Juniors put Te Atatu AFC on the footballing map
Our amazing Te Atatū AFC Titans, Terminators and Taniwhas recently participated in a 2 day footballing tournament. The teams did our club proud, placing cementing first, third & third places respectively, and doing so with great integrity, free spiritedness, pride, and the care and support for each other.
Check out the weekend report below, expertly written & kindly provided by Scott Folie.
Photo credit: Steph Bell-Jenkins
Matariki weekend saw more than 30 Te Atatū junior boys and girls represent our club over two days of tournament football at Discovery Park in Hamilton against club teams from across the Central North Island and Auckland. The tournament presented two 9th grade boys teams, the Titans and Terminators, and a 12th grade girls’ team, the Taniwhas, with an opportunity to test their skills and resilience under a cup style format.
Group stage success was rewarded with progression to knockout semi-finals, finals, and the chance to put Te Atatū AFC on the footballing map.
The hosts Northern United showed great manaakitanga, making our players and traveling band of supporters feel very welcome. The exceptionally well-organized event included food vendors, a FIFA fan zone, decent playing facilities, and a fantastic atmosphere built on the common bond of community football.
Saturday: Titans & Terminators
Saturday’s 9th grade competition involved 12 teams, including clubs from Te Awamutu, Taupō, Mount Manganui, Hamilton, Rotorua, and East Auckland. The boys were able to showcase their exceptional talent over 4 group games, picking up enough points to qualify in 2nd (Titans) and 4th (Terminators), progressing to the knockout stages.
The Terminators semi-final against the Mount All-Stars was an epic contest. The Mount are an academy team, professionally coached, playing tournament football all over the country (and on occasions internationally) regularly. The superior experience of the opposition did not perturb the Terminators who fought doggedly until the final whistle, passionately urged on by a side line of 60 or so Te Atatū locals who had travelled down in support. Only a goal separated the teams in the end.
The Terminators 3rd and 4th playoff gave them the chance to avenge their group loss to the Western Suburbs team from Rotorua. Another tight contest ended in a draw at full time, triggering a penalty shoot out to decide the bronze medal. Cometh the hour, cometh the team, as the lads held their nerve to coolly hit the back of the net, taking the win.
On the other side of the draw, the Titans met the aforementioned Rotorua team in a physical semi-final encounter. The Titans went into the match motivated by a deal with their coach. Concede no goals in the tournament and be rewarded with McDonalds. Finish with a points differential of 20 goals and also receive McDonalds. Winning the contest 2 - 0 also meant the lads provisionally hit their fast food target, although they had to hold their nerve in the final.
The Mount All-Stars are a slick, talented and well-drilled academy team that are capable of playing with a great level of intensity. Our Titans are raw talents that play with huge heart. They were bonded as early as Plunket days by their mum’s support groups, and have grownup to be neighbours, schoolmates, cricket mates, basketball mates, footy mates, good mates, and the best of mates. They play for the love, and they play for each other. Ultimately, that is why they took home the gold, and two rounds of McDonald’s.
Sunday: Taniwhas
Sunday brought a new dawn with a new group of Te Atatū supporters and our wonderful Taniwha girls team. Playing 12th grade teams from Taupō and Hamilton the girls got off to a slow start with a draw and a loss to put progressing to the knockout stage in jeopardy. An early departure back up the motorway to avoid holiday returning traffic looked increasingly likely.
Game 3 changed everything, as a refocused Taniwha changed into 4th gear, demolishing their opposition with five goals to none through some sublime finishing. Carrying the momentum into a must win final group stage match against top of the table Taupō, the girls put on a clinical display in all facets of attack and defence in a hard fought win 2 - 0. The victory earned the right to repeat the match, but this time as a knockout semi-final.
Taupō made adjustments moving their key personnel into positions to negate the potency of the Taniwha attack. This approach worked, thwarting multiple attempts on goal. After the 20-minute time cap both teams were forced into a penalty shootout to decide who would play for gold. Five shots on goal each were not enough to separate the teams, meaning sudden death penalties were needed. Up and down the side line supporters were finding novel ways to deal with the stress, burying heads in hands, heads in hoods, and heads towards the gloomy sky. Yet, the Taniwha held their composure, supporting one another with great empathy and kindness, even after Taupō’s winning goal hit the back of the net.
The playoff for 3rd and 4th allowed the Taniwha to quickly release their emotions from the semi-final, scoring a brace of fantastic goals to take the bronze. So after two action packed days on the banks of the Waikato River our amazing three teams combined to cement Te Atatū on New Zealand’s footballing landscape, doing so with great integrity, free spiritedness, pride, and the care and support for each other.
