Kanoa, MPU win season debuts

Kanoa FC”s Daniel Mar Pablo, left, tries to kick the ball away from a Tan Holdings FC player during the second half of their co-ed U12A division game in the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kanoa Football Club and MP United FC recorded contrasting victories in the co-ed U12A division during the opening week of the 2016 NMIFA Youth Spring League last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

Kanoa nipped Tan Holdings FC, 2-1, while MP United routed Paire FC, 10-1.

Rintaro Miyawaki starred in MP United’s demolition of Paire FC, as he knocked in six goals in the season-opening game. Jeremiah Diaz, Dylan Kim, Andrew Chung, and Rohan Basnet contributed one goal each.

MP United hit the board early off Diaz’s shot in the second minute, while Miyawaki got his hat-trick in succession after scoring in the 10th, 12th, and 14th to lift MP United to a 4-1 lead at the end of the first half. Max Church tallied the lone goal for Paire, as he found the back of the net in the 13th minute.

MP United then continued its domination of Paire in the second half with Kim opening up the scoring for the team in the 32nd minute, while Chung added one more goal three minutes later. Miyawaki made it a 7-1 lead with his fourth goal in the 36th minute, while Basnet lit up the board in the 45th before the former closed out the one-sided match with back-to-back goals (51st and 56th minute).

In the other co-ed U12A game, Brian Lubao hit the go-ahead goal for Kanoa midway in the second half to hand his team a close victory. Joe Emil Antonio nailed the other goal for Kanoa, while Jomary Pulido recorded the only goal for Tan Holdings.

BOYS U14
Matansa 11, Shirley’s 1
Over at the Koblerville Elementayr School Field, Matansa had a rousing start against Shirley’s FC.

The trio of Iverson Santos, Justin Charles Achas, and Joshua Mailig teamed up in giving Matansa a lopsided victory in the first game in the division. Achas and Santos earned four goals apiece, while Mailig chipped in three.

Brandon Tenorio was the only scorer for Shirley’s.

Kanoa 5, Tan Holdings 4
In the second game, Kanoa pulled off a come-from-behind win opposite Tan Holdings.

Kanoa faced a 1-4 deficit at the break before bouncing back in the second half to steal the win from Tan Holdings.

Sebastian Manabat nailed the winning goal in the 68th minute, while two of Kanoa’s three other goals in the second half came from Ian Maniago. Maniago also registered the team’s only goal in the first half, while Jaydee Jose hit the other goal in the final frame.

Mark Esalan had a brace for Tan Holdings, while Joshua Waldo and John Michael Rojas scored the two other goals in the first half.

MP United 9, Paire 4
In the last match in the division, MP United outclassed Paire.

Rei Sekiguchi led MP United’s first win, as he fired four goals, including three straight in the second half. Miyawaki and Cho added two apiece, while Eun Syu Hahn nailed the team’s first goal.

Kaden Church had a hat-trick for Paire, while the team’s other goal was courtesy of Blake Mister.