Between a solid start to the USSF Development Academy League and a title run at the Disney Showcase, the CASL Chelsea U18 team is enjoying a great season.

Rusty Scarborough’s side is 11-1-1 overall and 5-1-0 in Atlantic Division play thus far, and while the brunt of the season is still to come, an accompanying win at Disney puts them in solid positions as favorites to advance to the July League finals via the June playoffs to be held in Greensboro. CASL placed both the U16 and U18 teams in last year’s finals, although both teams struggled for results at the Home Depot Center.

This year’s squad includes 12 players from last year’s U17 club team and six from the U16 Academy squad. Scarborough is happy with the way the group has meshed.

"I said at the beginning that the biggest challenge for this group is to come together as a team. They needed to believe in each and other and be a team,” he said. “We knew we had some good players but how quickly they came together would dictate our success. At the California Showcase (in early December) we made a point to spend a lot of time off the field together, and I think that really paid off at Disney.

Disney brought a title that was a successful defense of sorts for the entire squad, as both the U16 Academy and U17 club team had won there last year. The U18s defeated Miami Strike Force in this year’s final.

Scarborough said this team likes to play attacking soccer.

“I’m very excited with this group because they are good all over the park,” he said. “They try to get the ball down and play. It’s a fast-paced team and we have some very crafty, pacey attacking players, plus the back five players are so solid.”

Scarborough noted that the team is so eager to get forward it sometimes leaves itself vulnerable in the back, but adds that the group has only conceded eight goals so far this year.

Part of that is because the squad had two standout goalkeepers in Scott Goodwin and Alex Long. Goodwin is set to play college soccer at North Carolina and Long will be at South Carolina.

“They are both outstanding,” Scarborough said. “This is the first time in 29 years I’ve had a goalkeeper be captain and that says a lot for Scott.”

On the defensive line, CASL Sports right backs JP Rafferty and Glen Scott. Isack Niyongabo, who has attracted interest from professional clubs overseas, is the anchor in the back.

“He’s a big, strong athletic kid with very soft feet,” Scarborough said.

Nick Butterly and Kevin Stam complete the defensive package at left back and center back.

Wake Forest verbal commit Ryan Metts, Jared Girard and Patrick Donahue man the two holding midfield roles on the team and provide a solid link from front to back. In attacking midfield Martin Murphy and Justin Smith split the duties, with each bringing a distinct skill set to the table.

“Martin goes forward a little quicker,” he said. “He tries to play penetrating balls while Justin settles the ball more. They have a contrasting style of game and that kind of goes well for us and with our other players to have both. Each half can be something different.”

Along the front three for the squad Scarborough has some options. Joseph Babbington is a classic target man, with size and strength allowing him to hold the ball when his teammates attempt to find feet. Chipper Root and Eli Garner play the flank roles as well as just anybody in the country for their age group. Both can beat players 1v1, go into an extra gear or strike the ball from distance.

Also available in those spots are Michael Smith and Lester Nare, whom the coach says are good at holding the ball and keeping possession.

The group moves into the heart of the Academy season starting about now, but has one other trip very much on their mind. They travel in April to the home of their English sponsors, Chelsea FC, along with their U16 counterparts, to play a quartet of matches against professional youth sides such as Chelsea and West Ham.

Scarborough added that the Academy format is very much to the liking of him and his team.

“This is a tremendous thing for youth soccer,” he said. “All the games are competitive. We’ve had solid refereeing and mostly good fields. It’s very enjoyable to compete in this.”