Taft big-hitter Kieras finds
time and space, Lane pays
Senior blasts 55-yard Golden Goal in riveting city 2 OT semifinal
By Patrick Z.McGavin
CHICAGO -- Styles make fights is the natural refrain in boxing. Systems that are naturally suited to a player's actions and abilities bring out their best.
Taft defender Jakub Kieras is the perfect player for coach Jeff Lucco’s preferred playing style.
“Jakob Kieras has been the heart and soul of the team the whole year,” Lucco said. “We like our outside backs to get high and get into the attack. I am hard on him, and I know it stresses him. But I know how good he could be.
“He can crush the ball.”
His free kicks are a thing of wonder and beauty, their high arcing movements cut through the night air like flares. Even the opposition might take a moment just to watch in wonderment.
The farther out he is, the more lethal and dangerous he seemingly becomes. His range seems infinite.
“I use it to my advantage, but it is definitely something teams don’t expect,” he said.
Kieras drilled his shot off movement from the 45-yard line. The ball skidded off the rain-soaked turf for the iconic game-winner in the No. 20 Eagles 3-2 double-overtime victory over Lane, which is ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, in the semifinals of the Chicago Public League Tournament on Tuesday night.
The Eagles (14-3-4) extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games and earned entry into title game against Solorio (15-3-0) Wednesday night at Fritz Pollard Stadium at Lane.
Ranked sixth in the Class AA Super 7 poll, Solorio beat upstart North Grand 5-0 at Lane Stadium on four goals by Orlando Ojeda.
Taft's game served as another literal launching pad for Kieras, who scored twice earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
Lane (12-4-1) fought off two separate deficits to force the extra time. Forward Mauro Ruiz scored in the 65th minute to offset the Eagles’ 2-1 halftime advantage.
“We are a team of fighters, and we never give up. We push until the very end, no matter what,” Lane forward Juan Garcia said.
“We all get along very well. Even after the defeat, we’re going to stick together as a team. We have been great this whole season, because of the way we built the team as a family."
Under the rules of the city tournament, the game was played with two five-minute overtime periods.
Taft dodged a bullet in the first overtime after Lane failed to capitalize on a point-blank shot that pushed high and wide of the frame.
The relief was palpable for the Eagles.
“We got lucky in some areas when they missed that shot, but they also did,” Kieras said.
He foreshadowed the finish when he smashed another free kick from the deep right edge that pushed just wide of the far post.
The Eagles maintained pressure, and regained possession. Off a throw-in, defender Matthew Gruszka controlled the ball and slotted it wide left to the streaking Kieras.
He took one sidestep move and blasted his trademark left-footed ball in the 87th minute. Lane keeper Gael Rodriguez hesitated and the ball skipped. It found the net after a wicked bounce and set off pandemonium amongst the home crowd.
“The wet turf played a role in it,” Kieras said. “I knew I had to take my chances. I knew it was up to me, and up to my teammates. We were attacking, and we were focused.
“The whole thing was just surreal. Once we went 2-2, I saw some of the guys get their heads down. I knew we had a chance.
"From the start, I think we fought pretty well."
Gruszka played in his first game since suffering a broken leg in the first game of the season.
That underscored the depth, toughness and special camaraderie of the Eagles, who are 8-0-2 since losing to Larkin in a shootout in a BodyArmor bracket on Sept. 11.
“Even when we got scored on or they tied us, the guys had this sense of we are going to be able to weather this,” Lucco said.
“I was crossing my fingers there were no penalties.”
Lane forced overtime after a corner in the 65th minute. Ruiz played the initial ball from the right edge. His corner ricocheted back to him, and he followed with a laser from about 14 yards.
“The emotions were just crazy,” Taft defender Adrian Grden said. “Every single feeling is going through your head. We had ups; we had downs.
“People were screaming, angry, and people were excited, happy. Every single thing was going on. At the end of the game, we felt that we were pressing them well, in both periods of the overtime.”
The late Ruiz goal conjured memories of the legendary 2016 city final between the same teams. The Eagles keeper scored an 80th-minute goal after he crashed the Lane box. Lane ultimately prevailed in a gut-wrenching shootout.
Click here to read 2016 city final story
Lane had a similar quality team this season, but the result was different.
“They were really good,” Lucco said. “We knew that coming in. We had some film from their quarterfinal game against Young, and our guys were at the game.
“What they wanted to do countered perfectly with what we like to do. It was going to come down to what do what they want to do better.
“We like our outside backs to attack. It’s hard to do that against them, because they have those two forwards who play so high. And they’re good. You have to watch out for them. We lost Marco Ruiz a couple of times, and he had some scary situations.”
Kieras opened the scoring with a beautiful free kick. Lane answered with a goal by midfielder Devin Parikh.
Back and forth the game went.
Lane had a slight edge in possession and quality of looks during the first half. Taft was quicker to the ball and showed a striking hunger and avidity in making plays happen.
Taft regained the lead in the 21st minute on a sharp, rebound volley by Gabriel Vidaurre.
“This team is different,” Lucco said. “We’ve had good teams, but there is just something about this group. We have 14 kids who scored goals, and six kids who have scored four or more goals.
“We have guys who pick it up when other kids don’t. They could shut down one guy on our team, but we don’t feel anybody is good enough to shut down everybody on our team.”
Center backs Victor Lewicki and Max Denkovych personified the risk-taking, diversified game that Lucco’s system thrives on. Rangy and physical, their play optimizes the different aspects of the attack.
“Our center backs have carried our team,” Lucco said. “They have to defend and attack.
“We ask a lot of them.”
Taft did what was absolutely required. The Eagles made one more play at the crucial hour.
“Credit to Taft,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “The difference in this game was the little mistakes, who makes them, and who capitalizes on them. They took the chances they had, and won. We didn’t take the chance that we had.
“We’re a good team. We had chances. It was a worthy match, and worthy of a city semifinal.”
Starters
Lane
G: Gael Rodriguez
D: Emiliano Gonzalez
D: Simon Olson
D: Wilson Smiejek
MF: Benjamin Dopp
MF: Brando Diaz
MF: Ethan Peet
MF: Kamil Pluta
MF: Brando Diaz
F: Alan Zavala
F: Juan Garcia
Taft
GK: Sebastian Rodriguez
D: Adrian Grden
D: Victor Lewicki
D: Max Denkovych
D: Jakub Kieras
MF: Xavi Gomez
MF: Matt Sokola
MF: Daniel Korniat
F: Hansel Calix
F: Diego Alanis
F: Jair Duenas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jakub Kieras, sr., D, Taft
Scoring summary
First half
Taft—Jakub Kieras (free kick), 11th minute
Lane—Devin Parikh (Henry Winston), 16th minute
Taft—Gabriel Vidaurre (Xavi Gomez), 21st minute
Second half
Lane—Mauro Ruiz (unassisted), 65th minute
First OT
No scoring
Second overtime
Taft—Kieras (Matthew Gruszka), 87th minute
time and space, Lane pays
Senior blasts 55-yard Golden Goal in riveting city 2 OT semifinal
By Patrick Z.McGavin
CHICAGO -- Styles make fights is the natural refrain in boxing. Systems that are naturally suited to a player's actions and abilities bring out their best.
Taft defender Jakub Kieras is the perfect player for coach Jeff Lucco’s preferred playing style.
“Jakob Kieras has been the heart and soul of the team the whole year,” Lucco said. “We like our outside backs to get high and get into the attack. I am hard on him, and I know it stresses him. But I know how good he could be.
“He can crush the ball.”
His free kicks are a thing of wonder and beauty, their high arcing movements cut through the night air like flares. Even the opposition might take a moment just to watch in wonderment.
The farther out he is, the more lethal and dangerous he seemingly becomes. His range seems infinite.
“I use it to my advantage, but it is definitely something teams don’t expect,” he said.
Kieras drilled his shot off movement from the 45-yard line. The ball skidded off the rain-soaked turf for the iconic game-winner in the No. 20 Eagles 3-2 double-overtime victory over Lane, which is ranked 21st in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, in the semifinals of the Chicago Public League Tournament on Tuesday night.
The Eagles (14-3-4) extended their unbeaten streak to 10 games and earned entry into title game against Solorio (15-3-0) Wednesday night at Fritz Pollard Stadium at Lane.
Ranked sixth in the Class AA Super 7 poll, Solorio beat upstart North Grand 5-0 at Lane Stadium on four goals by Orlando Ojeda.
Taft's game served as another literal launching pad for Kieras, who scored twice earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
Lane (12-4-1) fought off two separate deficits to force the extra time. Forward Mauro Ruiz scored in the 65th minute to offset the Eagles’ 2-1 halftime advantage.
“We are a team of fighters, and we never give up. We push until the very end, no matter what,” Lane forward Juan Garcia said.
“We all get along very well. Even after the defeat, we’re going to stick together as a team. We have been great this whole season, because of the way we built the team as a family."
Under the rules of the city tournament, the game was played with two five-minute overtime periods.
Taft dodged a bullet in the first overtime after Lane failed to capitalize on a point-blank shot that pushed high and wide of the frame.
The relief was palpable for the Eagles.
“We got lucky in some areas when they missed that shot, but they also did,” Kieras said.
He foreshadowed the finish when he smashed another free kick from the deep right edge that pushed just wide of the far post.
The Eagles maintained pressure, and regained possession. Off a throw-in, defender Matthew Gruszka controlled the ball and slotted it wide left to the streaking Kieras.
He took one sidestep move and blasted his trademark left-footed ball in the 87th minute. Lane keeper Gael Rodriguez hesitated and the ball skipped. It found the net after a wicked bounce and set off pandemonium amongst the home crowd.
“The wet turf played a role in it,” Kieras said. “I knew I had to take my chances. I knew it was up to me, and up to my teammates. We were attacking, and we were focused.
“The whole thing was just surreal. Once we went 2-2, I saw some of the guys get their heads down. I knew we had a chance.
"From the start, I think we fought pretty well."
Gruszka played in his first game since suffering a broken leg in the first game of the season.
That underscored the depth, toughness and special camaraderie of the Eagles, who are 8-0-2 since losing to Larkin in a shootout in a BodyArmor bracket on Sept. 11.
“Even when we got scored on or they tied us, the guys had this sense of we are going to be able to weather this,” Lucco said.
“I was crossing my fingers there were no penalties.”
Lane forced overtime after a corner in the 65th minute. Ruiz played the initial ball from the right edge. His corner ricocheted back to him, and he followed with a laser from about 14 yards.
“The emotions were just crazy,” Taft defender Adrian Grden said. “Every single feeling is going through your head. We had ups; we had downs.
“People were screaming, angry, and people were excited, happy. Every single thing was going on. At the end of the game, we felt that we were pressing them well, in both periods of the overtime.”
The late Ruiz goal conjured memories of the legendary 2016 city final between the same teams. The Eagles keeper scored an 80th-minute goal after he crashed the Lane box. Lane ultimately prevailed in a gut-wrenching shootout.
Click here to read 2016 city final story
Lane had a similar quality team this season, but the result was different.
“They were really good,” Lucco said. “We knew that coming in. We had some film from their quarterfinal game against Young, and our guys were at the game.
“What they wanted to do countered perfectly with what we like to do. It was going to come down to what do what they want to do better.
“We like our outside backs to attack. It’s hard to do that against them, because they have those two forwards who play so high. And they’re good. You have to watch out for them. We lost Marco Ruiz a couple of times, and he had some scary situations.”
Kieras opened the scoring with a beautiful free kick. Lane answered with a goal by midfielder Devin Parikh.
Back and forth the game went.
Lane had a slight edge in possession and quality of looks during the first half. Taft was quicker to the ball and showed a striking hunger and avidity in making plays happen.
Taft regained the lead in the 21st minute on a sharp, rebound volley by Gabriel Vidaurre.
“This team is different,” Lucco said. “We’ve had good teams, but there is just something about this group. We have 14 kids who scored goals, and six kids who have scored four or more goals.
“We have guys who pick it up when other kids don’t. They could shut down one guy on our team, but we don’t feel anybody is good enough to shut down everybody on our team.”
Center backs Victor Lewicki and Max Denkovych personified the risk-taking, diversified game that Lucco’s system thrives on. Rangy and physical, their play optimizes the different aspects of the attack.
“Our center backs have carried our team,” Lucco said. “They have to defend and attack.
“We ask a lot of them.”
Taft did what was absolutely required. The Eagles made one more play at the crucial hour.
“Credit to Taft,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “The difference in this game was the little mistakes, who makes them, and who capitalizes on them. They took the chances they had, and won. We didn’t take the chance that we had.
“We’re a good team. We had chances. It was a worthy match, and worthy of a city semifinal.”
Starters
Lane
G: Gael Rodriguez
D: Emiliano Gonzalez
D: Simon Olson
D: Wilson Smiejek
MF: Benjamin Dopp
MF: Brando Diaz
MF: Ethan Peet
MF: Kamil Pluta
MF: Brando Diaz
F: Alan Zavala
F: Juan Garcia
Taft
GK: Sebastian Rodriguez
D: Adrian Grden
D: Victor Lewicki
D: Max Denkovych
D: Jakub Kieras
MF: Xavi Gomez
MF: Matt Sokola
MF: Daniel Korniat
F: Hansel Calix
F: Diego Alanis
F: Jair Duenas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Jakub Kieras, sr., D, Taft
Scoring summary
First half
Taft—Jakub Kieras (free kick), 11th minute
Lane—Devin Parikh (Henry Winston), 16th minute
Taft—Gabriel Vidaurre (Xavi Gomez), 21st minute
Second half
Lane—Mauro Ruiz (unassisted), 65th minute
First OT
No scoring
Second overtime
Taft—Kieras (Matthew Gruszka), 87th minute