On Friday 4th July the Oasis Academy Coulsdon ('OAC') World Cup tournament came to a thrilling end with the team representing Australia claiming the title and trophy. The tournament brought together students and staff in a festival of excitement and football.

The OAC Teams were announced one week before the tournament started. Members of Staff and Year 10 students quickly snapped up the positions of managers and coaches. Once aligned with their team, the players, coaches and staff bid for the honour of representing two of the current 32 Teams of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

All teams played three games in each of their group stages and after eight lunchtimes of end to end football the knock out stages started. Some of these games were decided in extra time and even the cruel penalty shoot-out decided the fate in two matches at this stage.

Day 10 saw 32 teams now whittled down to eight in a quarter final afternoon which left Australia, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Honduras the victors, invited to the finals the following day. Semi Finals and runners up games were played on the final day. Equal runners up honours went to Honduras and Ecuador in a 1-1 thriller.

Australia and Costa Rica played the final and in the end the strong Australia team lifted their game to new heights and won convincingly 5-1.

Tournament statistics:

Total of 64 games played.

Over 112 players involved.

Over 32 year 10 coaches.

Over 32 Members of Staff managing teams.

Money raised from the team auction, player subscription and fines (given out for staff ‘skulduggery’) over £210.

The charities chosen to receive the money raised include a football project in slum areas in Kenya run by a former OAC PE teacher Mr Swais and an Anti-Trafficking Charity in Belgium being supported by the Academy.

The top goal scorers were as follows: