Washington tops Lane for 1st city crown
Garibay's 40th-minute bomb downs defending champions 1-0
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The moment was nearly two months in the making. From the beginning of training in August, Felipe Ramirez had worked on playing the ball, pushing it side to side and then finding that vulnerable location for a shot to be launched.
“I take the ball to the wing, either on my side or the other side, and I play it back or find somebody in the middle,” Ramirez said. “That’s what I did. I found him in the middle. Luckily he got the shot off, and he hit it right.”
"He" was Patriots’ midfielder Juan Antonio Garibay. The junior created sufficient space near the right wing to smash a shot from 42 yards in the 40th minute that took a ferocious spin inside for a deeply memorable goal that Washington rode to a 1-0 victory over Lane in the Chicago Public League city championship tournament Sunday morning at Brooks High School. The game was postponed Saturday due to the weather.
Garibay’s goal, his seventh of the year, occurred with just five seconds remaining in the first half. The shot took the Patriots into ecstatic, uncharted territory with the first city title in program history. The Patriots also deprived the Indians of a significant achievement. Lane was attempting to become the first repeat champion in the 40-year history of the tournament.
Time was crucial on both sides. Washington was about to lose the advantage of playing with the gusting and ferocious southern winds. Lane was playing to get out of the first half unscathed. The sense of the countdown ratcheted up the drama.
“They were always pressuring us, and I had to take a chance,” Garibay said. “That was the first thing I had in my mind: take the shot from wherever I was and hope it goes in. Even though they were putting a lot of pressure on us in the second half, getting that goal allowed us to relax a little more in the second half of the game.”
Garibay earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his standout play. His poise and ability to possess and create dangerous opportunities kept the Indians off stride and allowed Washington to reach unparalleled heights.
“We got to the city final before but we never had a championship,” Garibay said. “It’s about time we had one. We deserved it.”
The victory completed a long vindication for Washington coach Alvaro Perez. The team’s only previous appearance in the city title game seven years earlier resulted in a narrow loss against Kelly.
“We came in thinking about what we had to do,” Perez said. “I talked about 2010 the past few days. The ideal was that we have not finished for seven years. We came here today to close the deal. Juan gave us a beautiful shot. It just sealed the deal, the fact that in 2010 we could not close.
“What a great way to close it out against these awesome Lane boys. They are the best in the city. This gives us the kind of recognition that we have been working on for the last few years. “
Washington (14-4-3) defeated the Indians 2-0 in Premier play in September. Lane rallied to capture the division title on the last day of conference play. Lane absorbed the Patriots’ early strong play as senior keeper Simon Jillson made a great stop off a rocket ball initiated off a corner kick in the third minute.
Lane countered with its strong middle of seniors Marcin Kieta and Brandon Rivera. The first half alternated with inspired moments of play on both sides. Garibay seized the opportunity, taking advantage of a momentary and uncharacteristic lapse by the Indians.
“It was a breakdown on our part,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “The Washington player realized it, but it was a breakdown on our part. We left him open. Our guys sagged in, the defenders did not step up, and he took it. He shot it from west to east, where the wind was going, and that helped put a little swirl on it.”
The loss snapped the Indians’ six-game winning streak.
Lane (12-5-2) generated some strong opportunities with the wind in the second half. Freshman midfielder Grant Nagle smashed a laser off a service from about 24 yards that rose over the top of the bar. Rivera also had a great look, but the ball sailed high.
“We had four half-chances, and they had one, and they put it away,” Ricks said. “It could have gone either way. Soccer is a cruel sport. I am not sure if we played better soccer. I thought we did at times, particularly in the second half. Credit to Washington. This year, we had to have the personnel to step up and get back to the title game. Fortunately we did this year.
“It did not go our way.”
Lane’s best offensive player, Alex Mezyk, had a decent look from distance in the first half. Washington did a great job of closing space on him and denying him avenues to the goal. “There were a couple of times where our defense left Alex alone, and I told them we cannot leave him,” Ramirez said. “We always had at least one player on him. We were able to control him most of the game.”
Mezyk had a decent follow-up shot from about eight yards that was cleared by a Washington defender. Patriots’ keeper Jesus Lozano also made a superb kick save off a shot by Cathal O’Connor from a Mezyk pass in the 74th minute. Ricks pushed O’Connor upfront, switching to a 4-3-3 to push numbers forward.
Despite the loss, Lane has qualified for the final six times in the last seven years. The current senior class went 2-1 in city title games.
“Of course we are very proud to make it to the final, every year that we can,” Rivera said. “Sometimes that’s how sports works. You win some and you lose some. We can’t lose our heads. We have to keep our heads high and now move on to the next challenge and try to win state. We have to keep working hard and do what we can.”
Perez directed the Patriots to the Class AA state title in 2013. This victory joins that as the most significant of his career. The Patriots are a no. 2 subsectional seed in the Brooks Sectional and open regional play against Brother Rice on Tuesday.
“Both of them are special,” Perez said. “This one is very special because I don’t think our suburban friends realize how tough this is. I don’t think they do, especially because as a AA school, we had to play up against 3A opponents, like Young and Lane. It makes a bigger challenge for a small school like us.
“When we met back in August, city was not a goal. It became, little by little, a more realistic goal. There is some kind of angel looking over us. We withstood other teams getting these awesome shots. We did it against Young and now today against Lane. We will take it.”
Starting lineups
Washington
GK: Jesus Lozano
D: Kevin Delgadillo
D: Leonardo Carillo
D: Guierllmo Gudino
D: Jose Valadez
MF: Felipe Ramirez
MF: Adrian Yanez
MF: Martin Mendoza
MF: Alberto Solis
MF: Juan Antonio Garibay
F: Angel Arismendiz
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Dennis Dresevic
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Greg Golba
D: Arnel Sinanagic
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Jose Villa
MF: David de la Huerta
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Marcin Kieta
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Juan Antonio Garibay, jr., MF, Washington
Scoring summary
First half
Washington—Juan Antonio Garibay (Felipe Ramirez), 40th minute
Garibay's 40th-minute bomb downs defending champions 1-0
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- The moment was nearly two months in the making. From the beginning of training in August, Felipe Ramirez had worked on playing the ball, pushing it side to side and then finding that vulnerable location for a shot to be launched.
“I take the ball to the wing, either on my side or the other side, and I play it back or find somebody in the middle,” Ramirez said. “That’s what I did. I found him in the middle. Luckily he got the shot off, and he hit it right.”
"He" was Patriots’ midfielder Juan Antonio Garibay. The junior created sufficient space near the right wing to smash a shot from 42 yards in the 40th minute that took a ferocious spin inside for a deeply memorable goal that Washington rode to a 1-0 victory over Lane in the Chicago Public League city championship tournament Sunday morning at Brooks High School. The game was postponed Saturday due to the weather.
Garibay’s goal, his seventh of the year, occurred with just five seconds remaining in the first half. The shot took the Patriots into ecstatic, uncharted territory with the first city title in program history. The Patriots also deprived the Indians of a significant achievement. Lane was attempting to become the first repeat champion in the 40-year history of the tournament.
Time was crucial on both sides. Washington was about to lose the advantage of playing with the gusting and ferocious southern winds. Lane was playing to get out of the first half unscathed. The sense of the countdown ratcheted up the drama.
“They were always pressuring us, and I had to take a chance,” Garibay said. “That was the first thing I had in my mind: take the shot from wherever I was and hope it goes in. Even though they were putting a lot of pressure on us in the second half, getting that goal allowed us to relax a little more in the second half of the game.”
Garibay earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his standout play. His poise and ability to possess and create dangerous opportunities kept the Indians off stride and allowed Washington to reach unparalleled heights.
“We got to the city final before but we never had a championship,” Garibay said. “It’s about time we had one. We deserved it.”
The victory completed a long vindication for Washington coach Alvaro Perez. The team’s only previous appearance in the city title game seven years earlier resulted in a narrow loss against Kelly.
“We came in thinking about what we had to do,” Perez said. “I talked about 2010 the past few days. The ideal was that we have not finished for seven years. We came here today to close the deal. Juan gave us a beautiful shot. It just sealed the deal, the fact that in 2010 we could not close.
“What a great way to close it out against these awesome Lane boys. They are the best in the city. This gives us the kind of recognition that we have been working on for the last few years. “
Washington (14-4-3) defeated the Indians 2-0 in Premier play in September. Lane rallied to capture the division title on the last day of conference play. Lane absorbed the Patriots’ early strong play as senior keeper Simon Jillson made a great stop off a rocket ball initiated off a corner kick in the third minute.
Lane countered with its strong middle of seniors Marcin Kieta and Brandon Rivera. The first half alternated with inspired moments of play on both sides. Garibay seized the opportunity, taking advantage of a momentary and uncharacteristic lapse by the Indians.
“It was a breakdown on our part,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “The Washington player realized it, but it was a breakdown on our part. We left him open. Our guys sagged in, the defenders did not step up, and he took it. He shot it from west to east, where the wind was going, and that helped put a little swirl on it.”
The loss snapped the Indians’ six-game winning streak.
Lane (12-5-2) generated some strong opportunities with the wind in the second half. Freshman midfielder Grant Nagle smashed a laser off a service from about 24 yards that rose over the top of the bar. Rivera also had a great look, but the ball sailed high.
“We had four half-chances, and they had one, and they put it away,” Ricks said. “It could have gone either way. Soccer is a cruel sport. I am not sure if we played better soccer. I thought we did at times, particularly in the second half. Credit to Washington. This year, we had to have the personnel to step up and get back to the title game. Fortunately we did this year.
“It did not go our way.”
Lane’s best offensive player, Alex Mezyk, had a decent look from distance in the first half. Washington did a great job of closing space on him and denying him avenues to the goal. “There were a couple of times where our defense left Alex alone, and I told them we cannot leave him,” Ramirez said. “We always had at least one player on him. We were able to control him most of the game.”
Mezyk had a decent follow-up shot from about eight yards that was cleared by a Washington defender. Patriots’ keeper Jesus Lozano also made a superb kick save off a shot by Cathal O’Connor from a Mezyk pass in the 74th minute. Ricks pushed O’Connor upfront, switching to a 4-3-3 to push numbers forward.
Despite the loss, Lane has qualified for the final six times in the last seven years. The current senior class went 2-1 in city title games.
“Of course we are very proud to make it to the final, every year that we can,” Rivera said. “Sometimes that’s how sports works. You win some and you lose some. We can’t lose our heads. We have to keep our heads high and now move on to the next challenge and try to win state. We have to keep working hard and do what we can.”
Perez directed the Patriots to the Class AA state title in 2013. This victory joins that as the most significant of his career. The Patriots are a no. 2 subsectional seed in the Brooks Sectional and open regional play against Brother Rice on Tuesday.
“Both of them are special,” Perez said. “This one is very special because I don’t think our suburban friends realize how tough this is. I don’t think they do, especially because as a AA school, we had to play up against 3A opponents, like Young and Lane. It makes a bigger challenge for a small school like us.
“When we met back in August, city was not a goal. It became, little by little, a more realistic goal. There is some kind of angel looking over us. We withstood other teams getting these awesome shots. We did it against Young and now today against Lane. We will take it.”
Starting lineups
Washington
GK: Jesus Lozano
D: Kevin Delgadillo
D: Leonardo Carillo
D: Guierllmo Gudino
D: Jose Valadez
MF: Felipe Ramirez
MF: Adrian Yanez
MF: Martin Mendoza
MF: Alberto Solis
MF: Juan Antonio Garibay
F: Angel Arismendiz
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Dennis Dresevic
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Greg Golba
D: Arnel Sinanagic
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Jose Villa
MF: David de la Huerta
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Marcin Kieta
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Juan Antonio Garibay, jr., MF, Washington
Scoring summary
First half
Washington—Juan Antonio Garibay (Felipe Ramirez), 40th minute