CASL teams nearing titles

Capital Area Soccer League teams stayed on track to clinch the U.S. Soccer Development Academy's South Conference Atlantic Division in both the U15/16 and U17/18 divisions.

Last weekend, CASL's Chelsea FC Academy teams faced division rivals from McLean (Va.) Youth Soccer and North Mecklenburg FC.

In a scoreless but aggressive match Saturday, CASL's U17/18 team played McLean to a 0-0 draw.

The U15/16 squad claimed its most commanding win of the season, overwhelming McLean 4-0 with two goals from Monbo Bokar and Fernando Castellanos and one from Bryan Roque.

Sunday, in the U17/18 CASL Academy team's final home match at WRAL Soccer Center, a goal from Matthew Wescoe was not enough to prevent a 2-1 loss to North Meck after conceding a goal in the final minute of play. The CASL Academy team (13-3-8, 47 points) still holds a two-point advantage over second-place Greensboro Youth Soccer in the division standings, as well as a 10-point cushion in the overall standings.

The U15/16 CASL Academy team (17-1-6, 57 points) followed up Saturday's win with a 1-0 defeat of North Meck on Sunday on an early goal by Cooper Vandermaas-Peeler. The team remained in good shape after last weekend's two wins with its own 10-point advantage over Charlotte Soccer Academy.

Both CASL teams will travel to Greensboro on Thursday to take on Greensboro Youth Soccer. Then, with a short week to prepare for their biggest showcase event of the season, the teams will head to Sarasota, Fla., where they will play some of the best academy teams in the nation.

Spring State Cup

In U17 boys play on Saturday, the 92 CASL Elite and the Fuquay-Varina Athletic Association's 92 Flash Red team played to a 2-2 draw.

Triangle Futbol Club's U17 Navy boys claimed a 4-0 win over the Piedmont Triad Football Club's 92 Black squad 4-0. They will face their club counterpart, TFC's U17 White team, in the State Cup semifinals this Saturday in Greensboro, while the 92 CASL Elite will take on the 92 Charlotte United Gold.

With TFC Navy's string of dominating shutouts in this year's tournament, it appears to be the favorite to win a second consecutive State Cup. TFC Navy already has qualified for an automatic spot in the regional tournament by winning the Region III Premier League's regular-season. In U18 boys play, the 91 CASL Elite's chances to advance expired Saturday with a 2-2 tie with the 91 Highland Football Club (HFC) Red team. CASL's Bryan Evans and Andrew Rice scored in the draw.

The 91 Triangle United Gold continued to dominate Saturday with a 6-0 defeat of TFC Navy. Bjorn Johnsen notched three goals, with the other Triangle United goals coming from McAmos Paye, Matthew Feigler, and Zabarle Kollie.

On Sunday, Triangle United kept rolling with a 5-1 defeat of 91 CASL Elite, with goals from Jordan Rouse, Paye, Feigler, Johnsen and Kollie. (Andrew Rice scored CASL's goal.) TFC Navy notched its biggest win of the season that same day, beating the 91 HFC Red 3-0 in their final group match, with goals by Tyler Bunn, Jason Freeman, and Marc Achidi. The victory earned TFC Navy a spot and in Saturday's semifinals.

The 91 TUSA Gold may be the heavy favorite to win its fourth straight State Cup title. In Saturday's semifinal in Greensboro, it faces the 91 Cape Fear Soccer Association's Breakers White team, which finished second in Group B.

TFC Navy faces Group B winner Charlotte SA Predator for the other spot in the 91 final.