MP United leads in two divisions

MP United Football Club’s Rintaro Miyawaki, third left, fights for the ball against a Kanoa FC defender while their teammates look on during a scrimmage in the boys U14 division of the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Ballfield. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

MP United Football Club is on top of the team standings in both the boys U14 and U17 divisions of the 2017 NMIFA Youth Spring League.

In the U17 division, MP United blanked TanHoldings, 5-0, last Saturday at the Hopwood Junior High School Field to earn a field-best 4-0-0 win-draw-loss record. TanHoldings dropped to second place as it absorbed its first defeat in four games.

Sunjoon Tenorio and James Kim knocked in two goals apiece to help MP United keep its perfect record, while Joshua Abragan contributed one. Kim put MP United on the board with his shot in the 20th minute. That was the only goal of MP United in the first half, while Tenorio opened the second with his conversation in the 43rd minute. Abragan scored next in the 57th minute, while Kim broke his long silence in the 63rd before Tenorio closed out for the division leader in the 74th.

In the other boys U17 division match, Matansa also shut down Paire, 4-0.

Joshua De Leon started things out for Matansa when he cashed in on a penalty kick in the 29th minute. Matansa then got an own goal off Dai Podziewski’s miscue in the 53rd, while De Leon earned his second goal in the 74th. Jeffrey Seo handed Matansa its final goal in the last minute of the 80-minute match.

The victory was Matansa’s first, ending its three-game losing skid, while Paire is still on a slide, taking its fourth loss in as many assignments.

Meanwhile, in the boys U14 division, MP United got a free win against Kanoa FC after the latter showed up for the last game at the Koblerville Elementary School Field without its players’ ID. League rules require all the players to present their Northern Mariana Islands Football Association-issued IDs before the game. The two teams went on to play in a scrimmage after Kanoa was forced to default the match.

With the win, MP United moved up to solo first place and improved its record to 4-1-0. Kano fell to a 1-1-3 slate for fifth spot in the six-team field.

In other results in the division, Shirley’s and TanHoldings downed their respective opponents at the Koblerville Elementary School Ballfield.

Shirley’s continued its strong showing this season as it bagged its third straight victory after outclassing Matansa, 5-3. Christian and Romel Mendoza logged two goals apiece in Shirley’s latest triumph, while Devin Igisomar chipped in one. Shirley’s kept the No. 2 spot in the team standings with its 3-0-2 mark.

Matansa, which drew a hat trick from Lolobeyong Benito, slid to fourth place with its 2-1-2 card.

TanHoldings is ahead of Matansa at third place after beating Paire, 8-1.

Seven different players teamed up in giving TanHoldings a lopsided victory against Paire. Anthony John Bergancia was one of them as he drilled the team’s last two goals (64th and 66th minute). Ezekiel Canape, Taka Borja, Ryuto Yanai, Reginald Pascual, Taka Borja, and Oliver Fajardo were the other scorers for TanHoldings, which now has a 2-2-1 record.

Paire, which has yet to win this season after absorbing its fourth loss and having one draw, got its lone goal from Kaden Church.