Weekend Diamond wrap up

JVW Football Club reflect on the past weekend, following the second league fixture for the Blue Diamonds and Gauteng Province Preseason tournaments.

The JVW first team were up against UJ in their second fixture of the Hollywoodbets Super League. Following their defeat the previous week to TS Galaxy, and were looking to bounce back against the Orange Army in a Gauteng based clash.

The match kicked off at 15:00 in scorching temperatures, with Gauteng experiencing a 2 week and ongoing heatwave. UJ opened the scoring in the 4th minute and managed to score their second before the 20 minute mark. Although JVW had a few attempts to attack the goal from set pieces, nothing was able to come from them, and the half ended with JVW on the back foot.

With lightning hovering over the field, the Blue Diamonds seemed nervous to take the field in such conditions, but the match restarted for the second half. Shortly after the break, UJ netted their third.

It was not meant to be as the Blue Diamonds netted two goals, but were ruled offside, one on either side of the field. There seemed to be some joy in the 54th minute when Putu was brought down, and a penalty call was made. However the call was not in JVW’s favour and a direct free kick was issued. Newly promoted Hollis came on as a late substitute and made her mark by netting the lone goal in the 90th minute. It was too late for the team to capitalise on any points, and the 3-1 result was recorded.

Without any dismay, they look ahead to this week’s fixture, where they take on UWC on Friday at UJ Soweto at 19:00.

Preseason tournament success for Development teams

The JVW Development teams were in high spirits this past weekend after the Sapphires took home the trophy and Gems held second place.

The teams got off to an impressive start in their respective preseason tournaments hosted by the Gauteng Football Association. The Sasol League stream kicked off a 16 team knockout format, whilst the GWDL Top 8, both held at Panorama Football Club.

The tournament commenced on Saturday, where the Sapphires faced NWU Vaal and Future Stars. They emerged victorious with a 3-0 and 3-2 win respectively, and advanced to the semi-finals.

On Sunday the semi final match saw back-to-back action, which led the game to a goal less draw against DK Ladies. Heading straight into penalties, Sapphires got ahead of the game converting the first 3, with Gordon saving the first 3 penalties. This secured them a place in the Finals.

The final encounter against Mito stars was sure to bring some excitement. The score line remained extremely close throughout the duration of the match, but the Sapphires were able to stay ahead. The referee finally ended the game 3-2 in favour of JVW. After a long, hot and very competitive weekend, the Sapphires now finalise preparations leading to the start of the league, beaming with confidence.

Gems secure second place

Made up of girls between the ages of 11 and 16, the JVW Gems were fired up for the start of the tournament. They were victorious in their first knockout match with a 4-0 win against Tornado FC. This gave them much confidence ahead of their semi final match up.

Holding on to the title from the year before, undoubtedly the Gems played their hearts out for a spot in the final. With co-founder Janine van Wyk in the stands, they put on a marvellous display against Highlands Park, and eased into the Final match.

Development rivals Mamelodi Sundowns also secured their place in the final. This was bound to be a tough competitive test for both teams. Although the Gems played their hearts out, it just did not go their way and lost 4-2.

Not only did the the Gems turn heads the entire weekend due to their incredible play, but so did our supporters. Made up of parents, family and friends, our supporting team turned up the excitement and spirit on the sidelines.

The teams head back to training to finalise preparations ahead of the start of their respective leagues.

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