Lake Park and refs make
quick work of Waubonsie
Both coaches see red after game is called
By Patrick Z. McGavin
AURORA — All's fair in love and war. Soccer is its own battleground.
Waubonsie Valley struck first, but Lake Park fused together its disparate parts in putting together its most impressive effort of the year.
Then it turned interesting if not surreal. Little followed order as a tense and sometimes heated game took a psychological toll on the upstart Warriors, who are still looking for their first win of the season.
Anthony Passi started the comeback, and the Lancers seized control with two goals less than a minute apart as Lake Park blitzed the Warriors in the 3-1 comeback victory. The truncated game was called in the 40th minute.
After the third Waubonsie Valley player was issued a red card with 50.7 seconds remaining in the first half, the referee determined, "It was no longer safe to continue," and called the game. Waubonsie Valley also received two yellow cards.
Waubonsie Valley forward and captain Leo Mendoza staked the Warriors to the early 1-0 when by converted a penalty kick in the seventh minute after Lake Park was cited for a handball inside the box.
The emotional tone of the game changed completely after Mendoza was removed after his retaliatory push of a Lake Park player during a scrum in the 24th minute.
Two other Waubonsie Valley players, including keeper Les Kruchten, were issued red cards for "dissent," reportedly using foul language in voicing displeasure at various calls. With the Warriors down three players, the game was called just before halftime.
Neither coach was happy about the abrupt conclusion. Lake Park coach Anthony Passi wanted an opportunity for his team to sustain their play for a full 80 minutes. Waubonsie Valley coach Jose Garcia thought the official was rash and too quick to issue the disqualifying red cards.
In his second year as head coach after a long period as the top assistant, Garcia said he could not remember the last time a Waubonsie Valley player was issued a red card.
"We didn't have any last year," Garcia said. "That changed the whole game, especially when you're missing three players. At that point it's not even really a game anymore. How can you not get scored upon at that point."
On merit, Lake Park was clearly the better side. The Lancers (4-1-2) dominated possession, offensive creativity with shots on goal and corner kicks. The only Waubonsie Valley shot was the penalty kick. That only fueled the the visitors.
"We were mad and shocked that we gave up the penalty kick," said forward Anthony Passi, one of two sons of the coach who starts for the Lancers.
The Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, Passi, provided the jolt in a game that thrived on emotion.
"I'm not sure we were ready from the start," said Lake Park coach Passi.
Midfielder Alessandro Montes, who finished with two assists, worked the middle of the field and slotted a ball on the right wing that Anthony Passi blasted into the upper left-hand corner for the equalizer in the 19th minute.
"We were angry about the penalty kick. We wanted to get a goal, and we started to hustle after that," Montes said. "I made a good finish on the ball. That goal just got everybody lit up, and everybody wanted more. It definitely set the the fire."
Seconds later Anthony Passi played another ball from a nearly identical position that Kruchten made a superb stop on. Lake Park was not content.
"When Anthony got the first goal, the energy started to rise," coach Passi said. "We started to combine, and we started to find the players behind the defense.
"Obviously things were changing. We're getting a bit more dangerous in that final third and creating a few more opportunities."
Just 40 seconds after the equalizer, Lake Park (4-1-2, 1-0 DuPage Valley) struck again. Montes again played a critical role. Off a nice service ball, he played a header over the top that freshman reserve Matteo Costa finished with a backward lunge off his own head in the 20th minute.
Midfielder Franco Presta maintained the Lancers' strong play in the 30th minute by playing a ball from Michael Passi and converting a sharp volley for the crucial two-goal advantage.
Lake Park got stronger as the game wore on, pressing offensively and dictating tempo and the offensive rhythm as Waubonsie Valley (0-4-1, 0-1) struggled to maintain its composure in the face of adversity.
"I think it was the combination of all that put together, and then you have the frustration and the fatigue that plagued us when they got those goals," Garcia said.
The Waubonsie coach thought the referees should have had greater interaction with his bench to have coaches intercede with the players rather than issue the draconian red cards.
"In my 33 years of being involved with soccer, I've never seen anything like this," Garcia said.
Lake Park had its own reasons for the game to finish out.
"In terms of our play, I thought we were getting stronger as the game went on," coach Passi said. "I think last week how we played in our tournament helped. We saw some of our strengths and some of our weaknesses.
"Our goal is to play 80 minutes of soccer. That's something we were not doing consistently through the start of the year. Today as we got stronger our confidence was getting there. It's just too bad we didn't get in a full game today."
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK: Michael Jasiak
D: Joshua Solarz
D: Brody Thompson
D: Jack Fisher
D: Adrian Glodz
M: Dan Hynes
M: Lorenzo Costa
M: Alessandro Montes
M: Michael Passi
M: Franco Presta
F: Anthony Passi
Waubonsie Valley
GK: Les Kruchten
D: Eric Ninmann
D: Rogelio Grimaldo
D: Nate Bailey
D: Brett Babcock
M: Ryan Dittmer
M: Noah Michael
M: Mitch Mueller
F: Leo Mendoza
F: Alfonso Pizzo
F: Eric Saucedo
Man of the Match: Anthony Passi, F, Lake Park
quick work of Waubonsie
Both coaches see red after game is called
By Patrick Z. McGavin
AURORA — All's fair in love and war. Soccer is its own battleground.
Waubonsie Valley struck first, but Lake Park fused together its disparate parts in putting together its most impressive effort of the year.
Then it turned interesting if not surreal. Little followed order as a tense and sometimes heated game took a psychological toll on the upstart Warriors, who are still looking for their first win of the season.
Anthony Passi started the comeback, and the Lancers seized control with two goals less than a minute apart as Lake Park blitzed the Warriors in the 3-1 comeback victory. The truncated game was called in the 40th minute.
After the third Waubonsie Valley player was issued a red card with 50.7 seconds remaining in the first half, the referee determined, "It was no longer safe to continue," and called the game. Waubonsie Valley also received two yellow cards.
Waubonsie Valley forward and captain Leo Mendoza staked the Warriors to the early 1-0 when by converted a penalty kick in the seventh minute after Lake Park was cited for a handball inside the box.
The emotional tone of the game changed completely after Mendoza was removed after his retaliatory push of a Lake Park player during a scrum in the 24th minute.
Two other Waubonsie Valley players, including keeper Les Kruchten, were issued red cards for "dissent," reportedly using foul language in voicing displeasure at various calls. With the Warriors down three players, the game was called just before halftime.
Neither coach was happy about the abrupt conclusion. Lake Park coach Anthony Passi wanted an opportunity for his team to sustain their play for a full 80 minutes. Waubonsie Valley coach Jose Garcia thought the official was rash and too quick to issue the disqualifying red cards.
In his second year as head coach after a long period as the top assistant, Garcia said he could not remember the last time a Waubonsie Valley player was issued a red card.
"We didn't have any last year," Garcia said. "That changed the whole game, especially when you're missing three players. At that point it's not even really a game anymore. How can you not get scored upon at that point."
On merit, Lake Park was clearly the better side. The Lancers (4-1-2) dominated possession, offensive creativity with shots on goal and corner kicks. The only Waubonsie Valley shot was the penalty kick. That only fueled the the visitors.
"We were mad and shocked that we gave up the penalty kick," said forward Anthony Passi, one of two sons of the coach who starts for the Lancers.
The Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, Passi, provided the jolt in a game that thrived on emotion.
"I'm not sure we were ready from the start," said Lake Park coach Passi.
Midfielder Alessandro Montes, who finished with two assists, worked the middle of the field and slotted a ball on the right wing that Anthony Passi blasted into the upper left-hand corner for the equalizer in the 19th minute.
"We were angry about the penalty kick. We wanted to get a goal, and we started to hustle after that," Montes said. "I made a good finish on the ball. That goal just got everybody lit up, and everybody wanted more. It definitely set the the fire."
Seconds later Anthony Passi played another ball from a nearly identical position that Kruchten made a superb stop on. Lake Park was not content.
"When Anthony got the first goal, the energy started to rise," coach Passi said. "We started to combine, and we started to find the players behind the defense.
"Obviously things were changing. We're getting a bit more dangerous in that final third and creating a few more opportunities."
Just 40 seconds after the equalizer, Lake Park (4-1-2, 1-0 DuPage Valley) struck again. Montes again played a critical role. Off a nice service ball, he played a header over the top that freshman reserve Matteo Costa finished with a backward lunge off his own head in the 20th minute.
Midfielder Franco Presta maintained the Lancers' strong play in the 30th minute by playing a ball from Michael Passi and converting a sharp volley for the crucial two-goal advantage.
Lake Park got stronger as the game wore on, pressing offensively and dictating tempo and the offensive rhythm as Waubonsie Valley (0-4-1, 0-1) struggled to maintain its composure in the face of adversity.
"I think it was the combination of all that put together, and then you have the frustration and the fatigue that plagued us when they got those goals," Garcia said.
The Waubonsie coach thought the referees should have had greater interaction with his bench to have coaches intercede with the players rather than issue the draconian red cards.
"In my 33 years of being involved with soccer, I've never seen anything like this," Garcia said.
Lake Park had its own reasons for the game to finish out.
"In terms of our play, I thought we were getting stronger as the game went on," coach Passi said. "I think last week how we played in our tournament helped. We saw some of our strengths and some of our weaknesses.
"Our goal is to play 80 minutes of soccer. That's something we were not doing consistently through the start of the year. Today as we got stronger our confidence was getting there. It's just too bad we didn't get in a full game today."
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK: Michael Jasiak
D: Joshua Solarz
D: Brody Thompson
D: Jack Fisher
D: Adrian Glodz
M: Dan Hynes
M: Lorenzo Costa
M: Alessandro Montes
M: Michael Passi
M: Franco Presta
F: Anthony Passi
Waubonsie Valley
GK: Les Kruchten
D: Eric Ninmann
D: Rogelio Grimaldo
D: Nate Bailey
D: Brett Babcock
M: Ryan Dittmer
M: Noah Michael
M: Mitch Mueller
F: Leo Mendoza
F: Alfonso Pizzo
F: Eric Saucedo
Man of the Match: Anthony Passi, F, Lake Park