Shirley’s, Kanoa share lead

Shirley’s Football Club’s Katrina Costales, left, stops the ball, while Kanoa Football Club’s Sharmaine Francisco keeps a close eye on her during their girls U16 division game in the 2019-2020 Holiday Futsal Jam last Saturday at the TSL Sports Complex. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Shirley’s Football Club and Kanoa Football Club engaged in a draw, 6-6, to share the lead in the girls U16 division of the 2019-2020 Holiday Futsal Jam.

Kanoa and Shirley’s hold similar 1-1-0 win-draw-loss record in the round-robin preliminaries after three playing days at the TSL Sports Complex. Before battling Kanoa to a draw in last Saturday evening’s match, Shirley’s first topped TanHoldings, 8-2. Kanoa, on the other hand, got its first victory last Friday after nipping Southern United, 8-7.

After winning its opener, Kanoa had to settle for a draw against Shirley’s, as the latter fought back in the second half, which started with the former ahead, 3-1.

Sharmaine Francisco made a brace for Kanoa in the first half and the team got an own goal in the first 25 minutes of play, while Katrina Costales delivered the lone goal for Shirley’s. Costales went on to hit three of Shirley’s five goals in the second half for the draw. Jannah Casarino scored the two other goals for Shirley’s in the second half, while Kanoa was handed another own goal and drew one each from Paulynn Joyce and Isabel Manabat.

In other results in the girls U16 division of the tournament organized by the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association and Saipan Soccer School, Southern United recovered from a sorry loss to Kanoa with a 7-0 demolition of TanHoldings last Monday.

Kaithlyn Chavez led Southern United’s easy victory after recording a hat trick, while Julie Hall, Lilian Podziewski, and Fiona Bucalig contributed one apiece. Southern United was handed an own goal in the first half.

Games in the division continued yesterday, while the last preliminary match is set for tonight. The semis will take place tomorrow with the No. 1 team battling the No. 4 finisher in the team standings and the No. 2 and 3 squads squaring off in the other Final Four pairing. Winners of the Saturday matches will collide for the division crown this Sunday at 7:30pm.

TanHoldings, MPU tied

TanHoldings won its first two games, downing Shirley’s in the opener last Friday, 14-1, and also routing Kanoa last Saturday, 13-3.

Mark Costales and Wataru Kadokura teamed up in TanHoldings’ lopsided win over Shirley’s after scoring three goals apiece.

Versus Kanoa, Costales also had a hat trick, the same feat Monico Claridades earned to hand TanHoldings a share of the lead in the division with its 2-0-0 mark.

TanHoldings was gunning for a round-robin sweep last night against fellow unbeaten team, MP United.

MPU also prevailed in its first two matches after outclassing Kanoa last Saturday, 6-1, and Shirley’s last Monday, 5-3.

Jim Takeru drilled three goals to lift MPU to victory over Kanoa, while Miles Linden’s hat trick also powered MPU past Shirley’s.

Shirley’s and Kanoa will face in the last preliminary game in the division today and hope to make it to the win column heading into the playoff round.

Solo leader in boys U15

Kanoa-1 is alone at the top spot in the division following a 13-2 thumping of MP United last Monday.

Brian Lubao and Merrick Toves delivered four goals each to help Kanoa-1 whip MP United.

Kanoa-1’s other victory was against sister squad Kanoa-2, as the former logged a 6-3 win in their showdown last Saturday. Lubao had a pair of goals in that triumph, while Markus Toves also contributed two.

In other results, TanHoldings and Kanoa-2 are tied for second with its 1-1-0 win-draw-loss mark. Tanholdings beat MP United last Friday, 3-1, before settling for a draw against Kanoa-2, 6-6, last Saturday.