OTSUKA HATRICK HIGHLIGHTS OPENING WEEK
Matsatoshi Otsuka netted a hatrick in leading Fiesta Inter to a convincing win over PTI, 8-2, in the opening weekend of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association Summer Men's League. In the other match, the Korean Football Club got past the Bangladeshi Sports Club, 2-0, in a tight contest at Oleai Sports Complex.
Otsuka scored in the tenth, 42nd and 46th minute to grab his natural hatrick to lead perrenial stalwart to a convincing win over the PTI club. Arkie Reusora had a pair of goals and the Duenas clan contributed a pair with John connecting on a golaza at the 49th minute and Jose nabbing another at the 80th mark. PTI was paced by a score each by Amrit Limbu and Tej Gurung.
The opening match was a tight affair with the KFC wearing down the Bangladeshi club, 2-0. Seung Bak Kim cemented his place as the most veteran scorer in the NMI FA Men's League books with a clean volley at the 62nd minute. Veteran star, Eui Suk Ko, bagged another off a saved penalty kick at the 69th minute to push the Korean Football Association into the win column.
Next week's contests feature KFC vs Fiesta Inter at 2:30 PM. The second match will be PTI taking on the idle Independents at 4:30 PM. Both matches will be at Oleai Sports Complex next Sunday. The Bangladeshi Sports Club will have a bye.
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________1st 2nd Final
Bangladeshi Sports Club 0 0 0
Korean Football Club 0 2 2
Goals: KFC (Kim, 62; Ko, 69)
Cautions: BSC (Jahangir Hossein, 75,dissent)
Officals: Bogdan, Anderson, Ravell, Lo
________1st 2nd Final
Fiesta Inter 3 5 8
PTI 1 1 2
Goals: FI (Otsuka, 10, 42, 46; Reusora 40, 56; John Duenas, 49; Jose Duenas, 80), PTI (Limbu, 19; Own Goal, 47, Gurung, 89)
Cautions: PTI (Tej Gurung, 79, tripping)
Officials: Smith, Schultz, Ravell, Lo
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STANDINGS
__________________W D L GF GA GD
Fiesta Inter.................1 0 0 8 2 +6
Korean Football Club.........1 0 0 2 0 +2
Independents.................0 0 0 0 0 0
Bangladeshi Sports Club......0 0 1 0 2 -2
Pacific Telecom Inc..........0 0 1 2 8 -6
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The score was still 0-0 at the half. KFC scored twice in the second half, once off a cross and once on the rebound from a penalty kick.
I hope we don't have to play too many 2:30 PM games. It was frickin' hot.
The second game between Fiesta Inter and PTI was a total blowout, which Fiesta Inter winning 8-2. It looked like it was going to be an even match.
Fiesta scored first, followed by PTI a few minutes later. They went into the half with Inter up by only 3-1.
Then Inter scored three goals in the first few minutes of the second half. PTI pretty much gave up after that.
A few of us watched the game from behind the Ada Field fence. This allowed us to BBQ and enjoy adult beverages. The fence also put a physical barrier between us and the players, allowing us to heckle them.
