The Jakarta Schools Football Association (JSFA) 2018 Season, which began in January, came to a climax with the final of the Greenfield Cup on Sunday, 5 May. After defeating Deutsche Schule Jakarta, four to two, in the semi-final, Sampoerna Academy U19 team was one match away from winning the cup. Unfortunately, the final pitted us against Dragons FC from Jakarta International School (JIS) and ended with the score of nil-five in our defeat.
This is a case of history repeating itself. Last month, our team played against Dragons in the Jakarta Schools Football League (JSFL) and lost, one to two. At the end of the league, both teams had seven wins. But our single loss compared to their single draw means we had to be content with second place. Our team’s full record in JSFL 2018 may be accessed here.
Despite our team’s effort to return the favor in the final, Dragons FC proved themselves to be the better team and a great rival. We would like to offer our congratulations to JIS for winning both the JSF League and Greenfield Cup!
Great Results for Newly Established Team
We also applaud our team for doing extremely well this season. Winning a total of nine matches out of eleven in JSFL and Greenfield Cup, and becoming the runner-up in both is certainly an amazing feat for a newly established team in their very first tournament!
Our Academy’s U19 soccer team was established on 7 August 2017. Currently, the regular members consist of sixteen students from Grade 11 and two from Grade 12. They train for two hours after school, twice a week at Aldiron Soccer Field. During the League, they also train on Wednesdays. Our soccer team is coached by Mr. Azis and managed by Mr. Slamet. For the next season of JSFA, we aim to win in more than one division.
The Prestige and Heart of JSFL
JSFL is arguably one of the largest school football competitions— not just in Jakarta but also in the world—with up to 200 teams from around 60 schools. Every season, more than 1,000 matches are played at twelve different venues on weekends between January and April. In addition to the League, there is also a Challenge Cup ‘knock-out’ competition for all age groups, which usually runs from February through to May.
Respect, sportsmanship and fair play are at the heart of the competition. Our students experience the joy of winning and the confidence it brings, as well as the disappointment of defeat, and develop the ability to move forward to the next challenge in a positive way
