A.J. DeLaGarza earned the start as Guam kicked off their bid to qualify for the 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup on a winning not with a 2-1 victory over Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) in the final round of qualifying on Thursday.
Former Santa Clara University standout Jason Cunliffe put the Matao ahead after 15 minutes by burying a penalty kick against the host nation. Just three minutes before halftime, Guam doubled their lead with a goal from Shane Malcolm.
In front of their home crowd at the Taipei Municipal Stadium, Chinese Taipei cut Guam’s lead in half on a goal from Chen-Hao-Wei. However thanks to the play of DeLaGarza and the Matao defense, the Taiwanese were unable to complete the comeback.
DeLaGarza and Guam return to action in two days when they take on 2010 FIFA World Cup competitor North Korea at 3 am Pacific Time and can be seen on EAFF.com. North Korea began the final stage of qualifying with a victory on Thursday by beating Hong Kong 2-1.
A win against the North Koreans will give the Matao the upper hand in their bid to qualify for the tournament heading into their final group stage match against Hong Kong on Nov. 19.
