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Chung, Esalan stand out
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Posted on Nov 26 2019
MP United Football Club’s Andrew Chung, left, kicks the ball out of the possession of Shirley’s Football Club’s Gabriel Arkoh Jr. during their boys U15 division game in the 2019 NMIFA Fall Youth League at the NMI Soccer Training Center. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
MP United Football Club’s Andrew Chung and TanHoldings Football Club’s Mark Esalan emerged as the Golden Boot winners in the 2019 NMIFA Fall Youth League.
Chung scored 12 goals in eight games in the double-round robin competition in the boys U15 age group. He was one of the only two players to earn goals in twin digits this season. The other one was Kanoa Football Club’s Brian Lubao, who registered 10.
The MP United forward hit the board for MP United on four occasions with his best output (four goals) posted during their 6-1 win over Shirley’s Football Club last Sept. 28. Chung collected three goals each in their 3-2 triumph against Matansa and 11-2 demolition of Shirley’s and two in their 4-2 victory versus Matansa.
Lubao, on the other hand, tied MP United’s Dylan Mister in the most goals (five) in a single game (versus TanHoldings), had two goals apiece in their 13-2 and 10-0 victories over Shirley’s, and one in their 4-1 win over TanHoldings.
Mister finished in the Top 5 in the Golden Boot race after recording seven goals, just one behind TanHoldings’ Kohtaro Goto, while Kanoa’s Jim Kurt Maniago also posted seven.
In the boys U18 division, Esalan’s strong offensive performance in TanHoldings’ last two matches earned him the Golden Boot award. He delivered five goals in TanHoldings’ 6-2 win over Kanoa last Nov. 1 and three in their 7-2 victory against MP United for a total of 17 goals.
Before their last two games, Esalan was behind MP United’s John Michael Rojas, who had 11, but did not score in his squad’s final two matches to drop to second place. Kanoa’s Andruw Omelau was the third player to make at least 10 goals this season, breaking into double figures after getting a hat trick in their last game (9-2 victory over Matansa).
Omelau’s teammate, Markus Toves, and MP United’s Oliver Lee rounded out the Top 5 after gaining six and five goals, respectively.
The Golden Boot winners in four age groups (including co-ed U12 and girls U16) and other top performers of the Fall season will be recognized by the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association and league sponsor Triple J Motors in a ceremony with the date of the awards presentation to be announced later.
