M-League pacesetters deliver, again

Sun Palace’s Cosmos Kim, second left, and Paire Football Club’s Suguru Takahashi, third left, collide as they battle for the ball during the first half of their Division A game in the M-League last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Division leaders MP United Football Club and Kanoa FC are on a roll after posting contrasting victories in the M-League last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

MP United stayed on top of Division A as it improved its win-draw-loss record to 3-0-0 following a 2-0 win over Matansa FC in the first game at the Oleai pitch.

The Division A pacesetter scored both goals in the second half with Evan Belcher putting MP United on the board for the first time in the 45th minute. The second goal came six minutes later and was courtesy of Fumikazu Sukenari.

With the victory, MP United kept its distance against spring champion TanHoldings, while Matansa is still winless after four games and is at the bottom of the team standings in the six-squad division.

TanHoldings 8, KFAS 2
TanHoldings, which held the Division A lead in the first two weeks, is breathing on MP United’s neck as the former now holds a 3-0-1 mark following its demolition of Korean Football Association on Saipan in the second game.

Former CNMI national youth player Sean Perez finally played this season and made his presence felt in the league by registering two goals in TanHoldings’ easy victory over KFAS. Perez logged his first goal just 10 seconds into the game and got his second in the 77th.

Six other players hit the board for TanHoldings with Ant Coles, Shingo Suzuki, and Joshua Galarion finding their target in the first half after scoring in the 26th, 31st, and 35th minute, respectively.

TanHoldings led after the first 40 minutes of play, as only Sung Su Jung and Young Ju Lee earned goals for KFAS (0-0-2) with their conversions in the sixth and 30th minute.

In the last 40 minutes of the match, it was Keisuke Kitamura, Alan Hinson, and Martin Jambor’s turn to contribute to TanHoldings’ cause with their goals in the 49th, 65th, and 79th minute.

Paire 1, Sun Palace 1
The last game in Division A saw Sun Palace forcing a draw against Paire.

Paire logged the first goal in the match, thanks to Peter Loken’s header in the 12th minute off a corner kick.

Paire kept the shaky lead in first half and in the majority of the second before Hojin Woo nailed the equalizer in the closing minutes of the game. Sun Palace improved to a 2-1-1 record for third place behind MP United and TanHoldings, while Paire is at fourth spot with its 1-1-1 slate.

DIVISION B
Kanoa 3, Shirley’s 2
Kanoa extended its winning run this season to four after slipping past Shirley’s in last Sunday’s match at the Hopwood Junior High School Field.

The division leading team drew goals from three different players to edge third-ranked Shirley’s (2-1-1). Ruselle Zapanta started things off for Kanoa with his shot in the 13th minute, while Andruw Omelau made the team’s second goal in the 32nd for their 2-1 lead. Ten minutes earlier, Kosuke Sato lit up the board for Shirley’s to tie the game.

A Saixian Bagsic goal one minute into the second half made it a 3-1 cushion for Kanoa, while Shirley’s threatened its foe the last time in the 44th minute when Ariel Jinang found the back of the net.

NMI U16 7, Thundercats 1
The other Division B tiff was played at the Oleai pitch with the NMI U16 Boys National Team easing past the Thundercats.

The NMI U16 now has a 3-1-0 mark for second place in the team standings in the six-squad field, while the Thundercats are at the bottom half (fifth spot) with its dismal 0-1-3 slate.

John Michael Rojas starred in NMI U16’s triumph after registering give goals. Anthony Fruit and Louie Calayag drilled the two other goals for the winning team, while Timothy Tawanpiy’s shot saved the Thundercats from a shutout loss.