The game was a little confused to start with the referee having the teams switch sides three times, but when the whistle blew, both sides were very clear on what they needed to do. Both teams started slowly, feeling each other out. CASL was first with a goal scoring possibility when Brandon Haynes cranked a left footed volley off the chest of the Schulz goalkeeper. Ade Ellis cleared the dangerous ball in the box wisely. CASL’s Seth Babington run down the right along the goal line and resultant cross was played up and out by Sevin Barnes.

The remainder of the half was basically the Schulz’s Donovan Henry show. He did not score but his aggressive moves, speed and power, put the CASL defense under pressure. In the 11th minute, he took on three CASL defenders and miraculously pops out with the ball and shoots. The ball deflects out for a corner. In the 23rd minute Henry’s speed and power put CASL’s Patrick Donohue under pressure and his takedown was immediately whistled for a penalty kick. Francisco Pelicon calmly stepped to the spot and drives the ball low down the center, Joe Goodwin was diving left…goal. Schulz Academy 1 – CASL 0.

Standing 2nd row (from left to right): Sean Hart, Alex Bidos, Kevin Noble, Axel Miranda, Alvaro Bastidas, Tony Assenza, Head Coach Dr. Josef Schulz, Chris Mechel, Ade Ellis, Ricardo Singh, Luca Bondi, Eric DeSousa. First row: Donovan Henry, Mashu Duek, Francisco Pelicon, Sevin Barnes, Darrian Pulchan, Scotty Power, Wendel James, Diego Castellon, Joao Mendes, Andres Londono-Morales

CASL continued working with no equalizer, Nick Millington, CASL’s national pool player, seems to be in charge of the middle. In the 38th minute Schulz’s Donovan Henry again explodes through a defender and his powerful shot is expertly parried wide left by Goodwin.

Second half action was back and forth until the 55th minute when CASL’s Nick Millington uncorked a shot from 25 yards, barely off. The Schulz Academy game was picked up by play from Pelicon in the middle of the pitch. His work seemed to equalize CASL’s Millington. With time running out play was fast and furious. In the 71th minute CASL again attacking, Brandon Haynes puts a cross in mishandled by the keeper, the resulting scrum in the box ended when the keeper ended up with the ball. Once again in the 77th minute Haynes crosses a dangerous ball in, the balls jumbled around the box for a seemingly long period of time. Sevin Barnes finally clears the ball out. Basically that was the last really good opportunity and the clock ran down.

CASL coach Carlos Somoano stated, “ My team was a little off all week, but all the credit to Schulz Academy. Their team speed and athleticism was good, they are fast. The goalkeeper just kept coming up big for them.”