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Utulei Youth the team to beat

Utulei Youth has emerged as the team to beat in Pool A of the 2013 FFAS Futsal League after a dominating win over another top tier team, Taputimu Youth, on Feb. 16.

 

On Feb. 18, Martin Luther King Day, scheduled games for Pool A only saw Utulei eke out a 2-1 win over the Tafuna Jets B but are clearly the best team in the division with 26 goals scored just four games into the league.

 

Utulei leads the group five points clear of its closest competitors, Pago Youth A and Taputimu Youth. Only the top two teams advance to the playoffs from each group.

 

In Pool B, going into the third round four teams were tied with six points each but at the end that number was whittled down to two with FC SKBC taking the top spot over Atu’u Broncos.

 

Both are tied with 9 points each with SKBC having the tiebreaker edge — goals differential — 10-9.

 

POOL A (FEB. 18 GAMES)

 

UTULEI YOUTH 2, TAFUNA JETS B 1

 

The Jets B scored first but Utulei Youth scored last to eke out a 2-1 win on the Martin Luther King Holiday.

 

Ne’emia Kaleopa scored the game-winner for Utulei.

 

LION HEART B 3, TAPUTIMU YOUTH 3

 

Lion Heart B let a win slip away after taking a 2-0 lead, only to see Taputimu come back and tie it at 2-2 before the end of the break.

 

Taputimu had to scramble for the equalizer in the second half in the last five minutes of the match.

 

PANSA 3, GREEN BAY 3Green Bay came back from a 3-1 deficit in the first half to force a tie by game’s end.

 

Green Bay scored the last two goals with 10 minutes remaining in the match.

 

PAGO YOUTH A 6, VAIALA TONGAN 1

 

Pago A took a commanding 4-1 lead in the first half thanks to two goals by AJ Tualaulelei.

 

A Tongan own-goal helped Pago A reach six goals in the match. Vaitogi United was off with a bye. POOL A (FEB. 16 GAMES) UTULEI YOUTH 7, TAPUTIMU YOUTH 2

 

Kaleopa Siligi, the smallest player on the court, dominated this match with his skillful play and scoring ability as he single-handedly took apart Taputimu Youth.

 

Siligi scored five of the Utulei’s 7 goals in the match as Taputimu found themselves overmatched against the emerging best team in the competition.

 

VAITOGI UNITED 4, TAFUNA JETS B 3

 

Eldon Sioka scored the game-winner with less than two minutes to play in a closely contested match.

 

Mathew Tusitala scored twice for Vaitogi while Taylor Faumuina had a hat trick for the Jets B.

 

LION HEART B 3, VAIALA TONGAN 1

 

Lion Heart B pulled away from Vaiala Tongan in the second half after the first ended in a 1-1 tie.

 

Uasi Heleta scored twice for Lion Heart B.

 

PAGO YOUTH A 3, GREEN BAY 0 (FORFEIT)

 

Pago A won by forfeit after Green Bay could not field a full squad of five players to start the match.

 

POOL B (FEB. 16 GAMES) FC SKBC 5, PAGO YOUTH B 2

 

FC SKBC took command of Pool B with a strong first half against Pago Youth B as they went into the break leading 3-0.

 

Raynel Krishna scored twice for FC SKBC.

 

ATU’U BRONCOS 5, ILAOA & TO’OMATA 1

 

Atu’u kept pace with SKBC for the leader board in Pool B after a 5-1 win against Ilaoa & To’omata.

 

Despite the score, the game was much closer with both teams playing to a scoreless tie in the first half.

 

In the second half they slowly edged away from a feisty Ilaoa & To’omata thanks to a hat trick by Filo Matau.

 

TAFUNA JETS A 2, LION HEART A 2

 

A 1-1 tie after the break remained a draw at the end of regulation.

 

Both teams missed several chances of scoring the game-winner in a frantic finish during the last five minutes of the match.

 

BLACK ROSES 7, KIWI SOCCERS 4

 

Looking at a 3-1 hole, Black Roses woke up and started to dominate the second half of the match after ending the first one down 2-1.

 

They would eventually equalize the game 3-3 with 14 minutes to play and it took them only three minutes to score the go-ahead goal thanks to Henry Lesa’s first of two goals in the match.

 

Lesa, Falagisisi Komasi and Sam Ulu all scored two goals each for Black Roses. Palepoi Mauga scored two for Kiwi Soccers.