Matansa advances to FA Challenge Cup

Matansa boys U18 led three others teams to the next round of the 2011 FA Challenge Cup after slipping past Shirley’s FC women’s squad, 2-1, last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

The victory moved Matansa U18 to the semifinals of Pool B, while Shirley’s FC was eliminated in the 10-team Challenge Cup. Matansa U18 will face in the semis the winner of this Saturday’s game between Paire boys U15 and MP United U15 Silver play.

The all-women crew of Shirley’s FC put up a gallant stand against Matansa and even took the early lead when Lalaine Pagarao scored the first goal with only 23 seconds gone by at the start of the match.

Shirley’s hung on to the lead in the next 30-plus minutes of the 45-minute first half before Angelo Guevarra lit up the scoreboard for Matansa with his goal in the 37:30 to equalize.

Then less than two minutes later, Matansa scored anew and this time Mayjohn Catindig found the back of the net to give his team the lead. Matansa kept the upper hand at halftime, 2-1, as Shirley’s remained cold after the early goal of Pagarao.

In the second half, Matansa made it a 3-1 count after Antonio Borillo hit his first and only goal at the 48:37 mark. Then Jeraldine Castillo finally ended Shirley’s dry spell with her goal in the 57:11 mark and sliced Matansa’s lead to one. However, Matansa played tough defense in the remaining minutes to foil Shirley’s upset bid.

In the other first round game played at Hopwood, MP United U18 clobbered Paire FC women’s team, 11-1. Megan Herber notched the lone goal for Paire, while scorers for MP United U18 was not listed on the official match report. MP United U18 tallied six goals in the first half and added five more in the second.

MP United U15 Blue 3, Matansa U15 1

Over at the Oleai Sports Complex Field, MP United U15 Blue eliminated Matansa U15 in the first game.

Three different players scored for MP United Blue with David Kim posting the team’s lone goal in the first half. Ryu Tanzawa and Daniel Lim then had one goal each in the second half to give MP United enough cushion. Matansa’s lone goal in the match came from Sean Perez in the second half.

MP United U15 will next face Paire U18 with the winner of this Saturday’s match battling MP United U18 in Pool A semifinals on Dec. 14.

Paire U15 3, Tan Holdings 2

In the other game at the Oleai pitch, Paire edged Tan Holdings.

Bryan Lee logged twin goals for Paire, while Scott Kim recorded the team’s other goal.

Jack Tanapon also made a pair for Tan Holdings with the first one coming in at the 32nd minute to force a tie at halftime, 1-1. Kim nailed Paire’s only goal in the first half.

Tanapon hit one more in the second half, but Tan Holdings failed to steal the win after allowing Lee to score two goals in the final frame.

Paire will duel U15 fall league champion MP United Silver this Saturday at 11am at the Oleai pitch after the Paire U18-MP United Blue tiff at 8:30am.