U16 Boys NPL Spring Showcase: Preview
Champions League
In one of the closest Champions League divisions of any age group in any gender, just four points separate fourth place Santa Rosa United (nine points) with first-place Placer United (13 points). And their weekend kicks off with a big game as Placer face second-place Force Saturday before taking on third-place Lamorinda Soccer Club (10 points) the following day. Due to the vast amount of fixtures against each other, any of these four sides could come home with the title or a top two finish which would qualify for ENPL Western Playoffs.
Champions League Schedules and Results
NPL 1
Like the Champions League level of the U16 boys age group, just four points separate fourth place from first place in the NPL 1. San Juan SC lead the way with 13 points from five games, having scored 10 goals and allowed just one all season. But San Juan will face a tough test on Saturday when they face fourth-place Napa Soccer Academy (nine points), who will need a win to keep their league title hopes alive. Meanwhile, second-place California Odyssey (12 points) meet third-place SF Elite Academy (10 points) Sunday in a match that could decide the league title should San Juan drop points.
NPL 2
With a 5-1-0 record, first-place Palo Alto SC (15 points) have dropped just one result all season. But that result happens to have come against second-place Ballistic United (10 points), meaning that Palo Alto will need at least two draws in their two weekend games to claim this title regardless of other results. With an outside chance looking in are third-place Santa Cruz Breakers (10 points), but they would need to win both of their games and have Palo Alto lose both of theirs, among other results.
NPL 3
In a division that still has much to decide and won’t be finished until June, Davis Legacy are the clear favorites, coming out to a 4-0-0 record with 11 goals scored and just two allowed, while PAC San Jose sit just behind the Legacy with a 3-0-0 record with 15 goals scored and just three allowed. The pair of sides meet Saturday in a game that could go a long way towards deciding who wins this division. With a top-three finish needed to assure automatic NPL qualification for the 2018/19 season, there’s still much on the line for every side in this division.
