Hernandez’s big day carries Leyden
Senior's brace, 2 assists, give Eagles 4-1 win over Highland Park
By Matt Le Cren
NORTHLAKE – Eduardo Hernandez played pretty well on Wednesday.
The senior forward had a hand in all four of his team’s goals – scoring the first two and setting up the others – in a 4-1 nonconference win over visiting Highland Park.
But Hernandez knows he can play even better. So do his teammates. And that’s got to be scary for upcoming opponents.
“I think I can get better,” Hernandez said. “I hope I get better, and I hope I get more goals.”
Hernandez got two on consecutive shots in the 10th and 14th minutes against the Giants, who tried an offsides trap that didn’t take long for the Eagles to solve.
Through-balls from the middle and the back consistently sprung Hernandez and fellow striker Francisco Toral, who got plenty of good looks at the Highland Park net.
Toral was unlucky not to start the scoring when he got past goalie Ethan Finneman in the seventh minute. His left-footed drive from five yards out was headed off the line by defender Mason Kimbarovsky.
But Hernandez struck three minutes later, receiving a long pass from Toral in the box and cutting back to his right before slotting a shot through two defenders and inside the post.
Hernandez made it 2-0 on a breakaway, sprung this time with a lead pass from Matt Makowiec.
“I think we created a lot of good chances early on,” Leyden coach Mark Valintis said. “That’s a credit to our guys trying to move off the ball and recognize what’s going on. It’s good to create chances.”
The Eagles, who have won two straight since a lopsided loss to Oak Park, weren't troubled by the trap.
“(The key) was always to move to the space that was open,” Hernandez said. “I was trying to overlap with the other forward and (making sure we were) communicating with each other on the runs that we were going to make.”
The Eagles distributed the ball well from the back and up the sides. Hernandez was pleased with the service.
“I think (defender) Abel Estrada (played well),” Hernandez said. “Whenever he sees me open he always knows where I want the ball, and he just feeds me there every time.”
Despite the Eagles early dominance and 2-0 halftime lead, the game was up in the air until midway through the second half. The Giants mustered only three shots but got on the board when Danny Barrigan blasted a 30-yard shot past Leyden goalie Jesus Mancha with 34:06 left.
If not for Mancha’s punch of a hard shot over the crossbar way back in the game's third minute, that strike would have tied the game.
That’s one reason why Valintis was far from satisfied with the performance.
“I thought our outside mids did a better job the first half, and that’s not to say our center mids didn’t play well,” Valintis said. “What I’m asking them to do they weren’t able to do today, but still they were able to play a lot of the right balls, and that’s what we need.
“There is (room for improvement) and the kids know it. We’re trying to break some bad habits and get them to look at some different things.”
One thing the Eagles do have is a surfeit of players who are able to score. They demonstrated that as Alan Alaniz (60th minute) and Marco Villalobos (63rd minute) scored on consecutive shots, both off passes from Hernandez.
The tally from Villalobos was Leyden’s final shot of the game and capped the scoring.
“I think the key to our offense is movement,” Hernandez said. “If someone doesn’t move, we can’t get the ball in the final third, and we can’t finish.”
But Hernandez is good about moving and his teammates know it.
“He’s just making his movements,” Leyden senior defender Daniel Kulawiak said. “He’s checking the ball, he’s running into space.
“He’s just playing his game, and people can’t play against him.”
When the Eagles are at their best, many teams can’t stop them. They tallied four against the Giants on a day they were too inconsistent for Valintis’ liking.
“It’s big,” Kulawiak said. “It grows our momentum.
“Coming into Friday (against Waubonsie Valley) we’re coming in hot and ready to win. We want to keep the winning streak going.”
But Kulawiak knows a long winning streak will require improvement.
“We want to do a lot this year but in order to get there we have to step up our game,” Kulawiak said. “We’re playing good but we’re not playing at the level we could be playing.
“We could be playing a lot better. We have to control the midfield and (play faster) in the midfield.”
For all the focus on the offense, the defense was stout when it needed to be. Kulawiak has been the anchor in the middle.
“I think Danny Kulawiak, our center back, is always such a calming influence on everybody out there,” Valintis said. “The guys have a superb amount of confidence in his abilities. If they make a mistake, he will clean it up, and I think that allows players to play relaxed.
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK Ethan Finneman
D Luke Illes
D Mason Kimbarovsky
D Chris Mateos
M Danny Barrigan
M Sam Kalter
M Alejandro Cruz
M Erick Reyes Desadillo
M Gustavo Marquez
M Ivan Roldan
F Jeyson Vasquez
Leyden
GK Jesus Mancha
D Moises Perez
D Daniel Kulawiak
D Abel Estrada
M Carlos Garcia
M Oscar Cifuentes
M Dawid Nozka
M Diego Peralta
M Andy Moreno
F Eduardo Hernandez
F Francisco Toral
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Eduardo Hernandez, sr., F, Leyden
Scoring summary
1st Half
leyden: Eduardo Hernandez (Francisco Toral) 30:42
Leyden: Hernandez (Matt Makowiec) 26:07
2nd Half
Highland Park: Danny Barrigan 34:06
Leyden: Alan Alaniz (Hernandez) 20:45
Leyden: Marco Villalobos (Hernandez) 17:36
Senior's brace, 2 assists, give Eagles 4-1 win over Highland Park
By Matt Le Cren
NORTHLAKE – Eduardo Hernandez played pretty well on Wednesday.
The senior forward had a hand in all four of his team’s goals – scoring the first two and setting up the others – in a 4-1 nonconference win over visiting Highland Park.
But Hernandez knows he can play even better. So do his teammates. And that’s got to be scary for upcoming opponents.
“I think I can get better,” Hernandez said. “I hope I get better, and I hope I get more goals.”
Hernandez got two on consecutive shots in the 10th and 14th minutes against the Giants, who tried an offsides trap that didn’t take long for the Eagles to solve.
Through-balls from the middle and the back consistently sprung Hernandez and fellow striker Francisco Toral, who got plenty of good looks at the Highland Park net.
Toral was unlucky not to start the scoring when he got past goalie Ethan Finneman in the seventh minute. His left-footed drive from five yards out was headed off the line by defender Mason Kimbarovsky.
But Hernandez struck three minutes later, receiving a long pass from Toral in the box and cutting back to his right before slotting a shot through two defenders and inside the post.
Hernandez made it 2-0 on a breakaway, sprung this time with a lead pass from Matt Makowiec.
“I think we created a lot of good chances early on,” Leyden coach Mark Valintis said. “That’s a credit to our guys trying to move off the ball and recognize what’s going on. It’s good to create chances.”
The Eagles, who have won two straight since a lopsided loss to Oak Park, weren't troubled by the trap.
“(The key) was always to move to the space that was open,” Hernandez said. “I was trying to overlap with the other forward and (making sure we were) communicating with each other on the runs that we were going to make.”
The Eagles distributed the ball well from the back and up the sides. Hernandez was pleased with the service.
“I think (defender) Abel Estrada (played well),” Hernandez said. “Whenever he sees me open he always knows where I want the ball, and he just feeds me there every time.”
Despite the Eagles early dominance and 2-0 halftime lead, the game was up in the air until midway through the second half. The Giants mustered only three shots but got on the board when Danny Barrigan blasted a 30-yard shot past Leyden goalie Jesus Mancha with 34:06 left.
If not for Mancha’s punch of a hard shot over the crossbar way back in the game's third minute, that strike would have tied the game.
That’s one reason why Valintis was far from satisfied with the performance.
“I thought our outside mids did a better job the first half, and that’s not to say our center mids didn’t play well,” Valintis said. “What I’m asking them to do they weren’t able to do today, but still they were able to play a lot of the right balls, and that’s what we need.
“There is (room for improvement) and the kids know it. We’re trying to break some bad habits and get them to look at some different things.”
One thing the Eagles do have is a surfeit of players who are able to score. They demonstrated that as Alan Alaniz (60th minute) and Marco Villalobos (63rd minute) scored on consecutive shots, both off passes from Hernandez.
The tally from Villalobos was Leyden’s final shot of the game and capped the scoring.
“I think the key to our offense is movement,” Hernandez said. “If someone doesn’t move, we can’t get the ball in the final third, and we can’t finish.”
But Hernandez is good about moving and his teammates know it.
“He’s just making his movements,” Leyden senior defender Daniel Kulawiak said. “He’s checking the ball, he’s running into space.
“He’s just playing his game, and people can’t play against him.”
When the Eagles are at their best, many teams can’t stop them. They tallied four against the Giants on a day they were too inconsistent for Valintis’ liking.
“It’s big,” Kulawiak said. “It grows our momentum.
“Coming into Friday (against Waubonsie Valley) we’re coming in hot and ready to win. We want to keep the winning streak going.”
But Kulawiak knows a long winning streak will require improvement.
“We want to do a lot this year but in order to get there we have to step up our game,” Kulawiak said. “We’re playing good but we’re not playing at the level we could be playing.
“We could be playing a lot better. We have to control the midfield and (play faster) in the midfield.”
For all the focus on the offense, the defense was stout when it needed to be. Kulawiak has been the anchor in the middle.
“I think Danny Kulawiak, our center back, is always such a calming influence on everybody out there,” Valintis said. “The guys have a superb amount of confidence in his abilities. If they make a mistake, he will clean it up, and I think that allows players to play relaxed.
Starting lineups
Highland Park
GK Ethan Finneman
D Luke Illes
D Mason Kimbarovsky
D Chris Mateos
M Danny Barrigan
M Sam Kalter
M Alejandro Cruz
M Erick Reyes Desadillo
M Gustavo Marquez
M Ivan Roldan
F Jeyson Vasquez
Leyden
GK Jesus Mancha
D Moises Perez
D Daniel Kulawiak
D Abel Estrada
M Carlos Garcia
M Oscar Cifuentes
M Dawid Nozka
M Diego Peralta
M Andy Moreno
F Eduardo Hernandez
F Francisco Toral
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match – Eduardo Hernandez, sr., F, Leyden
Scoring summary
1st Half
leyden: Eduardo Hernandez (Francisco Toral) 30:42
Leyden: Hernandez (Matt Makowiec) 26:07
2nd Half
Highland Park: Danny Barrigan 34:06
Leyden: Alan Alaniz (Hernandez) 20:45
Leyden: Marco Villalobos (Hernandez) 17:36