Matansa shuts down Shirley’s

Matansa FC’s Razeff Altamirano, left, steals the ball from Shirley’s FC’S Gabriel Arkoh during the second half of their boys U14 game in the NMIFA youth fall league last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Matansa Football Club whipped Shirley’s FC, 7-0, in the opening game in the boys U14 division of the 2016 NMIFA Youth Fall League last Saturday at the Kobleville Elementary School Field.

Razeff Altamirano, Glenn Mark Basallo, and Iverson Santos scored two goals apiece to lift Matansa to the easy win. Joshua Malig added one goal for Matansa, which set up the lopsided victory after toying around Shirley’s defense in the second half.

Matansa drilled five goals in the final 35 minutes of play with Basallo knocking in back-to-back goals to start the second half. Santos also registered his brace in consecutive fashion, while Malig and Altamirano recorded the last two goals for Matansa. Altamirano made the lone goal of Matansa in the first half when he found his target in the 22nd minute.

TanHoldings 5, Kanoa 2
TanHoldings FC also won its season debut after outclassing Kanoa in the second game.

The spring season champion TanHoldings was the more aggressive team right from the get-go to take a 4-0 halftime lead. Kirro Batino gave the winning team its first goal this season after scoring in the fifth minute, while Thaiphi Austria made it a 2-0 advantage for TanHoldings five minutes later.

Mark Esalan then posted the last two goals for TanHoldings, getting his first in the 12 th minute and the second in the 16th.

Kanoa, after being silent in the first half, finally lit up the board in the 37th minute, thanks to Ian Karl Maniago’s shot. Kanoa then made it two in a row when Thomas Benavente scored in the 60th minute, but that was it for Kanoa, while TanHoldings had the last say, courtesy of Batino’s goal in the 69th.

Paire 6, MP United 2
In the last game in the opening week of the division, Paire FC topped MP United FC.

Kaden Church starred in Paire’s season-debut win after firing four goals. Blake Mister and Jamin Elliot scored the two other goals for Paire, while MP United got one goal apiece from Eun Syu Hahn and Chris Kim.

Both teams struggled early in their first game of the season before Paire outgunned MP United in a six-minute exchange in the latter part of the first half to take a 3-2 advantage. Church started Paire’s string of goals when he got his first in the 27th minute, while Mister scored a minute later for their 2-0 lead. Paire stretched it to a 3-0 tally when Elliot made it to the board in the 30th minute, but MP United countered with back-to-back goals from Hahn (31st minute) and Kim (33rd) to stay in the match, 2-3.

Clinging to a shaky lead after the first half, Paire turned to Church in the second to foil MP United’s comeback bid. Church had a hat trick in the final 35 minutes of play, gaining his first in the 38th and the last two in the 41st and 57th minute.

Meanwhile, Paire will go for win No. 2 when it takes on Shirley’s in the second game this Saturday at 3pm. Two more matches will be played this weekend with Matansa battling Kanoa in the first game at 1:30pm and Tan Holdings dueling MP United in the third tiff at 4:30pm.