Matansa, Tan Holdings take early lead

Matansa Football Club and Tan Holdings FC zoomed to the lead in their respective divisions in the M-League after beating separate foes last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

World Resort’s Dennis Vinas stretches to keep the ball, while a Sun Palace player stays close on defense during the first half of their Division 1 game in the M-League last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.
(Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Matansa played in the third game last weekend and downed Kanoa FC, 3-1. Young Ha Hwang, Kamrul Kamrul, and Jung Soo Choo scored for Matansa, while Jherico Tiamzon hit the lone goal for Kanoa.

With its 2-0-0 win-draw-loss record, Matansa is on top of Division 2, leading Shirley’s (1-1-0), World Resort (0-2-2), Thundercats (0-1-0), Sun Palace (0-1-0), Kanoa (0-1-1), and CNMI Women’s National Team (0-0-2).

In other results in Division 2 last Sunday, Sun Palace and World Resort settled for a draw, 1-1, while Shirley’s edged the CNMI Women’s National Team last Wednesday, 4-3.
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World Resort, which also drew its debut match this season against Shirley’s 2-2, got its only goal against Sun Palace from Hoin Ryu, who it the board in the 67th minute. Sun Palace, on the other hand, posted its first goal in the opening half courtesy of Hak Yun Ko’s shot in the third minute.

In the Shirley’s-Women’s National tiff, Northern Mariana Islands Football Association president Jerry Tan scored the game-winning goal two minutes before the match wrapped up. Three different players nailed the other goals for Shirley’s with Fradel Sedillo connecting in the first half to keep the team in the game, behind by only one.

Renita Fleming and Sarah Allen scored in the 26th and 29th minute, respectively, to put Shirley’s on top at halftime, 2-1.

A goal from Koisuke Sato in the 60th minute tied the match, 2-2, but Shirley’s regained the upper hand off Jennifer Perena’s shot three minutes later. Muneaki Arai forced the second deadlock with his goal in the 70th, while Tan broke the tie and handed Shirley’s its first win after lighting up the board in the 88th.

Meanwhile, in Division 1, Tan Holdings improved its record to 2-0 for the top spot after beating Korean Football Association on Saipan.

Martin Jambor tallied the lone goal in the second match of the weekend.

In the first match, Wild Bill’s, which absorbed a 1-5 debut loss to Tan Holdings, barged into the win column after a 2-0 victory over Paire.

Youth player Tanapon Unsa and Evan Belcher drilled the goals for Wild Bill’s.

In the third game in Division 1, MP United and Inter Godfather’s engaged in a draw, 3-3.

Joe Miller opened the scoring for MP United with his goal in the third minute, while Jireh Yobech also hit the board in the first half (23 rd) to lift the team to a 2-0 advantage. However, MP United failed to keep the driver’s seat at the break as Arkie Reusora fired back in the 39th minute, while Peter Loken made the equalizer six minutes later.

Loken also scored Inter Godfather’s third goal in the second half, while Miller duplicated his feat to force the draw.