Southern United grabs lead; TanHoldings wins

TanHoldings Football Club and Paire FC players battle for possession during their girls U16 division game in the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Southern United Football Club dislodged Kanoa Football Club from the No. 1 spot in the girls U16 division of the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League after cruising to a 4-0 victory in their duel last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center.

Southern United capitalized on the absence of Kanoa’s key players (competing in Hong Kong for the CNMI Girls U17 National Team) to take the shutout win and the grab the lead in the division. Kanoa absorbed its first loss of the season and dropped to second spot in the team standings.

Keisha Deleon Guerrero delivered all four goals for Southern United, making her first in the 13th minute and the last three in the 30th, 55th, and 75th.

In other results, TanHoldings got victory No. 2 out of five matches after downing the winless Paire, 4-1.

Stephanie Flores scored a pair for TanHoldings, while Kaithlyn Chavez and Maria Joy Aniana added one each. Erin Frink hit the lone goal for Paire. Chavez opened the scoring for TanHoldings with her shot in the ninth minute, while Aniana hit the board two minutes later. Frink moved Paire within one with her conversion in the 15th minute, but Flores gave TanHolding more cushion after finding her target in the 32nd minute. Flores eventually closed out for her team after getting her second goal in the 39th minute, while Paire failed to counter.

Meanwhile, the MP United and Matansa game last weekend ended in a scoreless draw, keeping the opposing squads at the bottom half of the team standings.

GIRLS U19 DIVISION
Kanoa 12, Southern United 1
Kanoa remained on top of the division after another lopsided victory over Southern United last Friday at the TSL Sports Complex.

Kanoa hardly missed two of its starters (competing in the same Hong Kong tournament) in the weekend match, as Paulynn Joyce was there to lead the team’s offense for their fourth win in as many games. Joyce scored six goals, earning a hat trick early in the first half. Ruschell Valino also had a hat trick—one goal in the first half and two in the final—while Sue Anne Huevos chipped in two, and Princess Alcantara made one.

TanHoldings 2, Matansa 0
In the other futsal game, TanHoldings blanked Matansa.

Aniana nailed the pair of goals for TanHoldings, drilling her first in the 22nd minute and the second in the 47th. TanHoldings got its first victory in four games, while Matansa has yet to win this season.