New leaders plot winning course for Leyden
Eagles extend winning streak to 3 with 6-2 tally vs. Maine West
By Mike Garofola
NORTHLAKE -- Through the first five weeks of the 2019 soccer season Leyden, with its roster filled with mostly sophomore and juniors, experienced the usual growing pains expected with such a youthful group.
While manager Mark Vanitis knew it would take some time for it all to come together, he felt the learning curve would not be as steep with a handful of returning players from his 2018 squad that went 13-8-2.
What Valintis understands now is just how much the influence of graduates David Duval and Eduardo Hernandez, both now in college, had on his program.
Leyden rolled past visiting Maine West for the second-consecutive season, this time by a 6-2 score, and in doing so may have finally found its team identity.
"I honestly felt we had enough sophomores and juniors back who were ready to assume leadership roles and to take over during training and in our games," Valintis said. "But I guess with great young men like David and Eduardo, who not only excelled on the field but also in the classroom and community, you tend to take for granted what you had.
"That's where we've struggled in games we should have either won or drawn -- (not) having that leadership out there to almost guarantee you won't give up late goals or make key mistakes when you can ill afford them.
The affable, longtime manager mentioned that three-consecutive losses at the St. Charles Invitational to Elgin, and the host schools sent his club into a mini tailspin. Then a recent three-game skid to Bolingbrook, York and Downers Grove South almost put an extra large hole in the Leyden boat.
"That Elgin game was a tough one to watch," Valintis said. "The game was right there for us, but to concede those (10) goals in three games to Bolingbrook, York and Downers is something we just haven't done for awhile. It was worrisome."
However, in its last three games, all victories, the Eagles have drawn within one game to being a .500 club (5-6-1) by outscoring opponents 14-4, while beginning to have its captains ready to take over for Duval and Hernandez.
"Edgar and David were always there (leading) the way, and us younger players looked up to them and listened to what they had to say," began Alan Vasquez, who along with mates Matt Espinoza, Ozzie Pacheo and Jesus Recendez all wear the captain's armband for Valintis this fall.
"It's our job to be the leaders now. Time for me and Jesus, the other captains to be the guys who lead this team."
Recendez added: "We have to come out during training and in games and be at our best, and to be the ones that the rest of the guys know will always do the right things and to play as hard as we can when we're out there."
The two juniors, along with Espinoza and Pacheo are four players who Valintis had visions of being his next set of leaders, and all four were key figures in the Eagles dominating performance on its home field Saturday in Northlake.
Heavy rains overnight and early in the morning surprisingly did not effect conditions on the pitch. Although as play went on, another round of rain began to hit the field, and there were more than a few players who had difficulty keeping their feet.
It did not seem to matter to Leyden's midfield partnership of Alan Jacinto and Pablo Mancha, who ran the show for the home side with quality distribution and ball-winning to make things difficult for the visitors and their fine manager Alan Matan.
"I thought we stayed with Leyden in the first half pretty well," Matan said. "But it took all that we had, because we had a short bench and were playing a few guys out of position due to some players missing."
Both of Matan's keepers were away. One was at a family wedding; the other, Isaac Ochoa, was handling kicking duties for the Warriors football team.
Maine West's football game was moved from Friday to Saturday due to severe weather conditions. That forced Ochoa to miss to miss the match and forced field player Adrian Cano to pay between the sticks.
"Adrian did very well for us despite his inexperience at the position," said Matan.
"He's one of those young men who does what's best for his team not himself, and that's what makes coaching this group such a treat for me."
Cano was called into action early in the game -- showing bravery when he came far off his line to stop Vasquez, who was put through by the combined efforts of Mancha and Carlos Duarte, another junior who saw considerable time with the big club a year ago.
Cano could do nothing but keep his fingers crossed four minutes later when Chris Hernandez rattled the football uprights with his attempt.
Hernandez went close once again, then it was Cano stopping Dylan Santamaria at the near post.
Canos' inexperience may have shown through on the opener when he hesitated before charging off his line in hopes of stopping Santamaria, but the junior had already committed too far.
Santamaria took advantage with a sublime touch to net the Eagles first of the day in the 16th minute.
The home side was unable to keep its advantage when a costly turnover allowed Diego Nava to equalize 60 seconds later.
"(Those) are the types of defensive lapses we've been doing," said a disappointed Valintis. "And it's something we'll have to clean up in order for us to have a strong finish to the regular season and beyond."
It would be all one-way traffic for the Eagles after the Nava goal. Cano turned away a close-range effort from Vasquez at 22 minutes. Then Recendez, on the end of a marvelous run out of the back, looped his attempt onto the roof.
Duarte went wide, as did Vasquez, before a well-executed counter from Santamaria and Polo Lopez earned Leyden a corner.
Vasquez ran onto Duarte's helper and went under Cano, who was out off his line on the initial serve.
"After we got that second goal, the game opened up for us," said Recendez, who had a good look of the proceedings from his spot as the Eagles right outside back. We really began to play some really good attacking soccer."
The junior, along with backline mates Jose Diaz, Edgar Orozco, and Espinoza weathered a bit of a storm in the closing moments of the first period when the Warriors (3-7-3) came to life.
"Orozco and Espinoa have been out most consistent players thus far," said Valintis. "(Edgar) is so tough back there especially for his size. He's helped bring that unit together."
It was all Leyden after the intermission. The home side put three quick ones into the back of the net in four minutes.
"Those three goals did us in," admitted Matan.
"With just a few subs, our legs were getting heavy really quick. After it became 5-1 in a hurry, I could see our heads hang a little bit.
"However, we recovered. I have to say that I am really proud of how the guys played hard until the very end (despite) us chasing the game. That's says a lot about them."
Mancha made it 3-1 with an unassisted goal at 43 minutes. It's likely his right-footed blast was not seen by the Warriors keeper until the very end.
Vasquez made a penetrating run up the right side after latching onto a Hernandez pass. When the junior sent Espinoza through, the fourth goal was an easy one.
A minute later Cano stopped Mancha's initial attempt, but the ball spilled free into the Warriors box. With the void of a defender in the vicinity, Vasquez and Hernandez played keep away from Cano with a nice one-two combination, before Hernandez finished into a wide open net for the 5-1 lead.
The four-goal advantage led to Valintis bringing several of his first 11 off. Newcomer Jovanni Alatorre added one last goal to the Leyden scoreline in the 66th minute.
Eriberto Banderas recorded the helper.
The Warriors talented young sophomore forward Kevin Abad pulled one back 10 minutes from time with a lovely finish.
Leyden left the pitch with a bounce in its step.
"I feel like we're finally getting comfortable with each other out there," offered Vasquez. "It's been showing in our last 3-4 games. We just have to continue playing this way, and getting better each time we come out."
Another three-game week faces Valintis' men. It will test for the club, which still has four league game remaining including one with conference and state power Morton on October 15.
"Our midfield play was real solid today, and we showed some good stuff in our attack," said Valintis. "We should have put one or two more into the net. It was a good victory against an always well-coache team from Maine West.
"It's nice to see us finally playing the way we all knew we could, but we've got to be better defensively as a team in order to go out and compete in the last three weeks of the regular season."
Maine West travels to Vernon Hills for a CSL North Division contest Tuesday, then host Oak Park and River Forest two nights later.
Leyden welcomes back its former scoring star, Cosimo Patino, on Monday when the manager at Plainfield East bring his squad to Northlake.
Starting lineups
Maine West (4-4-2)
G- Adrian Cano
D- Willy Vargas
D- Julio Pereznegron
D- Kacper Woroszylo
D- Danny Perez
M- Sebastian Solarz
M- Dominick Jablonski
M- Juan Ponce
M- Krystian Wojtylo
F- Kevin Abad
F- Diego Nava
Leyden (4-4-2)
G- Kai Kopera
D- Jose Diaz
D- Edgar Orozco
D- Matt Espinoza
D- Jesus Recendez
M- Ozzie Pacheo
M- Alan Jacinto
D- Pablo Mancha
M- Carlos Duarte
F- Chris Hernandez
F- Alan Vasquez
Chicagoland Men of the Match: Alan Jacinto, jr., MF, Leyden
Pablo Mancha, so., MF, Leyden
Referee: Katie Bates
Scoring summary
First half
Leyden: Santamaria (Hernandez) 16'
Maine West: Nava (Perez) 17'
Leyden: Vasquez (Duarte) 30'
Second half
Leyden: Mancha (U/A) 43'
Leyden: Espinoza (Vasquez, Hernandez) 46'
Leyden: Hernandez (Vasquez, Mancha) 47
Leyden: Alatorre (Banderas) 66'
Maine West: Abad (U/A) 70'
Eagles extend winning streak to 3 with 6-2 tally vs. Maine West
By Mike Garofola
NORTHLAKE -- Through the first five weeks of the 2019 soccer season Leyden, with its roster filled with mostly sophomore and juniors, experienced the usual growing pains expected with such a youthful group.
While manager Mark Vanitis knew it would take some time for it all to come together, he felt the learning curve would not be as steep with a handful of returning players from his 2018 squad that went 13-8-2.
What Valintis understands now is just how much the influence of graduates David Duval and Eduardo Hernandez, both now in college, had on his program.
Leyden rolled past visiting Maine West for the second-consecutive season, this time by a 6-2 score, and in doing so may have finally found its team identity.
"I honestly felt we had enough sophomores and juniors back who were ready to assume leadership roles and to take over during training and in our games," Valintis said. "But I guess with great young men like David and Eduardo, who not only excelled on the field but also in the classroom and community, you tend to take for granted what you had.
"That's where we've struggled in games we should have either won or drawn -- (not) having that leadership out there to almost guarantee you won't give up late goals or make key mistakes when you can ill afford them.
The affable, longtime manager mentioned that three-consecutive losses at the St. Charles Invitational to Elgin, and the host schools sent his club into a mini tailspin. Then a recent three-game skid to Bolingbrook, York and Downers Grove South almost put an extra large hole in the Leyden boat.
"That Elgin game was a tough one to watch," Valintis said. "The game was right there for us, but to concede those (10) goals in three games to Bolingbrook, York and Downers is something we just haven't done for awhile. It was worrisome."
However, in its last three games, all victories, the Eagles have drawn within one game to being a .500 club (5-6-1) by outscoring opponents 14-4, while beginning to have its captains ready to take over for Duval and Hernandez.
"Edgar and David were always there (leading) the way, and us younger players looked up to them and listened to what they had to say," began Alan Vasquez, who along with mates Matt Espinoza, Ozzie Pacheo and Jesus Recendez all wear the captain's armband for Valintis this fall.
"It's our job to be the leaders now. Time for me and Jesus, the other captains to be the guys who lead this team."
Recendez added: "We have to come out during training and in games and be at our best, and to be the ones that the rest of the guys know will always do the right things and to play as hard as we can when we're out there."
The two juniors, along with Espinoza and Pacheo are four players who Valintis had visions of being his next set of leaders, and all four were key figures in the Eagles dominating performance on its home field Saturday in Northlake.
Heavy rains overnight and early in the morning surprisingly did not effect conditions on the pitch. Although as play went on, another round of rain began to hit the field, and there were more than a few players who had difficulty keeping their feet.
It did not seem to matter to Leyden's midfield partnership of Alan Jacinto and Pablo Mancha, who ran the show for the home side with quality distribution and ball-winning to make things difficult for the visitors and their fine manager Alan Matan.
"I thought we stayed with Leyden in the first half pretty well," Matan said. "But it took all that we had, because we had a short bench and were playing a few guys out of position due to some players missing."
Both of Matan's keepers were away. One was at a family wedding; the other, Isaac Ochoa, was handling kicking duties for the Warriors football team.
Maine West's football game was moved from Friday to Saturday due to severe weather conditions. That forced Ochoa to miss to miss the match and forced field player Adrian Cano to pay between the sticks.
"Adrian did very well for us despite his inexperience at the position," said Matan.
"He's one of those young men who does what's best for his team not himself, and that's what makes coaching this group such a treat for me."
Cano was called into action early in the game -- showing bravery when he came far off his line to stop Vasquez, who was put through by the combined efforts of Mancha and Carlos Duarte, another junior who saw considerable time with the big club a year ago.
Cano could do nothing but keep his fingers crossed four minutes later when Chris Hernandez rattled the football uprights with his attempt.
Hernandez went close once again, then it was Cano stopping Dylan Santamaria at the near post.
Canos' inexperience may have shown through on the opener when he hesitated before charging off his line in hopes of stopping Santamaria, but the junior had already committed too far.
Santamaria took advantage with a sublime touch to net the Eagles first of the day in the 16th minute.
The home side was unable to keep its advantage when a costly turnover allowed Diego Nava to equalize 60 seconds later.
"(Those) are the types of defensive lapses we've been doing," said a disappointed Valintis. "And it's something we'll have to clean up in order for us to have a strong finish to the regular season and beyond."
It would be all one-way traffic for the Eagles after the Nava goal. Cano turned away a close-range effort from Vasquez at 22 minutes. Then Recendez, on the end of a marvelous run out of the back, looped his attempt onto the roof.
Duarte went wide, as did Vasquez, before a well-executed counter from Santamaria and Polo Lopez earned Leyden a corner.
Vasquez ran onto Duarte's helper and went under Cano, who was out off his line on the initial serve.
"After we got that second goal, the game opened up for us," said Recendez, who had a good look of the proceedings from his spot as the Eagles right outside back. We really began to play some really good attacking soccer."
The junior, along with backline mates Jose Diaz, Edgar Orozco, and Espinoza weathered a bit of a storm in the closing moments of the first period when the Warriors (3-7-3) came to life.
"Orozco and Espinoa have been out most consistent players thus far," said Valintis. "(Edgar) is so tough back there especially for his size. He's helped bring that unit together."
It was all Leyden after the intermission. The home side put three quick ones into the back of the net in four minutes.
"Those three goals did us in," admitted Matan.
"With just a few subs, our legs were getting heavy really quick. After it became 5-1 in a hurry, I could see our heads hang a little bit.
"However, we recovered. I have to say that I am really proud of how the guys played hard until the very end (despite) us chasing the game. That's says a lot about them."
Mancha made it 3-1 with an unassisted goal at 43 minutes. It's likely his right-footed blast was not seen by the Warriors keeper until the very end.
Vasquez made a penetrating run up the right side after latching onto a Hernandez pass. When the junior sent Espinoza through, the fourth goal was an easy one.
A minute later Cano stopped Mancha's initial attempt, but the ball spilled free into the Warriors box. With the void of a defender in the vicinity, Vasquez and Hernandez played keep away from Cano with a nice one-two combination, before Hernandez finished into a wide open net for the 5-1 lead.
The four-goal advantage led to Valintis bringing several of his first 11 off. Newcomer Jovanni Alatorre added one last goal to the Leyden scoreline in the 66th minute.
Eriberto Banderas recorded the helper.
The Warriors talented young sophomore forward Kevin Abad pulled one back 10 minutes from time with a lovely finish.
Leyden left the pitch with a bounce in its step.
"I feel like we're finally getting comfortable with each other out there," offered Vasquez. "It's been showing in our last 3-4 games. We just have to continue playing this way, and getting better each time we come out."
Another three-game week faces Valintis' men. It will test for the club, which still has four league game remaining including one with conference and state power Morton on October 15.
"Our midfield play was real solid today, and we showed some good stuff in our attack," said Valintis. "We should have put one or two more into the net. It was a good victory against an always well-coache team from Maine West.
"It's nice to see us finally playing the way we all knew we could, but we've got to be better defensively as a team in order to go out and compete in the last three weeks of the regular season."
Maine West travels to Vernon Hills for a CSL North Division contest Tuesday, then host Oak Park and River Forest two nights later.
Leyden welcomes back its former scoring star, Cosimo Patino, on Monday when the manager at Plainfield East bring his squad to Northlake.
Starting lineups
Maine West (4-4-2)
G- Adrian Cano
D- Willy Vargas
D- Julio Pereznegron
D- Kacper Woroszylo
D- Danny Perez
M- Sebastian Solarz
M- Dominick Jablonski
M- Juan Ponce
M- Krystian Wojtylo
F- Kevin Abad
F- Diego Nava
Leyden (4-4-2)
G- Kai Kopera
D- Jose Diaz
D- Edgar Orozco
D- Matt Espinoza
D- Jesus Recendez
M- Ozzie Pacheo
M- Alan Jacinto
D- Pablo Mancha
M- Carlos Duarte
F- Chris Hernandez
F- Alan Vasquez
Chicagoland Men of the Match: Alan Jacinto, jr., MF, Leyden
Pablo Mancha, so., MF, Leyden
Referee: Katie Bates
Scoring summary
First half
Leyden: Santamaria (Hernandez) 16'
Maine West: Nava (Perez) 17'
Leyden: Vasquez (Duarte) 30'
Second half
Leyden: Mancha (U/A) 43'
Leyden: Espinoza (Vasquez, Hernandez) 46'
Leyden: Hernandez (Vasquez, Mancha) 47
Leyden: Alatorre (Banderas) 66'
Maine West: Abad (U/A) 70'