Amundsen's finishing touch upends Taft
Medina scores twice as Vikings stun Eagles in City Cup final
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW -- Amundsen was in a place nobody expected and had nothing to lose.
“We were the dark horse of the tournament,” Vikings’ forward Luis Medina said.
With just two victories during the regular season, Amundsen existed very much in the shadows. Then a curious thing happened two weeks ago with the start of the city tournament.
Amundsen started to believe.
Two close losses in group play in the 32-team championship field against Kennedy and Premier Division North team Sullivan pointed a more positive light.
“We believe in each other,” senior midfielder Shree Bhattarai said. “Our defenders have been playing great. Everybody wants to fight for the team. People doubted us. Nobody knew we were going to be here. There are no individuals on our team.
“We want to play as a team today.”
Playing free and relaxed and taking advantage of its opportunities, the Vikings stunned heavily-favored Taft 3-1 to capture the championship of the Windy City Cup on Thursday at Toyota Park.
Medina scored two goals and Bhattarai contributed an assist and a disputed goal off a corner kick that broke the game open for the Vikings (7-8-2).
Jacob Lipinski scored in the 26th minute for the Eagles.
The inaugural Windy City Cup yoked together the 16 teams that failed to advance out of the main draw of the 32-team city tournament. The title game featured two teams that got very hot at the right time.
Amundsen used the wind to its advantage in taking the 2-0 lead. In the 12th minute, Bhattarai pushed a ball that Medina controlled and put in the net.
Early goals are magnified in the vast space of the Toyota Park Field, with its 80-yard width and deep space.
“It’s different from normal fields because you get a lot more space than what I am used to,” Medina said. “It’s very important for a striker like me. I have more time to run and get those long balls and try to score.”
Medina earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his efforts.
Fortune always favors the bold. The first goal turned the momentum.
“It was pretty good, because it was important for us to get the early lead,” Medina said. “We were putting pressure on them. We had to be on it the whole time. We had to take advantage right away and give it our all.”
The game took another surreal bounce in the 24th minute. Off a corner kick Bhattarai bent the ball toward the goal. Play seemed to stop and the official ruled the ball crossed the line.
Taft coach Jeff Lucco vigorously disputed the call.
“The officiating was horrible, I thought,” he said. “They gave them a goal on a corner kick that was not a goal. [The official] made a decision that changed the complexion of the game. They are teenage boys, so their heads are going to go down.
“It’s hard to recover from that.”
Taft entered the title game on a 4-1-1 stretch with the only loss in group play to defending Class AA champion Solorio, which is ranked fifth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
Six different Taft players scored in the Eagles’ 6-2 semifinal victory over Schurz on Tuesday night at Lane. The six goals, a season-high, was more than the Eagles scored in their first 12 games (4).
Three dynamic sophomores, forward Jairo Duarte, midfielder Michael Kaczkowska and defender/midfielder Anibal Hernandez, infused new life into the team, bringing a flair of depth, athleticism and explosive play.
Taft won most of the statistical categories except where it mattered most -- the final score. Amundsen keeper Alexander Nunez made a stop of a breakaway in the first five minutes and the Eagles (6-12-2) never quite recovered.
“It’s disappointing,” Lucco said. “I don’t think they were better than us. They did finish their chances, and we didn’t. We are not very good on set pieces, either defending or scoring.
“We missed one five minutes into the game, a one-on-one with the goalie. It should have been 1-0.”
Lipinski's goal energized the Eagles. Having the wind in the second half also unlocked their offensive attack. Taft dictated tempo and pace throughout the second half.
The team generated corner kicks galore and had multiple free kicks in the final scoring third. Sophomore Brandon Tovar, the Eagles’ breakout young star, had a free kick just outside the box from the right wing. His shot sailed wide.
Taft could not catch a break.
“We had good chances,” Lucco said. “We had eight corner kicks in the second half, and we were not able to put any of them on frame. We also had six or seven free kicks in dangerous areas. We were too timid in attacking the ball.
“Defensively we are not very disciplined. As a coaching staff, it is frustrating to see us continue to make the same mistakes and not take responsibility for it.”
Amundsen bent a great deal in the second half but never withered. That is a sign of the team’s progress and development.
“Taft is a high-powered team,” Amundsen coach Alex Perez said. “They’re a Premier team, and we are 1st Division. From the word go, we came out attacking and defending. I told the kids beforehand how important it was to get an early goal.
“Our keeper makes a stop early on. If Taft scores there we are chasing them, and they have the momentum. I always say midfielders and forwards can make all the mistakes in the world. If a defender or keeper makes a mistake, it’s a goal.”
Amundsen turned the Taft pressure inward and used a counter to break out and put the game away. In the 78th minute, off a free kick forward John Llivi headed the ball into the box and Medina smashed home a half volley.
“We have more losses than wins, but my teams always struggle at the end of the year,” Perez said. “We start well and then we collapse. This time we started super slow, and then we picked up the momentum.
“The kids started playing and jelling together, and everything started happening.”
Starting lineups
Amundsen
GK: Alexander Nunez
D: Alan Bahena
D: Javier Saucedo
D: Jose Barrera
D: Armando Roman
MF: Kevin Jara
MF: Shree Bhattarai
MF: Harold Sandoval
MF: Daniel Martinez
F: John Llivi
F: Jancarlo Perez
Taft
GK: Pablo Rueda
D: Byron Abayay
D: Sergio Diaz
D: Moteo Nasser
D: Matt Davila
MF: Michal Kaczkowska
MF: Anibal Hernandez
MF: Brandon Tovar
MF: Jacob Lapinski
F: Jairo Duarte
F: Chris Reynoso
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Luis Medina, jr., F, Amundsen
Scoring summary
First half
Amundsen—Luis Medina (Shree Bhattarai), 12th minute
Amundsen—Bhattarai (unassisted), 24th minute
Taft—Jacob Lipinski (unassisted), 26th minute
Second half
Amundsen—Medina (Llivi), 78th minute
Medina scores twice as Vikings stun Eagles in City Cup final
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BRIDGEVIEW -- Amundsen was in a place nobody expected and had nothing to lose.
“We were the dark horse of the tournament,” Vikings’ forward Luis Medina said.
With just two victories during the regular season, Amundsen existed very much in the shadows. Then a curious thing happened two weeks ago with the start of the city tournament.
Amundsen started to believe.
Two close losses in group play in the 32-team championship field against Kennedy and Premier Division North team Sullivan pointed a more positive light.
“We believe in each other,” senior midfielder Shree Bhattarai said. “Our defenders have been playing great. Everybody wants to fight for the team. People doubted us. Nobody knew we were going to be here. There are no individuals on our team.
“We want to play as a team today.”
Playing free and relaxed and taking advantage of its opportunities, the Vikings stunned heavily-favored Taft 3-1 to capture the championship of the Windy City Cup on Thursday at Toyota Park.
Medina scored two goals and Bhattarai contributed an assist and a disputed goal off a corner kick that broke the game open for the Vikings (7-8-2).
Jacob Lipinski scored in the 26th minute for the Eagles.
The inaugural Windy City Cup yoked together the 16 teams that failed to advance out of the main draw of the 32-team city tournament. The title game featured two teams that got very hot at the right time.
Amundsen used the wind to its advantage in taking the 2-0 lead. In the 12th minute, Bhattarai pushed a ball that Medina controlled and put in the net.
Early goals are magnified in the vast space of the Toyota Park Field, with its 80-yard width and deep space.
“It’s different from normal fields because you get a lot more space than what I am used to,” Medina said. “It’s very important for a striker like me. I have more time to run and get those long balls and try to score.”
Medina earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his efforts.
Fortune always favors the bold. The first goal turned the momentum.
“It was pretty good, because it was important for us to get the early lead,” Medina said. “We were putting pressure on them. We had to be on it the whole time. We had to take advantage right away and give it our all.”
The game took another surreal bounce in the 24th minute. Off a corner kick Bhattarai bent the ball toward the goal. Play seemed to stop and the official ruled the ball crossed the line.
Taft coach Jeff Lucco vigorously disputed the call.
“The officiating was horrible, I thought,” he said. “They gave them a goal on a corner kick that was not a goal. [The official] made a decision that changed the complexion of the game. They are teenage boys, so their heads are going to go down.
“It’s hard to recover from that.”
Taft entered the title game on a 4-1-1 stretch with the only loss in group play to defending Class AA champion Solorio, which is ranked fifth in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25.
Six different Taft players scored in the Eagles’ 6-2 semifinal victory over Schurz on Tuesday night at Lane. The six goals, a season-high, was more than the Eagles scored in their first 12 games (4).
Three dynamic sophomores, forward Jairo Duarte, midfielder Michael Kaczkowska and defender/midfielder Anibal Hernandez, infused new life into the team, bringing a flair of depth, athleticism and explosive play.
Taft won most of the statistical categories except where it mattered most -- the final score. Amundsen keeper Alexander Nunez made a stop of a breakaway in the first five minutes and the Eagles (6-12-2) never quite recovered.
“It’s disappointing,” Lucco said. “I don’t think they were better than us. They did finish their chances, and we didn’t. We are not very good on set pieces, either defending or scoring.
“We missed one five minutes into the game, a one-on-one with the goalie. It should have been 1-0.”
Lipinski's goal energized the Eagles. Having the wind in the second half also unlocked their offensive attack. Taft dictated tempo and pace throughout the second half.
The team generated corner kicks galore and had multiple free kicks in the final scoring third. Sophomore Brandon Tovar, the Eagles’ breakout young star, had a free kick just outside the box from the right wing. His shot sailed wide.
Taft could not catch a break.
“We had good chances,” Lucco said. “We had eight corner kicks in the second half, and we were not able to put any of them on frame. We also had six or seven free kicks in dangerous areas. We were too timid in attacking the ball.
“Defensively we are not very disciplined. As a coaching staff, it is frustrating to see us continue to make the same mistakes and not take responsibility for it.”
Amundsen bent a great deal in the second half but never withered. That is a sign of the team’s progress and development.
“Taft is a high-powered team,” Amundsen coach Alex Perez said. “They’re a Premier team, and we are 1st Division. From the word go, we came out attacking and defending. I told the kids beforehand how important it was to get an early goal.
“Our keeper makes a stop early on. If Taft scores there we are chasing them, and they have the momentum. I always say midfielders and forwards can make all the mistakes in the world. If a defender or keeper makes a mistake, it’s a goal.”
Amundsen turned the Taft pressure inward and used a counter to break out and put the game away. In the 78th minute, off a free kick forward John Llivi headed the ball into the box and Medina smashed home a half volley.
“We have more losses than wins, but my teams always struggle at the end of the year,” Perez said. “We start well and then we collapse. This time we started super slow, and then we picked up the momentum.
“The kids started playing and jelling together, and everything started happening.”
Starting lineups
Amundsen
GK: Alexander Nunez
D: Alan Bahena
D: Javier Saucedo
D: Jose Barrera
D: Armando Roman
MF: Kevin Jara
MF: Shree Bhattarai
MF: Harold Sandoval
MF: Daniel Martinez
F: John Llivi
F: Jancarlo Perez
Taft
GK: Pablo Rueda
D: Byron Abayay
D: Sergio Diaz
D: Moteo Nasser
D: Matt Davila
MF: Michal Kaczkowska
MF: Anibal Hernandez
MF: Brandon Tovar
MF: Jacob Lapinski
F: Jairo Duarte
F: Chris Reynoso
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Luis Medina, jr., F, Amundsen
Scoring summary
First half
Amundsen—Luis Medina (Shree Bhattarai), 12th minute
Amundsen—Bhattarai (unassisted), 24th minute
Taft—Jacob Lipinski (unassisted), 26th minute
Second half
Amundsen—Medina (Llivi), 78th minute