The WSAFC 11th grade premier 'Joga Bonito' team had a victorious outing in Hamilton on Sunday 13th in the annual Hamilton North fundraiser tournament.

After 4 grading games the team had won 3 and lost only 1, letting in only 2 goals in the process and scoring 14. the semi-final saw them pegged against East Coast Bays, a traditionally hard team for our side to beat. However, Joga Bonito finished them off in convincing style, putting the game to bed 3-0.


The final saw Joga Bonito up against the only team to have beaten them, Hamilton North Wolves (the host team), in their fourth grading game. This time Joga Bonito served up some justice and finished the game 1-0 victors.


This is a very promising start to the season for the 11th grade prems as they won their first premier title last year and are looking to make it two in a row this year.


Many thanks to the parents who traveled to Hamilton on saturday night and sunday with the team.

Tournament Results

Joga Bonito traveled to Hamilton on Sunday 13th for their first out-of-Auckland tournament.

The day shaped up well, but the team was given an early shower in game one as they struggled to overcome local side Cambridge. Lewis opened the day's scoring (and his Western Springs account) with a magic goal off Orlando's corner, then Jack 'Birthday Boy' Dymond rounded off the first pool game. 2-0, Joga Bonito.

Up second was Hamilton North's second-string team. They presented little obstacle for Joga Bonito as both teams came to grips with a dry, uneven surface. Myer dispatched 2 goals as did Lewis for a comfortable win. 4-0, Joga Bonito.

The third game of the day saw a few of the Springs side go into the match relaxed, as the opposition, Western United, had been given two consecutive 7-0 hidings in their earlier games. This was a day of learning for most of the teams however, with Springs being one of the only teams to have started their league this year. For most of the Hamilton and Cambridge sides, this was their first outing as a team. However, despite their relaxed view of the game, Springs got a surprise early on and Western United broke first and nearly scored. Surprised into action, Myer and Eddie cranked up the engines and whacked home 4 goals in the latter quarters of the game. 4-0, Joga Bonito.

The day's fourth game was a contentious one, in that both teams were undefeated and both were gunning for the table's top spot. Ad to this a debatable final score and you have a recipe for controversy!! The game started well and it was clear that both sides were evenly matched. Joga Bonito's opposition were the home club's 11th grade premier side and they didn't want to lose face on their big day. Hamilton opened the scoring but their joy was quickly muted as Myer finished off a classy move by slotting a far-post goal into the net. Hamilton scored again, putting Springs on the back foot, but again we rallied and came up with a goal. However, after awarding the goal, the ref reversed his decision after being persuaded by some home fans and the team coach, and the game finished 2-1. Neutral fans and the Springs team were up in arms, but the result stood. 2-1, East Coast Bays.

This result sent Joga Bonito through to the semi finals in 2nd place, and into a hard game against favourites East Coast Bays.

Bays had just come off the back of a 5-0 romp over their last opponents and were expected to win or at least draw with Springs. Our team had other ideas. With our strikers hitting their straps, Myer and Eddie combined up front to demolish the opposition 3-0, ably supported by some fantastic defense from Connor, Daisy and some energetic midfield play from Oscar that all but sealed up the game. The end result - a resounding win for Western Springs. 3-0, Joga Bonito.

Into the final and it was time for some poetic justice against fellow finalists Hamilton North Wolves, who we'd earlier encountered with a shaky 2-1 loss. Joga Bonito started strongly and it seemed one-way traffic for most of the first half. Eddie was playing out of his skin and was rewarded with a goal that sent Joga Bonito up 1-0 and put Hamilton on the back foot. The remainder of the short game was spent with Hamilton throwing everything forward and Joga Bonito buffeting them away at every chance. The end result sealed a well-earned win for Springs and with it the tournament trophy.