Soccer coaches have World Cup fever
Brazil is the popular choice to win it all
By Chris R. Walker
Barely over a month ago, the Naperville Central boys soccer family was beside itself with joy over the Redhawks' state title.
Today their attention, along with multitudes of others, is focused on the World Cup. The quarterfinals begin today (Dec. 9) with Croatia vs. Brazil at 9 a.m. (CDST) followed by Netherlands vs. Argentina at 1 p.m. The round concludes Saturday with matches between Morocco and Portugal at 9 a.m., and England vs. France at 1 p.m.
The semifinals are scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. The final will dominate the sporting world’s attention at 9 a.m. Dec. 18.
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams was not only blessed to be at the helm of the history-making Redhawks, but shared the title with sons Carter and Chase, who were starters and key contributors. His enthusiasm for his team was validated with the school’s first boys soccer title. As for the World Cup, the hot prognosticator believes the defending champion will repeat.
“I have France to win, because I think they have the more dangerous players and have defended well,” Adams said.
He hasn’t forgotten about the U.S. National Team’s run.
“My favorite moment so far was the end of the U.S. game vs. Iran and watching them hang on for the win,” he said.
Glenbard North coach Spero Mandakas agrees with Adams that the winners will become a World Cup champion for a third time, but he believes Argentina will take home the top prize.
“At the beginning of the tournament I went with Argentina so I have to stick with my pick,” he said. “So far it has been very entertaining, and France has looked really good. Seeing Morocco get this far has been great for soccer, and I hope they can keep it going.”
Mandakas believes the veterans, including of course Lionel Messi, will have Argentina celebrating “All Night Long” in a couple of weeks.
“I felt they were coming in with a very experienced group,” he said. “And they have a front line that should be able to have success versus the different styles of play they will see throughout the tournament.”
Waubonsie Valley coach Jose Garcia thinks that the most successful national team in the history of the World Cup is going to ultimately prevail. He was far from alone in a sampling of Chicagoland area boys coaches. Many showed love to the largest country in South America.
“My vote is Brazil to take it all,” he said. “They are playing really well, but best of all, they look like they are having the most fun out there. I really enjoyed watching Japan play and hoped they would make it further.”
St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo is not not changing his pick.
“I picked Brazil at the beginning of the tournament, and I am going to stick to it,” he said with a laugh. “I like their ability to share the ball and deliver chances with their creativity.”
Richarlison’s amazing play during the tournament has caught the attention of Whitney Young coach Nick Maksa, and it’s a key reason why he likes Brazil to take care of business.
“I think Brazil takes it this year,” he said. “Incredible players at every position and with depth in case of injuries. Perfect blend of youth and veterans. Richarlison’s picking a good time to be in the form of his life.”
Plainfield North coach Lukasz Majewski doesn’t think anyone has a chance of stopping Brazil if it continues its exuberant style of play.
“If Brazil plays with as much fun and flair – dancing, celebrating -- and little pressure as they have the last few games, they will be tough,” he said. “I’m not saying, I’m just saying.”
Finding the time to watch the games has been difficult for Oswego East coach Steve Szymanski, but from what he’s seen from Brazil, they’re going to be tough to beat.
“I personally haven’t watched a ton with being in school during most of the games,” he said. “It’s hard to bet against Brazil. I’d say Brazil vs. France final.”
Brazil, Argentina and France have impressed Glenbard South coach Adam Szyszko. The jovial mentor couldn't split his top two.
“My favorites pre-tournament were Brazil and Argentina, but France was clinical in demolishing Poland and (Kylian) Mbappé is a cheat code when he's playing. So I'd say France and Brazil have the best chance to win it all,” he said. “My dark horse was Uruguay but they fell. Portugal also has looked good. It's like the NCAA tournament where you have upsets. Morocco has been awesome, Japan shone, Saudi Arabia shocked. It's been a blast.”
Elgin coach Jimmy Romano, who in his first year with the Maroons led them to a sectional title and the best season in school history, also is going with Brazil.
“From the start of it, I thought Brazil and France would be two teams that could get there, and it seems like it’s Brazil’s year, their time to win it,” he said. “I was rooting for Italy and USA, but Italy didn't qualify. I was also rooting for Spain. My wife is from Spain so that was kind of an automatic one.”
While U.S. fans were disappointed Saturday after the team was eliminated, Szyszko at least enjoyed what he called “a wonderful breakfast burrito” during the 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. He didn’t disclose how much coffee he sipped, but he probably needed the caffeine.
“It's been nearly impossible to watch eight hours of World Cup and watch the game film I need for basketball,” said Szusko, who is a college hoops assistant coach. “Some 4 a.m. games had to be sacrificed.”
Szyszko believes the U.S. played well, but it was apparent that they are in dire need of a goal-scoring forward as well as some better play at center back.
“(Tim) Ream played well but he's late 30s,” he said. “Our midfielders were impressive for the most part. We had a few mental mistakes -- missed marks -- and the Dutch capitalized on that. These (American) players need to grow and play against top club competition in Europe. You can see the difference in class with our European-based players and those in MLS.”
Mandakas said the Netherlands out-strategized the U.S.
“The U.S. did what they had to do in the group stage and put together a solid defensive effort,” he said. “We fell right into the Netherlands’ game plan and hopefully this experience keeps the U.S. going. We have a great core of young players.”
Adams thinks the Americans need to demand more of themselves.
“The U.S. did about what was expected but in a more acceptable way than in the past,” he said. “However, I think everyone believes that we need to start expecting to get further and to raise our expectations. Just qualifying or getting out of group stage has to be the floor and not the ceiling.”
DiNuzzo felt the Americans put on a good show.
“I enjoyed watching the U.S. this year more than any other World Cup, because I thought they were much more comfortable on the ball than any other time that they’ve participated in the tournament,” he said. “Their ability to retain the ball was something we have not been used to.”
Szymanski is hopeful that the American youth prospers.
“The U.S. team is very young and has a lot of potential,” he said. “I hope they keep getting better and maybe make a deeper run when the (World) Cup is in North America in four years.”
Romano is hopeful that the U.S. has gained some respect after getting knocked out in the Round of 16.
“I always feel like people doubt American soccer, and I feel like it’s not right that they do it,” he said. “There is so much talent in this country, just as much as other countries.
“It’s great to see the youth. These are young players that go out and show that they can compete with the other top players around the world, and at such a young age is incredible. And I think it’s inspiring for kids in this country to see that they don’t have to go across the world to get better, they can do it here. It’s great for U.S. soccer. It’s great for the youth in this country to build upon.”
Many of those youth have been able to experience watching the World Cup like never before. Many also are finding added fun and excitement by participating in World Cup pools, playing for prizes, bragging rights, thrills and giggles.
West Aurora’s longtime coach Joe Sustersic has 100 people playing along in his World Cup pool, a tradition that dates back to 2006. This year his participants include former players who are old enough to remember the Y2K scare and the Bill Clinton presidency.
“It’s been great because I end up talking to kids I haven’t talked to in a while, and I’ve got one kid stationed in the Middle East and another in Germany,” he said. “I’ve got someone in Afghanistan which is two or three time zones from where this is being played. It’s unbelievable.”
And time-consuming.
“As a teacher I’m hurting,” Sustersic joked. “I’m not grading as much. How can I when I’ve got six hours of soccer games to watch?”
Over at Waubonsie Valley, Garcia said while he loves the interest level, he’s recognized the obvious distraction of some students and its challenges.
“It’s definitely tough to teach when the games are on,” he said. “They’re not very focused, but I don’t blame them though.”
Seeing what the kids are wearing to school has made the coach smile.
“I have never seen so many different countries’ jerseys at school before,” he said “I love it!”
DiNuzzo also has a pool running at St. Charles East. He may also have bragging among the coaches that were interviewed for this story for incorporating a game into his class.
“My favorite moment so far was putting the game on the video board in our main gym and having all students watching USA vs. Iran and celebrating as Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal,” said the St. Charles East wellness instructor.
Romano, who teaches at Huff Elementary School in Elgin, has a flat screen on rollers that’s been a godsend. It’s proven to be more than just adequate for his youngsters.
“We have a highly Hispanic population and most of them are very engaged, and you can see it right away when a game is on,” he said. “We’ll be doing an activity, and they’ll glance over. Or there will be a penalty kick and we’ll stop what we’re doing and let them watch. They get sad when they have to leave. They are very much in the know of what’s going on, and they’ll tell me that their dad or uncle and family loves watching.”
Romano had a neat moment at the end of the high school season. Senior Omar Saldana brought a photo of him as a youngster with Romano from when the coach played at Judson University. Romano wasn’t even aware of the photo. Cool story.
Romano loves the fact that these students are watching and talking about the World Cup games.
“There’s some much to learn from the World Cup, so much culture and history and passion all in one place at one time,” he said. “It’s like the student body at a school, and dreams have to start somewhere.”
Brazil is the popular choice to win it all
By Chris R. Walker
Barely over a month ago, the Naperville Central boys soccer family was beside itself with joy over the Redhawks' state title.
Today their attention, along with multitudes of others, is focused on the World Cup. The quarterfinals begin today (Dec. 9) with Croatia vs. Brazil at 9 a.m. (CDST) followed by Netherlands vs. Argentina at 1 p.m. The round concludes Saturday with matches between Morocco and Portugal at 9 a.m., and England vs. France at 1 p.m.
The semifinals are scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday at 1 p.m. The final will dominate the sporting world’s attention at 9 a.m. Dec. 18.
Naperville Central coach Troy Adams was not only blessed to be at the helm of the history-making Redhawks, but shared the title with sons Carter and Chase, who were starters and key contributors. His enthusiasm for his team was validated with the school’s first boys soccer title. As for the World Cup, the hot prognosticator believes the defending champion will repeat.
“I have France to win, because I think they have the more dangerous players and have defended well,” Adams said.
He hasn’t forgotten about the U.S. National Team’s run.
“My favorite moment so far was the end of the U.S. game vs. Iran and watching them hang on for the win,” he said.
Glenbard North coach Spero Mandakas agrees with Adams that the winners will become a World Cup champion for a third time, but he believes Argentina will take home the top prize.
“At the beginning of the tournament I went with Argentina so I have to stick with my pick,” he said. “So far it has been very entertaining, and France has looked really good. Seeing Morocco get this far has been great for soccer, and I hope they can keep it going.”
Mandakas believes the veterans, including of course Lionel Messi, will have Argentina celebrating “All Night Long” in a couple of weeks.
“I felt they were coming in with a very experienced group,” he said. “And they have a front line that should be able to have success versus the different styles of play they will see throughout the tournament.”
Waubonsie Valley coach Jose Garcia thinks that the most successful national team in the history of the World Cup is going to ultimately prevail. He was far from alone in a sampling of Chicagoland area boys coaches. Many showed love to the largest country in South America.
“My vote is Brazil to take it all,” he said. “They are playing really well, but best of all, they look like they are having the most fun out there. I really enjoyed watching Japan play and hoped they would make it further.”
St. Charles East coach Vince DiNuzzo is not not changing his pick.
“I picked Brazil at the beginning of the tournament, and I am going to stick to it,” he said with a laugh. “I like their ability to share the ball and deliver chances with their creativity.”
Richarlison’s amazing play during the tournament has caught the attention of Whitney Young coach Nick Maksa, and it’s a key reason why he likes Brazil to take care of business.
“I think Brazil takes it this year,” he said. “Incredible players at every position and with depth in case of injuries. Perfect blend of youth and veterans. Richarlison’s picking a good time to be in the form of his life.”
Plainfield North coach Lukasz Majewski doesn’t think anyone has a chance of stopping Brazil if it continues its exuberant style of play.
“If Brazil plays with as much fun and flair – dancing, celebrating -- and little pressure as they have the last few games, they will be tough,” he said. “I’m not saying, I’m just saying.”
Finding the time to watch the games has been difficult for Oswego East coach Steve Szymanski, but from what he’s seen from Brazil, they’re going to be tough to beat.
“I personally haven’t watched a ton with being in school during most of the games,” he said. “It’s hard to bet against Brazil. I’d say Brazil vs. France final.”
Brazil, Argentina and France have impressed Glenbard South coach Adam Szyszko. The jovial mentor couldn't split his top two.
“My favorites pre-tournament were Brazil and Argentina, but France was clinical in demolishing Poland and (Kylian) Mbappé is a cheat code when he's playing. So I'd say France and Brazil have the best chance to win it all,” he said. “My dark horse was Uruguay but they fell. Portugal also has looked good. It's like the NCAA tournament where you have upsets. Morocco has been awesome, Japan shone, Saudi Arabia shocked. It's been a blast.”
Elgin coach Jimmy Romano, who in his first year with the Maroons led them to a sectional title and the best season in school history, also is going with Brazil.
“From the start of it, I thought Brazil and France would be two teams that could get there, and it seems like it’s Brazil’s year, their time to win it,” he said. “I was rooting for Italy and USA, but Italy didn't qualify. I was also rooting for Spain. My wife is from Spain so that was kind of an automatic one.”
While U.S. fans were disappointed Saturday after the team was eliminated, Szyszko at least enjoyed what he called “a wonderful breakfast burrito” during the 3-1 loss to the Netherlands. He didn’t disclose how much coffee he sipped, but he probably needed the caffeine.
“It's been nearly impossible to watch eight hours of World Cup and watch the game film I need for basketball,” said Szusko, who is a college hoops assistant coach. “Some 4 a.m. games had to be sacrificed.”
Szyszko believes the U.S. played well, but it was apparent that they are in dire need of a goal-scoring forward as well as some better play at center back.
“(Tim) Ream played well but he's late 30s,” he said. “Our midfielders were impressive for the most part. We had a few mental mistakes -- missed marks -- and the Dutch capitalized on that. These (American) players need to grow and play against top club competition in Europe. You can see the difference in class with our European-based players and those in MLS.”
Mandakas said the Netherlands out-strategized the U.S.
“The U.S. did what they had to do in the group stage and put together a solid defensive effort,” he said. “We fell right into the Netherlands’ game plan and hopefully this experience keeps the U.S. going. We have a great core of young players.”
Adams thinks the Americans need to demand more of themselves.
“The U.S. did about what was expected but in a more acceptable way than in the past,” he said. “However, I think everyone believes that we need to start expecting to get further and to raise our expectations. Just qualifying or getting out of group stage has to be the floor and not the ceiling.”
DiNuzzo felt the Americans put on a good show.
“I enjoyed watching the U.S. this year more than any other World Cup, because I thought they were much more comfortable on the ball than any other time that they’ve participated in the tournament,” he said. “Their ability to retain the ball was something we have not been used to.”
Szymanski is hopeful that the American youth prospers.
“The U.S. team is very young and has a lot of potential,” he said. “I hope they keep getting better and maybe make a deeper run when the (World) Cup is in North America in four years.”
Romano is hopeful that the U.S. has gained some respect after getting knocked out in the Round of 16.
“I always feel like people doubt American soccer, and I feel like it’s not right that they do it,” he said. “There is so much talent in this country, just as much as other countries.
“It’s great to see the youth. These are young players that go out and show that they can compete with the other top players around the world, and at such a young age is incredible. And I think it’s inspiring for kids in this country to see that they don’t have to go across the world to get better, they can do it here. It’s great for U.S. soccer. It’s great for the youth in this country to build upon.”
Many of those youth have been able to experience watching the World Cup like never before. Many also are finding added fun and excitement by participating in World Cup pools, playing for prizes, bragging rights, thrills and giggles.
West Aurora’s longtime coach Joe Sustersic has 100 people playing along in his World Cup pool, a tradition that dates back to 2006. This year his participants include former players who are old enough to remember the Y2K scare and the Bill Clinton presidency.
“It’s been great because I end up talking to kids I haven’t talked to in a while, and I’ve got one kid stationed in the Middle East and another in Germany,” he said. “I’ve got someone in Afghanistan which is two or three time zones from where this is being played. It’s unbelievable.”
And time-consuming.
“As a teacher I’m hurting,” Sustersic joked. “I’m not grading as much. How can I when I’ve got six hours of soccer games to watch?”
Over at Waubonsie Valley, Garcia said while he loves the interest level, he’s recognized the obvious distraction of some students and its challenges.
“It’s definitely tough to teach when the games are on,” he said. “They’re not very focused, but I don’t blame them though.”
Seeing what the kids are wearing to school has made the coach smile.
“I have never seen so many different countries’ jerseys at school before,” he said “I love it!”
DiNuzzo also has a pool running at St. Charles East. He may also have bragging among the coaches that were interviewed for this story for incorporating a game into his class.
“My favorite moment so far was putting the game on the video board in our main gym and having all students watching USA vs. Iran and celebrating as Christian Pulisic scored the winning goal,” said the St. Charles East wellness instructor.
Romano, who teaches at Huff Elementary School in Elgin, has a flat screen on rollers that’s been a godsend. It’s proven to be more than just adequate for his youngsters.
“We have a highly Hispanic population and most of them are very engaged, and you can see it right away when a game is on,” he said. “We’ll be doing an activity, and they’ll glance over. Or there will be a penalty kick and we’ll stop what we’re doing and let them watch. They get sad when they have to leave. They are very much in the know of what’s going on, and they’ll tell me that their dad or uncle and family loves watching.”
Romano had a neat moment at the end of the high school season. Senior Omar Saldana brought a photo of him as a youngster with Romano from when the coach played at Judson University. Romano wasn’t even aware of the photo. Cool story.
Romano loves the fact that these students are watching and talking about the World Cup games.
“There’s some much to learn from the World Cup, so much culture and history and passion all in one place at one time,” he said. “It’s like the student body at a school, and dreams have to start somewhere.”