Downers Grove South bests
Leyden in play-off like atmosphere
OT goal gives hosts 1-0 win, keeps Mustangs alive in league race
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE - The intensity and late fall-type weather created a sectional atmosphere.
Then Downers Grove South’s Dylan Mobley provided the final element: the dramatic finish.
Mobley’s goal 3:26 into the first overtime gave the Mustangs (7-4-2) a 1-0 win over Leyden, as the hosts fended off a fierce Eagles’ attack to improve to 4-1-1 in their last six games and 2-1 in conference.
Andrew Pierropoulos’ midfield win and pass up the left side initiated the play. Nick Rohl then raced in towards the left endline and sent a perfect cross to Mobley in front for an 8-yard golden goal.
“Obviously Dylan had a great finish under pressure,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “You get a couple of opportunities like that in a match.
“They had one hit the crossbar (by Leyden’s Angel Lopez), we had one maybe that Andrew would have liked to put away (a point-blank deflection over the net with 26:50 left).
“For Dylan to come back in overtime and pick us up was great to see,” Stapleton added. “Good composure in the box, find a corner and finish it.”
Mobley had the finish, but gave credit to the passer.
“It really came from the mind of Nick Rohl,” said Mobley, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his effort. “It was a brilliant run by him. I just tried to keep my composure in the box and finish it off.”
For repelling a relentless Leyden attack in the second half, the game honor could have easily been divided into pieces between goalkeeper Sam Dumford and the entire Downers Grove South defense.
“I think our entire backline gets big credit tonight,” Stapleton said. “They all had their moments.
“Sam was very good, Anthony (Masello) won balls in the air, I thought Peter Carr did a great job tackling one-v.-one, Ryan Strelau has been cutting down balls and taking good angles, and Griffin (Overbeck) is finding opportunities to get forward. They all played a really good game in the back. I was proud of them.”
High winds from the north played alternating havoc with each defense.
Downers Grove South had the gust in its favor in the first half, and came out rolling. After a great early chance for Pierropoulos was denied, the Mustangs were dangerous from near and far.
A 50-yard Masello free kick in the 23rd minute connected with Garrett Burns for a point-blank header, but Leyden goalkeeper Alfredo Recendez made the catch save.
Then 4:20 before halftime, a Kai Petersen dribble in left set up an eventual 12-yard drive by Burns that Recendez denied on a diving stop.
Despite the Downers Grove South pressure, Leyden coach Mark Valintis was pleased with his team’s response.
“I think once we got through the first 10-15 minutes we settled down, knocked the ball side to side, front to back and mixed it up playing to feet and long ball,” Valintis said.
“I think even with the stiff wind in our face the first half we really held our own defensively and were able to create a few things offensively.”
One great Leyden chance into the wind came with 5:25 left in the half. Cesar Franco’s low 57-yard direct kick defied the gale to find Francisco Toral free on the right.
But Dumford came out to smother Toral’s 18-yard shot, and a rebound try was deflected wide.
That chance foretold a steady Leyden attack with the wind for the last 40 minutes of regulation.
“We just built on that in the second half, where we just did everything but score,” Valintis said. “I thought we had them completely demoralized and disheartened, but posts, non-calls, calls - we just couldn’t find a way to put it in.
“We had chances and we just couldn’t finish. It’s a tough one to swallow because tonight I thought we really deserved the win.”
Downers Grove South defender Peter Carr epitomized his team’s extra effort four minutes into the second half. He first blocked Krystian Havran’s drive up the middle 25 yards out, then was on the spot seconds later for another block/steal of a rebound try.
Beyond the wind, the ultimate challenge was containing Leyden star forward Albert Arabik.
“We just tried to pass him off as he came across, and then just stay in front of him,” Carr said. “The defense had a really good game.”
Tightly marked throughout, Arabik nearly broke through twice in the last five minutes. With 4:50 left, Arabik’s back-to-the-goal header off a 45-yard direct kick was denied by a diving catch at the left post by Dumford.
Then just 35 seconds later, a long clear off a Mustang attack found Arabik racing up the left sideline. But a great steal by Ryan Strelau 35 yards out denied a chance.
Goalkeeper Recendez produced an unexpected counterattack weapon.
“That (wind) was really rough,” Carr said. “In the first half we had a definite advantage, but their goalie (Recendez) had a really far punt so we had to deal with that. And then in the second half that guy (Recendez) was crazy – he was playing them to like our 25. You had to keep in front of your man, and then try to stand him up.”
The best Leyden threat came with 24:40 left. Jesus Hernandez passed to Angel Lopez up top, whose straight on 25-yarder hit the crossbar.
Entering the game off two-straight losses, Leyden found the form that produced an 8-1-1 record over the first 10 games of the year. The loss left them with at 8-4-1 and 1-1 in the conference
“This time we came in with intensity from start to finish, and we created chances,” Leyden senior Cesar Franco said. “But they weren’t going in.”
Downers Grove South’s defense had a big part in that.
“I think we worked really well as a team,” Strelau said, “all four of us, Sam and (reserve defender) Eric (Bennett). We communicated really well.
“There are always things to improve on, like that shot they had off the top post. But I think we did well, and our midfield is doing a fantastic job of pressuring, closing and forcing in.”
The Mustangs had their second half offensive chances as well.
Besides a Pierropoulos flick just over the net off a Burns cross, another close call came with 16:30 left. In on right wing but tightly marked, Mobley chipped a 15-yard try inches wide of the open left corner of the net.
“It just didn’t come off the foot right,” Mobley said. “But I didn’t let that get in my mind the rest of the game.”
That was vividly clear on his overtime finish, an effort that went into the wind.
“They played a ball in behind, and I thought we did a good job of closing down,” Valintis said. “I was saying all day that that’s the only way these guys are going to catch us, is coming down and hitting a cross through.
“The guy hit a nice cross, one-touch control and one-touch into the back of the net, and that’s how you draw it up.”
Pierropoulos’ initial low ball up the side defied the wind.
“We actually felt we could find ways to maintain possession,” Stapleton said. “With them playing that high line, we felt the wind may actually play to our advantage going against it. It forced us to keep balls on the ground and find ways to break them down, instead of relying on something over the top.”
The win keeps the Mustangs within one game of Morton in the WSC Gold race. It also is a great start to a challenging week.
“This really pushes our momentum into the Downers Grove North game on Thursday,” Mobley said. “I think our attack is doing great, our center backs were brilliant today, and I really think we have the momentum going into the next match.”
Said Carr: “DGN is going to be intense, and Naperville North (on Saturday) – they’re always tough. It’s going to be a tough week.”
But the Mustangs feel tournaments like the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis earlier this month were good preparation.
“We’ve done it before,” Strelau said. “We just have to make sure we stay healthy.
“We can’t take anything for granted. We did well today, but we have to make sure we bring the same intensity to the next game and the game after that. We just have to bring our game and we’ll do well.”
For Stapleton, the OT win was a step towards the ultimate goal.
“It only strengthens us,” he said. “This is a tough week with Downers North on Thursday and then Naperville North. This should help build confidence. We talk about trying to peak at the right time and we’re still a few weeks away from the tournament, but this was a tournament atmosphere tonight in terms of the type of match that was played. So we’ll hopefully grow and build from that.”
For Leyden, their usual strong defense was back in top form after allowing four goals against St. Charles North the previous game.
“We just kept communicating in the back and kept telling each other where guys were,” Franco said. “They just slipped one in.
“We have to just finish them in regular time instead of going to overtime. Then this would never happen.”
The night still produced big positives for Leyden, despite the eventual disappointment.
“It was a total team effort,” Valintis said. “Every player on the field played well, played within themselves and did what we asked them to do.
“Even though this is a loss, this is one of the best games we’ve played all year long – with the exception of not getting the goal. But those are the breaks.”
Starting lineups
Leyden
GK- Alfredo Recendez
D- David Nunez
D- Salvador Salgado
D- Christian Rubio
D- Cesar Franco
MF- Damian Kosakowski
MF- Luis Gonzalez
MF- Angel Lopez
MF- David Senk
F- Albert Arabik
F- Krystian Havran
Downers Grove South
GK- Sam Dumford
D- Peter Carr
D- Anthony Masello
D- Griffin Overbeck
D- Ryan Strelau
MF- Peter Becht
MF- Andrew Pierropoulos
MF- Garrett Burns
MF- Ian Wisniewski
F- Nick Rohl
F- Dylan Mobley
Man of the Match: Dylan Mobley, F, DGS
Leyden in play-off like atmosphere
OT goal gives hosts 1-0 win, keeps Mustangs alive in league race
By Dave Owen
DOWNERS GROVE - The intensity and late fall-type weather created a sectional atmosphere.
Then Downers Grove South’s Dylan Mobley provided the final element: the dramatic finish.
Mobley’s goal 3:26 into the first overtime gave the Mustangs (7-4-2) a 1-0 win over Leyden, as the hosts fended off a fierce Eagles’ attack to improve to 4-1-1 in their last six games and 2-1 in conference.
Andrew Pierropoulos’ midfield win and pass up the left side initiated the play. Nick Rohl then raced in towards the left endline and sent a perfect cross to Mobley in front for an 8-yard golden goal.
“Obviously Dylan had a great finish under pressure,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “You get a couple of opportunities like that in a match.
“They had one hit the crossbar (by Leyden’s Angel Lopez), we had one maybe that Andrew would have liked to put away (a point-blank deflection over the net with 26:50 left).
“For Dylan to come back in overtime and pick us up was great to see,” Stapleton added. “Good composure in the box, find a corner and finish it.”
Mobley had the finish, but gave credit to the passer.
“It really came from the mind of Nick Rohl,” said Mobley, who earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor for his effort. “It was a brilliant run by him. I just tried to keep my composure in the box and finish it off.”
For repelling a relentless Leyden attack in the second half, the game honor could have easily been divided into pieces between goalkeeper Sam Dumford and the entire Downers Grove South defense.
“I think our entire backline gets big credit tonight,” Stapleton said. “They all had their moments.
“Sam was very good, Anthony (Masello) won balls in the air, I thought Peter Carr did a great job tackling one-v.-one, Ryan Strelau has been cutting down balls and taking good angles, and Griffin (Overbeck) is finding opportunities to get forward. They all played a really good game in the back. I was proud of them.”
High winds from the north played alternating havoc with each defense.
Downers Grove South had the gust in its favor in the first half, and came out rolling. After a great early chance for Pierropoulos was denied, the Mustangs were dangerous from near and far.
A 50-yard Masello free kick in the 23rd minute connected with Garrett Burns for a point-blank header, but Leyden goalkeeper Alfredo Recendez made the catch save.
Then 4:20 before halftime, a Kai Petersen dribble in left set up an eventual 12-yard drive by Burns that Recendez denied on a diving stop.
Despite the Downers Grove South pressure, Leyden coach Mark Valintis was pleased with his team’s response.
“I think once we got through the first 10-15 minutes we settled down, knocked the ball side to side, front to back and mixed it up playing to feet and long ball,” Valintis said.
“I think even with the stiff wind in our face the first half we really held our own defensively and were able to create a few things offensively.”
One great Leyden chance into the wind came with 5:25 left in the half. Cesar Franco’s low 57-yard direct kick defied the gale to find Francisco Toral free on the right.
But Dumford came out to smother Toral’s 18-yard shot, and a rebound try was deflected wide.
That chance foretold a steady Leyden attack with the wind for the last 40 minutes of regulation.
“We just built on that in the second half, where we just did everything but score,” Valintis said. “I thought we had them completely demoralized and disheartened, but posts, non-calls, calls - we just couldn’t find a way to put it in.
“We had chances and we just couldn’t finish. It’s a tough one to swallow because tonight I thought we really deserved the win.”
Downers Grove South defender Peter Carr epitomized his team’s extra effort four minutes into the second half. He first blocked Krystian Havran’s drive up the middle 25 yards out, then was on the spot seconds later for another block/steal of a rebound try.
Beyond the wind, the ultimate challenge was containing Leyden star forward Albert Arabik.
“We just tried to pass him off as he came across, and then just stay in front of him,” Carr said. “The defense had a really good game.”
Tightly marked throughout, Arabik nearly broke through twice in the last five minutes. With 4:50 left, Arabik’s back-to-the-goal header off a 45-yard direct kick was denied by a diving catch at the left post by Dumford.
Then just 35 seconds later, a long clear off a Mustang attack found Arabik racing up the left sideline. But a great steal by Ryan Strelau 35 yards out denied a chance.
Goalkeeper Recendez produced an unexpected counterattack weapon.
“That (wind) was really rough,” Carr said. “In the first half we had a definite advantage, but their goalie (Recendez) had a really far punt so we had to deal with that. And then in the second half that guy (Recendez) was crazy – he was playing them to like our 25. You had to keep in front of your man, and then try to stand him up.”
The best Leyden threat came with 24:40 left. Jesus Hernandez passed to Angel Lopez up top, whose straight on 25-yarder hit the crossbar.
Entering the game off two-straight losses, Leyden found the form that produced an 8-1-1 record over the first 10 games of the year. The loss left them with at 8-4-1 and 1-1 in the conference
“This time we came in with intensity from start to finish, and we created chances,” Leyden senior Cesar Franco said. “But they weren’t going in.”
Downers Grove South’s defense had a big part in that.
“I think we worked really well as a team,” Strelau said, “all four of us, Sam and (reserve defender) Eric (Bennett). We communicated really well.
“There are always things to improve on, like that shot they had off the top post. But I think we did well, and our midfield is doing a fantastic job of pressuring, closing and forcing in.”
The Mustangs had their second half offensive chances as well.
Besides a Pierropoulos flick just over the net off a Burns cross, another close call came with 16:30 left. In on right wing but tightly marked, Mobley chipped a 15-yard try inches wide of the open left corner of the net.
“It just didn’t come off the foot right,” Mobley said. “But I didn’t let that get in my mind the rest of the game.”
That was vividly clear on his overtime finish, an effort that went into the wind.
“They played a ball in behind, and I thought we did a good job of closing down,” Valintis said. “I was saying all day that that’s the only way these guys are going to catch us, is coming down and hitting a cross through.
“The guy hit a nice cross, one-touch control and one-touch into the back of the net, and that’s how you draw it up.”
Pierropoulos’ initial low ball up the side defied the wind.
“We actually felt we could find ways to maintain possession,” Stapleton said. “With them playing that high line, we felt the wind may actually play to our advantage going against it. It forced us to keep balls on the ground and find ways to break them down, instead of relying on something over the top.”
The win keeps the Mustangs within one game of Morton in the WSC Gold race. It also is a great start to a challenging week.
“This really pushes our momentum into the Downers Grove North game on Thursday,” Mobley said. “I think our attack is doing great, our center backs were brilliant today, and I really think we have the momentum going into the next match.”
Said Carr: “DGN is going to be intense, and Naperville North (on Saturday) – they’re always tough. It’s going to be a tough week.”
But the Mustangs feel tournaments like the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis earlier this month were good preparation.
“We’ve done it before,” Strelau said. “We just have to make sure we stay healthy.
“We can’t take anything for granted. We did well today, but we have to make sure we bring the same intensity to the next game and the game after that. We just have to bring our game and we’ll do well.”
For Stapleton, the OT win was a step towards the ultimate goal.
“It only strengthens us,” he said. “This is a tough week with Downers North on Thursday and then Naperville North. This should help build confidence. We talk about trying to peak at the right time and we’re still a few weeks away from the tournament, but this was a tournament atmosphere tonight in terms of the type of match that was played. So we’ll hopefully grow and build from that.”
For Leyden, their usual strong defense was back in top form after allowing four goals against St. Charles North the previous game.
“We just kept communicating in the back and kept telling each other where guys were,” Franco said. “They just slipped one in.
“We have to just finish them in regular time instead of going to overtime. Then this would never happen.”
The night still produced big positives for Leyden, despite the eventual disappointment.
“It was a total team effort,” Valintis said. “Every player on the field played well, played within themselves and did what we asked them to do.
“Even though this is a loss, this is one of the best games we’ve played all year long – with the exception of not getting the goal. But those are the breaks.”
Starting lineups
Leyden
GK- Alfredo Recendez
D- David Nunez
D- Salvador Salgado
D- Christian Rubio
D- Cesar Franco
MF- Damian Kosakowski
MF- Luis Gonzalez
MF- Angel Lopez
MF- David Senk
F- Albert Arabik
F- Krystian Havran
Downers Grove South
GK- Sam Dumford
D- Peter Carr
D- Anthony Masello
D- Griffin Overbeck
D- Ryan Strelau
MF- Peter Becht
MF- Andrew Pierropoulos
MF- Garrett Burns
MF- Ian Wisniewski
F- Nick Rohl
F- Dylan Mobley
Man of the Match: Dylan Mobley, F, DGS