TanHoldings, MPU vie for championship

TanHoldings’ Jacob Montes-Sabino pushes past a The One defender during their match last Sunday in Division A of the M-League Spring 2021 held at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Contributed Photo)

With just one game left in the season, TanHoldings and MP United will vie for the championship in Division A of the M-League Spring 2021 this weekend at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

Following last weekend’s set of games, TanHoldings, who took a 7-1 victory over The One, has a 1-win advantage over MP United with a win-loss record of 10-2 with 1 draw.

MP United, after taking 5-1 victory over Paire FC, closely tails TanHoldings with a win-loss record of 9-2 with 2 draws.

In the final and determining match this coming weekend, MP United’s championship title is riding on them taking the win over Kanoa FC.

TanHoldings, on the other hand, needs only a draw against Old B Bank to take home the championship title of this year’s M-League season.

Despite two off games in a row, TanHoldings bounced back last Sunday, proving why they remain the team to beat after a 7-1 victory over The One.

Mark Esalan carried the team to victory by scoring 4 of the team’s winning goals, with help from Joshua Mendez, Ryuto Yanai, and Mareko Tekopua who landed one goal each.

Esalan took the lead for his team early on in the match, landing his first goal in the fourth minute. Mendez made his goal soon after in the 15th minute. Esalan later came back for another goal in the 18th minute.

Yanai and Tekopua followed up with their goals in the 31st and 44th minute before Esalan closed the match with back to back goals in the 65th and 80th minute.

The One’s Ming Guang Xu managed to squeeze in a goal in the 73rd minute but their efforts were in vain.

Meanwhile, in the match pitting MP United against Paire, MP United’s Dai Podziewski, Johsua Abragon, Sunjoon Tenorio, Alex Park, and Mike Jones worked together by landing one goal apiece to carry the team to victory.

Also winning their match last Sunday was NMI U18 A, after a 2-0 victory over NMI U18 B. NMI U18 A’s Atoy Angeles and Kohtaro Kadokura led the way to victory with one goal apiece.

Old B Bank managed to edge out Kanoa FC by a 3-2 victory behind Albert Bergancia, Rex De Jose, and Kosuke Sato.

It was a close match between the two with Bergancia taking the lead for Old B Bank in the 26th minute.

Kanoa’s Andruw Omelau brought the game to tie in the 37th minute with his first goal before Old B Bank regained the lead in the 62nd minute behind De Jose.

Omelau, again, brought the game to a draw in the 63rd minute, 2-2, but a final goal from Sato secured the win for Old B Bank in the 73rd minute.