Watching the Skilled and Competitive Senior Girls of Tiger Football Academy in Action

The scorching midday sun did nothing to break the spirit of the Senior Girls of Tiger Football Academy (TFA) as they pushed through and completed their match with determination. The team’s spirit and unity led to a sweet ending—a 7–0 victory after defeating Arigato FC in a friendly match at the Pakuwon Golf and Family Club field on Saturday (24/9/2022).

Cheers from substitutes and supporters provided an extra boost of energy for the players on the pitch, even as they appeared out of breath while trying to control the game’s tempo. On the sidelines, TFA coach Matthew Green was seen tirelessly shouting instructions, urging his players to keep pressing the opponents and protecting their defense every time the opposing team began to attack.

Tiger Football Academy (TFA) is a nonprofit community organization that began in January 2020 under the guidance of staff from Surabaya European School (SES). The program was initially successful, but temporarily halted due to Covid restrictions. With full support from SES, TFA reopened its doors to both SES students and the wider community, and is now entering the middle of its first semester. Although it is currently dominated by young players, TFA is professionally structured and well-managed, ensuring that children train in a safe, supervised environment with access to modern football coaching techniques from skilled and qualified coaches and assistants.

“As for the divisions, the Academy is split into five groups: Mixed Juniors (ages 5–8), Boys Intermediate (9–12), Girls Intermediate (9–12), and Senior Boys and Senior Girls (13–18),” explained Matthew. As it continues to grow, the Academy now has more than 130 registered players and aims to keep expanding in the coming years, with the goal of developing players’ skills and playing competitive matches. “And most importantly, ensuring that the children have fun and play with respect for everyone,” Matthew added. Responding to the friendly matches that will be held more frequently, TFA welcomes every opportunity to face local teams with enthusiasm. “Seeing today’s result, we are confident that TFA is a force to be reckoned with,” Matthew Green stated.

Substitutes and supporters erupted in cheers when Liana Myring scored the opening goal. She broke through the defensive line and fired the ball straight into the net. Soon after, Chloe Sun extended the lead with a long-range free kick. Another player, Viany Uskono, also contributed with two well-crafted goals. The wing play of Kharisa Tamphanuwat was equally impressive. The agile player scored after intercepting a pass and firing a shot into the net. In the second half, TFA experimented with younger players, and once again Myring found success—scoring her second goal from a cross delivered by Tamphanuwat.

The seventh goal came in the final third of the match when forward Rafflyne Halim powered the ball into the net with a strong strike. “The TFA players only trained twice before this match,” Coach Matthew Green said afterward. Despite their lack of experience, Matthew explained that he never intimidates or holds them back—he encourages them to play with spirit, commitment, and sportsmanship. In yesterday’s friendly, he fielded three different layers of players, hoping to give each of them a chance to shine and show their talent. Arigato FC’s play wasn’t bad, but thanks to a strong defensive performance led by Chanelle Herho, Saina Husen, Chloe Sun, and Rachel Halim, as well as goalkeeper Sefanya Cecilia, TFA managed to keep a clean sheet.

The TFA players were pleased with the victory. “Today’s match was fun, especially because it was the first game of the season. Even though there are a few technical areas we can improve, we worked hard and our efforts paid off,” said co-captain Chloe Sun. Meanwhile, co-captain Kharisa Tamphanuwat shared what TFA means to her:

“I love how football takes away my worries and stress. TFA is also such a friendly community, and all the players support one another. These memories will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she concluded.