MP United keeps division lead

MP United players and officials pose for a photo after an earlier Division A game in the M-League at the Oleai Sports Complex Field. (Contributed Photo)

MP United Football Club maintained its slim lead in Division A of the M-League following a 2-1 victory over Paire FC last Sunday at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

Janro Biniza and Yosh Mafnas scored the two goals for MP United, which now has a 4-0-0 win-draw-loss record to lead idle TanHoldings (3-0-1) and four other teams. Biniza put MP United on the board with his shot in the 33rd minute, while Mafnas drilled the go-ahead in the 43rd. Earlier in the 36th minute, Robbie Greene logged the lone goal for Paire, which fell to a 1-1-1 mark.

In another Division A match last weekend, Matansa bagged its first victory after a 0-4 start as it downed Korean Football Association on Saipan, 5-2.

Daniel Agulto anchored Matansa’s win as he drilled a hat trick. Kamrul Kamrul and S. Abdul chipped in one goal apiece. Kamrul and Abdul handed Matansa its first two scores when they lit up the board in the seventh and ninth minute, respectively, while Agulto knocked in all his goals in the second half. The former CNMI Men’s National Team member got his first in the 55th minute and the last two in the 67th and 80th.

KFAS, which has yet to win in three games, drew its two goals from Sung Su Jung and Chong Koo Gil, who found their targets in the 36th and 47th minute, respectively.

In the lone Division B match last Sunday, IFC Thundercats also earned their first victory after whipping Dragon FC (0-0-4).

Sung Bae Park fired four goals in the Thundercats’ easy win, while Timothy Tawanpiy contributed two. Don Cabrera and Jason Kim added one goal each for the Thundecats, who now has a 1-1-3 mark.

Idle Kanoa leads Division B with its 4-0-0 slate, while NMI U16 (3-1-0), Shirley’s (2-1-1), and NMI Women’s (0-1-2) complete the field.

Youth festival tomorrow
Meanwhile, the 2016 NMIFA Youth Fall Festival will be held this Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field from 9am to 5pm.

All the participating teams and players who saw action in the regular games will be allowed to play in the festival matches. Each game will be played in two 15-minute halves and squads are divided into pools.

For the co-ed U8 division, Pool A has Southern United FC, Paire, MP United-2, Shirley’s, and Kanoa-1, while Matansa, MP United-1, Kanoa-2, and TanHoldings are in Pool B. In the U10 age group, TanHoldings, MP United-2, Paire, and Matansa make up Pool A, while Pool B has Southern, MP United-3, Kanoa, and Shirley’s. In the U12 division, MP United-1, Shirley’s, Tinian Premier, Southern United, and Kanoa-2 are in Pool A, while TanHoldings, Kanoa-1, Matansa, and Paire are in Pool B.