Saipan Tribune

Monday, May 20, 2013

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Shutout wins highlight M League opening

Four teams had cruise control in the opening week of the M-League after blanking their respective foes at the Oleai Sports Complex Field.

First to record a shutout win (2-0) was the Johann Noetzel-led Tan Holdings FC, which was paired against the Inter Godfather's last Sunday.

Actually, both teams were scoreless in the first half of the Division 1 match, as they challenged each other's shot, resulting to a highly physical match. Then in the opening minutes of the second half, Tan Holdings found some holes on Inter Godfather's defense and Li Guang Lin went on to break the ice. Panapa Peteru made it a 2-0 count when he found the back of the net a few minutes before the buzzer sounded.

KFAS 4, Paire 0

In the second Division 1 game, Korean Football Association on Saipan drew two goals from Byung In Lee en route to the easy win over Paire FC.

Sung Ho Kang attacked early for KFAS and made it to the scoreboard with just 10 minutes gone by in the first half. Not to be outdone was Scott Kim, who also found his target three minutes after his teammate scored.

It took a while before KFAS lit up the scoreboard anew, but the long wait was worth it as Lee's twin goals were recorded in a span of six minutes. Lee had his first goal in the 75th and the second in the 81st to give KFAS a rousing debut.

MP United 9, Kanoa Resort 0

MP United logged the most lopsided victory in the opening of the revitalized M-League, whipping Kanoa Resort in the lone Division 2 match scheduled last weekend.

CNMI National Team member Joe Miller debuted in the M-League with a hat-trick, scoring one goal in the first half (40th minute) and making two more in the second (75th and 82nd).

MP United's new recruit, Zheng Xu, also had an impressive first game, as he drained three goals, too. He announced his presence in the league with a goal in the 21st minute and then had back-to-back goals in the second half (64th and 68th).

MP United's two other goals were courtesy of Seoung Joon Lee (43rd) Evert Van Der Maas (89th) and one was an own goal off Kanoa's error.

Matansa FC and Shirley's FC completed Week 1 of the M-League with the former cruising to a 3-0 victory in their Division 2 game last Wednesday. No other details of the match were unavailable at press time.

Meanwhile, Week 2 of the M-League will be played this Sunday at the Oleai pitch with Tan Holdings FC meeting Wild Bill's at 2pm, Inter Godfather's colliding with Paire at 4pm, and Matansa taking on Kanoa at 6pm. Then on Wednesday, MP United will gun for victory No. 2 as it squares off with Shirley's FC at 6:30pm.