Jiminez, Wheaton Warrenville
South float by Naperville Central
Tigers improve to 4-1-0 in DuPage Valley Conference
By Derek Wolff
NAPERVILLE — While a part of why soccer earns its moniker “the beautiful game” is the bevy of breathtaking goals scored in the game, an ugly counts just as much.
Danny Jiminez’s floated strike in the 63rd minute of a scoreless match between Wheaton Warrenville South and hosts Naperville Central on Tuesday night fell somewhere in between.
What it didn’t lack was creativity, and Wheaton Warrenville South possessed just enough of it to slip past the Redhawks 1-0.
Jiminez took a ball near the line at about 20 yards from goal, then floated a high, arcing shot in and down into the far corner, just beyond the reach of retreating Redhawks goaltender Joseph Kallikadan.
The lone tally on the night earned Jiminez Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match distinction.
The outside midfielder explained he saw Kallikadan off his line and thought he had a chance to beat him with the ball at the back post.
Tigers coach Guy Callipari will take it.
“The goal you know, maybe not the most spectacular; I’m going to guess that it had intent,” he said laughing. “With that in mind, you put it on the face of the goal and you just never know, especially at the back. You test keepers and what their foot skills are like getting back there. That’s a tough ball to handle in the middle of everything else that’s going on.”
Both sides have struggled to some degree this season in one-goal games but the Wheaton Warrenville South (6-8-1, 4-1-0) was largely able to check Naperville Central’s offense following the goal.
The Redhawks had a few, desperate attempts on net turned aside by the Tigers defense in the final thirty seconds as the clock ran out.
Central’s game plan was easy enough to read from a defensive standpoint, Jiminez said.
“They were pretty predictable most of the time and tried to go out wide,” Jiminez said. “They were pretty direct.”
It was the sixth one-goal loss of the season for Central and the fourth time in DuPage Valley Conference play they have lost 1-0.
“When you’re at this point in the season you have to find a way to just get one to go into the back of the net, whether that’s a dead ball, a throw-in, run a play,” Redhawks coach Troy Adams said. “However it’s going to come, you have to find a way to produce one, and we’re struggling right now to find a kid that’s going to put one in the back of the net.”
Adams was pleased that his side has made less mistakes lately and hasn’t given up what he called “careless” goals, essentially unearned chances for the opposition.
For the Tigers, it was their fourth conference win in five tries.
Senior midfielder Anthony Berardi said the team has benefitted in one goal games by adopting a unified, team-based philosophy after struggling earlier in the season.
“We’ve really bought into the team idea as opposed to individuals, and that’s helped a lot,” Berardi said. “Most of our games, even the ones we’ve lost, have been pretty close. So I think a couple bounces here or there have made a difference but we’re working harder and working more as a team.”
The first half was dominated by missed chances.
Senior midfielder Noah Canlas couldn’t connect with anyone on a free kick from 20 yards out in the 11th for the Redhawks, sailing a searching ball long and over the bar.
The Tigers earned their first corner kick of the night in the 24th minute, but the Naperville Central backline effortlessly cleared off the attempt from Chris Stamatopoulos.
Jimmy Kalkofen had an ambitious attempt for the Redhawks after a Tigers goalkick in the 25th minute, sailing a ball into the swirling wind that missed wide right from 40 yards out.
Berardi did a nice job creating an opportunity in the 29th to send in a low cross from the right side of the 18, looking for Josh Balon, but Balon overran it and again Naperville Central cleared.
The second half of the scoreless game started in the same fashion, with both sides failing to really produce many quality scoring chances.
Jiminez’s strike in the 63rd hardly qualified as a high-percentage look, but he managed to hit it just right to float it over Kallikadan.
The outside midfielder echoed Berardi’s outlook and said the transition game enabled his look on net.
“We’re playing well as a team instead of individually,” Jiminez said. “I like how we play the quick passes, the 1-2, and I like how we transition pretty quickly.”
Callipari was pleased with the performance from his side in what was largely a complete game in all three thirds of the field.
“We weren’t on our heels at all. We didn’t panic, and we found our way out of trouble in many areas,” he said. “We created, I thought, a lot of great opportunities in the final third.”
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday with a league visit to Waubonsie Valley, while the Redhawks (5-9-0, 1-5-0) will look to turn things around in a nonconference game at home against Oswego East on Saturday.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Adam Mrzlak
LB Kyle Faith
RB Chris Stamatopoulos
CB Jackson Keske
CB Charlie Kerby
OLM Danny Jiminez
CM Mark Chrisostomo
CM Jose Alfaro
ROM Anthony Berardi
LF Felipe Speraggi
RF Jack Schlegel
Naperville Central
GK Joseph Kallikadan
LB Griffin Geisler
CB Frank DeStefano
CB Nate Zain
RB Felix Leyva
LOM Kyle Forest
CM Joe Granato
CM Colin Heeneman
ROM Noah Canlas
LF Taha Din
RF Jimmy Kalkofen
Man of the Match: Danny Jiminez, OLM, Wheaton Warrenville South
South float by Naperville Central
Tigers improve to 4-1-0 in DuPage Valley Conference
By Derek Wolff
NAPERVILLE — While a part of why soccer earns its moniker “the beautiful game” is the bevy of breathtaking goals scored in the game, an ugly counts just as much.
Danny Jiminez’s floated strike in the 63rd minute of a scoreless match between Wheaton Warrenville South and hosts Naperville Central on Tuesday night fell somewhere in between.
What it didn’t lack was creativity, and Wheaton Warrenville South possessed just enough of it to slip past the Redhawks 1-0.
Jiminez took a ball near the line at about 20 yards from goal, then floated a high, arcing shot in and down into the far corner, just beyond the reach of retreating Redhawks goaltender Joseph Kallikadan.
The lone tally on the night earned Jiminez Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match distinction.
The outside midfielder explained he saw Kallikadan off his line and thought he had a chance to beat him with the ball at the back post.
Tigers coach Guy Callipari will take it.
“The goal you know, maybe not the most spectacular; I’m going to guess that it had intent,” he said laughing. “With that in mind, you put it on the face of the goal and you just never know, especially at the back. You test keepers and what their foot skills are like getting back there. That’s a tough ball to handle in the middle of everything else that’s going on.”
Both sides have struggled to some degree this season in one-goal games but the Wheaton Warrenville South (6-8-1, 4-1-0) was largely able to check Naperville Central’s offense following the goal.
The Redhawks had a few, desperate attempts on net turned aside by the Tigers defense in the final thirty seconds as the clock ran out.
Central’s game plan was easy enough to read from a defensive standpoint, Jiminez said.
“They were pretty predictable most of the time and tried to go out wide,” Jiminez said. “They were pretty direct.”
It was the sixth one-goal loss of the season for Central and the fourth time in DuPage Valley Conference play they have lost 1-0.
“When you’re at this point in the season you have to find a way to just get one to go into the back of the net, whether that’s a dead ball, a throw-in, run a play,” Redhawks coach Troy Adams said. “However it’s going to come, you have to find a way to produce one, and we’re struggling right now to find a kid that’s going to put one in the back of the net.”
Adams was pleased that his side has made less mistakes lately and hasn’t given up what he called “careless” goals, essentially unearned chances for the opposition.
For the Tigers, it was their fourth conference win in five tries.
Senior midfielder Anthony Berardi said the team has benefitted in one goal games by adopting a unified, team-based philosophy after struggling earlier in the season.
“We’ve really bought into the team idea as opposed to individuals, and that’s helped a lot,” Berardi said. “Most of our games, even the ones we’ve lost, have been pretty close. So I think a couple bounces here or there have made a difference but we’re working harder and working more as a team.”
The first half was dominated by missed chances.
Senior midfielder Noah Canlas couldn’t connect with anyone on a free kick from 20 yards out in the 11th for the Redhawks, sailing a searching ball long and over the bar.
The Tigers earned their first corner kick of the night in the 24th minute, but the Naperville Central backline effortlessly cleared off the attempt from Chris Stamatopoulos.
Jimmy Kalkofen had an ambitious attempt for the Redhawks after a Tigers goalkick in the 25th minute, sailing a ball into the swirling wind that missed wide right from 40 yards out.
Berardi did a nice job creating an opportunity in the 29th to send in a low cross from the right side of the 18, looking for Josh Balon, but Balon overran it and again Naperville Central cleared.
The second half of the scoreless game started in the same fashion, with both sides failing to really produce many quality scoring chances.
Jiminez’s strike in the 63rd hardly qualified as a high-percentage look, but he managed to hit it just right to float it over Kallikadan.
The outside midfielder echoed Berardi’s outlook and said the transition game enabled his look on net.
“We’re playing well as a team instead of individually,” Jiminez said. “I like how we play the quick passes, the 1-2, and I like how we transition pretty quickly.”
Callipari was pleased with the performance from his side in what was largely a complete game in all three thirds of the field.
“We weren’t on our heels at all. We didn’t panic, and we found our way out of trouble in many areas,” he said. “We created, I thought, a lot of great opportunities in the final third.”
The Tigers will be back in action on Thursday with a league visit to Waubonsie Valley, while the Redhawks (5-9-0, 1-5-0) will look to turn things around in a nonconference game at home against Oswego East on Saturday.
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK Adam Mrzlak
LB Kyle Faith
RB Chris Stamatopoulos
CB Jackson Keske
CB Charlie Kerby
OLM Danny Jiminez
CM Mark Chrisostomo
CM Jose Alfaro
ROM Anthony Berardi
LF Felipe Speraggi
RF Jack Schlegel
Naperville Central
GK Joseph Kallikadan
LB Griffin Geisler
CB Frank DeStefano
CB Nate Zain
RB Felix Leyva
LOM Kyle Forest
CM Joe Granato
CM Colin Heeneman
ROM Noah Canlas
LF Taha Din
RF Jimmy Kalkofen
Man of the Match: Danny Jiminez, OLM, Wheaton Warrenville South