Metea V. rally spoils WWS Senior Night
Amor hat-trick paces Mustangs to 4-2 win
By Ken Keenan
WHEATON -- An eventful Senior Night at Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday had all the trappings of a Hollywood epic: colorful pageantry at the start, exciting action as the plot unfolded, a dark turn halfway through, and an ending that kept the spotlight on the star of the show.
It all added up to a 4-2 win for visiting Metea Valley, who trailed the Tigers 2-0 in the early going before shifting into gear behind Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match Shareef Amor. A junior forward with skills aplenty, Amor scored three goals and assisted on the tying tally by fellow junior forward James Lynch in the 35th minute.
"I think it takes us a while to get the feel of the game," Amor said. "But we're always good about coming back."
Metea Valley improved to 10-7-1 overall and 6-2-0 in league play with the DuPage Valley Conference win. The Mustangs continued their turnaround from a 3-5-0 overall mark to start the season. Wheaton Warrenville South, which recognized nearly two dozen seniors throughout the school's soccer program prior to the match, fell to 5-9-2, 1-5-1.
"First of all, I love playing against (Wheaton Warrenville South head coach) Guy Callipari every time -- he's world-class," said Metea Valley head coach Josh Robinson. "But tonight, we weren't ready to play, and they get two goals and they're flying. Shareef (Amor) got us going, and we responded very quickly."
Riding the emotion of Senior Night, the Tigers jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute on a goal by junior forward Sumani Husseini, who finished a spot-on cross from the left side by senior midfielder Unla Husseini with a one-timer in-close on the right.
The Tigers made it 2-0 with 17:02 remaining in the first half when shifty senior mid Fabian Aranda tracked a loose ball following a throw-in and surprised Metea Valley sophomore goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz with a short tap-in from the left side.
Elation on the home side was short-lived. Amor cut the lead in half less than a minute later with a 20-yard, pop-up shot that eluded Wheaton Warrenville South senior keeper Benji Cruz. Then merely 40 seconds elapsed before Lynch tied the score when he settled a pass from Amor and beat Cruz with a left-footed, rolling, 10-yard strike inside the far post from the left side.
"We had high pressure in the beginning, but once (Metea Valley) scored their first goal, they got more confident and kept scoring," Unla Husseini said. "That kept us down."
Callipari said, "We came out very inspired on Senior Night. We played well -- very disciplined -- and executed well with width and timing on our runs. We finally had some continuity and then, unfortunately, we had a throw-in and (the Mustangs) got in behind us, and we had a lot of indecisiveness. Credit Metea Valley for taking advantage.
"And then we make a mistake not clearing, and all of a sudden it's 2-2. But we're still feeling good at that point, going toe-to-toe with them -- and then some."
Shortly after Sumani Husseini unleashed a rocket in the 39th minute that Benji Cruz batted away with a tremendous save, followed by a rebound try that sailed high, Amor collided with Cruz in the box at the other end, sending the Tigers' keeper down to the turf with an eye injury. As trainers tended to the still-prone Cruz, officials ruled the first half to be over with 24 seconds showing on the clock.
An ambulance arrived to escort Cruz to the hospital for treatment of a nasty facial bruise, and a subdued atmosphere hung over Red Grange Stadium despite a halftime show presented by the Wheaton Warrenville South marching band and orchesis dancers.
"We organized ourselves during (the long break), and guys stayed engaged ... stayed focused," Robinson said.
The Tigers had the first good look in the second half -- a 25-yard try by hustling sophomore defender Sam Schlegel that Gandhi Cruz stopped in the 42nd minute. But the Mustangs quickly countered, drawing a corner kick a minute later and capitalizing when Amor scored his second goal for a 3-2 lead with 37:22 to go in the second session.
Amor settled the ball, backed up slightly and then banged in a shot off the far post from the left side past Tigers' junior keeper Joe Adamek, who replaced the injured Benji Cruz.
"We did a good job in the first half," Sumani Husseini said. "But small mistakes can change a whole game. They took advantage and that gave them momentum to get more."
Both teams counted several chances in fast-paced action the rest of the way, including a hard, left-footed blast by Metea Valley's Lynch in the 45th minute that barely missed high and a short try by Amor that Adamek handled with 30:10 remaining. Wheaton Warrenville South's bid for goals came from a sharp strike from the right side by Sumani Husseini in the 54th minute that was snuffed by Gandhi Cruz and a try in front by sophomore mid Ryan Dufty that the Mustangs' keeper Cruz handled.
But Amor had the final say, securing his hat trick by nipping the ball inside the far post from the left side with 1:21 to go after racing hard to track a long ball from senior forward Alfonso Castillo.
"I definitely use my speed as an asset," Amor said. "I try to utilize it as much as possible."
Hard-working Mustangs' junior mid Matthew Berry said that Amor, "is always an option. He gets around guys and is incredibly dangerous. He works just as hard on defense, too."
As much as they tried, the Tigers just couldn't corral the high-flying Amor.
"He's a great player," Sumani Husseini said. "We tried to double-down on him, but he made every chance count, and that tore us down."
Added Aranda: "(Amor is) really fast, really smart and real physical -- very difficult to defend."
Callipari said, "(Amor) works hard, and he makes all the right moves with finishing. He anticipates -- and then he makes you pay. It was a good team that capitalized, but we need to be more disciplined defensively."
With the playoffs looming, Wheaton Warrenville South's longtime skipper believes that things will turn around for his squad.
"We always say, 'Forever forward,' even if the results don't indicate that," Callipari said. "I feel confident, come playoff time, that we have a good chance to win a regional title. All I can ask is to be competitive and hope the ball bounces in favor of the Tigers."
Meanwhile the streaking Mustangs, on a 7-2-0 run with the win over the Tigers, are looking to write their own script.
"Last year, we had a losing record," Berry said. "This year, we realized we had to dig down deep to get back on track. We regrouped from there, and now we're a much better team."
Added Robinson: "We've worked our butts off all year, and we have different guys stepping up all the time. We're 19 (players) strong, and that's what I love about this team."
Starting lineups
Metea Valley
G: Gandhi Cruz
D: Anthony Sanchez
D: Erik Severson
D: Ethan Ytterberg
D: Ethan Williams
M: Matthew Berry
M: Joey Donovan
M: Evan Lang
F: Jaylen Brooks
F: James Lynch
F: Shareef Amor
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Benji Cruz
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Spencer Follett
D: Will Buxton
D: Gabby Lazcano
M: Nick McGrath
M: Fabian Aranda
M: Unla Husseini
M: Marco Barrios
F: Sumani Husseini
F: Declin Ermer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Shareef Amor, jr., F, Metea Valley
Officials: Doug Neufeldt, David Coulombe, Kevin Callahan
Scoring summary
1. Wheaton Warrenville South: Sumani Husseini (assisted by Unla Husseini) in 8th minute
2. Wheaton Warrenville South: Fabian Aranda (unassisted) in 33rd minute
3. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (unassisted) in 34th minute
4. Metea Valley: James Lynch (assisted by Shareef Amor) in 35th minute
5. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (unassisted) in 43rd minute
6. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (assisted by Alfonso Castillo) in 79th minute
Amor hat-trick paces Mustangs to 4-2 win
By Ken Keenan
WHEATON -- An eventful Senior Night at Wheaton Warrenville South on Tuesday had all the trappings of a Hollywood epic: colorful pageantry at the start, exciting action as the plot unfolded, a dark turn halfway through, and an ending that kept the spotlight on the star of the show.
It all added up to a 4-2 win for visiting Metea Valley, who trailed the Tigers 2-0 in the early going before shifting into gear behind Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match Shareef Amor. A junior forward with skills aplenty, Amor scored three goals and assisted on the tying tally by fellow junior forward James Lynch in the 35th minute.
"I think it takes us a while to get the feel of the game," Amor said. "But we're always good about coming back."
Metea Valley improved to 10-7-1 overall and 6-2-0 in league play with the DuPage Valley Conference win. The Mustangs continued their turnaround from a 3-5-0 overall mark to start the season. Wheaton Warrenville South, which recognized nearly two dozen seniors throughout the school's soccer program prior to the match, fell to 5-9-2, 1-5-1.
"First of all, I love playing against (Wheaton Warrenville South head coach) Guy Callipari every time -- he's world-class," said Metea Valley head coach Josh Robinson. "But tonight, we weren't ready to play, and they get two goals and they're flying. Shareef (Amor) got us going, and we responded very quickly."
Riding the emotion of Senior Night, the Tigers jumped to a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute on a goal by junior forward Sumani Husseini, who finished a spot-on cross from the left side by senior midfielder Unla Husseini with a one-timer in-close on the right.
The Tigers made it 2-0 with 17:02 remaining in the first half when shifty senior mid Fabian Aranda tracked a loose ball following a throw-in and surprised Metea Valley sophomore goalkeeper Gandhi Cruz with a short tap-in from the left side.
Elation on the home side was short-lived. Amor cut the lead in half less than a minute later with a 20-yard, pop-up shot that eluded Wheaton Warrenville South senior keeper Benji Cruz. Then merely 40 seconds elapsed before Lynch tied the score when he settled a pass from Amor and beat Cruz with a left-footed, rolling, 10-yard strike inside the far post from the left side.
"We had high pressure in the beginning, but once (Metea Valley) scored their first goal, they got more confident and kept scoring," Unla Husseini said. "That kept us down."
Callipari said, "We came out very inspired on Senior Night. We played well -- very disciplined -- and executed well with width and timing on our runs. We finally had some continuity and then, unfortunately, we had a throw-in and (the Mustangs) got in behind us, and we had a lot of indecisiveness. Credit Metea Valley for taking advantage.
"And then we make a mistake not clearing, and all of a sudden it's 2-2. But we're still feeling good at that point, going toe-to-toe with them -- and then some."
Shortly after Sumani Husseini unleashed a rocket in the 39th minute that Benji Cruz batted away with a tremendous save, followed by a rebound try that sailed high, Amor collided with Cruz in the box at the other end, sending the Tigers' keeper down to the turf with an eye injury. As trainers tended to the still-prone Cruz, officials ruled the first half to be over with 24 seconds showing on the clock.
An ambulance arrived to escort Cruz to the hospital for treatment of a nasty facial bruise, and a subdued atmosphere hung over Red Grange Stadium despite a halftime show presented by the Wheaton Warrenville South marching band and orchesis dancers.
"We organized ourselves during (the long break), and guys stayed engaged ... stayed focused," Robinson said.
The Tigers had the first good look in the second half -- a 25-yard try by hustling sophomore defender Sam Schlegel that Gandhi Cruz stopped in the 42nd minute. But the Mustangs quickly countered, drawing a corner kick a minute later and capitalizing when Amor scored his second goal for a 3-2 lead with 37:22 to go in the second session.
Amor settled the ball, backed up slightly and then banged in a shot off the far post from the left side past Tigers' junior keeper Joe Adamek, who replaced the injured Benji Cruz.
"We did a good job in the first half," Sumani Husseini said. "But small mistakes can change a whole game. They took advantage and that gave them momentum to get more."
Both teams counted several chances in fast-paced action the rest of the way, including a hard, left-footed blast by Metea Valley's Lynch in the 45th minute that barely missed high and a short try by Amor that Adamek handled with 30:10 remaining. Wheaton Warrenville South's bid for goals came from a sharp strike from the right side by Sumani Husseini in the 54th minute that was snuffed by Gandhi Cruz and a try in front by sophomore mid Ryan Dufty that the Mustangs' keeper Cruz handled.
But Amor had the final say, securing his hat trick by nipping the ball inside the far post from the left side with 1:21 to go after racing hard to track a long ball from senior forward Alfonso Castillo.
"I definitely use my speed as an asset," Amor said. "I try to utilize it as much as possible."
Hard-working Mustangs' junior mid Matthew Berry said that Amor, "is always an option. He gets around guys and is incredibly dangerous. He works just as hard on defense, too."
As much as they tried, the Tigers just couldn't corral the high-flying Amor.
"He's a great player," Sumani Husseini said. "We tried to double-down on him, but he made every chance count, and that tore us down."
Added Aranda: "(Amor is) really fast, really smart and real physical -- very difficult to defend."
Callipari said, "(Amor) works hard, and he makes all the right moves with finishing. He anticipates -- and then he makes you pay. It was a good team that capitalized, but we need to be more disciplined defensively."
With the playoffs looming, Wheaton Warrenville South's longtime skipper believes that things will turn around for his squad.
"We always say, 'Forever forward,' even if the results don't indicate that," Callipari said. "I feel confident, come playoff time, that we have a good chance to win a regional title. All I can ask is to be competitive and hope the ball bounces in favor of the Tigers."
Meanwhile the streaking Mustangs, on a 7-2-0 run with the win over the Tigers, are looking to write their own script.
"Last year, we had a losing record," Berry said. "This year, we realized we had to dig down deep to get back on track. We regrouped from there, and now we're a much better team."
Added Robinson: "We've worked our butts off all year, and we have different guys stepping up all the time. We're 19 (players) strong, and that's what I love about this team."
Starting lineups
Metea Valley
G: Gandhi Cruz
D: Anthony Sanchez
D: Erik Severson
D: Ethan Ytterberg
D: Ethan Williams
M: Matthew Berry
M: Joey Donovan
M: Evan Lang
F: Jaylen Brooks
F: James Lynch
F: Shareef Amor
Wheaton Warrenville South
G: Benji Cruz
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Spencer Follett
D: Will Buxton
D: Gabby Lazcano
M: Nick McGrath
M: Fabian Aranda
M: Unla Husseini
M: Marco Barrios
F: Sumani Husseini
F: Declin Ermer
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Shareef Amor, jr., F, Metea Valley
Officials: Doug Neufeldt, David Coulombe, Kevin Callahan
Scoring summary
1. Wheaton Warrenville South: Sumani Husseini (assisted by Unla Husseini) in 8th minute
2. Wheaton Warrenville South: Fabian Aranda (unassisted) in 33rd minute
3. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (unassisted) in 34th minute
4. Metea Valley: James Lynch (assisted by Shareef Amor) in 35th minute
5. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (unassisted) in 43rd minute
6. Metea Valley: Shareef Amor (assisted by Alfonso Castillo) in 79th minute