The Guam men's football team will debut a new logo on their kit during the first round of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup.
The Matao are in the Bhutanese capital Thimphu for the first leg of their home and away tie against the Kingdom at the Changlimithang Stadium on Thursday.
Veteran midfielder Mark Chargualaf spearheaded the push to design a new logo late last year and said they wanted something that was more personal and reflective of the national teams and who they represent.
"We wanted to do something that represents the island and our programme instead of something that represents the association, because that's what the old logo kind of symbolised for us - it had 'Guam Football Association' on it," he explained.
"It was very simple - we wanted something that was more specific towards our programmes and something that we could be proud of, that had a bit more colour on it, something fresh, so that's why we started that process of trying to get a new logo together and believe me it was a long process."
Mark Chargualaf poses alongside the new Guam Football national team badge. Photo: Guam Football Association
Mark Chargualaf said most of the players still haven't seen the logo on the Matao kits and will get their first proper look tomorrow on game day.
"They've seen pictures of it but no one has really seen the physical version of it on the kit so we're looking forward to that moment too," he said on the phone from the Bhutanese capital Thimphu.
"Everyone who's seen it - and especially the boys on the team - they're all excited about it and that's what we wanted from this logo was to bring that excitement back to being part of the national team. It's a little boost so that's why it was important that we get this right."
High Hopes
Preparation as been less than ideal for the US Territory who have not played a competitive match since September, when they finished third of four teams in the first round of the East Asian Cup in Mongolia.
Guam last competed in the first round of the East Asian Cup in September. Photo: Facebook/Mongolian Football Federation
The first wave of Guam-based players arrived in Bhutan on Friday, after almost two days of travel. The team's USA-based internationals arrived on Saturday while the final grouping only touched down on Tuesday, just 48 hours before kick-off.
Mark Chargualaf said the players are also trying to adjust to the altitude in Bhutan, with the national stadium perched 2300m above sea level.
"The first day we got here (from Guam) we started to feel the effects of it," he admitted. "Even just walking around you feel it's harder to breathe - some guys were getting headaches or light-headed - but I think most of the guys are adapting well to it and, personally, I like this challenge of having to adapt to new environments.
"I think it will help us out in the long run as footballers because you're always going to be playing in different environments - sometimes in very extreme environments from what we're used to. The first training session was tough - you started seeing the effects of it - but then you started seeing guys slowly adapt to it and now most of the guys it's like nothing, not much to them anymore."
Bhutan and China contest a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu in 2015. Photo: AFP
There are five new caps in the Matao team with goalkeepers Elias Jesus and Alexander Stenson, Joey Ciochetto, Dominic Perez and Ethan Elwell all poised to make their senior debut.
Mark Chargualaf, who first played for the Matao back in 2012, said the whole squad is gelling together well and are determined to achieve a good result on the road to bring back home for the second leg.
"We're very accommodating. We want people to feel a part of the team so that we can motivate them to give their best. We're all on the same page here, we all have the same goals to get results...they're just as part of the team as anybody else and that's what we want. We're one team and when you're on this team everybody has a voice, everybody is the same."
"...The focus now is just on understanding the tactics and getting everybody on the same page in terms of how we want to play. We all arrived at different times so it's kind of just getting the team bonded together and everyone familiar with each other."
The return leg is five days later at the Guam National Football Stadium in Hagåtña.
