At the halfway point of the season, United sit seventh in the 10-team league, holding only a two-point buffer over bottom-placed Wānaka.
Casals hopes the switch from league football to knockout competition will lift the players.
“The Chatham Cup is, if I’m not mistaken, one of the oldest cups in world football,” Casals said.
“The club in recent years has had a lot of success in the cup, and we want to create more of these really good memories, especially with a young group of players.
“We want to give them the exposure of knockout football, see how far we can get, knowing that the reward for doing well in the cup is an amazing experience for a lifetime.”
That has forced United to rely on several younger players this season, with Casals impressed by the performances of goalkeeper Ben Graney, midfielder Wyatt Borella and defender Zach Bennett.
Players returning from the Pro League are currently serving a 30-day stand-down period before being allowed to play in the amateur Southern League.
They will become eligible on June 19, ahead of United’s clash with Selwyn United on June 20.
“They’re going to add a lot of value to what we already have,” Casals said.
“We have a team that is really keen to learn, high energy, high focus, and having players that have the experience of playing football at the next level, I think is going to blend really well with what’s currently in the squad.
“I’m really looking forward to adding that extra bit of quality and experience into a very dynamic, fast-learning group of players and seeing where that takes us.”
Aside from United and Nomads, only two other Southern League sides remain in the Chatham Cup – Ferrymead Bays and Cashmere Technical, who face second-tier sides Halswell United and Waimakariri United on Friday and Saturday respectively.
