Matansa FC bags girls U15 crown

Matansa Football Club’s Carla Ballesteros picks up the ball during an earlier game in the fall season of the NMIFA youth league at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Matansa gained the division crown following its 3-0 triumph over Shirley’s Football Club last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. Matansa, which joined MP United (U18) and Tan Holdings (boys U15 and co-ed U12) on the champions list this season, finished the double-round robin competition with a division-best 9-1-0 win-draw-loss record, two victories ahead of Shirley’s FC, which wrapped up the contest with a 7-0-2 mark.

Angelica Sally towed Matansa to the title-clinching win after scoring two goals, while Pinyarat Shankweiler drilled the other goal in the crucial weekend match. Joining Shankweiler and Sally on the champion team are Maile Aldrich, Carla Ballesteros, Ghessa Marie Belnas, Jezreelyn Bulaklak, Maria Jessica and Trinity Cryz, Lizann De Leon Guerrero, Ha’anne Eugenio, Bernadette Horey, Hannah Mafnas, Nikela Masayos, Barbara Peteru, Anna Rose Phillip, Kianna Marie Rife, Lyka and Leisha Sally, Aren Toves, and Sunny Woo.

Angelica Sally knocked in her first goal in the 14th minute and Matansa went on to keep the shaky lead at halftime, as Shirley’s failed to retaliate in the first half.

In the second half, Shankweiler hit the board in the 57th minute, while Sally got her second goal nine minutes later. Shirley’s remained cold, losing a chance to steal the division crown from Matansa.

Matansa reclaimed the fall championship it lost to Shirley’s FC last year and notched its third title in the last two years. Matansa’s two other championships came in the spring season of 2013 and 2014.

Besides bagging this year’s fall title, Matansa also scored the most goals in the tournament with 45 and allowed the least (3). Shirley’s FC earned 35 goals—the second best in the division—and gave up 13.

Joining Matansa and Shirley’s in the Top 3 was Paire Football Club, which finished the season with an 5-0-5 slate. MP United placed fourth with its 4-0-6 card, followed by Tan Holdings FC (3-1-6), and Kanoa FC (0-0-10).

MP United ended the season on a high note after downing Tan Holdings FC, 3-1, in the other game last Saturday.

Gillian Villagomez tallied two goals for MP UnIted, which got one goal from Grace Choi. Villagomez scored first, hitting her target in the 10th minute, while Choi scored in the 52nd. Villagomez earned her second goal in the 61st, while Tan Holdings avoided a shutout when Chloe Salvosa made it to the board eight minutes later.

Tan Holdings enters finals

Meanwhile, Tan Holdings FC U18 punched the last finals ticket in the 2014 FA Youth Challenge Cup after beating MP United U15, 3-1, in the semis match last Tuesday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

Tan Holdings’ win foiled an all-MP United finale, as the latter’s U18 squad earlier notched the first finals seat, following an 8-0 demolition of Matansa FC U18.

Three different players scored for Tan Holdings with Sean Perez drawing first blood in the opening frame and Michael Fidelino and Emmanuel Aniana finding the back of the net in the second half. The second half started in a deadlock, as Edwin Kim made it to the board for MP United U15 in the first 45 minutes of play.

The Tan Holdings U18-MP United U18 title finale will be played this Saturday at 1pm at the Oleai pitch, while the third place battle between MP United U15 and Matansa U18 is set for 10am at the Hopwood pitch.