MPU stays in contention for boys U15 crown

MP United Football players battle a Kanoa Football Club player for possession during the first half of their boys U15 division game in the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

MP United Football Club foiled Kanoa Football Club-1’s title bid after earning a 4-1 victory in the final regular season game in the boys U15 division of the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

With the win, MP United finished the double-round robin competition with a 9-0-1 win-draw-loss record—the same mark Kanoa-1 had. With the two teams in a deadlock, they have to meet anew in a playoff game to decide the winner of the division championship this season, as per league rules.

According to Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, league rules call for a tie (at the end of the regular season) to be resolved first via head-to-head record. Kanoa-1 and MP United, incidentally, split their two games with the former winning their first duel last March 30. With the two teams still in a standoff, the next tiebreaker is a playoff match, which NMIFA proposed to be held on May 25.

Richard Steele led MP United’s crucial triumph over Kanoa-1 after firing two goals in the hotly contested match. Dylan Mister and Justin Weaver contributed one goal each, while Merrick Toves delivered the lone goal for Kanoa-1.

Mister drew first blood after converting a penalty kick in the 33rd minute. MP United went on to keep the shaky 1-0 lead at the break before opening a 3-0 cushion early in the second half. Weaver opened MP United’s scoring in the second half with his goal in the 42nd minute, while Steele hit the board four minutes later to widen the gap.

A shot from Toves in the 52nd minute finally ended Kanoa-1’s silence, but Steele offset that with his second goal in the 58th minute and MP United hung on, as it repeatedly frustrated its opponents.

Had Kanoa at least force a draw in last weekend’s game, it would have gotten the division crown outright.

Shirley’s 2, TanHoldings 1
In the second game last Saturday, Shirley’s nosed out TanHoldings.

Devin Igisomar drilled the go-ahead for Shirley’s with his goal in the 50th minute. Gabriel Arkoh Jr. tallied the other goal for Shirley’s in the seventh minute to help the team finish the season with five victories.

Taro Goto scored the only goal for TanHoldings, which also posted five wins in the competition.

Matansa 3, Kanoa-2 0
Matansa ended its season with a shutout win over Kanoa-2.

Xin Wen Jin, Jose Rafael Lopez, and Philip Megino teamed up in handing Matansa its second victory this season—both came from the winless Kanoa-2. Jin scored in the seventh minute, while Lopez lit up the board eight minutes later, and Megino closed out for Matansa in the 41st minute.

BOYS U18
TanHoldings 3, Matansa 2
TanHoldings wrapped up the season with a close win over Matansa last Friday.

Mark Esalan notched a pair of goals for TanHoldings, while Jonathan Capayas registered the other one.

Joshua Deleon and Ronnel Ocanada scored for Matansa with the former’s shot in the 15th minute tying the game after Capayas earlier in the third minute handed TanHoldings the lead.

TanHoldings went on to regain the upper hand off Esalan’s goal in the 27th minute, while the striker’s conversion in the 56th gave the squad insurance. Ocanada posted the last goal in the game in the 72nd minute.

CNMI Boys U15 5, Kanoa 2
In the other match in the division, the CNMI Boys U15 National Team outclassed Kanoa.

Four different players scored for the CNMI U15 with Oliver Fajardo leading the way after making two goals. Akira Kadokura, Gabriel Arkoh Jr., and Xin Wen Jin chipped in one goal each.

Ian Maniago and Jacob Montes-Sabino tallied the two goals for Kanoa.

MP United Football Club’s Cody Shimizu, right, is set to kick the ball, while Markus Toves defends him during the second half of their boys U15 division game in the 2019 NMIFA Spring Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)