KFAS extends streak to keep lead

Pacific Islands Club, left, and Korean Football Association on Saipan players fight for the ball during their Division B game in the 2018 Spring M-League last Sunday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Korean Football Association on Saipan made it five wins in a row following an 11-4 rout of Pacific Islands Club in the Division B game in the 2018 Spring M-League last Sunday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field.

KFAS set up the easy win after building a 6-1 advantage at the break. Jun Woo Lee led KFAS’ strong start, as he drilled a hat trick in the first 45 minutes of the match and went on to finish with four goals. Juan Oh also contributed four goals, Si Young Heo chipped in two, and Ju Won Jung added one.

With its unbeaten record in five games, KFAS strengthened its hold on the top spot in the team standings of the six-squad field. PIC, which drew one goal each from John Colisao, Marley Buchun, Jeremie Tanghal, and Albert Bergancia, is at the cellar with its 0-1-4 win-draw-loss mark. Matansa (3-1-1), Sun Palace (2-1-2), CNMI Women’s U16 National Team (2-1-2), and Shirley’s (1-0-4) complete the standings.

In other results in Division B, Sun Palace and Matansa registered contrasting wins last weekend.

Sun Palace edged out Shirley’s, 4-3, while Matansa cruised past the WNT U16, 6-1.

Feng Yu delivered a pair of goals for Sun Palace, including the go-ahead in the 78th minute. His other goal came 10 minutes earlier, while Jack Phan duplicated Yu’s feat after scoring in the 15th and 48th minute.

Shirley’s got one goal apiece from Yong Hoo Jeon, Jun Liu, and Jedidah Peteru with the latter’s goal in the 73rd minute forcing the last deadlock in the closely fought match before Yu saved the day for Sun Palace.

In the Matansa-WNT U16 tiff, the former played better offensively in the second half to outclass its opponent.

Matansa was ahead by only a hair at the break, 2-1, with Amzad Khan and Travis Camacho scoring for the eventual winners. Mia Carreon drilled the lone goal for WNT U16. Khan then added one more in the second half, while Hamid Kawsar, Kamrul Kamrul, and Young Ha Hwang also hit the board in the final frame to hand Matansa its third victory.

DIVISION A
TanHoldings 5, Kanoa 2
Over at the Hopwood Middle School Field, TanHoldings also notched its third victory to keep the No. 2 spot in the team standings.

Mark Esalan starred for TanHoldings (3-1-0) with his three goals, while John Michael Rojas and Mareko Tekopua registered the two other goals for the 2017 fall champion. Ruselle Zapanta and Kirt Andon scored for Kanoa, which is at the bottom of the rankings with its 0-1-3 card.

Teen Ayuyus 1, Okadaya 0
The Teen Ayuyus broke into the win column after slipping past Okadaya in the finale of last weekend’s triple-header.

Joshua Waldo posted the lone goal in the match after finding the back of the net in the 18th minute. The Teen Ayuyus, with their 1-3-1 record, is at No. 4 in the team standings, just slightly ahead of Okadaya (1-1-3).

Meanwhile, MP United (4-0-0) retained the top spot in the division after winning against Winners & Pacific Eco via forfeit.