Paire stuns MPU in boys U13 finale

Paire Football Club’s Aidi Danis, left, seen here dribbling during their semis game against MP United Blue, scored a pair of goals in their 2-1 title win over MP United Pink in the boys U13 title of the TakeCare NMIFA Youth Spring League 2022 last Tuesday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (AP)

Paire Football Club took the boys U13 title in the TakeCare NMIFA Youth Spring League 2022 after pulling off an upset over the No. 2 seed MP United Pink in their finals match last Tuesday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

Paire, which was seeded fourth in the playoffs after earning a 3-0-3 win-draw-loss record, drew its pair of goals from Aidi Danis to win the division championship. Paire’s victory over MP United Pink, which finished the regular season with a second best 4-1-1 mark, completed the squad’s playoff sweep of MPU clubs, as the former also stunned No. 1 seed MPU Blue in the semis, 2-1.

In the finals, Danis scored first with his goal in the eighth minute, while Leonard Delemarie equalized for MP United Pink in the 13th minute. The match remained tied in the first half and the majority of the second until Danis came to Paire’s rescue and hit the go-ahead in the 29th minute.

Meanwhile, MPU Blue, which had a division best 5-0-1 mark in the regular season, will play No. 3 seed Matansa in the battle for third place this Saturday. For the fifth place match, Shirley’s FC prevailed over TanHoldings, 4-1. Brothers Bennet and Bennetton Haro had one goal apiece for Shirley’s, while Charles Molino and Nayten Pino also scored in the consolation game.

Kanoa secures girls U16 title
Kanoa FC zeroed in on the girls U16 division championship, as it remained unbeaten this season with just one more game left on its assignment.

Kanoa holds a 7-0-0 record and will play its last game in the double-round robin competition this Saturday when it takes on No. 3 rank MP United (3-1-3).

With Kanoa already assured of the division championship, Southern United (5-0-2) is likely to settle for second place. Southern United notched win No. 5 after crushing Paire last Saturday, 13-0. Summer Manahane led Southern’s demolition of Paire after firing four goals, while Pia Ngewakl added three.

In other results in the division, MP United forced Shirley’s to a draw.

Cathy Woo nailed the game-tying goal in the 50th minute, while Helen Baker registered the earlier goal for Shirley’s in the 35th.

3-way race for boys U16
The season champion team in the boys U16 division will be determined after this Saturday’s crucial triple-header.

With its 7-1-1 record, Kanoa is clinging to the division lead and will take on MP United, which is very much in the title race with its 6-1-2 mark. The other team that still has a chance for the division crown is TanHoldings, which holds a 7-0-2 record and will meet cellar-dweller Paire (1-0-8) for its last game of the season.