North tops South in Glenbrook battle
Late goals, including an empty-netter, produce 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLENVIEW — Glenbrook North forward Vicente Sabbione required little in the form of an introduction to grasp the particular intensity of the rivalry with Glenbrook South.
He felt it deep inside.
“I felt the butterflies before the game,” he said. “There was some pressure. It was very exciting. The boys were hyped.
“I was hyped.”
Late in a scoreless game, he ran with fury toward the largely unchecked Glenbrook South back and blasted home a shot. The North partisans in the stands went berserk.
Alas, the dreaded flag from the assistant referee was up.
But not the second time.
The depth of feeling played out vigorously, with both sides rocking each other, Glenbrook South’s facility on set pieces offset by Glenbrook North’s edge in the run of play.
Sabbione finally won out.
In the 74th minute, he ran hard toward the right edge and beat a Titans’ defender and keeper Colin Morse to get the first and decisive touch.
Staring at the open net, he fired away from about 18 yards for the game-winner in the Spartans’ stunning 2-0 road victory on the opening night of Central Suburban League South Division play Tuesday evening.
“I never saw the keeper come out,” he said. “I just saw the ball, and I went for it. I saw the defender could not hit it; and I just went full after it, and I got to it and scored.”
Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara, a former college keeper, praised the ambitious play by netminder Morse.
“When I played, I played a more cautious and conservative style, but I really wish I had the mentality of Colin,” Lara said. “I never have a problem with Colin making a play like that.
“Colin is somebody who is confident and loves coming off the line. He is comfortable playing with his feet. That was a rough situation where he has to go as hard as he can, and maybe he comes out with the ball. I trust Colin. It was just an unlucky situation.”
Sabbione earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his game-altering goal for the Spartans (5-1-2, 1-0-0).
Glenbrook South (3-3-0, 0-1-0) had a tantalizing chance to get the late equalizer in the 77th minute. Midfielder David Sohn made a hard run off the right edge with his team’s best opportunity of the night.
His ball sailed high, continuing a snakebitten recent trend -- the Titans have scored just one goal in their last three games.
The electricity of the final moments crackled at peak voltage when Glenbrook South pulled Morse and put him inside the box on a closing corner.
Spartans’ midfielder Kyle Brown gained control after the send and punched the ball toward midfield. North’s Gabe Nayman won a chase for the ball and finished into the open net with 21 seconds remaining for the clincher.
“We were knocking on the door,” Lara said. “Our pregame talk was all about taking chances, seizing those opportunities and capitalizing. It’s kind of been the trend the last couple of games where we have not been able to put the ball in the back of the net even though we seem dangerous.”
Midfielder Arturo Moyo, who started as a sophomore, returned to his first game of the pandemic season. The junior injected some bounce and style into the Titans’ attack.
Defender Drew Maytum, big and dynamic, created some early momentum with his free kicks. Glenbrook South seemed continuously poised to get that breakthrough.
“We just have to get the ball on the ground a little bit more,” Maytum said. “Tonight it was in the air a lot more, and we have to get our outside midfielders involved. Those were our best moments when our outside midfielders were able to get it into the box.
“I thought we weren’t able to do that as much in the second half, and we were not as dangerous. It was coming back down our throats.”
Glenbrook South performed well after its return from spring break; and the Titans made some moves due to injuries.
Maytum and Sohn are the Titans’ centerpiece players, the most experienced of a team still finding itself.
“It’s been kind of hard, because we just got thrown into a season right away,” Maytum said. “We are still learning how everybody plays, and getting to know each other. I think it’s just going to get better. We have come a little bit from the start of the year.”
Glenbrook North’s Kyle Brown had the two best scoring threats in the first half when he was awarded two free kicks from the left hash about 22 yards out. His first shot was blocked by the wall. Morse made a great leaping stop on the second in the 33rd minute.
Glenbrook South junior Bennett Steenbergen, a rangy and long forward, came off the bench and provided an offensive spark. His forays at the Spartans’ back third provided some solid pressure.
“We have a tall team, and we’re good on set pieces,” Lara said. “We like getting those opportunities. One of the questions I asked was ‘Can you bring energy into the game even if you’re coming off the bench?’
“I think Ben did a great job today. I thought we played pretty good soccer today. It’s coming back from break, and we are getting guys healthy. I’m optimistic.”
Soccer is often the most random of actions strung together. The hardest part is the final decisive touch.
“We will try to get more efficient and effective in the final third in order to get goals in,” Lara said.
Lara’s counterpart, veteran Spartans’ coach Paul Vignocchi, sees a young team coming together at the right time.
“It’s been an interesting season already, but this has been a good group,” Vignocchi said. “We have a young team. We graduated a lot of guys from last season. They’re very coachable. They listen; they are fun to coach.
“I have enjoyed this team.”
Nayman is a three-year starter who brings energy and poise to his role. Senior midfielder Jan Bogan, who assisted the game-winner, is another gifted offensive talent. He created considerable pressure for the Spartans.
The offensive thrusts forced the Titans on their heels. That meant limiting their offensive game.
“We work on defending every day, and that is our main goal, to keep as many clean-sheets as possible,” said Nayman, who has four goals and five assists on the season
“That keeps us in the game. We definitely take any chance that we have, and we scored and won the game.”
Lara liked Glenbrook South’s intensity and aggression. Maytum sees a team with room to grow.
“I thought we played pretty well overall,” Maytum said. “It really came down to just a few moments in there. We had a couple of lapses, or a couple of moments when we were not trusting our teammates.
“We just have to trust each other. We have to get better, and I think we will by the end of the year.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Jett Greene
D: Griffin Yoss
D: Tal Yedlin
D: Jack Redland
D: Tommy Henrickson
MF: Ian Lee
MF: Gabe Nayman
MF: Kyle Brown
MF: Lucas Kovarik
MF: Jan Bogdan
F: Vincente Sabbione
Glenbrook South
GK: Colin Morse
D: Danny Peters
D: Dominik Danko
D: Drew Maytum
M: Owen Beumer
M: David Sohn
M: Zarko Pavlovic
M: Stefan Souleles
M: Arturo Moyo
F: Josh Nelson
F: Jeffrey Keating
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Vincente Sabbione, soph., F, Glenbrook North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Glenbrook North—Vincente Sabbione (Jan Bogdan), 74th minute
Glenbrook North—Gabe Nayman (Kyle Brown), 80th minute
Late goals, including an empty-netter, produce 2-0 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
GLENVIEW — Glenbrook North forward Vicente Sabbione required little in the form of an introduction to grasp the particular intensity of the rivalry with Glenbrook South.
He felt it deep inside.
“I felt the butterflies before the game,” he said. “There was some pressure. It was very exciting. The boys were hyped.
“I was hyped.”
Late in a scoreless game, he ran with fury toward the largely unchecked Glenbrook South back and blasted home a shot. The North partisans in the stands went berserk.
Alas, the dreaded flag from the assistant referee was up.
But not the second time.
The depth of feeling played out vigorously, with both sides rocking each other, Glenbrook South’s facility on set pieces offset by Glenbrook North’s edge in the run of play.
Sabbione finally won out.
In the 74th minute, he ran hard toward the right edge and beat a Titans’ defender and keeper Colin Morse to get the first and decisive touch.
Staring at the open net, he fired away from about 18 yards for the game-winner in the Spartans’ stunning 2-0 road victory on the opening night of Central Suburban League South Division play Tuesday evening.
“I never saw the keeper come out,” he said. “I just saw the ball, and I went for it. I saw the defender could not hit it; and I just went full after it, and I got to it and scored.”
Glenbrook South coach Reggie Lara, a former college keeper, praised the ambitious play by netminder Morse.
“When I played, I played a more cautious and conservative style, but I really wish I had the mentality of Colin,” Lara said. “I never have a problem with Colin making a play like that.
“Colin is somebody who is confident and loves coming off the line. He is comfortable playing with his feet. That was a rough situation where he has to go as hard as he can, and maybe he comes out with the ball. I trust Colin. It was just an unlucky situation.”
Sabbione earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his game-altering goal for the Spartans (5-1-2, 1-0-0).
Glenbrook South (3-3-0, 0-1-0) had a tantalizing chance to get the late equalizer in the 77th minute. Midfielder David Sohn made a hard run off the right edge with his team’s best opportunity of the night.
His ball sailed high, continuing a snakebitten recent trend -- the Titans have scored just one goal in their last three games.
The electricity of the final moments crackled at peak voltage when Glenbrook South pulled Morse and put him inside the box on a closing corner.
Spartans’ midfielder Kyle Brown gained control after the send and punched the ball toward midfield. North’s Gabe Nayman won a chase for the ball and finished into the open net with 21 seconds remaining for the clincher.
“We were knocking on the door,” Lara said. “Our pregame talk was all about taking chances, seizing those opportunities and capitalizing. It’s kind of been the trend the last couple of games where we have not been able to put the ball in the back of the net even though we seem dangerous.”
Midfielder Arturo Moyo, who started as a sophomore, returned to his first game of the pandemic season. The junior injected some bounce and style into the Titans’ attack.
Defender Drew Maytum, big and dynamic, created some early momentum with his free kicks. Glenbrook South seemed continuously poised to get that breakthrough.
“We just have to get the ball on the ground a little bit more,” Maytum said. “Tonight it was in the air a lot more, and we have to get our outside midfielders involved. Those were our best moments when our outside midfielders were able to get it into the box.
“I thought we weren’t able to do that as much in the second half, and we were not as dangerous. It was coming back down our throats.”
Glenbrook South performed well after its return from spring break; and the Titans made some moves due to injuries.
Maytum and Sohn are the Titans’ centerpiece players, the most experienced of a team still finding itself.
“It’s been kind of hard, because we just got thrown into a season right away,” Maytum said. “We are still learning how everybody plays, and getting to know each other. I think it’s just going to get better. We have come a little bit from the start of the year.”
Glenbrook North’s Kyle Brown had the two best scoring threats in the first half when he was awarded two free kicks from the left hash about 22 yards out. His first shot was blocked by the wall. Morse made a great leaping stop on the second in the 33rd minute.
Glenbrook South junior Bennett Steenbergen, a rangy and long forward, came off the bench and provided an offensive spark. His forays at the Spartans’ back third provided some solid pressure.
“We have a tall team, and we’re good on set pieces,” Lara said. “We like getting those opportunities. One of the questions I asked was ‘Can you bring energy into the game even if you’re coming off the bench?’
“I think Ben did a great job today. I thought we played pretty good soccer today. It’s coming back from break, and we are getting guys healthy. I’m optimistic.”
Soccer is often the most random of actions strung together. The hardest part is the final decisive touch.
“We will try to get more efficient and effective in the final third in order to get goals in,” Lara said.
Lara’s counterpart, veteran Spartans’ coach Paul Vignocchi, sees a young team coming together at the right time.
“It’s been an interesting season already, but this has been a good group,” Vignocchi said. “We have a young team. We graduated a lot of guys from last season. They’re very coachable. They listen; they are fun to coach.
“I have enjoyed this team.”
Nayman is a three-year starter who brings energy and poise to his role. Senior midfielder Jan Bogan, who assisted the game-winner, is another gifted offensive talent. He created considerable pressure for the Spartans.
The offensive thrusts forced the Titans on their heels. That meant limiting their offensive game.
“We work on defending every day, and that is our main goal, to keep as many clean-sheets as possible,” said Nayman, who has four goals and five assists on the season
“That keeps us in the game. We definitely take any chance that we have, and we scored and won the game.”
Lara liked Glenbrook South’s intensity and aggression. Maytum sees a team with room to grow.
“I thought we played pretty well overall,” Maytum said. “It really came down to just a few moments in there. We had a couple of lapses, or a couple of moments when we were not trusting our teammates.
“We just have to trust each other. We have to get better, and I think we will by the end of the year.”
Starting lineups
Glenbrook North
GK: Jett Greene
D: Griffin Yoss
D: Tal Yedlin
D: Jack Redland
D: Tommy Henrickson
MF: Ian Lee
MF: Gabe Nayman
MF: Kyle Brown
MF: Lucas Kovarik
MF: Jan Bogdan
F: Vincente Sabbione
Glenbrook South
GK: Colin Morse
D: Danny Peters
D: Dominik Danko
D: Drew Maytum
M: Owen Beumer
M: David Sohn
M: Zarko Pavlovic
M: Stefan Souleles
M: Arturo Moyo
F: Josh Nelson
F: Jeffrey Keating
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Vincente Sabbione, soph., F, Glenbrook North
Scoring summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Glenbrook North—Vincente Sabbione (Jan Bogdan), 74th minute
Glenbrook North—Gabe Nayman (Kyle Brown), 80th minute