Sport London e Benfica
Founding Date: November 13, 1993 (no longer active)
Other related articles: THE DAY BENFICA PLAYED…BENFICA!
Brief History
Audio Version:
It was in 1993 that a group of benfiquistas living in London got together to found Benfica of London. Later, upon its incorporation, it was named Sport London e Benfica. Fernando Marques was the first ever president and continued to be an integral part of the association during its heyday up until the organization became inactive.
For two decades, London Benfica built an enviable track record both as a social organization and as a soccer club. The clubhouse was, for many years, a favourite destination for many in the London region, either for its culinary or for the opportunity to socialize. However, it was on the soccer field that the organization became widely praised and recognized. It won two Ontario Cups at the youth level, one Western Ontario Soccer League championship and had two appearances in the Ontario cup semi-final in the men’s category.
The first men’s team competed in 1995 and won the WOSL’s Second Division title along with the League Cup. In the Ontario Cup, the team was only stopped in an infamous semi-final played in Leamington. In 1996, the club won the WOSL’s First Division, which granted it a spot in the league’s top flight the year after – the Premier Division. Sport London e Benfica remained in the top flight throughout its existence, establishing itself as one of the few clubs that never got relegated. In 1996, it also won the League Cup for the second straight season.
The new millennium brought London Benfica to a new level, with fantastic teams that could consistently compete with the best in the Province. In 2004’s Ontario Cup, it had an unforgettable run that was only interrupted in the semi-final by the eventual Champion Ottawa Royals.
In 2005, the club finally became WOSL champion when it won the Premier Division in style.
If the first team established London Benfica as a main contender, the youth teams have also not disappointed. In 1996, the Under-14s won the Ontario Indoor Cup and in 2001 the Under-17s won the Ontario Cup in the outdoor competition. In 2003, the Under-13s became champions of London.
For the first 3 years, Sport London e Benfica did not have its headquarters. In 1998, it began renting the property that it eventually purchased in 2002 and that became home to the club for the remainder of the years it was in operation.
Sport London e Benfica became inactive in 2011.
| With files from Luso-Ontario Magazine, 2008 |
| If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com |
| Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com. |
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THE DAY BENFICA PLAYED…BENFICA!
On June 26, 2005, the London Cover Road Stadium hosted a game that would be remembered for ages. Late that Sunday afternoon, Benfica won but, inevitably, it also lost. It was the day that Benfica played Benfica.
It was the second game of another round of the Ontario Cup. Sport London Benfica was matched against its Toronto counterpart. The game began late due to mechanical problems on the bus that transported the team from the Benfica House of Toronto, but the wait was definitely worth it as the teams battled to the last minute to determine which of the Benficas would go through to the next round. Meanwhile, London Portuguese watched from the stands with a spot already guaranteed in the next stage having beaten AEK London (1-0) in the previous game.
Tony Campos, then reporter for Jornal Flash, covered the game extensively. According to his commentary, Benfica of Toronto took control of the game from early on. Halfway through the half, in a span of six minutes, Sam placed them ahead by two goals to nil, a score that persisted until both teams headed for a deserved break.
In the second half, Sport London Benfica came determined to make it a game. In the fifth minute, it could have reduced the difference to one goal, but it was Benfica of Toronto that scored once again, ten minutes in and this time by Castro, to make it 3-0. Although they now had a steep mountain to climb, the reds of London had not lost their determination. They began to take control of the game and to create a few half-chances, mainly from wing play. It paid off at the 15th minute mark with the 1-3, scored by Jason Carrelas who, fifteen minutes later, added another to make it a one goal game. The Londoners pressed until the final whistle but Pedro, the opposing keeper, saved the visitors from giving up a three goal lead.
In its analysis of the game, Tony Campos reported that the first half was dominated by the Benfica House of Toronto but that the London counterpart was the better team in the second half. According to him, the home team “woke up too late.”
Mário João Narciso, then President of the Benfica House of Toronto, was also acting coach for the away team on that day. When asked about his comments on the game, he said that “it was a victory for Benfica. I would rather play Sport London Benfica in the final, of course, but it happened now. I think that we deserved the win after what we did in the first half. Congratulations to Benfica of London and thank you for hosting us at their home. Now we will do our best to win this trophy, which we have been chasing for a long time. Maybe this will be the year, with sacrifice, dedication and, above all, love for Sport Lisboa e Benfica.”
Nuno Medeiros, head coach of Sport London Benfica, offered the following comments: “I was personally confused with the type of football we presented in the first half, which I think we need to forget, but in the second half I think that we dominated, we scored, we were more focused, and we chased the result until the last minute. We just needed a bit of luck. I think a draw at the end of 90 minutes would have been a fair result, but so is football.”
Benfica of Toronto’s run in the 2005 edition of the Ontario Cup would end in the semi-finals, but it would once again win the Toronto Soccer Association League. Sport London Benfica, although disappointed after being knocked out so early in the Ontario Cup, ended the season on a high by winning the Southwestern Ontario Soccer League for the first time in its history.
| If you notice errors or misrepresentations in the article, please e-mail contact@lusocanada.com |
| Help us write History. Contribute your story, memory or experience related to this organization by sending an email to contact@lusocanada.com. |