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Tight race for U12, U15 division titles
Matansa FC, left, and MP United players are in a foot race as they chase the ball down the sideline during their first meeting in the girls U15 division of the NMIFA league last month at the Hopwood Junior High School Field. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)
In the co-ed U12 division, MP United Football Club holds a 5-1-1 win-draw-loss record, just slightly ahead of Tan Holdings FC, which has a 4-2-1 slate. Paire Football Club and Kanoa Football Club complete the field and have 3-0-4 and 0-1-6 cards, respectively.
MP United recorded its latest win in the division against Paire FC, 5-1, on Oct. 25. Kaito Sawaki and Mark Esalan teamed up in helping MP United ease its way past Paire, scoring two goals apiece, while Oliver Lee registered the other goal. Both Sawaki and Esalan drilled all their goals in the first half to give MP United a good lead at the break, 4-1. Kaden Church tallied the lone goal for Paire.
In the other game last Oct. 25, Tan Holdings muffed a chance to tie MP United at the top spot after settling for a 2-2 draw against Kanoa.
Kanoa went up, 2-1, at halftime off John Michael Rojas’ pair of goals in the first half, but failed to hang on to the lead when Sebastian Manabat drained the equalizer in the second half. Angelo Ada scored Kanoa’s other goal in the first half.
With the Oct. 25 games completed, only two playing days are left in the division and one will take place this Saturday, featuring the important meeting between MP United and Tan Holdings at 1pm at Hopwood Junior High School Field’s Pitch 2. Over at Pitch 1 at the same time, Kanoa collides with Paire.
This Saturday’s two matches are supposed to be the final if not for the cancellation of last Saturday’s games. MP United was scheduled to face Kanoa at Pitch 1, while Tan Holdings was slated to challenge Paire at Pitch 2, but both matches were called off in observance of the All Saints Day.
Meanwhile, in the girls U15 division, three more playing days are remaining before the fall champion is decided.
It’s a toss between Matansa Football Club and Shirley’s Football Club, who are in the Top 2 in the six-team field. Matansa FC holds a 6-1-0 record for the No. 1 spot, while Shirley’s is at close second with its 6-0-1 slate. Paire, a long shot for the title, is at third place with its 4-0-3 card, followed by Tan Holdings (2-14), MP United (2-0-5), and Kanoa (0-0-7).
Matansa clung to its slim lead, following a 10-1 win over Kanoa last Oct. 25, while Shirley’s remained in the former’s shadow after notching a 5-1 victory over MP United. The other game last Oct. 25 had Paire prevailing over Tan Holdings, 2-1.
Incidentally, Matansa and Shirley’s were supposed to duel for the top spot last Saturday, but that match along with the two other games at Hopwood were also rescheduled and will be played after the No. 8 and 15 tiffs.
On Nov. 8, the pairings are Kanoa vs Tan Holdings, Shirley’s vs Paire, and Matansa vs MP United, while on Nov. 15, it will be Paire vs Matansa, MP United vs Kanoa, and Tan Holdings vs Shirley’s.
