Art of the free kick
drives Solorio past Hubbard
Sun Warriors rally for 3-1 Premier Central victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — South Side city soccer culture is deep, intense and cultivates natural rivalries tethered to outsized emotions.
Coming off the disappointment of its 2-0 nonconference loss against rival Washington on Sept. 23, Solorio had no time to lament the break-up of its seven-game winning streak.
The Sun Warriors had another neighborhood school — in the shape of an improved and solid Hubbard team — standing in its path. Games and moments tend to linger, and it is not always easy to wipe away the past.
For a good chunk of the first half, Solorio had a foot in two worlds, thinking about failed opportunities, like a missed penalty kick against Washington, and trying to regroup for the quick turnaround against the Greyhounds.
“The Washington game was one of those games where we outshot them, and probably had at least five good chances to score,” Solorio coach Adrian Calleros said.
“There was a little bit of a hangover, and we had to shake it off.”
Slow starts have also been an unfortunate tendency for the youthful Sun Warriors, who are ranked no. 7 in Chicagoland Soccer’s Class AA Super 7 poll.
Beautiful free kick goals by Junior Pineda and Gallegos broke the game open as the Sun Warriors pulled out the 3-1 comeback victory before a spirited home crowd of about 150 fans.
With the victory, Solorio (10-3-0, 4-0-0) maintained its lead in the Chicago Public League Premier Division Central.
Hubbard (5-4-1, 0-2-2) played with the Sun Warriors for more than 60 minutes of action. Just like the Washington game, Hubbard seized the early advantage against Solorio after forward Mario Campo got deep inside the box for the header that cleared the reach of keeper David Salgado in the 22nd minute.
“We’re a young team, and guys are learning, and it’s part of the process,” Calleros said. “We have to get better every game, and there is something to learn from every game that we play.
“When you don’t have a goal, you start pressing and you get frustrated. I think that was the Washington game. In the first half today, we outshot them. And one play, we took a bad angle, and a kid got a header.”
A different Solorio team materialized in the second half. A unit more focused, disciplined and intertwined in its movement on and off the ball, Solorio played to its diversity and talent.
The movement and sharing of the ball was crisp, and the results shifted decisively to the advantage of the Sun Warriors.
A quick equalizer at the start of the half gave way to sustained pressure.
The Sun Warriors had the wind at their back in the second half. They were just more dialed in. Right off the jump, forward Yamir Gallegos got deep and pushed the ball over the top of the bar.
Despite the miss, the difference in energy was noticeable.
“We put more intensity and hard work into the game, and we were creating more chances, and that helped us score,” Gallegos said.
“We needed that goal to get on them, and that opened up the game more and the whole field. We were able to knock it around more and switch sides. We created more chances.”
Hubbard forward Yael Diaz, who created the assist in the first half, was forced out of the game for a stretch in the second half after he was inadvertently kicked.
The Greyhounds proved quick and capable in the match.
“We have been up and down,” Hubbard coach Diogenes Diaz said. “Today I thought they worked very hard. This is a brand-new team from last year.
“We only have three starters from last year. It’s starting from scratch. We have a lot of seniors. Playing against a team that has talent on every single line is complicated.”
Campo scored his team-best 12th goal to stake the Greyhounds to the early lead. The Greyhounds lacked the same possessive and forward thrust of the first half.
Solorio dictated pace, and typically forced the Greyhounds to react to their actions.
“We had more of an advantage in the first half,” Campo said. “We had some attacking plays in the second half, but it didn’t go our way.
“We have had some very good games this year, and some bad ones. We played well today. This was my first year playing against Solorio, and they’re a very strong team.”
Midfielder Justino Saucedo created the vital ice breaker for the Sun Warriors in the 47th minute.
Catching a ball on the left edge about 24 yards out, he hammered a ball that took a dip and cut just underneath the bar for the crucial equalizer.
Solorio was back at even—a good place to be after nearly a 130-minutes of game action chasing the lead.
“We made some adjustments, and what I told them at halftime was that we were doing things well, but we need to do them better, and we need to do them cleaner,” Calleros said.
“Guys were willing to share the ball, the camaraderie was there. In the first half, it was a little bit individualistic.”
What Solorio had, the Greyhounds could not match. It was the ball striking and precision of its top players.
The Sun Warriors flashed an idealized beauty and art with their free kicks, and two game-defining goals told the ultimate difference.
In the 66th minute, Pineda unleashed a lethal left-footed ball from the right edge some 24 yards out that handcuffed Hubbard keeper Ricardo Guerrero for the go-ahead goal.
“After Justino scored, that just built our momentum and we kept fighting,” Pineda said.
“I saw the goalie, and I saw that he was leaning toward the first post, so I went for the second post. I just blasted the ball there, and it was open.”
He scored his eighth goal.
His creativity and ballhandling in the middle created ruptures in the Hubbard final third and opened up the Solorio attack. Pineda earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
Gallegos put the game out of reach with his own variation on the classic free kick. He fired a 22-yard dart from the left hash that sealed the victory.
“I hadn’t scored in a couple of games, and I was looking to pick up my confidence,” he said.
Energized and free flowing, the Sun Warriors discovered their groove.
“The season is short because of the city tournament, and they have to grow up in a hurry,” Calleros said.
“I think we’ve seen some growth. It’s a different feeling when you have seven or eight seniors, and they’re a tight-knit group already. They have been through the battles together. I like the way the seniors are starting to lead.”
Starting lineups
Hubbard
GK: Ricardo Guerrero
D: Hector Flores
D: Isaac Raygoza
D: Ean Hernandez
D: Salvador Martinez
MF: Rigoberto Ochoa
MF: Fernando Martinez
MF: Ivan Pelayo
MF: Diego Raygoza
F: Yael Diaz
F: Mario Campo
Solorio
GK: David Salgado
D: Santiago Leyva
D: Sebastian Gonzalez
D: Ivan Lopez
D: Justino Saucedo
MF: Orlando Ojeda
MF: Christopher Bueno
MF: Junior Pineda
MF: Adrian Munoz
F: Yamir Gallegos
F: Ricardo Mejia
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Junior Pineda, so., MF, Solorio
Scoring summary
First half
Hubbard—Mario Campo (Yael Diaz), 22nd minute
Second half
Solorio—Justino Saucedo (Omar Ocampo), 47th minute
Solorio—Junior Pineda (free kick), 66th minute
Solorio—Yamir Gallegos (free kick), 79th minute
drives Solorio past Hubbard
Sun Warriors rally for 3-1 Premier Central victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO — South Side city soccer culture is deep, intense and cultivates natural rivalries tethered to outsized emotions.
Coming off the disappointment of its 2-0 nonconference loss against rival Washington on Sept. 23, Solorio had no time to lament the break-up of its seven-game winning streak.
The Sun Warriors had another neighborhood school — in the shape of an improved and solid Hubbard team — standing in its path. Games and moments tend to linger, and it is not always easy to wipe away the past.
For a good chunk of the first half, Solorio had a foot in two worlds, thinking about failed opportunities, like a missed penalty kick against Washington, and trying to regroup for the quick turnaround against the Greyhounds.
“The Washington game was one of those games where we outshot them, and probably had at least five good chances to score,” Solorio coach Adrian Calleros said.
“There was a little bit of a hangover, and we had to shake it off.”
Slow starts have also been an unfortunate tendency for the youthful Sun Warriors, who are ranked no. 7 in Chicagoland Soccer’s Class AA Super 7 poll.
Beautiful free kick goals by Junior Pineda and Gallegos broke the game open as the Sun Warriors pulled out the 3-1 comeback victory before a spirited home crowd of about 150 fans.
With the victory, Solorio (10-3-0, 4-0-0) maintained its lead in the Chicago Public League Premier Division Central.
Hubbard (5-4-1, 0-2-2) played with the Sun Warriors for more than 60 minutes of action. Just like the Washington game, Hubbard seized the early advantage against Solorio after forward Mario Campo got deep inside the box for the header that cleared the reach of keeper David Salgado in the 22nd minute.
“We’re a young team, and guys are learning, and it’s part of the process,” Calleros said. “We have to get better every game, and there is something to learn from every game that we play.
“When you don’t have a goal, you start pressing and you get frustrated. I think that was the Washington game. In the first half today, we outshot them. And one play, we took a bad angle, and a kid got a header.”
A different Solorio team materialized in the second half. A unit more focused, disciplined and intertwined in its movement on and off the ball, Solorio played to its diversity and talent.
The movement and sharing of the ball was crisp, and the results shifted decisively to the advantage of the Sun Warriors.
A quick equalizer at the start of the half gave way to sustained pressure.
The Sun Warriors had the wind at their back in the second half. They were just more dialed in. Right off the jump, forward Yamir Gallegos got deep and pushed the ball over the top of the bar.
Despite the miss, the difference in energy was noticeable.
“We put more intensity and hard work into the game, and we were creating more chances, and that helped us score,” Gallegos said.
“We needed that goal to get on them, and that opened up the game more and the whole field. We were able to knock it around more and switch sides. We created more chances.”
Hubbard forward Yael Diaz, who created the assist in the first half, was forced out of the game for a stretch in the second half after he was inadvertently kicked.
The Greyhounds proved quick and capable in the match.
“We have been up and down,” Hubbard coach Diogenes Diaz said. “Today I thought they worked very hard. This is a brand-new team from last year.
“We only have three starters from last year. It’s starting from scratch. We have a lot of seniors. Playing against a team that has talent on every single line is complicated.”
Campo scored his team-best 12th goal to stake the Greyhounds to the early lead. The Greyhounds lacked the same possessive and forward thrust of the first half.
Solorio dictated pace, and typically forced the Greyhounds to react to their actions.
“We had more of an advantage in the first half,” Campo said. “We had some attacking plays in the second half, but it didn’t go our way.
“We have had some very good games this year, and some bad ones. We played well today. This was my first year playing against Solorio, and they’re a very strong team.”
Midfielder Justino Saucedo created the vital ice breaker for the Sun Warriors in the 47th minute.
Catching a ball on the left edge about 24 yards out, he hammered a ball that took a dip and cut just underneath the bar for the crucial equalizer.
Solorio was back at even—a good place to be after nearly a 130-minutes of game action chasing the lead.
“We made some adjustments, and what I told them at halftime was that we were doing things well, but we need to do them better, and we need to do them cleaner,” Calleros said.
“Guys were willing to share the ball, the camaraderie was there. In the first half, it was a little bit individualistic.”
What Solorio had, the Greyhounds could not match. It was the ball striking and precision of its top players.
The Sun Warriors flashed an idealized beauty and art with their free kicks, and two game-defining goals told the ultimate difference.
In the 66th minute, Pineda unleashed a lethal left-footed ball from the right edge some 24 yards out that handcuffed Hubbard keeper Ricardo Guerrero for the go-ahead goal.
“After Justino scored, that just built our momentum and we kept fighting,” Pineda said.
“I saw the goalie, and I saw that he was leaning toward the first post, so I went for the second post. I just blasted the ball there, and it was open.”
He scored his eighth goal.
His creativity and ballhandling in the middle created ruptures in the Hubbard final third and opened up the Solorio attack. Pineda earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his outstanding play.
Gallegos put the game out of reach with his own variation on the classic free kick. He fired a 22-yard dart from the left hash that sealed the victory.
“I hadn’t scored in a couple of games, and I was looking to pick up my confidence,” he said.
Energized and free flowing, the Sun Warriors discovered their groove.
“The season is short because of the city tournament, and they have to grow up in a hurry,” Calleros said.
“I think we’ve seen some growth. It’s a different feeling when you have seven or eight seniors, and they’re a tight-knit group already. They have been through the battles together. I like the way the seniors are starting to lead.”
Starting lineups
Hubbard
GK: Ricardo Guerrero
D: Hector Flores
D: Isaac Raygoza
D: Ean Hernandez
D: Salvador Martinez
MF: Rigoberto Ochoa
MF: Fernando Martinez
MF: Ivan Pelayo
MF: Diego Raygoza
F: Yael Diaz
F: Mario Campo
Solorio
GK: David Salgado
D: Santiago Leyva
D: Sebastian Gonzalez
D: Ivan Lopez
D: Justino Saucedo
MF: Orlando Ojeda
MF: Christopher Bueno
MF: Junior Pineda
MF: Adrian Munoz
F: Yamir Gallegos
F: Ricardo Mejia
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Junior Pineda, so., MF, Solorio
Scoring summary
First half
Hubbard—Mario Campo (Yael Diaz), 22nd minute
Second half
Solorio—Justino Saucedo (Omar Ocampo), 47th minute
Solorio—Junior Pineda (free kick), 66th minute
Solorio—Yamir Gallegos (free kick), 79th minute