Morton’s Perez scores 4
in 5-1 decision over Glenbard North
Early talllies take suspense out of battle of unbeatens
By Bill McLean
CAROL STREAM — Cycling has never been Cristian Perez’s thing.
The Morton junior forward/midfielder admitted the indifference after Thursday night’s nonconference soccer match at Glenbard North.
But the 5-foot-6, 125-pound Perez certainly knows how to execute a bicycle kick. The dynamic Mustang used it, from about 11 yards, to tally the third goal of his four-goal performance in Morton’s 5-1 victory at Weber Field.
“Nice play, nice play. Yes it was,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said after his club — ranked no. 1 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — improved to 3-0-2. “Cristian is always dangerous with the ball at his feet. He’s lethal, and he’s our most technical player. And if you go right at him, he’ll find an open teammate.”
Teammate Edwin Zizumbo, a senior forward, provided assists on three of Perez’s goals. Only four yards separated the pair when Perez, his back to Panthers junior goalkeeper Martin Argirov, pedaled in midair before striking the crowd-pleasing goal in the 26th minute.
“Smart boy,” said Zizumbo, who scored Morton’s other goal, an unassisted act, in the 76th minute. “Incredible player. Does everything on the field.”
That bicycle-kick goal was Perez’s second goal in only 18 seconds. It also completed his hat-trick with a little more than 14 minutes remaining in the first half.
The number of prep hat-tricks he had recorded before Sept. 5? Zero.
The number of goals he’d scored in the young 2019 season before Sept. 5? One.
The number of points by which Perez outscored the Chicago Bears in their season opener vs. Green Bay’s Packers on the night of the Morton-Glenbard North battle: 1. (Packers 10, Bears 3).
Unassuming and clearly a team player, Perez appeared more interested in talking about Morton, the team, than he did about Perez, Morton’s Mr. 4 Goals, afterward.
“Our mindset coming in was, ‘We have to win,’ ” Perez said of facing a talent-laden Glenbard North side, which had entered the match with a 4-0-0 record, a day after Morton had topped visiting Argo 3-1. “We fought for every ball. Ball movement … it’s one of the things our team likes to do.”
Glenbard North majored in that skill for most of the first 10 minutes Thursday night. Panthers junior forward Gabriel Jurado, a veritable magician when the ball is anywhere near his wheels, sprinted all over Morton’s end of the pitch in dangerous rush after dangerous rush. Panthers senior midfielder/defender Ode Emena and captain Emmanuel Castanon also applied constant heat offensively.
“We were setting a good tone early on, with three, four good chances,” said Glenbard North coach Spero Mandakas, whose squad features 13 returning varsity members, including nine starters, but competed without injured juniors Nathaniel Enriquez (striker, midfielder) and Ricardo Patino (defender/midfielder) Thursday night. “We have a lot of talent.
“Morton,” he added, “is a really good team, with players who have super skills. Morton’s players play the game the right way. Their movement off the ball is outstanding. Where they really move the ball well is in the middle third of the field.”
Castanon interrupted Perez’s show-stopping night in the 56th minute, blasting a feed from senior Ramon Acosta past Mustangs senior keeper Andres Calderon. Some six minutes later, Panthers sophomore reserve striker/midfielder Christopher Arroyo booted a missile of a shot from 35 yards that Calderon bobbled briefly before securing a save.
Speedy senior forward Ethan Van Poucke, another Glenbard North substitute player, played with resolve and delivered accurate passes in the match’s waning minutes.
But in the end, after all was said and kicked, there was way too much Cristian Perez for Glenbard North.
“Our players knew Glenbard North was undefeated,” Bageanis said. “They knew a win would make a statement, and they took care of business. That first goal of ours, it came at a good time, because [Glenbard North] was playing well, was in control. We’ve been fortunate, capitalizing the way we have on our chances this season.”
About that Chicagoland Soccer no. 1 ranking Morton wears in this season’s infancy?
“The kids like it, and we do have high expectations for success at the school,” Bageanis said. “But I’d rather be ranked third or fourth right now and no. 1 at the end of the season.”
Morton travels to Downers Grove South on Sept. 10 (6:30 p.m.) for its West Suburban Conference Gold Division opener; Glenbard North (4-1) faces West Chicago at noon Saturday in the title match of the 9th annual Joe Novy Classic at Addison Trail and hosts St. Charles East in its DuKane Conference opener at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Footnotes
Jurado — Glenbard North’s leading scorer last fall, with 10 goals — suffered what appeared to be a serious left ankle injury in the final minute of the first half against Morton, however the thrill-a-second Panther returned to action in the 14th minute of the second half. “Hurt it while doing a skill move,” said the 5-8, 127-pound Jurado, who recorded back-to-back hat tricks against Proviso West and Fenton in a three-day span in August. “I’ll be okay” His two goals post-high school? “Division I soccer, pro soccer,” he said. Jurado’s older brother, Daniel (now 21), got Gabriel interested in soccer when Gabriel was 6. … Mandakas, on Jurado: “Shifty and quick, so quick. Teams have to game-plan for him.” Glenbard North’s coach also praised Emena and Castanon, saying, “They’re bulldogs. Their motors never stop.”… The 5-8, 130-pound Zizumbo, on Morton’s 2019 team: “We have speed, power … everything.” … Morton sophomore midfielder/defender Luis Gonzalez hustled to catch up to a deep ball in Glenbard North territory and slid head-first near the end line. He looked exactly like a baseball player running a base path on a steal attempt. “No bases!” a Morton player shouted from the bench near the end of the second half Thursday night. Bageanis, walking in front of his bench at the time of the shout, stopped, looked at the yeller, smiled and said, “Good one.”
Starting lineups
Morton
GK: Andres Calderon
D: Juan Hernandez
D: Juan Ramirez
D: Saul Juarez
MF: Uriel Sotelo
MF: Julian Vargas
MF: Adrian Salto
MF: Adrian Sanchez
F: Jesus Perez
F: Edwin Zizumbo
F: Cristian Perez
Glenbard North
GK: Martin Argirov
D: Alberto Solorio
D: Ren Santillan
D: Ramon Acosta
MF: Ode Emena
MF: Erik Hernandez Flores
MF: John Salazar
MF: Emmanuel Castanon
F: Gabriel Jurado
F: Nestor Dominguez
F: Raul Pasillas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Cristian Perez, junior, MF, Morton
Referee: Chris Landers
Scoring summary
First half
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 9’
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 26’
Morton — C. Perez (Juarez), 26’
Second half
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 51’
Glenbard North — Castanon (Acosta), 56’
Morton — Zizumbo (UA), 76’
in 5-1 decision over Glenbard North
Early talllies take suspense out of battle of unbeatens
By Bill McLean
CAROL STREAM — Cycling has never been Cristian Perez’s thing.
The Morton junior forward/midfielder admitted the indifference after Thursday night’s nonconference soccer match at Glenbard North.
But the 5-foot-6, 125-pound Perez certainly knows how to execute a bicycle kick. The dynamic Mustang used it, from about 11 yards, to tally the third goal of his four-goal performance in Morton’s 5-1 victory at Weber Field.
“Nice play, nice play. Yes it was,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said after his club — ranked no. 1 in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25 — improved to 3-0-2. “Cristian is always dangerous with the ball at his feet. He’s lethal, and he’s our most technical player. And if you go right at him, he’ll find an open teammate.”
Teammate Edwin Zizumbo, a senior forward, provided assists on three of Perez’s goals. Only four yards separated the pair when Perez, his back to Panthers junior goalkeeper Martin Argirov, pedaled in midair before striking the crowd-pleasing goal in the 26th minute.
“Smart boy,” said Zizumbo, who scored Morton’s other goal, an unassisted act, in the 76th minute. “Incredible player. Does everything on the field.”
That bicycle-kick goal was Perez’s second goal in only 18 seconds. It also completed his hat-trick with a little more than 14 minutes remaining in the first half.
The number of prep hat-tricks he had recorded before Sept. 5? Zero.
The number of goals he’d scored in the young 2019 season before Sept. 5? One.
The number of points by which Perez outscored the Chicago Bears in their season opener vs. Green Bay’s Packers on the night of the Morton-Glenbard North battle: 1. (Packers 10, Bears 3).
Unassuming and clearly a team player, Perez appeared more interested in talking about Morton, the team, than he did about Perez, Morton’s Mr. 4 Goals, afterward.
“Our mindset coming in was, ‘We have to win,’ ” Perez said of facing a talent-laden Glenbard North side, which had entered the match with a 4-0-0 record, a day after Morton had topped visiting Argo 3-1. “We fought for every ball. Ball movement … it’s one of the things our team likes to do.”
Glenbard North majored in that skill for most of the first 10 minutes Thursday night. Panthers junior forward Gabriel Jurado, a veritable magician when the ball is anywhere near his wheels, sprinted all over Morton’s end of the pitch in dangerous rush after dangerous rush. Panthers senior midfielder/defender Ode Emena and captain Emmanuel Castanon also applied constant heat offensively.
“We were setting a good tone early on, with three, four good chances,” said Glenbard North coach Spero Mandakas, whose squad features 13 returning varsity members, including nine starters, but competed without injured juniors Nathaniel Enriquez (striker, midfielder) and Ricardo Patino (defender/midfielder) Thursday night. “We have a lot of talent.
“Morton,” he added, “is a really good team, with players who have super skills. Morton’s players play the game the right way. Their movement off the ball is outstanding. Where they really move the ball well is in the middle third of the field.”
Castanon interrupted Perez’s show-stopping night in the 56th minute, blasting a feed from senior Ramon Acosta past Mustangs senior keeper Andres Calderon. Some six minutes later, Panthers sophomore reserve striker/midfielder Christopher Arroyo booted a missile of a shot from 35 yards that Calderon bobbled briefly before securing a save.
Speedy senior forward Ethan Van Poucke, another Glenbard North substitute player, played with resolve and delivered accurate passes in the match’s waning minutes.
But in the end, after all was said and kicked, there was way too much Cristian Perez for Glenbard North.
“Our players knew Glenbard North was undefeated,” Bageanis said. “They knew a win would make a statement, and they took care of business. That first goal of ours, it came at a good time, because [Glenbard North] was playing well, was in control. We’ve been fortunate, capitalizing the way we have on our chances this season.”
About that Chicagoland Soccer no. 1 ranking Morton wears in this season’s infancy?
“The kids like it, and we do have high expectations for success at the school,” Bageanis said. “But I’d rather be ranked third or fourth right now and no. 1 at the end of the season.”
Morton travels to Downers Grove South on Sept. 10 (6:30 p.m.) for its West Suburban Conference Gold Division opener; Glenbard North (4-1) faces West Chicago at noon Saturday in the title match of the 9th annual Joe Novy Classic at Addison Trail and hosts St. Charles East in its DuKane Conference opener at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Footnotes
Jurado — Glenbard North’s leading scorer last fall, with 10 goals — suffered what appeared to be a serious left ankle injury in the final minute of the first half against Morton, however the thrill-a-second Panther returned to action in the 14th minute of the second half. “Hurt it while doing a skill move,” said the 5-8, 127-pound Jurado, who recorded back-to-back hat tricks against Proviso West and Fenton in a three-day span in August. “I’ll be okay” His two goals post-high school? “Division I soccer, pro soccer,” he said. Jurado’s older brother, Daniel (now 21), got Gabriel interested in soccer when Gabriel was 6. … Mandakas, on Jurado: “Shifty and quick, so quick. Teams have to game-plan for him.” Glenbard North’s coach also praised Emena and Castanon, saying, “They’re bulldogs. Their motors never stop.”… The 5-8, 130-pound Zizumbo, on Morton’s 2019 team: “We have speed, power … everything.” … Morton sophomore midfielder/defender Luis Gonzalez hustled to catch up to a deep ball in Glenbard North territory and slid head-first near the end line. He looked exactly like a baseball player running a base path on a steal attempt. “No bases!” a Morton player shouted from the bench near the end of the second half Thursday night. Bageanis, walking in front of his bench at the time of the shout, stopped, looked at the yeller, smiled and said, “Good one.”
Starting lineups
Morton
GK: Andres Calderon
D: Juan Hernandez
D: Juan Ramirez
D: Saul Juarez
MF: Uriel Sotelo
MF: Julian Vargas
MF: Adrian Salto
MF: Adrian Sanchez
F: Jesus Perez
F: Edwin Zizumbo
F: Cristian Perez
Glenbard North
GK: Martin Argirov
D: Alberto Solorio
D: Ren Santillan
D: Ramon Acosta
MF: Ode Emena
MF: Erik Hernandez Flores
MF: John Salazar
MF: Emmanuel Castanon
F: Gabriel Jurado
F: Nestor Dominguez
F: Raul Pasillas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Cristian Perez, junior, MF, Morton
Referee: Chris Landers
Scoring summary
First half
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 9’
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 26’
Morton — C. Perez (Juarez), 26’
Second half
Morton — C. Perez (Zizumbo), 51’
Glenbard North — Castanon (Acosta), 56’
Morton — Zizumbo (UA), 76’