MP United sweep debut games

MP United Football Club got off to a strong start, winning all its three games in the spring season opening of the 2015 NMIFA Youth League over the weekend.

An MP United FC player dribbles away from a Kanoa FC defender during their game in the girls U15 division of the 2015 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

The club’s boys U15 team saw action first and clobbered Kanoa FC, 9-0, last Friday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

Seven different players scored in MP United’s first win with Oliver Lee and Edwin Kim making two apiece and Go Sekiguchi, Sunjoon Tenorio, Alex Park, Tony Kim, and Steven Goodwin adding one apiece. Sekiguchi hit the board first with his goal in the fourth minute, while Tenorio nailed the second one three minutes later. Park and Lee nailed the next two goals for MPU in the first frame, scoring in the 17th and 30th, respectively, while Edwin Kim made it to the board three minutes before the opening half concluded.

Edwin Kim also nailed the team’s first goal in the second half (47th), while Tony Kim made it 7-0 two minutes later and Lee and Kim completed MPU’s domination with their goal in the 69th and 74th, respectively.

In the two other boys U15 game, Matansa FC and Tan Holdings 1 also eased past separate foes.

In the first match last Saturday also at the Oleai pitch, Matansa defeated Tan Holdings 2, 4-1. Chad Shankweiller and Joshua De Leon tallied two goals apiece for the winning team, while Taka Borja was the lone scorer for Tan Holdings 2.

In the second game, Tan Holdings 1 whipped Paire FC, 8-0.

The newcomers teamed up in Tan Holdings 1’s demolition of Paire. Thaiphi Austria and Albert Bergancia, who moved up from the U12 division to the U15 age group, had a rousing debut, collecting three goals apiece. Fellow newcomers—Anthony Fruit and Mark Esalan—chipped in one each.

GIRLS U15
MP United 3, Kanoa 0
Over at the Hopwood Junior High School Field, MP United shut down Kanoa in the final game in Week 1 last Saturday.

Both teams showed rust in their first game of the season, as neither squad hit the board in the first half. Maureeen Faye Doculan then broke the tie in the 49th minute, while Maaya Sato knocked in the last two goals.

Tan Holdings 5, Paire 3
In the first game, Tan Holdings edged Paire.

The opposing squads were in a deadlock at the break before Tan Holdings gained cushion in the second to win its first game. Chloe Salvosa forced the deadlock with her pair of goals, while Paire got its two goals from Guinevere Borja and Renita Fleming. Borja nailed another one in the second half, but Tan Holdings countered with three off back-to-back conversions from May Kay Alferos and one from Katherine Angeles.

In the other girls U15 tiff, Matansa FC and Shirley’s FC engaged in a scoreless draw.

CO-ED U12
MP United 10, Tan Holdings 3
Rintaro Miyawaki and Grafton Howard connected on three goals apiece to lift MP United to an easy win over Tan Holdings FC in the boys co-ed U12 game last Saturday at the Hopwood pitch.

Miyawaki kicked off MPU’s offense with his two straight goals to tie the match, while Howard also hit goals in succession, ending the first half with a pair to put the team on top, 5-3. Dylan Cho logged the other goal for MPU in the first half, while Taka Borja, Kohtaro Goto, and Puri Jolo scored for Tan Holdings.

In the second half, it was all MPU with Howard posting his third straight goal and Miyawaki also earning his third early in that period. Jon Villahomez, Brian Kim, and Jun Park were the other MPU scorers in the second half.

Kanoa 3, Matansa 3
In the other co-ed U12 tiff last weekend, Kanoa and Matansa were in a standoff.

Alex Achas recorded the game-tying goal for Matansa, as he knocked in his second in the 48th minute of the one-hour match. He had his first two minutes before the first half wrapped up to force a deadlock, 2-2. Benito Lolobeyong drilled the other goal for Matansa in the first half, as he found the back of the net in the 12th minute.

Ian Karl Maniago posted all three goals for Kanoa, as he made it to the board right in the second minute before getting his second in the 23rd. He earned a hat-trick in the second half and gave Kanoa a shaky lead with his conversion in the 44th.