Morton's quick blitz dooms St. Patrick
Mustangs win 4-2 before thousands of its fans in packed stadium
By Mike Garofola
HOFFMAN ESTATES -- Some soccer games are remembered for dramatic comebacks, some just come down to one incredible moment on an incredible goal, and others are fondly recalled for the pitting of one truly magnificent side against another
Friday night in Hoffman Estates it was Morton versus St. Patrick in a 3A state semifinal contest between the two clubs anointed lofty spots in Chicagoland Soccer, regional and national polls.
This was one for the ages.
It was important to acknowledge this this Friday night monster of a match, which was played in uncharacterically frigid fall conditions, was also a rematch of an October 13 bracket final of the PepsiCo Showdown Series, that went to Morton in kicks.
So, the scene was set for what many felt, with all due respect to others in this tournament, was likely to be the state final matchup. That surely included numerous riders on 67 fan buses that made the trip from Morton's campus in Berwyn. On a night built on the anticipation for an epic clash at Garber Stadium, it was clear all parties were ready for an 80-minute thrill ride.
Familiar faces came back to haunt St. Patrick. Giovanni Alvarez gave the Mustangs a second minute lead, and later after an own-goal doubled the Morton lead, Edwin Zizumbo opening the floodgates after his spot kick to propel the Mustangs to an insurmountable lead and into the final after a 4-2 victory.
"We knew how great of a team St. Patrick was after our Pepsi final with them. So then we also knew how important it was to come out as strong as we could to set the tempo and to not stop playing until the very end of the game," said Zizumbo, who along with Alvarez convert their shootout spot kicks to insure victory over St. Patrick in the PepsiCo final.
"That early first goal really helped set us up. It gave us the motivation you need in a big game like this," said Mustangs manager Jim Bageanis, whose club played West Chicago in the 7 p.m. final Saturday.
"You never know what any player at this age is thinking before a game as big as this one. For many it's the final weekend of their high school career. There's the rematch thing after the Pepsi, and having thousands of your classmates cheering you on before a jammed-packed stadium can be very overwhelming," continued Bageanis.
"That's what made our terrific start so impressive. The guys came out and played a great opening 15-20 minutes to set the tone. All of us knew that Pat's is so dangerous and to let down against a team like that would not be a good thing."
The Mustangs (23-3-2) stunned the Shamrocks just after the opening whistle with the aforementioned Alvarez' twisting redirected header that nestled high into the upper right corner less than two minutes into the match. It came off an incredible hustle play from Cristian Perez, who sprinted into his offensive third while St. Patrick was passing the ball around the horn. The junior shocked the Shamrocks and the assembled when he stole a soft between the keeper and right back before delivering a perfect service.
Three minutes later, an own goal off a long free kick sent the Mustangs crowd into a frenzied celebration, and the Shamrocks faithful into dead silence.
"That first goal really got us going - so we continued to pressure them knowing a second one would be the one that really took them out of their game," said Perez, a key figure in a Mustangs attack that carved up endless chances, many of which came through counterattacks that took on the look of jet fighters flying over Lake Michigan during the Chicago Air and Water Show.
Perez, Zizumbo, Uriel Sotelo and Jesus Perez played quickly and with precise passes on the floor to create space for others while keeping the Shamrocks in their own end far more than they have been this season.
"(They) just had a great first 20-25 minutes. It was the first time this season we found ourselves chasing a 2-3 goal disadvantage, so you have to give Morton a lot of credit for the way they came out and dominated," said Shamrocks manager Kyle McClure.
"I don't know if it was the big crowd, or the the enormity of the game, but we came out and played some of our worst soccer of the season. Unfortunately, it came at the wrong time and game for us," said a disappointed Jonathan Rodriguez, Pat's brilliant outside player, who has shown all-season long and in his career, he's very capable of moving on to play at a D-I program next fall.
"To start out in a 3-0 hole like we did was not our plan, but Morton came out and played so quick, putting together so many combination passes with just two or three touches,. We just did not react very well to that at all," said senior LuisAngel Saucedo, another of St. Patrick's terrific four-year stars.
The Shamrocks showed some life when Sebastian Modrzejewski and Angel Adame helped Jaden Buelvas put one on frame at the quarter hour. That led led to attempts from Aaron Moreno-Lopez and junior sensation Joshua Torres, who each went wide.
Shamrocks fans were not pleased when the referee sent Zizumbo to the spot at 23 minutes and continued to howl after the Mustangs senior steered in the third goal of the game moments later.
But no one this season had kept the Shamrocks from finding the back of the net, illustrated by their dazzling 125 goals in 30 games. Part of their struggle came from Mustangs keeper Andres Calderon, who singlehandedly took three out of the back of the net in the first half, then two more after the half to break the hearts of McClure and his club.
"Their keeper played about as well as you could. He was amazing and really came up big when Morton needed him to," said McClure.
"They had almost all of the play in that first half, so when we created some chances to maybe pull one or two back before the half, their guy made some incredible saves to keep it a 3-0 game after 40 minutes."
Calderon's double save on Saucedo was a thing of beauty: first off a bending corner to the near post then a brilliant stop on Saucedo's return shot with quick reaction and bravery. Somehow he surpassed those when he elevated to great heights to turn away Rodriguez's free kick missile from 24 yards at 31 minutes.
"Andres was clearly our player of the match," Bageanis. Cristian Perez and Zizumbo nodded in agreement at the interview table.
"You don't want to get a lead like we did, then have your opponent get back closer before the break to give them motivation coming out in the second half. Andres made sure that didn't happen with his unbelievable work," added Bageanis.
"Andres was great all night for us, but so was our sophomore Juan Ramirez, who was asked to mark their great player Joshua Torres. In the first half he kept him under control, because if he got going, the rest of the St. Patrick attack would get going," continued Bageanis.
It would not be easy to keep St. Patrick contained however, because as much as the first half was one-way traffic for the Mustangs, it would be the same for the Shamrocks after the break when they came out as if this semifinal were a goal-less match.
Playing with confidence and with plenty of pride despite chasing three goals, the Shamrocks put together a masterclass effort and created several quality chances from the moment referee Sam Nachampassack whistled play to resume.
"That first half was bad for us, we didn't really do much of anything on either side of the ball," said Torres. "But we didn't hang our heads, and we came out and played our style in the second half," said the junior Torres.
Torres roared up the left side at mach speed, turned the corner and unleash what looked like an unstoppable low drive that Calderon found a way to save.
Both Moreno-Lopez and Rodriguez each went wide before the Torres attempt. Then it was Buelvas, who bagged two in the super sectional final against Fremd, who had a good look on frame, only to send his strike over the bar.
Despite plenty of scares along the way, most erased by the brilliant play of Calderon, the Mustangs inflicted further damage on the hopes of its opponent when a failed clearing attempt ended with Cristian Perez' laser left-footed smash from near the edge.
Center official Nachampassack and his assistants had plenty to chat about during the final quarter hour of action during the first time microphone headsets were used during the Class 3A finals. Each official at the state finals this season chipped in money for the rigs, which helped the games run smoother.
The referee issued a half dozen yellow cards, most in the second half, while sending two off in the closing minutes after a variety of discussions with his assistants, who helped him make the final decision on his bookings to help curb emotions that ran higher after the Mustangs added to their advantage.
"We've been using headsets leading in sectional and super sectional finals before this weekend, and all of us like having them because he helps us cover the entire field so much better than before, plus it keeps the game flowing at a natural pace because everyone can stay in touch on what's going on," said IHSA Coordinator of Officials John Anderson, who has been one of the best in the business in the state.
Torres made it 4-2 with his 38th and 39th of the season and St. Patrick gave its opposing fan heartburn. It seemed the Shamrocks were destined to knock at least one more in. But in the end the Mustangs fans, determined to savor the moment, cheered their heroes who raced to the west side of the stadium to acknowledge their ncredible support presence after the game's end.
"Having thousands of fans here meant so much to the guys, I know my staff and I were so appreciative of their support. I know the players had to be amazed to see 80% of the crowd here for them," said Bageanis.
"It was a great night for our fans and Morton soccer," added Zizumbo.
For McClure, and his men, the disappointing result will need to be pushed aside in less than 24 hours in order to play Edwardsville for its first ever third place trophy, after taking home fourth-place honors in 2017 at the 2A tournament.
"We lost to the better team tonight, and that's going to happen when you play who we consider the gold standard of soccer teams in the state with Morton," began McClure.
"We've worked hard to get to this final weekend, and we feel as if we're a top team in the state. Despite the loss, the guys have nothing to apologize for, because when you get (here) it says a lot about what you've done for the entire season leading up to the state tournament.
"I am very proud of each player on this team, regardless of what happens tomorrow, and that was the message we sent after this game with Morton."
Starting lineups
St. Patrick (4-3-3)
G- Jorge Cebrero
D- Jonathan Rodriguez
D- Adam Przytula
D- Collin Krueger
D- Narcizo Ibarra
M- Sebastian Modrzejewski
M- Aaron Moreno-Lopez
M- Angel Adame
F- LuisAngel Saucedo
F- Joshua Torres
F- Jaden Buelvas
Morton (4-4-2)
G- Andres Calderon
D- Juan Hernandez
D- Saul Juarez
D- Juan Ramirez
MF- Adrian Salto
M- Uriel Sotelo
M- Edwin Zizumbo
M- Cristian Perez
M- Jesus Perez
F- Giovanni Alvarez
F- Julian Vargas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Andres Calderon, sr., GK, Morton
Referee: Sam Nachampassack
Scoring summary
First half
Morton: Alvarez (Perez) 2'
Morton: own-goal 5'
Morton: Zizumbo (PK) 23'
Second half
Morton: Perez (Juarez) 65'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 65'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 72'
Mustangs win 4-2 before thousands of its fans in packed stadium
By Mike Garofola
HOFFMAN ESTATES -- Some soccer games are remembered for dramatic comebacks, some just come down to one incredible moment on an incredible goal, and others are fondly recalled for the pitting of one truly magnificent side against another
Friday night in Hoffman Estates it was Morton versus St. Patrick in a 3A state semifinal contest between the two clubs anointed lofty spots in Chicagoland Soccer, regional and national polls.
This was one for the ages.
It was important to acknowledge this this Friday night monster of a match, which was played in uncharacterically frigid fall conditions, was also a rematch of an October 13 bracket final of the PepsiCo Showdown Series, that went to Morton in kicks.
So, the scene was set for what many felt, with all due respect to others in this tournament, was likely to be the state final matchup. That surely included numerous riders on 67 fan buses that made the trip from Morton's campus in Berwyn. On a night built on the anticipation for an epic clash at Garber Stadium, it was clear all parties were ready for an 80-minute thrill ride.
Familiar faces came back to haunt St. Patrick. Giovanni Alvarez gave the Mustangs a second minute lead, and later after an own-goal doubled the Morton lead, Edwin Zizumbo opening the floodgates after his spot kick to propel the Mustangs to an insurmountable lead and into the final after a 4-2 victory.
"We knew how great of a team St. Patrick was after our Pepsi final with them. So then we also knew how important it was to come out as strong as we could to set the tempo and to not stop playing until the very end of the game," said Zizumbo, who along with Alvarez convert their shootout spot kicks to insure victory over St. Patrick in the PepsiCo final.
"That early first goal really helped set us up. It gave us the motivation you need in a big game like this," said Mustangs manager Jim Bageanis, whose club played West Chicago in the 7 p.m. final Saturday.
"You never know what any player at this age is thinking before a game as big as this one. For many it's the final weekend of their high school career. There's the rematch thing after the Pepsi, and having thousands of your classmates cheering you on before a jammed-packed stadium can be very overwhelming," continued Bageanis.
"That's what made our terrific start so impressive. The guys came out and played a great opening 15-20 minutes to set the tone. All of us knew that Pat's is so dangerous and to let down against a team like that would not be a good thing."
The Mustangs (23-3-2) stunned the Shamrocks just after the opening whistle with the aforementioned Alvarez' twisting redirected header that nestled high into the upper right corner less than two minutes into the match. It came off an incredible hustle play from Cristian Perez, who sprinted into his offensive third while St. Patrick was passing the ball around the horn. The junior shocked the Shamrocks and the assembled when he stole a soft between the keeper and right back before delivering a perfect service.
Three minutes later, an own goal off a long free kick sent the Mustangs crowd into a frenzied celebration, and the Shamrocks faithful into dead silence.
"That first goal really got us going - so we continued to pressure them knowing a second one would be the one that really took them out of their game," said Perez, a key figure in a Mustangs attack that carved up endless chances, many of which came through counterattacks that took on the look of jet fighters flying over Lake Michigan during the Chicago Air and Water Show.
Perez, Zizumbo, Uriel Sotelo and Jesus Perez played quickly and with precise passes on the floor to create space for others while keeping the Shamrocks in their own end far more than they have been this season.
"(They) just had a great first 20-25 minutes. It was the first time this season we found ourselves chasing a 2-3 goal disadvantage, so you have to give Morton a lot of credit for the way they came out and dominated," said Shamrocks manager Kyle McClure.
"I don't know if it was the big crowd, or the the enormity of the game, but we came out and played some of our worst soccer of the season. Unfortunately, it came at the wrong time and game for us," said a disappointed Jonathan Rodriguez, Pat's brilliant outside player, who has shown all-season long and in his career, he's very capable of moving on to play at a D-I program next fall.
"To start out in a 3-0 hole like we did was not our plan, but Morton came out and played so quick, putting together so many combination passes with just two or three touches,. We just did not react very well to that at all," said senior LuisAngel Saucedo, another of St. Patrick's terrific four-year stars.
The Shamrocks showed some life when Sebastian Modrzejewski and Angel Adame helped Jaden Buelvas put one on frame at the quarter hour. That led led to attempts from Aaron Moreno-Lopez and junior sensation Joshua Torres, who each went wide.
Shamrocks fans were not pleased when the referee sent Zizumbo to the spot at 23 minutes and continued to howl after the Mustangs senior steered in the third goal of the game moments later.
But no one this season had kept the Shamrocks from finding the back of the net, illustrated by their dazzling 125 goals in 30 games. Part of their struggle came from Mustangs keeper Andres Calderon, who singlehandedly took three out of the back of the net in the first half, then two more after the half to break the hearts of McClure and his club.
"Their keeper played about as well as you could. He was amazing and really came up big when Morton needed him to," said McClure.
"They had almost all of the play in that first half, so when we created some chances to maybe pull one or two back before the half, their guy made some incredible saves to keep it a 3-0 game after 40 minutes."
Calderon's double save on Saucedo was a thing of beauty: first off a bending corner to the near post then a brilliant stop on Saucedo's return shot with quick reaction and bravery. Somehow he surpassed those when he elevated to great heights to turn away Rodriguez's free kick missile from 24 yards at 31 minutes.
"Andres was clearly our player of the match," Bageanis. Cristian Perez and Zizumbo nodded in agreement at the interview table.
"You don't want to get a lead like we did, then have your opponent get back closer before the break to give them motivation coming out in the second half. Andres made sure that didn't happen with his unbelievable work," added Bageanis.
"Andres was great all night for us, but so was our sophomore Juan Ramirez, who was asked to mark their great player Joshua Torres. In the first half he kept him under control, because if he got going, the rest of the St. Patrick attack would get going," continued Bageanis.
It would not be easy to keep St. Patrick contained however, because as much as the first half was one-way traffic for the Mustangs, it would be the same for the Shamrocks after the break when they came out as if this semifinal were a goal-less match.
Playing with confidence and with plenty of pride despite chasing three goals, the Shamrocks put together a masterclass effort and created several quality chances from the moment referee Sam Nachampassack whistled play to resume.
"That first half was bad for us, we didn't really do much of anything on either side of the ball," said Torres. "But we didn't hang our heads, and we came out and played our style in the second half," said the junior Torres.
Torres roared up the left side at mach speed, turned the corner and unleash what looked like an unstoppable low drive that Calderon found a way to save.
Both Moreno-Lopez and Rodriguez each went wide before the Torres attempt. Then it was Buelvas, who bagged two in the super sectional final against Fremd, who had a good look on frame, only to send his strike over the bar.
Despite plenty of scares along the way, most erased by the brilliant play of Calderon, the Mustangs inflicted further damage on the hopes of its opponent when a failed clearing attempt ended with Cristian Perez' laser left-footed smash from near the edge.
Center official Nachampassack and his assistants had plenty to chat about during the final quarter hour of action during the first time microphone headsets were used during the Class 3A finals. Each official at the state finals this season chipped in money for the rigs, which helped the games run smoother.
The referee issued a half dozen yellow cards, most in the second half, while sending two off in the closing minutes after a variety of discussions with his assistants, who helped him make the final decision on his bookings to help curb emotions that ran higher after the Mustangs added to their advantage.
"We've been using headsets leading in sectional and super sectional finals before this weekend, and all of us like having them because he helps us cover the entire field so much better than before, plus it keeps the game flowing at a natural pace because everyone can stay in touch on what's going on," said IHSA Coordinator of Officials John Anderson, who has been one of the best in the business in the state.
Torres made it 4-2 with his 38th and 39th of the season and St. Patrick gave its opposing fan heartburn. It seemed the Shamrocks were destined to knock at least one more in. But in the end the Mustangs fans, determined to savor the moment, cheered their heroes who raced to the west side of the stadium to acknowledge their ncredible support presence after the game's end.
"Having thousands of fans here meant so much to the guys, I know my staff and I were so appreciative of their support. I know the players had to be amazed to see 80% of the crowd here for them," said Bageanis.
"It was a great night for our fans and Morton soccer," added Zizumbo.
For McClure, and his men, the disappointing result will need to be pushed aside in less than 24 hours in order to play Edwardsville for its first ever third place trophy, after taking home fourth-place honors in 2017 at the 2A tournament.
"We lost to the better team tonight, and that's going to happen when you play who we consider the gold standard of soccer teams in the state with Morton," began McClure.
"We've worked hard to get to this final weekend, and we feel as if we're a top team in the state. Despite the loss, the guys have nothing to apologize for, because when you get (here) it says a lot about what you've done for the entire season leading up to the state tournament.
"I am very proud of each player on this team, regardless of what happens tomorrow, and that was the message we sent after this game with Morton."
Starting lineups
St. Patrick (4-3-3)
G- Jorge Cebrero
D- Jonathan Rodriguez
D- Adam Przytula
D- Collin Krueger
D- Narcizo Ibarra
M- Sebastian Modrzejewski
M- Aaron Moreno-Lopez
M- Angel Adame
F- LuisAngel Saucedo
F- Joshua Torres
F- Jaden Buelvas
Morton (4-4-2)
G- Andres Calderon
D- Juan Hernandez
D- Saul Juarez
D- Juan Ramirez
MF- Adrian Salto
M- Uriel Sotelo
M- Edwin Zizumbo
M- Cristian Perez
M- Jesus Perez
F- Giovanni Alvarez
F- Julian Vargas
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Andres Calderon, sr., GK, Morton
Referee: Sam Nachampassack
Scoring summary
First half
Morton: Alvarez (Perez) 2'
Morton: own-goal 5'
Morton: Zizumbo (PK) 23'
Second half
Morton: Perez (Juarez) 65'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 65'
St. Patrick: Torres (Moreno-Lopez) 72'