Morton avoids stumble
at Addison Trail after taking Iowa title
Fatigued Mustangs stay perfect in West Suburban Gold Division
By Bobby Narang
ADDISON -- Everything was set for the dreaded trap game for Morton on Tuesday night.
Last weekend, the Mustangs experienced emotional highs after winning all three of their games in the Great River Classic in Burlington Ia. Morton won a bracket at the prestigious tournament for the first time in four tries. The field was filled with talented teams from the Midwest including nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) , who Morton beat 2-0.
The fifth-ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 then knocked off Marquette (Wis.) 3-0 in its final game to earn the hardware. It was the the program’s first win over the Milwaukee powerhouse in four meetings.
The 250-mile trip at the end of Week 6 of the regular-season highlighted the Mustangs immense potential.
Maybe that’s why Morton coach Jim Bageanis wanted his players to remember the accomplishment but to stay in the present moment Tuesday in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division match at Addison Trail.
After a long weekend of traveling and play, the Mustangs were forced to hit the road again for a pivotal and highly charged game against their rival.
The Blazers drew a big crowd which included a drumline, Orchesis dancers, cheerleaders and pom poms all attending and performing to support the home team.
A warm evening helped increase attendance, creating a true home field advantage for the Blazers.
“We stressed to the guys yesterday and today that we have to still come out and play like we did over the weekend and be consistent,” Bageanis said.
The Mustangs defeated fatigue and the home team with a goal in each half and played incredible defense to take a 2-0 victory over the Blazers. Morton (14-2-0, 3-0-0) admitted the big crowd affected its play.
“This game meant a lot for us,” Morton goalie Brandon Flores said. “We needed it to win conference. That’s very important to us. My defense played amazing. I never had to do that much, just like in the tournament. We scored goals, and our attack was amazing. That’s why we won the tournament. We did a wonderful job up-top. We just made a few minor mistakes.
“That boosted our morale a lot, beating a nationally ranked team. That secured our hopes for hopefully winning a state title.”
Morton midfielder Ivan Ramirez said the victory showed the mettle and toughness of his team.
“It was another away game with a big crowd, and they were booing us a lot,” Ramirez said. “We kept our cool and stayed composed and didn’t let any chances get through.
“We were able to control the game. Our attack did really good, and we had two great counters. We’re just going up from here.”
The Mustangs converted just one shot in the first 74 minutes until Ismael Zepeda scored a goal off a smooth pass from Edgar Quintero on a 2-on-1 breakaway with 5:35 left. The Blazers (7-7-1, 2-2-x) put little pressure on Flores, who had one save in the victory.
“We knew what kind of game we were in for,” said Addison Trail coach Ryan Dini said. “We’ve had an up-and-down season. Morton is a top-notch team. I thought we fought. They scored two counter goals on us, when we had set plays.
“Our whole game was to contain them and play great defense and hopefully execute a set play, whether it was a corner kick, a free kick or something else in the game, maybe a throw-in.
“We just didn’t create enough chances They’re so solid in the back. They possess the ball really good. We went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the state. It’s promising. Right now, we’re a .500 team, so it depends on what night you will catch us.”
Dini said the large fan turnout energized his players. He called it a fun night for soccer fans in Addison.
“We had a great atmosphere,” he said. “It made it more of a professional game with everything going on. Addison is a great soccer town.
“We’ve had some really good seasons over the past 10 years. There’s a love for soccer in this town. When we’re playing a top-notch opponent, what better time to do it then on a warm Tuesday night.”
The Mustangs seized the 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Ismael Zepeda put the ball in the box. Deyair Ruiz got on the end of the play and tapped in his shot and silenced the large crowd.
“Ismael had the ball, took it down the line. He tried to cut in or shoot it, but it rebounded to me, and I had it right in front of the goal,” Ruiz said of his 11th score of the season. “This was a stressful game, especially since we were used to playing on grass the last three days. Their crowd was booing us, and it got into our heads, but we finished our chances and ended up strong.”
Addison Trail utilized two goalkeepers in the game. Senior Joseph Morales started and thrilled the large crowd with a pair of inspiring saves. Tomasz Rozkuszka had two saves in the second half.
“Joey Morales’ main sport is basketball, so you can see he has a big presence in the net,” Dini said. “He’s improved every game. Tomasz is our next goalie. He’s a junior who will be our starter next year.
"They balance each other out well. There’s a little less pressure when they’re only each playing a half. I thought they responded well and both of them made some big saves.
“Morton is just talented. They closed the gap so hard on defense and made it so difficult. They contain you, then win the ball back and then you’re chasing them for most of the game.
“For us, I think our defense and goalies played well tonight. When you’re playing a team like this, you need as many chances as you can get and hope one or two can go in.”
The Blazers were aggressive but missed their few chances. Jose Leyva’s header sailed over the crossbar in the 59th minute. Matias Aguilar’s shot went wide in 61st minute.
Quintero kept pressure on Addison Trail’s backline in the final 20 minutes. After just missing on numerous shots, including smacking the crossbar with 16 minutes left, he demonstrated at team-first attitude after he stole a pass near midfield. He dribbled nearly 40 yards and set up a 2-on-1 situation with Zepeda. Just when it looked like Quintero was ready to shoot from 17 yards, he softly sent a pass to the charging Zepeda on his right, who knocked in an insurance goal that deflated the Blazers.
“I saw the ball in the middle took on the defenders with speed and saw Ismael on the right side and assisted him,” Quintero said. “The teamwork and believing in each other and playing our game and lifting each other up is why we’re so successful this season.”
Bageanis was happy with the effort.
"You could see we were a little late and lagging in the first half," he said. "I think the energy level was a little lower, but we stepped it up in the second half. Addison Trail is a good team. They moved the ball well, and we were chasing for a while. I was glad we were able to get that transition goal late to allow us to breath a bit.
"We just weren't connecting passes as well as we would've liked on the offensive third in the first half. In the second half, we were holding it more, but at least we weren't giving it away. We'll get better. Hopefully, as the week goes on, we'll be more fresh after being used to being at home."
Starting lineups
Morton
GK: Brandon Flores
D: Leo Ramirez
D: David Cisneros
D: Josh Trujillo
D: Christian Valadez
MF: Edgar Quintero
MF: Ivan Ramirez
MF: Julian Sotelo
MF: Caleb Mendoza
F: Ismael Zepeda
F: Deyair Ruiz
Addison Trail
GK: Joseph Morales
D: Brandon Sarabia
D: Emiilio Macias
D: Daniel Herrera
D: Jason Valdez
MF: Romano Gallo
MF: Jose Leyva
MF: Joel Alvarez Cruz
MF: Luca Fischer
F: Christopher Ortega
F: Matias Aguilar
Chicagoland Man of the Match:
Ismael Zepeda, sr., F, Morton
Scoring summary
First half
Morton: Ruiz (Zepeda), 6’
Second half
Morton: Zepeda (Quintero), 75’
at Addison Trail after taking Iowa title
Fatigued Mustangs stay perfect in West Suburban Gold Division
By Bobby Narang
ADDISON -- Everything was set for the dreaded trap game for Morton on Tuesday night.
Last weekend, the Mustangs experienced emotional highs after winning all three of their games in the Great River Classic in Burlington Ia. Morton won a bracket at the prestigious tournament for the first time in four tries. The field was filled with talented teams from the Midwest including nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.) , who Morton beat 2-0.
The fifth-ranked team in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 then knocked off Marquette (Wis.) 3-0 in its final game to earn the hardware. It was the the program’s first win over the Milwaukee powerhouse in four meetings.
The 250-mile trip at the end of Week 6 of the regular-season highlighted the Mustangs immense potential.
Maybe that’s why Morton coach Jim Bageanis wanted his players to remember the accomplishment but to stay in the present moment Tuesday in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division match at Addison Trail.
After a long weekend of traveling and play, the Mustangs were forced to hit the road again for a pivotal and highly charged game against their rival.
The Blazers drew a big crowd which included a drumline, Orchesis dancers, cheerleaders and pom poms all attending and performing to support the home team.
A warm evening helped increase attendance, creating a true home field advantage for the Blazers.
“We stressed to the guys yesterday and today that we have to still come out and play like we did over the weekend and be consistent,” Bageanis said.
The Mustangs defeated fatigue and the home team with a goal in each half and played incredible defense to take a 2-0 victory over the Blazers. Morton (14-2-0, 3-0-0) admitted the big crowd affected its play.
“This game meant a lot for us,” Morton goalie Brandon Flores said. “We needed it to win conference. That’s very important to us. My defense played amazing. I never had to do that much, just like in the tournament. We scored goals, and our attack was amazing. That’s why we won the tournament. We did a wonderful job up-top. We just made a few minor mistakes.
“That boosted our morale a lot, beating a nationally ranked team. That secured our hopes for hopefully winning a state title.”
Morton midfielder Ivan Ramirez said the victory showed the mettle and toughness of his team.
“It was another away game with a big crowd, and they were booing us a lot,” Ramirez said. “We kept our cool and stayed composed and didn’t let any chances get through.
“We were able to control the game. Our attack did really good, and we had two great counters. We’re just going up from here.”
The Mustangs converted just one shot in the first 74 minutes until Ismael Zepeda scored a goal off a smooth pass from Edgar Quintero on a 2-on-1 breakaway with 5:35 left. The Blazers (7-7-1, 2-2-x) put little pressure on Flores, who had one save in the victory.
“We knew what kind of game we were in for,” said Addison Trail coach Ryan Dini said. “We’ve had an up-and-down season. Morton is a top-notch team. I thought we fought. They scored two counter goals on us, when we had set plays.
“Our whole game was to contain them and play great defense and hopefully execute a set play, whether it was a corner kick, a free kick or something else in the game, maybe a throw-in.
“We just didn’t create enough chances They’re so solid in the back. They possess the ball really good. We went toe-to-toe with one of the top teams in the state. It’s promising. Right now, we’re a .500 team, so it depends on what night you will catch us.”
Dini said the large fan turnout energized his players. He called it a fun night for soccer fans in Addison.
“We had a great atmosphere,” he said. “It made it more of a professional game with everything going on. Addison is a great soccer town.
“We’ve had some really good seasons over the past 10 years. There’s a love for soccer in this town. When we’re playing a top-notch opponent, what better time to do it then on a warm Tuesday night.”
The Mustangs seized the 1-0 lead in the sixth minute when Ismael Zepeda put the ball in the box. Deyair Ruiz got on the end of the play and tapped in his shot and silenced the large crowd.
“Ismael had the ball, took it down the line. He tried to cut in or shoot it, but it rebounded to me, and I had it right in front of the goal,” Ruiz said of his 11th score of the season. “This was a stressful game, especially since we were used to playing on grass the last three days. Their crowd was booing us, and it got into our heads, but we finished our chances and ended up strong.”
Addison Trail utilized two goalkeepers in the game. Senior Joseph Morales started and thrilled the large crowd with a pair of inspiring saves. Tomasz Rozkuszka had two saves in the second half.
“Joey Morales’ main sport is basketball, so you can see he has a big presence in the net,” Dini said. “He’s improved every game. Tomasz is our next goalie. He’s a junior who will be our starter next year.
"They balance each other out well. There’s a little less pressure when they’re only each playing a half. I thought they responded well and both of them made some big saves.
“Morton is just talented. They closed the gap so hard on defense and made it so difficult. They contain you, then win the ball back and then you’re chasing them for most of the game.
“For us, I think our defense and goalies played well tonight. When you’re playing a team like this, you need as many chances as you can get and hope one or two can go in.”
The Blazers were aggressive but missed their few chances. Jose Leyva’s header sailed over the crossbar in the 59th minute. Matias Aguilar’s shot went wide in 61st minute.
Quintero kept pressure on Addison Trail’s backline in the final 20 minutes. After just missing on numerous shots, including smacking the crossbar with 16 minutes left, he demonstrated at team-first attitude after he stole a pass near midfield. He dribbled nearly 40 yards and set up a 2-on-1 situation with Zepeda. Just when it looked like Quintero was ready to shoot from 17 yards, he softly sent a pass to the charging Zepeda on his right, who knocked in an insurance goal that deflated the Blazers.
“I saw the ball in the middle took on the defenders with speed and saw Ismael on the right side and assisted him,” Quintero said. “The teamwork and believing in each other and playing our game and lifting each other up is why we’re so successful this season.”
Bageanis was happy with the effort.
"You could see we were a little late and lagging in the first half," he said. "I think the energy level was a little lower, but we stepped it up in the second half. Addison Trail is a good team. They moved the ball well, and we were chasing for a while. I was glad we were able to get that transition goal late to allow us to breath a bit.
"We just weren't connecting passes as well as we would've liked on the offensive third in the first half. In the second half, we were holding it more, but at least we weren't giving it away. We'll get better. Hopefully, as the week goes on, we'll be more fresh after being used to being at home."
Starting lineups
Morton
GK: Brandon Flores
D: Leo Ramirez
D: David Cisneros
D: Josh Trujillo
D: Christian Valadez
MF: Edgar Quintero
MF: Ivan Ramirez
MF: Julian Sotelo
MF: Caleb Mendoza
F: Ismael Zepeda
F: Deyair Ruiz
Addison Trail
GK: Joseph Morales
D: Brandon Sarabia
D: Emiilio Macias
D: Daniel Herrera
D: Jason Valdez
MF: Romano Gallo
MF: Jose Leyva
MF: Joel Alvarez Cruz
MF: Luca Fischer
F: Christopher Ortega
F: Matias Aguilar
Chicagoland Man of the Match:
Ismael Zepeda, sr., F, Morton
Scoring summary
First half
Morton: Ruiz (Zepeda), 6’
Second half
Morton: Zepeda (Quintero), 75’