The Marshall Islands finally make their soccer debut: ‘Such a statement for our tiny island’ | Football

It was not the typical reaction of a national team down 4-0. But, of course, it was not a typical national team match.

After the Marshall Islands conceded a fourth goal to the American Virgin Islands, the crowd got up, some waving flags. “It’s the RMI!” Keep your head high! ” A fan cried.

The Marshall Islands had been considered the last country in the world without an international football team. Now, officially, they joined the party – an accomplishment great enough for the 4-0 defeat in the opening match did not seem important. The team followed the defeat by putting a good show on Saturday, scoring the first and second goals in the history of the Marshall Islands during a 3-2 defeat against the Turkish islands and Caicos.

Springdale, in Arkansas, had been carefully chosen by the organizers of the very first match of the Marshall Islands. In an immigration oddity, the northwest of Arkansas is home to around 15,000 Marshallese, attracted by the region for decades thanks to a free association pact (COFA) which allows Marshallese to enter the United States and to work legally.

This is why, despite the defeat, the team was jubilant after the final whistle, feeding on the applause and applause of a fans’ base simply happy to be represented.

“Today’s event means a lot for the Marshallese community, seeing people wave our flag and having a team to represent the Marshall Islands was very touching to many members of the community,” said Anjanette Anjel, consul general of the RMI Consulate in Springdale. “Everyone is very proud of the team and really excited for matches.”

This excitement was built among the crowd at the Jarrell Williams Bulldog Stadium – The High School Athletics Springdale House – until the national team of the Marshall Islands came out of the locker room for the first time. Then they let go.

“The roar when the first whistle was deafening. Singing the national anthem with the people around us was incredible,” said manager Lloyd Owers after the match. “We hope that the northwest of Arkansas has been at home for us for a long time, we have been welcomed with open arms and had such a good experience.”

That Owers, who was appointed technical director of the Marshall Islands at the end of 2022, and the large English group heading to the effort to bring the Marshall Islands to the world football community, received such a warm welcome is not an easy task.

“The Marshalean peoples do not trust people outside,” explains Stephanie Takamaru of Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese. They may have a good reason not to do it. While many have left the Marshall Islands for the United States for economic opportunities, others have been forced to leave due to the effects of the United States nuclear trials in the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls.

Now, despite the COFA which allowed Marshallese to enter and work legally in the United States, the consulate and the organization of Takamaru work with residents who face an uncertain path towards American citizenship.

“One of the biggest problems we encounter at the moment is that the ice has been very active in the region,” said Takamaru. “We have no visa, we only have the i-94, which is your form which goes through the border patrol by saying that you are legal and the passport.”

The configuration is not familiar to some in the application of laws. Takamaru said that some Marshallese had been released by their employers after questioning. These challenges, however, have only increased the feelings of solidarity in the Marshallese community of Arkansas and beyond, and the new national team has slipped directly into the growing feeling of pride and the desire for representation.

“We are all unit and together with regard to major events and events in life,” said Takamaru. “The national team obtains a huge fans base here. It’s really cool to see. Having this internationally is such a declaration for our small island.”

However, football is not the sport of choice in the Marshall Islands or among its diaspora in the United States. Thompson Hertin, a resident of Arkansas, said that he was practicing a number of sports with his friends, but was surprised to learn that the Marshall Islands would be represented in football.

“Football is not known for us, the Marshallese,” he said before Thursday’s match. “We play basketball, volleyball, but football?”

The group had only five training sessions before the beginnings of Thursday evening and did not know what to expect with regard to a style of play. Some islands players generally play futsal and bring different techniques of players based in the United States who came to American clubs.

“Now that we know how we play in general and our weaknesses as a team, we have a few days to prepare for another team that has been in FIFA for some time,” Josiah Blanton said at the Blanton Center about the next V Turks & Caicos match, in which they would score the first two goals of the country. “The fact that we can go out with a 4-0 after never playing was great.”

The nature of sports means that a team can only accept losses for so long, but Owers believes that their team should feel satisfied with performance and noted that he did not need to change a lot to get a result in the second match of the Outrigger Challenge Cup team.

“If it was 20-0, would anyone have taken into account? Because it was somehow expected. We entered, 2-0 in both halves. It’s incredible, and everyone should be, so proud of that,” said Owers. “Now we have a different orientation. This song is gone. On Saturday, we are really getting out of different expectations. We are not going out to do the figures, we go out to beat the Turks and Caicos.”

Even if the wait for the first point and the first victory continue last Saturday, fans of the Arkansas will continue to repay the team with support and worship. It may be atypical, but they are grateful to have a team that belongs to them.