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Okadaya gets last semis berth in M-League
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Posted on Dec 08 2017
Okadaya goalie Shunsuke Katagiri kicks the ball during an earlier regular season game against Sun Palace in the Division A of the M-League at the Hopwood Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
Okadaya was awarded the fourth and last semis ticket in Division A as M-League officials ruled out that Sun Palace forfeited its playoff match against the former after walking out of last Sunday’s game at the Hopwood Middle School Field.
Sun Palace decided not to play the remaining nine minutes of its duel against Okadaya in protest of a red card charged to Jihu Jin, who was also called for an infraction in a previous play. It was a bad decision for Sun Palace as it was ahead in the make-or-break match, 2-0. Jun Sik Kim scored the first goal for Sun Palace in the 16th minute, while Feng Chung Jin hit the board in the 55th minute.
The team put the results of the game under protest, but M-League officials stood by the earlier decision of the head referee citing league rules on walkouts.
Rule 9 on team no show/forfeiting games states that “if a team walks off the field prior to the end of the match or prior to the referee calling a match, the team leaving the field will be assessed a forfeit (0-3) loss and all penalties associated with the forfeit: all players leaving the pitch will receive yellow cards, these will combine with any other cards accumulated during the match and will count toward yellow card accumulation and the team will be fined $100, which must be paid prior to the following match.”
With Okadaya getting the free pass to the semifinals, it will now face regular season top finisher and undefeated TanHoldings in the battle for the first finals berth on Dec. 17 at 12pm. The Teen Ayuyus and Kanoa will collide for the other finals ticket, also on Dec. 17, at 3pm. Winners of the semis games will square off for the Division A championship on Dec. 23.
TanHoldings and the Teen Ayuyus gained outright semis slots after a Top 2 finish in the elimination, while Kanoa bagged the third Final Four spot following a 3-0 victory over Paire last Sunday.
Meanwhile, in the Division B finals, undefeated Matansa will face Korean Football Association on Saipan this Sunday at the Koblerville Elementary School Field.
KFAS took the first finals seat after nosing out Shirley’s FC, 4-3, while Matansa advanced to this weekend’s title game following a 9-2 demolition of the CNMI Women’s National Team, 9-2.
