MPU gains cushion; Matansa draws Paire

The Paire goalie catches the ball, while a Matansa player attempts for a kick during their boys U14 division game in the NMIFA youth league last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

MP United Football Club got more breathing room in the boys U14 division of the 2017 NMIFA Youth Spring League after beating Shirley’s FC, 3-1, last Saturday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field.

MP United now has a 5-2-0 win-draw-loss record for a 5-point lead against TanHoldings (3-3-1), which went through a scoreless draw against Kanoa FC (1-2-3). Paire FC (0-2-4) and Matansa (2-3-2) also settled for a draw, 4-4, in the final division match last weekend.

Jon Villagomez, Dylan Kim, and Rohan Basnet scored for MP United, while Romel Mendoza gave Shirley’s (3-0-4) its lone goal in the game. Mendoza’s shot came early, as he found the back of the net in the fourth minute, giving Shirley’s the shaky lead after the first half. MP United, after being silent in the first 35 minutes of play, finally made it to the board right in the early minutes of the second half, courtesy of Villagomez’s shot in the 40th. Kim and Basnet drilled their goals in the 52nd and 62nd minute, respectively.

In the Paire-Matansa tiff, Kaden Church knocked in all four goals for the former to force the draw.

Paire used to stare a 0-3 deficit at the break after John Edward Fabia, Justin Charles Achas, and Razeff Altamirano scored for Matansa in the ninth, 20th, and 36th minute. Church then ended Paire’s drought in the 37th minute, but Matansa got the one run back off Elijah Villamero’s shot three minutes later. However, Matansa bungled the lead, while Church came to Paire’s rescue with his last two goals in a span of three minutes (65th and 68th)

Meanwhile, in the boys U17 category, MP United and TanHoldings were still neck-and-neck in the battle for the division crown.

MP United kept the top spot with its 6-0-0 mark following a 4-1 triumph over Paire last weekend at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. TanHoldings is not far behind as it improved to 5-0-1 slate after shutting down Kanoa, 3-0.

Three different players scored for TanHoldings with Anthony Fruit lighting up the board first in the 50th minute and John Paul Cruz and Mark Esalan following suit in the 57th and 71st, respectively.

MP United, on the other hand, drew a pair of goals from Sunjoon Tenorio and one apiece from Skyler Poon and Joshua Abragan. Poon scored in the 39th minute for MP United’s lone goal in the first half, while Tenorio had back-to-back shots in the 45th and 60th before Abragan closed out for the team in the 62nd. Jonah Pohl nailed the lone goal for Paire in the 47th minute.