Shirley’s wins first FA Cup

Three Shirley’s Football Club Girls U15 players surround Kanoa-1 FC’s Jim Kurt Maniago during the closing minutes of their title game in the FA Boys and Girls Cup 2017 held last Saturday at the Hopwood Middle School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Finally, Shirley’s Football Club will have its name on display in the perpetual trophy after ruling the FA Boys and Girls Cup 2017 held last Saturday at the Hopwood Middle School Field.

Shirley’s FC Girls U15 gave the club its first FA Cup (for boys U12 and girls U15 age group) following a 1-0 triumph over Kanoa FC-1 U12 in the championship game of the single-elimination tournament. With the title victory, Shirley’s joins MP United U12 (2011, 2013, and 2016 winner), Matansa U12 (2012), Paire U12 (2014), and Matansa U15 Girls (2015) in the champions circle.

Katrina Costales scored the winning goal for Shirley’s just six minutes before the 30-minute match wrapped up. Credit half of the goal to Jerlyn Castillo, who made the pass. Castillo attacked and found herself surrounded by Kanoa FC-1 U12 defenders at the center of the box. With Kanoa players ganging up on her, she swung the ball to her right with the unguarded Costales waiting and then knocking in the cross to draw first blood.

Now down with the clock ticking, Kanoa FC-1 U12 was pressured to go all out on offense and had a couple of chances to knot the count. The closest one came with about two minutes left in the game when Jim Kurt Maniago broke away from two Shirley’s defenders and unloaded a shot, which he missed as the ball went out wide to the right.

It was a sorry loss for Kanoa FC-1 U12, which came from an impressive 4-0 victory against co-ed U12 champion TanHoldings FC in the semifinals. Four different players hit the board for Kanoa FC-1 U12 in the semis with Markus Toves giving the squad its first goal just two minutes into the game. Kanoa FC-1 U12’s last three goals were then made in the second half with Andrew Sablan finding the back of the net in the 18th minute and Sean Gil and Maniago doing the same in the 25th and 27th, respectively.

In the other semis pairing, Costales was also the one who lifted Shirley’s to victory against MP United U12 after she nailed a goal four minutes before the game ended.

Shirley’s was in Pool B of the 11-team field and was seeded in the group along with TanHoldings U12, Kanoa Girls U15 and MP United U12 for finishing in the Top 2 in their respective age group competition in the NMIFA Youth Spring League.

The eventual FA Cup champion was then paired against TanHoldings Girls U15 for its first match and Shirley’s posted a 2-1 victory to set up a semis showdown against MP United U12. Before losing, TanHoldings Girls U15 defeated Kanoa-2 U12 in penalty shootout, 5-3, to advance against Shirley’s, while MP United prevailed against Southern United, 2-0, in the opening game in Pool B.

In Pool A, the unseeded Kanoa-1 U12 earned three wins to make it to the finals. It first shut down Paire Girls U15, 3-0 and then topped Kanoa Girls U15, 1-0, to arrange a semis duel against TanHoldings U12. TanHoldings U12, on the other hand, blanked MP United Girls U15, 3-0, to move a win away from marching into the finals. However, TanHoldings bowed to Kanoa-1 U12 and had to settle for the third place honors after edging MP United U12 in the consolation game, 1-0.