The Manhattan Celtic were no match for a resurgent NY Pancyprian Freedoms coming off a 8-0 semi-final win in the Werner Fricker Open Cup earlier in the week. With two first half goals, the NYPF won the game 2-1 on Sunday, October 30th at Belson Stadium. Joseph Holland opened the scoring, followed by James Tristino who worked tirelessly pressing in the opposition half and was supported by a midfield held strong by Andreas Iosifidis, captain of the team. The win puts the NYPF in second place of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Premier Soccer League (EPSL) with a game in hand against first place Lansdowne Yonkers FC. Watch the game in full on Game in Frame.

“It’s important that we got back to winning in the league and showing our quality,” said Panos Onisiforou, NYPF head Coach. “First half was a near perfect performance for us and we need to keep that level throughout that game.”

Next game is the Greek Derby between the NYPF and the third place NY Greek Americans on Saturday, November 8th at Hofstra University. Both teams are tied on 15 points with the NYPF having scored more goals and with a better goal difference. The winner of this match will pull ahead in the table.

A similar game played out the night before with two first half goals for the NYPF II to beat Barnstonworth Rovers FC 2-1 on Saturday, October 29th at Astoria Park in the Third Division of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL). Former Eleftheria youth players, Yusuf Adib and Sean Arus made it two games in a row of both scoring great goals to put their team ahead. Barnstonworth threw everything they had at the NYPF II in the second half and were only able to claw a goal back with the NYPF II win never in question.

“Coming into this game we knew we would have to grind out a win against a very defensive Barnstonworth Rovers FC that would be happy letting us have possession of ball,” said Paul Kontonis, NYPF II Head Coach. “We needed to be patient and believe that we would create the opportunities we would need to win the game.”

The NYPF II, sitting in second place awaiting the results of the appeal of the league’s decision against NYPF in the abandoned match against Afghan Ittihad FC, next play NY Legacy FC on November 6th at Randalls Island in the CSL.

The NYPF 0-30 found the back of the net four times in a strong win against Megas Alexandros FC O-30 in the Long Island Soccer Football League (LISFL) on Sunday, October 30th at St. Michael’s Playground. The 4-1 win is part of a five game winning streak in the inaugural season for the NYPF in the Over-30 division of the LISFL. Two goals and an assist from Panos Onisiforou and a goal apiece from Billy Antoniou and George Spanos the NYPF O-30 powered to victory.

The first place NYPF 0-30 have a two week rest before getting back on the field for the Greek Derby on November 20th against the NY Greek Americans O-30 at Van Buren High School in Queens Village.