Washington tops Lane, repeat hopes alive
2 goals in 45 seconds stun Lane in city quarterfinals
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Washington was not going to forget. The memories were too vivid and strong.
“We are trying to repeat,” Washington coach Alvar Perez said. “We have never been in this position. Now we are trying to be the first South Side school to repeat as city champions.”
The Patriots found a familiar opponent standing in the way, a Lane team hungry to vanquish the sting of Washington’s 1-0 victory in the championship of the city tournament on this same Brooks High School field a year ago.
Lane entered the game undefeated and untied against Chicago Public League programs. The Indians ran the table in the Premier Division North.
The Indians appeared ready to achieve their revenge with a beautiful first half goal only to see the surging Patriots score two goals a minute apart in the second half to post a stunning 2-1 quarterfinal win in the championship playoff Saturday.
The Patriots (11-3-1) meet surprise program Juarez, who defeated Northside 7-3, in the second semifinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Winnemac Stadium. Top-seed Solorio and Hancock meet in the first game.
Washington Junior midfielder Felipe Ramirez scored the game-winner in the 64th minute, some 45 seconds after the Patriots forged the equalizer on a goal by Rafael DeSantiago. Washington’s star senior Angel Arismendiz created the action by getting to the left edge and serving the cross that Ramirez finished.
“I was running, and Angel saw me,” Ramirez said. “That play always works, and we just had to get the ball on target. That just shows once we get a goal we never stop.
“It’s like a train, and we just keep moving.”
Ramirez earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Lane junior keeper Jakub Bozek, who was sensational with six saves, slipped as the ball passed over his right outward hand.
“We had to get the ball on target,” Ramirez said. “Their keeper was really good, but he was not that tall, and we had to get shots off. Those two chances we had we did a better job of getting them on target.
“We also had to wake up in the second half. The last couple of games we’ve been touching the ball a lot and moving around. We did a much better job with that in the second half. We had close to 20 goals in the first four games of the city tournament. We have to get back into that groove.”
Lane (11-5-2) had the control of the game until that moment. The Indians looked sharp and fluid. Senior Cathal O’Connor directed the middle and created several dynamic chances. Midfielder Kamil Hochman played a ball just outside the reach of a sliding Fernando Alvarado.
Washington plays a high defensive line to be better able to snap off its counterattack. The high-risk, high-reward defense came through. But for a good portion of the match, Lane had the upper hand.
In the 35th minute, midfielder David Arroyo worked the right edge and drilled a beautiful cross to a streaking Alvarado for a fantastic header inside the near post for the Indians’ goal.
“We had chances,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “We scored a good goal, and we had other good chances, even in the second half. We had a clear opportunity to score, and we did not finish it.
“I really felt we were the better team today, but we did not put two goals in, and they did.”
Washington has some 10 players who saw action on last year’s team that captured the first city title in program history. The Patriots have a unique double: they also won the Class AA state tournament in 2014.
The Patriots have some impressive wins on the year, the most striking a 3-0 victory over then no. 7 Lyons. The Lane victory moves the team to a different level.
“We have had our ups and downs,” Perez said. “It’s going to help us out for state, because we’d like to go back there as well.”
Washington’s two goals less than a minute apart proved the culmination of some strong offensive play. Each team was playing its third game in four days, and the second of a back-to-back. Both sides played through the exhaustion.
“Both teams are fatigued,” Ricks said. “We were driving our players. Burn out and we will sub you out if needed, we told them. That took a toll on our kids, especially mentally. They got the momentum after the first goal.
“We recovered after the second goal, because it felt a little more desperate.”
In the 63rd minute, DeSantiago caught a deflection to the left edge just outside the box and hammered a low liner inside the far post for the crucial, game-altering score. It was his 11th goal of the year.
“The ball just got played to my feet,” DeSantiago said. “I cut in, and I had to take the shot. We were losing, but we knew there were still 40 minutes, and we were able to come back.
“We wanted to defend our title.”
Lane showed great resolve to extend its own run in the city tournament series. Ricks’s greatest concern was the flurry of games with very little rest time. The Indians dialed in after they found themselves staring at a deficit with the clock winding down.
Washington keeper Eduardo Rodriguez made two great stops in the final five minutes, a short and fierce volley from O’Connor and a rebound ball by Alvarado from point-blank range.
“He got intense,” Perez said. “At the half, I told them we are the city champs. We took it away from them last year, and they want it back. Lane is an elite team, and they are not going to make it easy for us. The boys played with an extra, extra drive. It just gives you the momentum.
“The boys earned it. This has been an up-and-down season. I hope this game really helps us for state as well.”
Lane was attempting to qualify for its fourth city title game in the last five years. Ricks was left to lament the missed opportunities.
“We have nobody to blame but ourselves,” Ricks said. “It’s a cruel sport, and it’s not fun to be on this side of things.”
Starting lineups
Washington
GK: Eduardo Rodriguez
D: Jose Gonzalez
D: Joel Sevilla
D: Juan Vega
MF: Felipe Ramirez
MF: Juan Antonio Garibay
MF: Luis Valdez
MF: Rafael De Santiago
MF: Adrian Yanez
F: Juan Landeros
F: Angel Arismendiz
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Grant Nagle
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Kamil Hochman
MF: Michael Junay
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: David Arroyo
F: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Felipe Ramirez, jr., MF, Washington
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Fernando Alvarado (David Arroyo), 35th minute
Second half
Washington—Rafael De Santiago (unassisted), 63rd minute
Washington—Felipe Ramirez (Angel Arismendiz), 64th minute
2 goals in 45 seconds stun Lane in city quarterfinals
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Washington was not going to forget. The memories were too vivid and strong.
“We are trying to repeat,” Washington coach Alvar Perez said. “We have never been in this position. Now we are trying to be the first South Side school to repeat as city champions.”
The Patriots found a familiar opponent standing in the way, a Lane team hungry to vanquish the sting of Washington’s 1-0 victory in the championship of the city tournament on this same Brooks High School field a year ago.
Lane entered the game undefeated and untied against Chicago Public League programs. The Indians ran the table in the Premier Division North.
The Indians appeared ready to achieve their revenge with a beautiful first half goal only to see the surging Patriots score two goals a minute apart in the second half to post a stunning 2-1 quarterfinal win in the championship playoff Saturday.
The Patriots (11-3-1) meet surprise program Juarez, who defeated Northside 7-3, in the second semifinal at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Winnemac Stadium. Top-seed Solorio and Hancock meet in the first game.
Washington Junior midfielder Felipe Ramirez scored the game-winner in the 64th minute, some 45 seconds after the Patriots forged the equalizer on a goal by Rafael DeSantiago. Washington’s star senior Angel Arismendiz created the action by getting to the left edge and serving the cross that Ramirez finished.
“I was running, and Angel saw me,” Ramirez said. “That play always works, and we just had to get the ball on target. That just shows once we get a goal we never stop.
“It’s like a train, and we just keep moving.”
Ramirez earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Lane junior keeper Jakub Bozek, who was sensational with six saves, slipped as the ball passed over his right outward hand.
“We had to get the ball on target,” Ramirez said. “Their keeper was really good, but he was not that tall, and we had to get shots off. Those two chances we had we did a better job of getting them on target.
“We also had to wake up in the second half. The last couple of games we’ve been touching the ball a lot and moving around. We did a much better job with that in the second half. We had close to 20 goals in the first four games of the city tournament. We have to get back into that groove.”
Lane (11-5-2) had the control of the game until that moment. The Indians looked sharp and fluid. Senior Cathal O’Connor directed the middle and created several dynamic chances. Midfielder Kamil Hochman played a ball just outside the reach of a sliding Fernando Alvarado.
Washington plays a high defensive line to be better able to snap off its counterattack. The high-risk, high-reward defense came through. But for a good portion of the match, Lane had the upper hand.
In the 35th minute, midfielder David Arroyo worked the right edge and drilled a beautiful cross to a streaking Alvarado for a fantastic header inside the near post for the Indians’ goal.
“We had chances,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “We scored a good goal, and we had other good chances, even in the second half. We had a clear opportunity to score, and we did not finish it.
“I really felt we were the better team today, but we did not put two goals in, and they did.”
Washington has some 10 players who saw action on last year’s team that captured the first city title in program history. The Patriots have a unique double: they also won the Class AA state tournament in 2014.
The Patriots have some impressive wins on the year, the most striking a 3-0 victory over then no. 7 Lyons. The Lane victory moves the team to a different level.
“We have had our ups and downs,” Perez said. “It’s going to help us out for state, because we’d like to go back there as well.”
Washington’s two goals less than a minute apart proved the culmination of some strong offensive play. Each team was playing its third game in four days, and the second of a back-to-back. Both sides played through the exhaustion.
“Both teams are fatigued,” Ricks said. “We were driving our players. Burn out and we will sub you out if needed, we told them. That took a toll on our kids, especially mentally. They got the momentum after the first goal.
“We recovered after the second goal, because it felt a little more desperate.”
In the 63rd minute, DeSantiago caught a deflection to the left edge just outside the box and hammered a low liner inside the far post for the crucial, game-altering score. It was his 11th goal of the year.
“The ball just got played to my feet,” DeSantiago said. “I cut in, and I had to take the shot. We were losing, but we knew there were still 40 minutes, and we were able to come back.
“We wanted to defend our title.”
Lane showed great resolve to extend its own run in the city tournament series. Ricks’s greatest concern was the flurry of games with very little rest time. The Indians dialed in after they found themselves staring at a deficit with the clock winding down.
Washington keeper Eduardo Rodriguez made two great stops in the final five minutes, a short and fierce volley from O’Connor and a rebound ball by Alvarado from point-blank range.
“He got intense,” Perez said. “At the half, I told them we are the city champs. We took it away from them last year, and they want it back. Lane is an elite team, and they are not going to make it easy for us. The boys played with an extra, extra drive. It just gives you the momentum.
“The boys earned it. This has been an up-and-down season. I hope this game really helps us for state as well.”
Lane was attempting to qualify for its fourth city title game in the last five years. Ricks was left to lament the missed opportunities.
“We have nobody to blame but ourselves,” Ricks said. “It’s a cruel sport, and it’s not fun to be on this side of things.”
Starting lineups
Washington
GK: Eduardo Rodriguez
D: Jose Gonzalez
D: Joel Sevilla
D: Juan Vega
MF: Felipe Ramirez
MF: Juan Antonio Garibay
MF: Luis Valdez
MF: Rafael De Santiago
MF: Adrian Yanez
F: Juan Landeros
F: Angel Arismendiz
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Grant Nagle
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Kamil Hochman
MF: Michael Junay
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: David Arroyo
F: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Felipe Ramirez, jr., MF, Washington
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Fernando Alvarado (David Arroyo), 35th minute
Second half
Washington—Rafael De Santiago (unassisted), 63rd minute
Washington—Felipe Ramirez (Angel Arismendiz), 64th minute