AIA, City FC to meet in NLCL under-19 final

Athletic International Academy (AIA) and City FC will meet in the final of the 2023/24 Next Level Consulting Ltd (NLCL) under-19 community cup final on March 17 after clinching semifinal wins at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella on Sunday.

In the first match of the semifinal double-header, AIA scored twice within the space of 15 minutes in the second half as they got a 2-0 win over Tobago champions Ball Blasters Youth Academy.

AIA opened the scoring in the 58th minute when their lanky attacker Jahdel Chase-Charles nodded in a deep free kick at the back stick after a mixup in the six-yard box by the Blasters defence. In the 71st minute, AIA put the game to bed and booked their spot in the finale when attacker Jean-Marc Thomas redirected a long left-side throw into the back of the net with a glancing header.

In the final, AIA will meet a City FC team they played on two occasions in the group phase of the competition. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in the first meeting, with City FC recording an impressive 5-0 victory in the second game.

In the second semi, similar to their quarterfinal win over Central Soccer World, City FC left it extremely late as they got a last-gasp 1-0 victory over outgoing champions Soccer Made Simple (SMS). The SMS team had won the last two editions of the tournament, but an 89th-minute goal from substitute Kade Collier ended their stranglehold on the competition.

After a spell of pressing by the City FC attackers in the SMS half, they won possession in the final third before the ball was passed to Collier at the edge of the area. Collier dropped his shoulder and accelerated past a defender before sending a left-footed shot past the SMS custodian.

In the final at the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Collier and City FC will be hoping for more late heroics as they aim to put their name on the NLCL under-19 trophy.