Easy wins in M-League opening week

Taka Borja plays for All Blue, which won its opening game in Division A of the 2020 Spring Men’s M-League after downing Old B Bank, 5-1, last Monday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Saipan Tribune)

Three teams won convincingly in the opening Division A matches in the 2020 Spring Men’s M-League at the NMI Soccer Training Center.

In the curtain-raiser, TanHoldings Football Club topped Kanoa Football Club last Sunday, 7-4.

TanHoldings was on target right at the first half to set up the easy win. John Michael Rojas scored three goals, making them in succession, as his first came in the 25th and the last two in a span of four minutes (32nd and 36th) to lead TanHoldings’s season debut victory.

TanHoldings’ four other goals were also delivered in the first half with Ronnel Ocanada drawing first blood in the 14th minute and Martin Jambor, Joshua De Leon, and Eunsyu Hahn lighting up the board in the 16th, 38th, and 45th, respectively.

Kanoa was shutdown in the entire opening 45 minutes of play before getting into its rhythm, but failing to overhaul the deficit. Jhoey Noble broke the spell for Kanoa in the 52nd minute, while Andruw Omelau closed out for the team in the 83rd for his second goal (first one was in the 60th). Sebastien Manabat was the other scorer for Kanoa.

In the second game last Sunday, Paire eased past the debuting Victory FC, 6-2.

Joe Miller made a hat trick for Paire, giving Victory FC a rude welcome in the league. Alan Guidino added a pair of goals and Robbie Greene chipped in one for Paire’s strong start.

Victory drew its goals from Scott Kim and David Mafnas.

In the third game in Division A, All Blue dominated Old B Bank last Monday, 5-1.

Kohtaro Goto towed All Blue to victory after making two goals.

DIVISION B
Shirley’s 4, Matansa 1
Division B opening matches were also played last Sunday with Shirley’s downing Matansa in the first tiff.
Lalaine Pagarao powered Shirley’s to its season opening victory after delivering twin goals, which happened to be the team’s last two, as she scored in the 78th and 80th minute.
Mingguang Au put Shirley’s on the board in the 27th minute and tied the game. Wilbert Capayas, earlier in the 14th minute, gave Matansa its first and only taste of the lead. Shirley’s then grabbed the upper hand in the 33rd minute off Wesley Bogdan’s goal.

Island Star 4, NMI WNT 2
In the other match in the division, Island Star outclassed the NMI Women’s National Team.
Four different players scored for Island Star with Feng Yu finding the back of the net in the 14th minute. The rest of Island Star’s goals were made in the second half with Kai-Jiun Ma, Han Wu, and Guang Zhi Jin lighting up the board in the 49th, 67th, and 79th minute, respectively.
The NMI WNT also had one goal in the first half—courtesy of Kaithlyn Chavez’s shot in the 34th minute—while the second was from Jannah Casarino in the 58th minute.