Alvarado has career day for Lane
Senior combines hat-trick with 3 assists in 8-1 playoff win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Any sense of Lane not taking the small Chicago Public League program Spry Community Links seriously dissipated in the opening seconds. Off the kickoff the Indians punched the ball to the right wing as junior forward David Arroyo completed his run.
Arroyo served the ball into the box and junior midfielder Kamil Hochman elevated and smashed home a header. Just 19 seconds was all it took for the Indians to make their intentions felt.
“We had to show who we are and right away prove our dominance,” senior forward Fernando Alvarado said. “We did that in the first minute.”
Alvarado had the greatest individual game of his career by scoring three goals and administering three assists as the Indians smashed Links 8-1 in Group H play of the CPL city-wide tournament Saturday morning at Kelly.
Lane (9-4-2), Premier North Division winners, is undefeated against city public schools this year. The Indians host on Lake View Tuesday afternoon in the final game of group play.
With the victory over Links (5-3-0), Lane guaranteed advancement into the 16-team elimination-game bracket that starts on Friday. Sixteen of the 32 teams advance to the main draw knockout stage.
The two other programs move to a consolation tournament that features other city programs that were not part of the original bracket.
The World Cup format is actually not new, said Lane coach Andrew Ricks.
“I like the format,” he said. “The city coaches had this in the late 2000s before the IHSA changed the rule of maximum games in a tournament. Group play and ties, we liked it. It was also spread out more, and now the games are more cramped.
“We played last night against Soto in the early game and then played today in the morning. Links played the later game and had to come back. It showed at the end of the game. Kids were cramping up and getting hurt. We are a unique school with our size. The Sprys of the world are suffering the next day.”
Lane jumped out of the gate blazing. Following the lightning quick Hochman score, the Indians continued their frontal attack. Alvarado scored his first goal in the eighth minute. Senior midfielder Cathal O’Connor played a terrific ball to the right edge that an unobstructed Arroyo raced past two defenders for the quick cross that Alvarado blasted home.
“My style is aggressive, quick and explosive,” he said. “I like to pressure defenders, and if they make a mistake I am always there to make my runs and finish.”
He scored his ninth, 10 and 11th goals of the year. For his performance, Fernando Alvarado earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
Lane had many featured stars in the game. O’Connor, who blasted home a short ball in the 10th minute, finished with two goals and an assist. Arroyo scored a goal and added two assists. Midfielder Michael Junay also had a goal and assist.
Ricks began a frequent substitute pattern. Regardless of the personnel on the field, Lane had the upper hand. A curious thing happened for the balance of the half. The Indians had multiple changes to swell the lead. The score held for the final 30 minutes of the half.
“It was driving me crazy,” Ricks said. “That’s not a winning team playing down to the level of the other team. That’s no disrespect to Spry. We had them overmatched today.”
Ricks watched aghast as time after time the balance of the first half Lane players overshot the goal, went high against virtually wide open nets and otherwise failed to capitalize.
“Quality chances were there,” Ricks said. “We worked on finishing in practice on Thursday and before the game today. I think the percentage of goals had to be higher earlier in the game. Give credit to Spry. They packed it in, and their keeper [Jorge Sanchez] made some quality saves.
“We talked at halftime, and we played with greater intensity and purpose.”
Links is a unique institution. The school has just 131 students and technically has no seniors. The students attend school year-round and graduate in an accelerated three-year program.
The school has a significant talent, forward David Miguel, who scored 21 goals in six regular-season games. He scored 12 goals in one game.
“It became harder after that game, because everybody knew who I was,” Miguel said. “A lot of times teams would have two or three defenders on me.”
Indeed, Lane shadowed Miguel and paid him its own form of compliment. His free kick from about 30 yards out constituted Links’ top scoring chance through the first 60 minutes.
Links’ midfielder Brayan Salazar orchestrates the attack. Remarkably he assisted every single one of Miguel’s 21 regular season goals. Miguel also had a goal, assisted by Salazar, in the 10-3 loss against Lake View on Friday.
Midfielder Jesus Almaraz averted the shutout by scoring off a Salazar assist in the 62nd minute.
“We just have to go in hard and do everything we can in three years,” Salazar said. “We are just trying our best to go out and win some soccer games. We are not recognized that much compared to other schools, and we are trying our best.”
Links embodies the big-tent philosophy of the Chicago Public League sports administrators in implementing changes to what was previously called the city championship. As the winner of the 2nd Division, Links earned a bid into the top draw.
“It was an amazing feeling to go into the [seeding] meeting at Curie on Wednesday,” Salazar said. “Just being there was an accomplishment.”
Lane’s regulars returned to start the second half, and the Indians showed greater touch and accuracy. Alvarado started the onslaught with a header off a corner kick from Junay. Seven of the eight Lane goals involved assists.
Junay’s goal, in the 65th minute, also originated from a corner that was deflected.
Alvarado (twice), O’Connor, Arroyo and Junay scored in the second half for the Indians.
“In the second half we really picked it up,” Junay said. “We are playing good soccer. We want to stay energized. Everybody on this team, from freshmen to seniors, has the same goal of winning this tournament. We take every game seriously, no matter who we play.
“We are going to fight to the end to get it.”
Starting lineups
Links
GK: Jorge Sanchez
D: Andres Arriaga
D: Alex Almaraz
D: Victor Alonso
D: Rodolfo Reyes
MF: Christian Martinez
MF: Brayan Salazar
MF: Jesus Almaraz
MF: Esteban Bageanis
F: David Miguel
F: Marc Yaber-Avila
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Grant Nagle
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
MF: Kamil Hochman
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: Michael Junay
MF: David Arroyo
F: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Fernando Alvarado, sr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Kamil Hochman (David Arroyo), 1st minute
Lane—Fernando Alvarado (Arroyo), 8th minute
Lane—Cathal O’Connor (Alvarado), 10th minute
Second half
Lane—Alvarado (Michael Junay), 42nd minute
Lane—O’Connor (Alvarado), 60th minute
Links—Jesus Almaraz (Brayan Salazar), 62nd minute
Lane—Junay (unassisted), 65th minute
Lane—Arroyo (Alvarado), 68th minute
Lane—Alvarado (O’Connor), 70th minute
Senior combines hat-trick with 3 assists in 8-1 playoff win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Any sense of Lane not taking the small Chicago Public League program Spry Community Links seriously dissipated in the opening seconds. Off the kickoff the Indians punched the ball to the right wing as junior forward David Arroyo completed his run.
Arroyo served the ball into the box and junior midfielder Kamil Hochman elevated and smashed home a header. Just 19 seconds was all it took for the Indians to make their intentions felt.
“We had to show who we are and right away prove our dominance,” senior forward Fernando Alvarado said. “We did that in the first minute.”
Alvarado had the greatest individual game of his career by scoring three goals and administering three assists as the Indians smashed Links 8-1 in Group H play of the CPL city-wide tournament Saturday morning at Kelly.
Lane (9-4-2), Premier North Division winners, is undefeated against city public schools this year. The Indians host on Lake View Tuesday afternoon in the final game of group play.
With the victory over Links (5-3-0), Lane guaranteed advancement into the 16-team elimination-game bracket that starts on Friday. Sixteen of the 32 teams advance to the main draw knockout stage.
The two other programs move to a consolation tournament that features other city programs that were not part of the original bracket.
The World Cup format is actually not new, said Lane coach Andrew Ricks.
“I like the format,” he said. “The city coaches had this in the late 2000s before the IHSA changed the rule of maximum games in a tournament. Group play and ties, we liked it. It was also spread out more, and now the games are more cramped.
“We played last night against Soto in the early game and then played today in the morning. Links played the later game and had to come back. It showed at the end of the game. Kids were cramping up and getting hurt. We are a unique school with our size. The Sprys of the world are suffering the next day.”
Lane jumped out of the gate blazing. Following the lightning quick Hochman score, the Indians continued their frontal attack. Alvarado scored his first goal in the eighth minute. Senior midfielder Cathal O’Connor played a terrific ball to the right edge that an unobstructed Arroyo raced past two defenders for the quick cross that Alvarado blasted home.
“My style is aggressive, quick and explosive,” he said. “I like to pressure defenders, and if they make a mistake I am always there to make my runs and finish.”
He scored his ninth, 10 and 11th goals of the year. For his performance, Fernando Alvarado earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honor.
Lane had many featured stars in the game. O’Connor, who blasted home a short ball in the 10th minute, finished with two goals and an assist. Arroyo scored a goal and added two assists. Midfielder Michael Junay also had a goal and assist.
Ricks began a frequent substitute pattern. Regardless of the personnel on the field, Lane had the upper hand. A curious thing happened for the balance of the half. The Indians had multiple changes to swell the lead. The score held for the final 30 minutes of the half.
“It was driving me crazy,” Ricks said. “That’s not a winning team playing down to the level of the other team. That’s no disrespect to Spry. We had them overmatched today.”
Ricks watched aghast as time after time the balance of the first half Lane players overshot the goal, went high against virtually wide open nets and otherwise failed to capitalize.
“Quality chances were there,” Ricks said. “We worked on finishing in practice on Thursday and before the game today. I think the percentage of goals had to be higher earlier in the game. Give credit to Spry. They packed it in, and their keeper [Jorge Sanchez] made some quality saves.
“We talked at halftime, and we played with greater intensity and purpose.”
Links is a unique institution. The school has just 131 students and technically has no seniors. The students attend school year-round and graduate in an accelerated three-year program.
The school has a significant talent, forward David Miguel, who scored 21 goals in six regular-season games. He scored 12 goals in one game.
“It became harder after that game, because everybody knew who I was,” Miguel said. “A lot of times teams would have two or three defenders on me.”
Indeed, Lane shadowed Miguel and paid him its own form of compliment. His free kick from about 30 yards out constituted Links’ top scoring chance through the first 60 minutes.
Links’ midfielder Brayan Salazar orchestrates the attack. Remarkably he assisted every single one of Miguel’s 21 regular season goals. Miguel also had a goal, assisted by Salazar, in the 10-3 loss against Lake View on Friday.
Midfielder Jesus Almaraz averted the shutout by scoring off a Salazar assist in the 62nd minute.
“We just have to go in hard and do everything we can in three years,” Salazar said. “We are just trying our best to go out and win some soccer games. We are not recognized that much compared to other schools, and we are trying our best.”
Links embodies the big-tent philosophy of the Chicago Public League sports administrators in implementing changes to what was previously called the city championship. As the winner of the 2nd Division, Links earned a bid into the top draw.
“It was an amazing feeling to go into the [seeding] meeting at Curie on Wednesday,” Salazar said. “Just being there was an accomplishment.”
Lane’s regulars returned to start the second half, and the Indians showed greater touch and accuracy. Alvarado started the onslaught with a header off a corner kick from Junay. Seven of the eight Lane goals involved assists.
Junay’s goal, in the 65th minute, also originated from a corner that was deflected.
Alvarado (twice), O’Connor, Arroyo and Junay scored in the second half for the Indians.
“In the second half we really picked it up,” Junay said. “We are playing good soccer. We want to stay energized. Everybody on this team, from freshmen to seniors, has the same goal of winning this tournament. We take every game seriously, no matter who we play.
“We are going to fight to the end to get it.”
Starting lineups
Links
GK: Jorge Sanchez
D: Andres Arriaga
D: Alex Almaraz
D: Victor Alonso
D: Rodolfo Reyes
MF: Christian Martinez
MF: Brayan Salazar
MF: Jesus Almaraz
MF: Esteban Bageanis
F: David Miguel
F: Marc Yaber-Avila
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Grant Nagle
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
MF: Kamil Hochman
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: Michael Junay
MF: David Arroyo
F: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Fernando Alvarado, sr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Kamil Hochman (David Arroyo), 1st minute
Lane—Fernando Alvarado (Arroyo), 8th minute
Lane—Cathal O’Connor (Alvarado), 10th minute
Second half
Lane—Alvarado (Michael Junay), 42nd minute
Lane—O’Connor (Alvarado), 60th minute
Links—Jesus Almaraz (Brayan Salazar), 62nd minute
Lane—Junay (unassisted), 65th minute
Lane—Arroyo (Alvarado), 68th minute
Lane—Alvarado (O’Connor), 70th minute