Panorama Football Club denied fairytale ending at finals of GDL Cup showpiece
More penalty heartache for U/19s but coaching staff delighted with giant-killing cup run.
Form becomes irrelevant when cup elimination is on the line.
The cream of Gauteng’s footballing crop turned Panorama Football Club into a development mecca. Growing in stature and reputation, the club hosted the finals of the Gauteng Development League (GDL) Youth Cup on September 24.
With semifinals scheduled for the morning followed by late-afternoon deciders for the trophies, knockout pain and gain were the order of the day.
After progressing through a group stage and subsequent knockout rounds, the final four teams from the under 13, 15, 17 and 19 age groups used four fields at Panorama to decide who would be crowned knockout specialists. Panorama had gained notoriety through the tournament for taking down the big guns with the U/15s and U/19s having claimed the scalps of Kaizer Chiefs and SuperSport United in the previous rounds.
In Saturday’s semifinals, Panorama’s U/15s would be up against Black Aces Joburg City while the U/19s would take on the team that eliminated them from the Engen Knockout Challenge earlier this year, powerhouses Mamelodi Sundowns. After a goalless draw, the U/15s and Aces decided their fate from the penalty spot with the home crowd erupting in celebration as they progressed to the final.
Panorama coaches, players and supporters were buzzing with the possibility of two teams in the afternoon finals. Sundowns began the semifinal well, pinning the hosts in their own half for the opening 10 to 15 minutes with composed ball possession. Despite the early dominance, Sundowns struggled to carve out a clear chance as Panorama’s defence remained firm.
The hosts grew into the game, focusing passes out wide looking to exploit the speed of Seth Green who would have the first clear chance of the game. Earning a yard on his marker, Green looked to lob the goalkeeper from inside the box but only spooned it generously into the waiting gloves. The Sundowns keeper made a smart save low to his right moments later to keep the scores level and Panorama continued to pressed on, earning several free kicks that would amount to nothing.
The semifinal would stay goalless, forcing a shootout repeat of the Engen Knockout clash. This time Panorama would send Sundowns packing from 12 yards, making it two out of two into the final. Sadly, there would be no fairytales for the plucky amateurs as Transnet School of Excellence ended the festivities beating both the U15s 2–0 before condemning Panorama’s U/19s to another competition shootout defeat, wining 5–4 on penalties.
Panorama FC Technical Director, Roman Schröder said,
“This is uncharted territory for us and you start to form your ambitions along the way, if I’m honest. As you start building momentum you ambitions and your goals and your beliefs start to grow. That most certainly happened with the U/15s and U/19s. I think we exceeded all expectations and anybody that tells you we didn’t I think is probably blinded by the fact that we got to where we got.
“As you are progressing your expectations change and sometimes they become unrealistic but you have to dream big and I think we did that. Obviously a bittersweet feeling in that we got to the finals at home with two of our sides. I think the most memorable out of the cup runs was probably the U/15 side purely because thee two big knockout games in a row where Chiefs followed by Sundowns, both of which they beat and beat convincingly and deservedly.
“It was always going to be tough coming up against Excellence in the final. They are top of the GDL league and on the day, sometimes you have to admit that the better side deserved to win and there is no debating that the School of Excellence’s U/15 deserved to win.
“If I then look at the U/19, ultimately getting to the final and knocking out Sundowns a massive one. The experience of getting that far and what it adds to the know-how of the players. Every time you get into those pressure situations it adds to the development of the players. For a small club with big ambitions it is amazing to expose our players to those moments.
“I am super, super proud to exceed at least my expectations and regardless of the result we can walk away with our heads held up high.
