Matansa, SUFC bag U17 soccer titles

Matansa bagged the U17 boys championship, while Southern United Football Club claimed the U17 girls title after the finals of the TakeCare Youth Soccer League Fall 2023 at the NMI Soccer Training Center in Koblerville last Saturday.

Matansa successfully kicked one more goal against Latte FC to cement their championship, 3-2. Wataru Kadokura immediately made it a 2-0 game by the 19th minute, but Latte’s Isiah Barcinas got a foothold on the ball a couple minutes later to make it 2-1.

Latte pushed many times toward Matansa’s goal only to come up short each time. This allowed Matansa to score an insurance goal in the 40th minute and put them up by two. Matansa held onto their two-goal lead until Barcinas found the net again in the 56th minute.

Matansa’s extra goal proved crucial as they bagged the win after Latte was unable to tie or overtake the lead.

In the U17 girls game between SUFC and MP United, SUFC had a more consistent and accurate firepower and won, 7-2.

MP United drew first blood in the 18th minute for a 1-0 lead, but that was all they could muster until later into the second half.

Meanwhile, the assault on MP United’s goal started in the 24th minute by SUFC’s Pia Ngewakl, followed by back-to-back goals by Rosie Saralu at the start of the second half.

Ngewakl completed the hat-trick in the 50th minute, and was complemented in between by a goal from Tamia Hix. At this point, MP United has drawn blanks and has not been able to penetrate SUFC’s goal.

MP United’s last hurrah came in the 55th minute by Matty Angeles, only to be overshadowed by SUFC’s 7th and final goal just a minute later.

The Golden Boot award for the most goals of the season went to Rosie Saralu with 22 goals in the U17 girls division; the Golden Boot award in the U17 boys division went to Kanoa’s Markus Toves who scored 15 goals.