Betde tops elimination

A Betde United player, right, dribbles past a Tinsel Toes defender during the second half of their co-ed U12 division game in Saipan Soccer School’s 2018 Youth Futsal Tournament last Tuesday night at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Betde finished first in the elimination round of the co-ed U12 division of Saipan Soccer School’s 2018 Youth Futsal Tournament after surviving Tinsel Toes, 6-4, last Tuesday night at the TSL Sports Complex.

Betde wrapped up the double-round robin elimination with a 4-1-1 win-draw-loss record to rank No. 1 in the four-team field. Tinsel Toes got a 3-1-2 record and must wait for the results of the game between CTSI Petmalu (2-1-2) and Kanoa Ali’i (0-1-4) to determine its rankings. However, regardless of the rankings, the playoffs pairing are already set with Betde meeting Kanoa Ali’i on Feb. 20 for the first finals berth and Tinsel Toes battling CTSI Petmalu in the other semis match on Feb. 22.

Mark Roque helped Betde secure the top spot in the team standings as he scored a hat trick with two of his goals saving the day for the team after Tinsel Toes threatened a comeback in the second half.

Betde led at the start of the second frame, 4-2, after Kaithlyn Chavez, Wataru Kadokura, Julie Capayas, and Roque delivered one goal apiece in the first half. Marvus Toves made the pair of goals for Tinsel Toe in the first 20 minutes of the match and added two more in the early part of the second half to force the deadlock, 4-4.

Roque then knocked in his second goal with about seven minutes left in the match to bring the lead back to Betde. Toves attempted several times to tie the game, but was repeatedly frustrated by Betde goalie Mark Chavez. After Toves missed for the nth time with a little over 30 minutes left in the exciting match, Roque nailed the dagger to hand Betde the tough victory.

Meanwhile, in other results last Tuesday, Bruv and Betde United notched easy victories.

In the co-ed U15 division, Betde United topped Marianas United, 10-3.

Taka Borja registered four goals for Betde United, while Jerick Quimzon and Brandon Tenorio added two each, and Kohtaro Goto and Jenny Ann Capayas chipped in one apiece. Betde United is done with the elimination round and ended up with a second-best 4-0-2 record in the division behind the unbeaten Fake Madrid (5-0-0). Fake Madrid will play its last game before the playoffs tonight against CNMI United (2-0-3), which will challenge Betde United in next week’s semis game.

Marianas United, which drew two goals from Dylan Mister and one from John Mark Anastacio, will meet Fake Madrid in the other Final Four pairing.

In the co-ed U18 division, Bruv earned a perfect mark (5-0-0) after defeating ABCD FC, 9-3.

Gillian Villagomez, Mareko Tekopua, and Alan Hinson tallied two goals apiece for Bruv, which got one goal each from Guine Borja, Eun Syu Hahn, and John Michael Rojas.

Krizel Tuazon, Clayton Izuka, and Kirt Andon scored for ABCD FC, which finished the elimination with a 2-1-2 record and has to wait for the results of tonight’s game between CTSI Petmalu (1-2-1) and La Fabrica (1-0-3) to determine its semis foe. If CTSI Petmalu wins, it will be Bruv versus ABCD FC in the semis and the former will be paired against Suplex City (3-1-1). A CTSI Petmalu loss will have the team battling Bruv in the Final Four game.