokolo of Indonesia will serve as the main guys up front. Supporting them are Thai international Charryl Chappuis, Indonesia-based Croat Marko Simic, Guam skipper Jason Cunliffe, and Japanese defender Masaki Watanabe.
Providing some local flavor are Anton del Rosario, and former Ceres Negros defender Joshua Dutosme, with the availability of Bienvenido Maranon still unclear as of the moment.
Mentoring the side is Matt Holland, who has been based in the region for the last decade. He's ready for this new endeavor, says, "I have worked on a first team, youth and grassroots, and academy level including as an analyst. My coaching is wide and in different disciplines. It is one of the reasons why I have gotten multiple jobs in the region."
The 34-year-old adds, "The make-up of the team is different and it changes because of the availability of players, but it is exciting. These are key players in their countries and national teams; players who I have seen and coached against while working in Southeast Asia. It is great to meet them and to help give them that opportunity to showcase their talent on a different global stage."
Far East United was drawn into Group D alongside West Ham, Dallas United, and Culture by Mo Ali FC. In order to advance to the knockout rounds, teams will have to finish in their top half of the group.
Other notable teams participating in the tournament include top-flight sides Borussia Dortmund and Wolverhanpton, as well as National League champions Wrexham.
With all the players based all across the globe, there could be potential chemistry issues, but team manager Ethan Lee has a means to address that before heading to Cary. The Palaro boss shares, "... We look forward to consolidating our team during our Las Vegas training camp. For sure the players will come out with a lot of pride to showcase what we can do. We are aiming for that top prize of US $1 Million."
Lee adds, "The challenge is simple – the boys have to be familiar with one another. It is very much going to be about togetherness and the pride of representing Asia on US soil. There are tactical elements that we are discussing internally. But we have to blend together in a short time."
At the same time, Holland dismisses fitness being a potential issue. "I am not worried about fitness because they are all playing in their current seasons," the Welshman declares.
The full Far East United lineup is made up of:
John Alexander Caceres (USA) midfielder
Charyl Chappuis (Thailand) midfielder
Jason Cunliffe (Guam) midfielder/defender
Anton del Rosario (Philippines) defender
Joshua Dutosme (Philippines) defender
Brandon Gomez (USA) goalkeeper
Nestor Hernandez (USA) midfielder
Tyler John (USA) midfielder/defender
Shane Andre Malcolm (Guam) midfielder
Bienvenido Marañon (Philippines) striker
Greg Nwokolo (Indonesia) striker
Felipe Oliviera (USA) midfielder
Jesus Pacheco (USA) midfielder
Mohd Safee Sali (Malaysia) striker
Tengku Fahad Shah (Malaysia) midfielder
Marko Simic (Croatia/Indonesia) striker
Felipe Souza (Brazil) midfielder
Masaki Watanabe (Japan) defender
Matthew Holland (Wales) coach
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