The U14 Boys Gary Miller Charity Shield was a thrilling showdown between London TFC and Woodbridge SC, with  Woodbridge SC emerging victorious in a closely contested 4-1 battle.

A mistake by the London TFC defender in his own box in the opening 20 seconds gave Massimo Rigillio a chance to give his team the early lead but failed to convert the early opportunity.

A shot attempt by Woodbridge’s No.8 Luca Martini in the 17 minute from outside the box was the only other notable scoring chance for either side in the first quarter, as both teams continually traded possession and struggled to control the tempo of the game.

The intensity carried over into the second quarter as both teams began pushed forward in search of the opener.

The first clear chance of the second quarter fell to London’s No. 17, whose effort tested the Woodbridge defense. Moments later, Javier Areco of Woodbridge created a chance for himself, but his shot went straight into the hands of the London goalkeeper Ragheed Elassi.

A turnover in the midfield in the 33 minute set up London TFC with an opportunity to quickly counter attack forcing Woodbridge’s Aiden Campbell to make a crucial last-man defensive effort to halt the attack and prevent his team from going down going into the halftime break.

As both sides searched for a breakthrough in the 55 minute, an olímpico-style corner from Woodbridge forced the London TFC goalkeeper to punch the ball clear, keeping the match level. Just minutes later, No. 3 Gabrial Ceolindelivered a fantastic cross that found John Basalious, who managed to get just enough of a touch to redirect the ball into the TFC net, giving Woodbridge the lead heading into the fourth quarter.

With London TFC pushing for an equalizer early in the fourth quarter, they were caught with too many players forward, allowing Woodbridge to launch a quick counterattack. The move ended with No.11 Nico Vias, whose initial shot was saved by the TFC goalkeeper Connor Desmond, but he reacted quickly to slot home the rebound and double Woodbridge’s advantage.

With the game seemingly done and dusted, Macklin Campbell produced a moment of brilliance in added time, scoring what could be considered the goal of the tournament — a looping strike from outside the box that cut the deficit in half for London TFC. However, the drama didn’t end there, as Woodbridge’s No. 16  Javier Areco quickly restored his team’s two-goal advantage, sealing a memorable victory to capture the U14 Boys Gary Miller Charity Shield.

Championship Photo