Rovers FC (Guam)

Rovers FC
Full name Rovers Football Club
Nickname(s) Rovers
Founded 2008 (2008)
Ground Guam National Training Facility
President Pedro Walls
Manager Joel Sablan
League Guam Soccer League
2017–18 1st
Website Club website

Rovers Club International (Rovers FC) is a relatively new amateur Football Association club based in Guam, Marianas Islands. Rovers FC participates in Division 1 of the Budweiser Guam Mens Soccer League (BGMSL) the top tier island-wide football competition.[1] Rovers FC also includes a Division 2 and Masters (40+) squad as well as a women’s squad (Lady Rovers) and an expanding youth program.

Rovers FC was founded in 2009 through the common interest and shared vision of four passionate amateur Masters-level footballers who committed to embarking on the development of a premiere football club to challenge the island’s historically dominant clubs. The masters (40+) team provided the foundation of the club and immediately paid dividends with success in 2009–10 and numerous fruitful results in travels to Saipan in the Northern Marianas and Hong Kong. Plans for the club’s growth were cultivated during the many trips abroad for friendlies. In 2010, a Rovers FC Division 2 team was established in the Guam Football Association Men’s League. After finishing 1st, 2nd, and 1st, a decision was made in 2013 to finally enter the top level on the island through the development of a Division 1 squad. Here is a link to GFA Men's Divisions I current standings.

This bottom up approach was successful and the Rovers FC D1 team secured a “double” by finishing as champions in their first year in the BGMSL and winning the Guam Football Association Cup in 2014.[2] The Rovers FC D1 squad repeated as Division 1 champions again in 2015 securing the privilege to participate in regional AFC competitions such as the AFC President’s Cup (AFC CL for “emerging nations”) and now in the AFC Cup Qualifying Playoffs which has replaced the AFC President’s Cup (2016 AFC Cup). The club’s rise mirrored national team success which has seen the Guam National Team move from FIFA ranking 201 to 146 over the previous five years.

International competitions

On many occasions the Rovers FC has travelled to Hong Kong and Saipan with future plans to travel to the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and other destinations. The Rovers FC also has plans to continue to springboard to new competitions in regional locations by becoming the very first Guam club to take part in an official AFC Tournament, the AFC Cup Qualifying Play-offs. In the 2016 AFC Cup Qualifying Play-offs, Rovers FC competed against Dordoi FC, the champions of Kyrgyzstan's premier league, and Benfica de Macau, the champions of Macau's premier league.

The Rovers FC has a history of hosting various tournaments whereby clubs from foreign countries have traveled to Guam to compete. Club teams mostly from Japan and Saipan visit Guam to participate in these special weekend tournaments. There are plans on the horizon for these types of tournaments to become more frequent with visiting teams from Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Philippines as well as the teams from Japan and Saipan. Rovers FC have already acquired the reputation as an outstanding hosting club and will continue to elevate these events to bolster that reputation.

Achievements

2013–14,[3] 2014–15, 2015–16[4], 2016–17, 2017–18
2014,[5] 2016[4]

Current squad

Current Squad (Division 1)

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 United States GK David Drews
2 Guam DF FJ Chargualaf
3 Guam MF Jonah Sablan
5 Guam MF Natsuki Recella
6 Japan MF Yukinobu Tone
7 Guam MF Nathan Sablan
8 Guam DF Brian Torres
9 Guam DF Kenny Karosich
10 Guam MF Mark Chargualaf (Captain)
11 Guam MF Shawn Spindel
12 India FW Fook Liao
13 Guam FW Min Choi
No. Position Player
14 United States MF Matt Larkin
15 United States MF Kelby Hernandez
17 Guam MF Bryan Cadiz
22 Guam FW Matt Robles
23 United States DF Evan Sandilands
24 Guam DF Camden Aguon
26 Guam DF Ajay Pothen
28 New Zealand MF Dave McCallum
29 Guam DF Justin Gera
31 Guam GK Taka Ward
66 Republic of Ireland DF Paul Bourke

Club officials (Board)

  • Richard Hawes
  • Joel Sablan
  • Pedro Walls
  • Saied Safa
  • Craig Wade

Continental history

Season Competition Round Club Home Away Position
2017 AFC Cup Qualifying Round Kyrgyzstan Dordoi Bishkek 0–2 3rd
Macau Benfica de Macau 2–4
2019 AFC Cup Preliminary Round 1 Macau Benfica de Macau

References

  1. ↑ "Guam Football Association - Schedule & Results". www.guamfa.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  2. ↑ "Guam 2013/14". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  3. ↑ "Guam Football Association - Rovers DI take Budweiser Soccer League championship". guamfa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Guam Football Association - Rovers FC D1 win Bank of Guam GFA Cup vs Shipyard". guamfa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Guam Football Association - Rovers DI capture Bank of Guam 7th Annual GFA Cup title". guamfa.com. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
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