Addison Trail, Glenbard N. 'D' up in 0-0 tie
Teams continue early season search for identity
By Dave Owen
ADDISON -- Early signs of rebuilding show promise for a successful fall for both Addison Trail and Glenbard North.
After meeting with senior-dominated teams in final of the Joe Novy Invitational final last year (a 3-2 Addison Trail win), the two squads met again in Saturday’s third place match with a similar spirited battle.
After the 80-minute back and forth, the Panthers (2-1-1) and Blazers (1-1-3) began as they started with a 0-0 tie.
“It was a very good game,” Glenbard North coach Gregg Koeller said. “They had a couple good chances, we had a couple. I think a tie is a fair result. I’m happy with that given the work in progress here.
“We graduated 16 kids (from last year), we have so many new players with seven freshmen or sophomores. They need this type of game, varsity experience, and it’s coming. Every game their shifts get better, their confidence gets better. They really showed well in this tournament. I’m pleased.”
Addison Trail coach Ryan Dini faces a similar rebuilding task from last year’s 22-win sectional squad. The Blazers’ defense hasn’t missed a beat, but the other end of the pitch has sometimes been a battle.
“We are struggling so much to score,” Dini said. “I’m trying so many different combinations up-top. The first half especially we had a lot of chances, but we’re just not there yet. The good thing is that we played a lot of good teams in this tournament.
“Our record’s 1-1-3, so we’re not getting beat which is good. But at the same time, we’d like a few more wins. But Glenbard North is a good team -- we always have good games with them. So it was a good game. But we just have to get on the scoreboard.”
Fortunately for the Blazers, their backline and veteran goalkeeper Jean Avila are creating similar frustration for opponents.
Avila came up big 6:40 before halftime to deny appropriately named Glenbard North standout midfielder Best Emena.
Off a 38-yard free kick by Ode Emena and Axel Bibiano’s initial header away from the crease, Best Emena corralled the loose ball and drove a straight on 22-yard rocket destined for a spot just under the crossbar.
But Avila leaped high to tip the shot just over the crossbar, and the Blazers’ Eduardo Huerta cleared the ensuing Panthers corner kick out of danger.
“I try to stay back a little just in case they go underneath me,” the 5-foot-8 Avila said of his ability to make high saves. “And if they try to chip me, I just stay tall so I can reach it.
“We just man-marked their wingers for the most part, and made sure we kept control of their best player which is Best. And we took control of the free kicks that his brother (Ode) would send over.”
For that save and others, Avila shared Man of the Match honors with Best Emena. But he had help from his entire defensive unit.
Avila’s big save and solid play throughout has become a norm this early season.
“He’s a senior, last year he split time, and in the five games he’s played (in 2017) he’s only let up one goal,” Dini said. “He’s got a couple shutouts. I’ve been really pleased with him.
“He’s been really consistent for us, and he’s done everything from community service stuff to being the first guy at practice to cleaning up water bottles at the end. He’s a true example of a senior.”
Best Emena and Erik Lopez fill that senior spotlight role for the Panthers. Both have two goals this season to share the team lead, and also combine to help fill a big leadership void from last season.
“We’re still working on the chemistry and trying to adapt to new positions,” Best Emena said. “Our coach keeps moving us all over to see what’s a good fit for the team, and that’s the best thing for us.
“It was a little bit hard to replace a lot of the seniors we had last year. They were strong, but we have a good future with the new guys. They know what we can do and know what’s expected, and they’ll try to carry it on.”
Lopez has been both a scorer and steadying influence at midfielder. And with just one loss in four games, the results have been positive.
“I feel like we’re still trying to figure out a chemistry and we’re still a building team,” Lopez said. “But we’re going to come together. We’re going to be a good team this year.”
“We’re connecting fairly well,” Lopez added. “It’s not like we’re lost on the field (as a new group) -- we know what we’re doing. It’s just that one click. Once we click, we should be good.”
The Panthers effectively prevented Addison Trail’s offense from clicking Saturday.
The Blazers' David Zielinski’s 15-yard shot off a two-man attack with Lukas Rodriguez in the 28th minute went just over the net.
Then 5:25 before halftime, Melvin Mora’s great hustle play nearly paid off. After an initial clear of a Glenbard North offensive zone throw-in, Mora raced up the left sideline to initiate an end line attack. But his cross was sent just wide of the back post by Luis Saucedo.
“Melvin Mora in the middle -- he was one of our defenders last year and this year we moved him to midfield,” Dini said. “He’s our best player. He’s so tactical, good with both feet -- he’s a matchup nightmare for other teams. He’s been huge.”
But Glenbard North repelled every threat by Mora and other Blazers.
“I thought our center backs and our back four played very well,” said Koeller, who had goalkeepers Sam Pauling and Martin Argirov each play a half in a combined shutout. “This team is a sum of the parts, and to point out one person is difficult. But I thought Erik Lopez had a very strong game, and Best had a very strong game.”
Lopez has been impressed by the Panthers’ depth early on.
“We can make subs, and they can carry on the game,” Lopez said. “It’s not like we sub and go down. It stays the same with the same intensity from everyone, which is good. We have a pretty good team.”
The Panthers continued to hold their own in a day of back-and-forth chances.
After Avila made a nice right post save on Danny Le’s 25-yard shot off a Lopez corner kick with 32:05 left, the Blazers went the other way, but Osbaldo Murillo's tip of a Martin Juarez 42-yard free kick went wide at 28:15.
Murillo later sent a 20-yard one-timer just over the net with 23:50 to play, beginning a good Addison Trail spurt in the middle of the second half.
Panthers freshman keeper Argirov made a grab on a Juarez cross off a Mora corner kick with 22:15 left, then made a nice stop on Mora’s 25-yard shot four minutes later.
Those denials were part of the theme so far this season for the tournament hosts.
“Our defense has been solid,” Murillo said. “We just need to work on finishing. We get to the end line, make angle passes and everything is looking good. We just couldn’t finish.”
The success of last year has opponents ready for the Blazers. And the loss of 27-goal scorer Christian Vega and most of the 2016 offense has been felt.
“We need more forwards,” Juarez said. “He (Murillo) usually plays midfield with me, but he has pretty good height (5-foot-11) so we put him up-top. Our starting forwards last year left, so it’s basically all different players up-top.
“And a lot of teams want to come hard at us. And since we went far last year they want to beat us badly.”
But beating the Blazers and goalkeeper Avila hasn’t been easy.
Anthony Martinez’s shot off a Lopez pass angled wide left with 13:10 left on a Panthers threat. Then with 4:30 to go, a nice spin move at the top of the box by Best Emena created an opening. But Fabrizio Guajardo sent Abood Nasr’s ensuing pass just over the net from in front.
The Panthers then had a furious late flurry to try to erase the 0-0 tie. The Blazers’ Elvis Amezquita made a clear at the post of a Lopez cross with 1:40 left. Then with 1:05 to go, an Ode Emena 25-yard free kick was redirected just wide of the near (left) post by his sliding older brother Best Emena.
“He (Ode) tries to find me in the midfield because he knows once I get the ball I try to go for the corners,” Best Emena said. “We all play good, and we can rely on anyone on the team. But he knows how I play so he relies on me sometimes.”
After denying a rush by the Blazers’ Luis Saucedo with 30 seconds left, a Panthers’ counterattack with 10 seconds left was diffused by Christian Garcia’s header block and ensuing clear of an offensive zone throw-in.
“No. 3 (Ode Emena) is tough in the back -- they’re very organized on defense,” Dini said of Glenbard North. “They adjusted well in the second half, and it was a pretty even game throughout. We just have to get more shots on goal.”
But scoring shortages aside, the Blazers’ largely new-look defense has quickly taken shape.
“We adjusted by practicing a lot with our forwards during practice on turnovers and how to control the midfield,” Avila said.
“For conference I think we’re trying to find out what we need to work on, which would mainly be shooting and some more crossing. And that would help us set up more set pieces.”
Said Dini: “From last year’s team we lost tons of guys. It’s a completely new group, and we’re still working on chemistry. Defensively I’m very pleased, and offensively we’re just missing that last connecting pass to get a good chance on goal.”
The Panthers are also making fast progress.
“We’ve played four games and went 2-1-1,” Koeller said. “I have no complaints whatsoever. Every game (in the tournament) was like this, and for a young team that’s very inexperienced, these are really valuable game situation moments.
“You can’t replicate this in practice. So we have Naperville Central to open conference play on Tuesday, and this has really helped us grow up.
“In the DuPage Valley Conference it doesn’t matter -- pick a team, they’re all good. But this tournament was very competitive, close games, and that’s what you want as a coach the first couple games.”
Best Emena has also seen big strides in his team, as they gear up for the rugged conference schedule.
“(The tournament) helped us with our chemistry a little bit, because most of us have not played together in a while,” he said. “Although we haven’t totally clicked yet, we’re working towards perfection.”
Now both sides look forward to their rugged upcoming tests.
“We’re in the PepsiCo next week so we’ll see a lot of good teams there,” Dini said. “Our goal this year is to compete in conference. We play some of the big guys in conference at the end, so we hope we get a good start.”
Said Glenbard North’s Lopez: “We need to keep working on getting the ball towards the middle, and outside wings. We should be good. Our Tuesday home game with Naperville Central should be an interesting game.”
And while lacking any scoring, Saturday’s draw was great preparation for both sides going forward.
“This could have been last year,” Koeller said. “Very well played, and a credit to both teams.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
GK Sam Pauling
D Evan Scott
D Ode Emena
D Abood Nasr
D Danny Le
M Erik Lopez
M Anthony Martinez
M Best Emena
M Josh Lopez
F Brian Dasso
F Jesse Aragon
Addison Trail
GK Jean Avila
D Matthew Moran
D Axel Bibiano
D Elvis Amezquita
D Eduardo Huerta
M Osbaldo Murillo
M Christian Garcia
M Melvin Mora
M Martin Juarez
F Victor Rodriguez
F Luis Saucedo
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Jean Avila, sr. GK, Addison Trail
Best Emena, sr. MF, Glenbard North
Scoring summary
No scoring
Teams continue early season search for identity
By Dave Owen
ADDISON -- Early signs of rebuilding show promise for a successful fall for both Addison Trail and Glenbard North.
After meeting with senior-dominated teams in final of the Joe Novy Invitational final last year (a 3-2 Addison Trail win), the two squads met again in Saturday’s third place match with a similar spirited battle.
After the 80-minute back and forth, the Panthers (2-1-1) and Blazers (1-1-3) began as they started with a 0-0 tie.
“It was a very good game,” Glenbard North coach Gregg Koeller said. “They had a couple good chances, we had a couple. I think a tie is a fair result. I’m happy with that given the work in progress here.
“We graduated 16 kids (from last year), we have so many new players with seven freshmen or sophomores. They need this type of game, varsity experience, and it’s coming. Every game their shifts get better, their confidence gets better. They really showed well in this tournament. I’m pleased.”
Addison Trail coach Ryan Dini faces a similar rebuilding task from last year’s 22-win sectional squad. The Blazers’ defense hasn’t missed a beat, but the other end of the pitch has sometimes been a battle.
“We are struggling so much to score,” Dini said. “I’m trying so many different combinations up-top. The first half especially we had a lot of chances, but we’re just not there yet. The good thing is that we played a lot of good teams in this tournament.
“Our record’s 1-1-3, so we’re not getting beat which is good. But at the same time, we’d like a few more wins. But Glenbard North is a good team -- we always have good games with them. So it was a good game. But we just have to get on the scoreboard.”
Fortunately for the Blazers, their backline and veteran goalkeeper Jean Avila are creating similar frustration for opponents.
Avila came up big 6:40 before halftime to deny appropriately named Glenbard North standout midfielder Best Emena.
Off a 38-yard free kick by Ode Emena and Axel Bibiano’s initial header away from the crease, Best Emena corralled the loose ball and drove a straight on 22-yard rocket destined for a spot just under the crossbar.
But Avila leaped high to tip the shot just over the crossbar, and the Blazers’ Eduardo Huerta cleared the ensuing Panthers corner kick out of danger.
“I try to stay back a little just in case they go underneath me,” the 5-foot-8 Avila said of his ability to make high saves. “And if they try to chip me, I just stay tall so I can reach it.
“We just man-marked their wingers for the most part, and made sure we kept control of their best player which is Best. And we took control of the free kicks that his brother (Ode) would send over.”
For that save and others, Avila shared Man of the Match honors with Best Emena. But he had help from his entire defensive unit.
Avila’s big save and solid play throughout has become a norm this early season.
“He’s a senior, last year he split time, and in the five games he’s played (in 2017) he’s only let up one goal,” Dini said. “He’s got a couple shutouts. I’ve been really pleased with him.
“He’s been really consistent for us, and he’s done everything from community service stuff to being the first guy at practice to cleaning up water bottles at the end. He’s a true example of a senior.”
Best Emena and Erik Lopez fill that senior spotlight role for the Panthers. Both have two goals this season to share the team lead, and also combine to help fill a big leadership void from last season.
“We’re still working on the chemistry and trying to adapt to new positions,” Best Emena said. “Our coach keeps moving us all over to see what’s a good fit for the team, and that’s the best thing for us.
“It was a little bit hard to replace a lot of the seniors we had last year. They were strong, but we have a good future with the new guys. They know what we can do and know what’s expected, and they’ll try to carry it on.”
Lopez has been both a scorer and steadying influence at midfielder. And with just one loss in four games, the results have been positive.
“I feel like we’re still trying to figure out a chemistry and we’re still a building team,” Lopez said. “But we’re going to come together. We’re going to be a good team this year.”
“We’re connecting fairly well,” Lopez added. “It’s not like we’re lost on the field (as a new group) -- we know what we’re doing. It’s just that one click. Once we click, we should be good.”
The Panthers effectively prevented Addison Trail’s offense from clicking Saturday.
The Blazers' David Zielinski’s 15-yard shot off a two-man attack with Lukas Rodriguez in the 28th minute went just over the net.
Then 5:25 before halftime, Melvin Mora’s great hustle play nearly paid off. After an initial clear of a Glenbard North offensive zone throw-in, Mora raced up the left sideline to initiate an end line attack. But his cross was sent just wide of the back post by Luis Saucedo.
“Melvin Mora in the middle -- he was one of our defenders last year and this year we moved him to midfield,” Dini said. “He’s our best player. He’s so tactical, good with both feet -- he’s a matchup nightmare for other teams. He’s been huge.”
But Glenbard North repelled every threat by Mora and other Blazers.
“I thought our center backs and our back four played very well,” said Koeller, who had goalkeepers Sam Pauling and Martin Argirov each play a half in a combined shutout. “This team is a sum of the parts, and to point out one person is difficult. But I thought Erik Lopez had a very strong game, and Best had a very strong game.”
Lopez has been impressed by the Panthers’ depth early on.
“We can make subs, and they can carry on the game,” Lopez said. “It’s not like we sub and go down. It stays the same with the same intensity from everyone, which is good. We have a pretty good team.”
The Panthers continued to hold their own in a day of back-and-forth chances.
After Avila made a nice right post save on Danny Le’s 25-yard shot off a Lopez corner kick with 32:05 left, the Blazers went the other way, but Osbaldo Murillo's tip of a Martin Juarez 42-yard free kick went wide at 28:15.
Murillo later sent a 20-yard one-timer just over the net with 23:50 to play, beginning a good Addison Trail spurt in the middle of the second half.
Panthers freshman keeper Argirov made a grab on a Juarez cross off a Mora corner kick with 22:15 left, then made a nice stop on Mora’s 25-yard shot four minutes later.
Those denials were part of the theme so far this season for the tournament hosts.
“Our defense has been solid,” Murillo said. “We just need to work on finishing. We get to the end line, make angle passes and everything is looking good. We just couldn’t finish.”
The success of last year has opponents ready for the Blazers. And the loss of 27-goal scorer Christian Vega and most of the 2016 offense has been felt.
“We need more forwards,” Juarez said. “He (Murillo) usually plays midfield with me, but he has pretty good height (5-foot-11) so we put him up-top. Our starting forwards last year left, so it’s basically all different players up-top.
“And a lot of teams want to come hard at us. And since we went far last year they want to beat us badly.”
But beating the Blazers and goalkeeper Avila hasn’t been easy.
Anthony Martinez’s shot off a Lopez pass angled wide left with 13:10 left on a Panthers threat. Then with 4:30 to go, a nice spin move at the top of the box by Best Emena created an opening. But Fabrizio Guajardo sent Abood Nasr’s ensuing pass just over the net from in front.
The Panthers then had a furious late flurry to try to erase the 0-0 tie. The Blazers’ Elvis Amezquita made a clear at the post of a Lopez cross with 1:40 left. Then with 1:05 to go, an Ode Emena 25-yard free kick was redirected just wide of the near (left) post by his sliding older brother Best Emena.
“He (Ode) tries to find me in the midfield because he knows once I get the ball I try to go for the corners,” Best Emena said. “We all play good, and we can rely on anyone on the team. But he knows how I play so he relies on me sometimes.”
After denying a rush by the Blazers’ Luis Saucedo with 30 seconds left, a Panthers’ counterattack with 10 seconds left was diffused by Christian Garcia’s header block and ensuing clear of an offensive zone throw-in.
“No. 3 (Ode Emena) is tough in the back -- they’re very organized on defense,” Dini said of Glenbard North. “They adjusted well in the second half, and it was a pretty even game throughout. We just have to get more shots on goal.”
But scoring shortages aside, the Blazers’ largely new-look defense has quickly taken shape.
“We adjusted by practicing a lot with our forwards during practice on turnovers and how to control the midfield,” Avila said.
“For conference I think we’re trying to find out what we need to work on, which would mainly be shooting and some more crossing. And that would help us set up more set pieces.”
Said Dini: “From last year’s team we lost tons of guys. It’s a completely new group, and we’re still working on chemistry. Defensively I’m very pleased, and offensively we’re just missing that last connecting pass to get a good chance on goal.”
The Panthers are also making fast progress.
“We’ve played four games and went 2-1-1,” Koeller said. “I have no complaints whatsoever. Every game (in the tournament) was like this, and for a young team that’s very inexperienced, these are really valuable game situation moments.
“You can’t replicate this in practice. So we have Naperville Central to open conference play on Tuesday, and this has really helped us grow up.
“In the DuPage Valley Conference it doesn’t matter -- pick a team, they’re all good. But this tournament was very competitive, close games, and that’s what you want as a coach the first couple games.”
Best Emena has also seen big strides in his team, as they gear up for the rugged conference schedule.
“(The tournament) helped us with our chemistry a little bit, because most of us have not played together in a while,” he said. “Although we haven’t totally clicked yet, we’re working towards perfection.”
Now both sides look forward to their rugged upcoming tests.
“We’re in the PepsiCo next week so we’ll see a lot of good teams there,” Dini said. “Our goal this year is to compete in conference. We play some of the big guys in conference at the end, so we hope we get a good start.”
Said Glenbard North’s Lopez: “We need to keep working on getting the ball towards the middle, and outside wings. We should be good. Our Tuesday home game with Naperville Central should be an interesting game.”
And while lacking any scoring, Saturday’s draw was great preparation for both sides going forward.
“This could have been last year,” Koeller said. “Very well played, and a credit to both teams.”
Starting lineups
Glenbard North
GK Sam Pauling
D Evan Scott
D Ode Emena
D Abood Nasr
D Danny Le
M Erik Lopez
M Anthony Martinez
M Best Emena
M Josh Lopez
F Brian Dasso
F Jesse Aragon
Addison Trail
GK Jean Avila
D Matthew Moran
D Axel Bibiano
D Elvis Amezquita
D Eduardo Huerta
M Osbaldo Murillo
M Christian Garcia
M Melvin Mora
M Martin Juarez
F Victor Rodriguez
F Luis Saucedo
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match: Jean Avila, sr. GK, Addison Trail
Best Emena, sr. MF, Glenbard North
Scoring summary
No scoring