MP United, Kanoa triumph

Kanoa Football Club and MP United FC started off on the right foot after downing their respective foes in the co-ed U12A division of the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

MP United was paired against TanHoldings FC at Pitch 1 and cruised to a 7-1 victory, while Kanoa outclassed Shirley’s FC in the other game at Pitch 2, 3-1.

Five different players scored for Kanoa with Su Woo leading the way for the winning team after making three goals. Izeah Jolo chipped in two goals, while Jairus Santos and Paul Lizama contributed one apiece. Santos lit up the board for Kanoa first with his conversion in the 11th minute, while Jolo made it a 2-0 advantage for their team two minutes later. Jolo’s other goal was recorded in the 48th minute of the one-hour match, while Woo scored in the 15th, 41st, and 45th minute. Lizama dropped his goal in the 22nd minute, while TanHoldings’ lone goal (match report did not indicate the name of the scorer) in the game came in the second half.

In the other match in the division, Kelly McCallion towed MP United to its season-opening win after drilling a pair of goals.

All of MP United’s goals were posted in the first half with McCallion hitting the board in the eighth and 13th minute, while Moshe Sikkel registed the team’s first goal after finding the back of the net right in the third.

MP United will go for win No. 2 tomorrow when it duels TanHoldings at Pitch 2, while Kanoa is also aiming for its second straight victory when it faces Shirley’s at Pitch 1.

Games in the boys U15 and girls U16 will also resume this Saturday, while the boys U18 and girls U19 (futsal) will have their second week matches tonight.

In the boys U18 division, TanHoldings, which won over the CNMI Boys U15 National Team in the opener, will meet Kanoa in the second game at 7:15pm. Kanoa is looking to bounce back from a loss to MP United, which target its second win as it squares off against the debuting Matansa in the first match at 5:30pm at the NMISTC.

Over at the TSL Sports Complex in Gualo Rai, the pair of girls U19 games will also have Matansa battling MP United in the curtain-raiser at 5:30pm and TanHoldings challenging Kanoa in the second tiff at 6:40pm.

Back at the Koblerville facility tomorrow, the girls U16 triple-header will have Matansa dueling Southern United, Kanoa meeting TanHoldings, and MP United colliding with Paire. In the boys U15, three matches will also be played this Saturday with the first two featuring MP United against TanHolding at 8am and Matansa versus Shirley’s at 9:30am. The last game at 11am will be between Kanoa-2 and Kanoa-1.