Kanoa clinches boys U15 title

Kanoa Football Club’s Lester Bata, left, and MP United’s Garett Weaver shove each other as they chase the ball during their boys U15 division game in the 2019 NMIFA Fall Youth League last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Football Club captured the boys U15 division title in the 2019 NMIFA Fall Youth League after shutting down MP United, 3-0, last Saturday at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville.

Kanoa improved to a 6-1-0 win-draw-loss record, while MP United dropped to a 4-1-2 mark. With MP United and Kanoa having only one game left in the double-round robin season, there’s no way the former nor TanHoldings (4-0-2) could unseat the latter from the No. 1 spot in the team standings. Kanoa will play its last match of the season this Saturday when it takes on the winless Shirley’s Football Club, while TanHoldings will battle Matansa this weekend, too before dueling MP United in a make-up game on Nov. 23.

The early title win gave Kanoa a sweep in the 2019 competition, as it also ruled the spring season of the division after nosing out MP United in a playoff match, 3-2.

Jim Kurt Maniago and Markus Toves scored in Kanoa’s championship-clinching victory last weekend with the former hitting the board in the 27th minute and the latter doing the same five minutes later. Kanoa was awarded an own goal in the 42nd minute and then hung tough on defense to shut down MP United.

In the other match in the division, TanHoldings also blanked Shirley’s FC, 5-0.

Jerald Aquino powered TanHoldings to the easy win after delivering three goals. He got his first in the 27th minute and completed the hat trick in the second half after finding the back of the net in the 58th and 65th minute.

Mark Joseph Roque and Ariel Narvaez registered the two other goals for TanHoldings with the former drawing first blood with his shot in the seventh minute and the latter closing out for the winning team in the 70th.

BOYS U18
TanHoldings 7, MP United 1
Champion TanHoldings finished the season with an unbeaten record after dominating MP United last Friday.

Mark Esalan earned three goals in their last match in the competition and gave TanHoldings an 8-1-0 mark. Ichiro Borja, Jamin Elliot, Aloyzeus Angeles, and Kaden Church also scored for TanHoldings.

Dylan Mister nailed the only goal for MP United, which placed third this season after ruling the Spring competition.

Kanoa 9, Matansa 2
Kanoa finished second in the final team standings in the division after easing past Matansa.

Kanoa ended up with a 3-3-3 record for 12 points, just one marker ahead of MP United (3-2-4).

Andruw Omelau tallied three goals to lift Kanoa to victory. He drew enough help from his teammates with Jim Kurt Maniago and Markus Toves contributing two goals each and Jacob Montes and Ian Karl Maniago adding one apiece.

Matansa, which failed to notch a single win this season, got its pair of goals from Xin Wen Jin and Elijah Villamero.