Sun Palace grabs Division 2 lead

Sun Palace’s Ji Chun Zhang, left, and the Thundercats’ Josh Kim ward off each other as they run after the ball during the second half of their Division 2 game in the M-League last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Sun Palace took away the Division 2 lead from the Thundercats after recording a 3-1 win during their game in the 2016 M-League last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

Sang Ho Choi made a double to help Sun Palace beat the Thundercats, while Zhi Jin Guang scored the other goal. Sun Palace improved to a 2-1-0 win-draw-loss mark ahead of the Thundecats (2-1-1), Shirley’s FC (2-0-2), Kanoa (1-1-1), World Resort (1-1-2), and the CNMI Women’s National Team (1-0-3).

Guang delivered the first goal for the division leader in the 13th minute, while Choi nailed his pair in the second half, posting his first in the 53rd and the second 14 minutes later. Timothy Tawanpiy knocked in the lone goal for the Thundercats with his shot in the 60th.

In the other Division 2 game last Sunday, Shirley’s FC earned its second straight victory after dropping its first two games following a 3-2 triumph over World Resort.

Kazuaki Togo posted two goals for Shirley’s, including the go-ahead in the 68th minute. He logged the other goal seven minutes earlier to knot the count, 2-2. Kosuke Sato handed Shirley’s its first goal in the 16th minute and the team managed to keep the upper hand at the break as World Resort remained quiet in the opening frame.

World Resort then found its rhythm in the second half with Juanito Tiamzon putting his team on the board and tying the match with his conversion in the 51st minute. A goal from Daniel Agulto five minutes later allowed World Resort to grab the lead before Togo forced the second deadlock in the 61st and then regained the driver’s seat for Shirley’s in the 68th.

In other results in Division 2, Kanoa waltzed past the CNMI Women’s National Team last Saturday, 4-0.

Jae Kwang Oh gave Kanoa two goals, while Owen Ji and Ho Jin Woo contributed one apiece. Kanoa registered its first goal right in the opening minute off Ji’s shot, while Kwang made it a 2-0 lead in the 22nd. Kanoa went on to close the opening frame with a 3-0 advantage after Woo added one more in the 35th, while Kwang wrapped things up for the winning team with his second goal in the 66th.

DIVISION 1

KFAS 2, MP United 1

Korean Football Association moved on top of the division after edging MP United.

Edwin Kim and Jong Gu Gil scored one goal apiece for KFAS, which now has a 2-0-0 record to lead Division 1. Kim lit up the board for KFAS first with his shot in the 10th minute, while Gil found the back of the net in the 53rd.

MP United, which dropped to a 1-0-1 mark for fourth place in the five-team field, drew its lone goal from Joe Miller in the 29th minute.

Paire/Inter 2, Tan Holdings 1

Paire/Inter Godfather’s also got its second win last weekend after outclassing Tan Holdings,

Chris Nelson knocked in the pair of goals for Paire/Inter Godfather’s, making both of them in the second half to overhaul a 0-1 deficit at halftime.

Tan Holdings led in the first half, thanks to Sean Perez’s early goal in the fifth minute. Tan Holdings (1-0-1) hung on to the upper hand for awhile before Nelson picked up the cudgels for Paire/Inter Godfather’s and got back-to-back goals with his first recorded in the 62nd and the second three minutes later.

With the win, Paire/Inter Godfather’s shadows KFAS as the former now holds a 2-0-1 mark.