DGS offense sinks shorthanded Oswego E.
Mustangs own the midfield in 5-0 win
By Dave Owen
HINSDALE – While the puzzle begins to come together for Downers Grove South, the jigsaw pieces were literally scattered Saturday for Oswego East.
The 5-0 win for the Mustangs (2-2-1) in the final day of Red Devil Cup pool play at Hinsdale Central represented an offensive breakthrough for the young squad.
“I felt we played really well,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “It’s been a process for us. A lot of guys have had their first varsity experience over the course of the last few weeks, and playing the likes of Naperville North and Hinsdale Central we’ve had some ups and downs.
“But I think these guys have stayed focused towards improvement. We had a really good practice yesterday, and it showed today. They’re learning what it takes and the effort that has to be given to be successful. I was really pleased.”
For Oswego East (1-3-2), the absence of key starters Michael Waclaw, Tristan Stewart and Kyle Blasingame was far too much to overcome.
“Three of our best players,” said Oswego East coach Steve Szymanski, a former star player at Downers Grove South and an assistant to Stapleton on the Mustangs’ 2004 state championship team.
“I don’t know how many shots we had, but it wasn’t much. We let them (Downers South) dictate the pace. I don’t think we had good energy from the start – it’s hard to find positives.”
While two goals in the final 2:06 of the match would produce a deceivingly lopsided final score, Downers South was in control from early on.
The first strike came 29:31 before halftime. After his first shot attempt was blocked, Mustangs sophomore Enrique Gonzalez lined the 18-yard rebound inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.
Second-effort produced that goal, and constant movement was the secret to success all day for the Mustangs.
“We started pretty bad in the beginning of the tournament,” Downers South midfielder Eric Torres said, “but we’ve started moving the ball really well and playing well together.
“We were moving the ball around really well. We maximized the space so we could play around.”
Oswego East made a bid to draw even in the 19th minute. Off a defensive end steal by Mitch Hlavacek, Manuel Magana’s counterattack pass resulted in Juan Vega's 22-yard shot over the net.
Then after Hlavacek’s clear from the post of a Jack Daly cross 17:30 before halftime denied a Downers South chance, the next Mustangs’ push produced great combination passing – and a well-struck finish.
Passes by Daly and Alex Flores eventually found Torres up-top. The ensuing 28-yard rocket targeted just under the crossbar to put the Mustangs up 2-0 with 16:35 left in the half.
“Flores gave me a good pass,” Torres said. “I pounded it and luckily it went in.”
Down 2-0, the Wolves made a strong push over the next 10 minutes with excellent threats off set pieces.
The rush began with a Hlavacek 42-yard free kick punched out of the crowd in front by Mustangs goalkeeper Parker Smith 15:25 before the half.
Then with 10:55 on the clock, a Dawson Johnson 45-yard free kick ended with the Wolves’ best chance of the day – a 12-yard header by Magana that skimmed off the crossbar and over the net.
Magana had a hat trick Thursday in a Wolves’ 8-1 win over Brother Rice. And Oswego East also had tied tournament finalist and host Hinsdale Central 3-3 Tuesday on goals by Waclaw, Stewart and Ford Frazer.
But such huge offensive production was elusive Saturday.
“We just didn’t play good,” Magana said of the loss. “It’s kind of hard when we’re missing players. That’s why today was a different game. But I think we need to compete more and work harder during the week (in practice).”
The Wolves’ tie with the Red Devils (in which they led 3-0 late in the first half) followed strong play in a one-goal loss to top-ranked Naperville North. But Saturday was a different story.
“I’ve told our guys this -- any team on our schedule can beat us, and we can beat any team on our schedule,” Szymanski said. “A lot depends on our effort and energy. We work off our energy to do good things, and we just didn’t bring it today.
“Especially in the midfield (where the Wolves missed three starters) -- Downers South dominated the midfield. Between 6 (Flores) and 11 (Hristijan Veceski), they were able to do whatever they wanted with time and space. And when they can do that, they’re a good team.
“We know going in that they (the midfielders) were the key,” Szymanski added, “and we just didn’t change what they did. And that made it easy for them.”
Stapleton had well deserved praise for his midfield corps.
“James David is an important guy for us in the midfield,” Stapleton said. “He kind of helps protect our backline, and we facilitate plays through him. I thought he had a nice match against Hinsdale Central (on Thursday), and he played well here.
“The combination of the guys in the midfield, Eric Torres, Alex Flores and James, and Mauricio (Becerra) came off the bench and played well. Our movement was much better, and it starts with those guys in the middle. The quicker they play, the faster everyone else plays. And that was evident today.”
After withstanding Oswego East’s mid-first half response, the Mustangs were back in threatening mode just before the break. A Becerra corner kick with 4:50 left was nicely headed upfield by Wolves midfielder Nolan Laczynski.
Then after Michael Beube’s nice block in the box of a Plainfield North shot from Frazer, a prolonged Downers South push in the final minute of the half was denied by plays from Johnson and Hlavacek.
Besides a 24-yard free kick just over the net by Downers South’s Veceski with 32:30 left to play, the Wolves had the first two big chances of the second half.
A Magana 10-yard shot hit the crossbar two minutes in, then a Johnson 20-yard drive was denied on a diving save by Smith with 24:45 to play.
But the energized Mustangs wouldn’t stay corralled for long.
Oswego East goalkeeper Nathan Huerter made a high catch of a Daly header with 16:10 to go, but had no chance on the Mustangs’ next attack.
Beube patiently held the ball on a left side push before sending a cross to Gonzalez, whose low 12-yard shot from the right side netted his third goal of the year and a 3-0 Downers South lead.
“In practice we always work on moving the ball,” said Gonzalez, whose two goals Saturday earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. “We needed to keep working on that, and we knew we’d get better and keep going up.
“We got in open spaces. Someone went wide, and we just kept passing in and out, in and out. I saw the opportunity getting the ball and then scoring.”
Both goalkeepers were busy over a subsequent two-minute span. Huerter made a nice leaping catch of Becerra’s well-struck 46-yard free kick with 12:20 left, then made a save at the near post on a Joseph Vargas shot with 10:15 to go.
In between, Mustangs goalkeeper Smith preserved his eventual shutout with a stop on Joey Bavol’s low 20-yarder off a Bradley Allgaier pass with 11:15 on the clock.
Oswego East senior Xavier Pacheco took over between the pipes for the final 10 minutes, and was tested immediately with a save on Kurt Bennett’s header off a corner kick.
Wolves defender Eric Montano blocked two-consecutive shots on a Downers South threat with 5:15 left, starting a counterattack that ended with a Torres clear of a Zachary Lass try.
Then in the final two minutes, the Mustangs capped their already strong day with more damage.
Vargas was tripped on a send into the box by Becerra, and Vargas scored on the ensuing penalty kick with 2:06 left to up the lead to 4-0.
Then with 1:34 to go, Daly took a pass on the right side from Vargas and chipped a shot past a charging Pacheco to produce the 5-0 final.
Stapleton hopes the big day offensively is a breakthrough for his young side.
“If they can replicate this – I don’t expect five goals every day -- but they were all quality goals,” Stapleton said. “And they came off of our buildup. That’s important to note. The opportunity came, and they were able to finish.”
Gonzalez has seen the early progress for a largely new Downers South lineup.
“We became like a family since Day 1,” he said. “We bonded together and knew if we kept working -- that’s how we got the (5-0) score today.”
Oswego East’s main upcoming task is to get its entire lineup back on the field. But despite Saturday, the Red Devil Cup had positives.
“Manuel Magana had a hat trick and two assists against Brother Rice and played well, Michael (Waclaw) when he was out there played well, and Dawson Johnson has been solid for us all year,” Szymanski said.
“He (Johnson) is everything you ask – a great leader, a great captain. I’ve been moving his position with guys out, and he doesn’t question, he just goes out and plays hard. That’s good to see.”
For Stapleton, Saturday produced both a nice win and a great reunion with his ex-assistant.
“It’s always fun,” Stapleton said. “We’re good friends, and we talk about expectations for our teams that we have. Last year he got the better of us (a 2-1 Oswego East win over the Mustangs), this year we got the better of him.
“I know for him missing a couple key guys makes a difference, but Steve does a great job. They’re a good team. They’re going to be something to reckon with towards the end of the season, no doubt about it.”
As for the Mustangs, the next test is right around the corner.
“It’s going to be tough this weekend (the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis),” Stapleton said. “There’s still a lot of growing to go for us, but I think it was a great step today.”
Starting lineups
Oswego East
GK Nathan Huerter
D Mitch Hlavacek
D Caleb Harris
D Joey Bavol
D Dawson Johnson
M Nolan Laczynski
M Juan Vega
M Zachary Lass
M Ford Frazer
F Ryan Aten
F Manuel Mangana
Downers South
GK Parker Smith
D Max Schmidt-Bailey
D Michael Beube
D Peter Pieropoulos
D Adam Chaplin
M Kurt Bennett
M Alex Flores
M Eric Torres
M James David
F Enrique Gonzalez
F Hristijan Veceski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Enrique Gonzalez, so. F, Downers Grove South
Scoring summary
1ST HALF: DGS Enrique Gonzalez 29:31; DGS Eric Torres (Alex Flores assist) 16:35
2ND HALF: DGS Gonzalez (Michael Beube) 15:36; DGS Joseph Vargas (penalty kick) 2:06; DGS Jack Daly (Vargas) 1:34.
Mustangs own the midfield in 5-0 win
By Dave Owen
HINSDALE – While the puzzle begins to come together for Downers Grove South, the jigsaw pieces were literally scattered Saturday for Oswego East.
The 5-0 win for the Mustangs (2-2-1) in the final day of Red Devil Cup pool play at Hinsdale Central represented an offensive breakthrough for the young squad.
“I felt we played really well,” Downers Grove South coach Jon Stapleton said. “It’s been a process for us. A lot of guys have had their first varsity experience over the course of the last few weeks, and playing the likes of Naperville North and Hinsdale Central we’ve had some ups and downs.
“But I think these guys have stayed focused towards improvement. We had a really good practice yesterday, and it showed today. They’re learning what it takes and the effort that has to be given to be successful. I was really pleased.”
For Oswego East (1-3-2), the absence of key starters Michael Waclaw, Tristan Stewart and Kyle Blasingame was far too much to overcome.
“Three of our best players,” said Oswego East coach Steve Szymanski, a former star player at Downers Grove South and an assistant to Stapleton on the Mustangs’ 2004 state championship team.
“I don’t know how many shots we had, but it wasn’t much. We let them (Downers South) dictate the pace. I don’t think we had good energy from the start – it’s hard to find positives.”
While two goals in the final 2:06 of the match would produce a deceivingly lopsided final score, Downers South was in control from early on.
The first strike came 29:31 before halftime. After his first shot attempt was blocked, Mustangs sophomore Enrique Gonzalez lined the 18-yard rebound inside the right post for a 1-0 lead.
Second-effort produced that goal, and constant movement was the secret to success all day for the Mustangs.
“We started pretty bad in the beginning of the tournament,” Downers South midfielder Eric Torres said, “but we’ve started moving the ball really well and playing well together.
“We were moving the ball around really well. We maximized the space so we could play around.”
Oswego East made a bid to draw even in the 19th minute. Off a defensive end steal by Mitch Hlavacek, Manuel Magana’s counterattack pass resulted in Juan Vega's 22-yard shot over the net.
Then after Hlavacek’s clear from the post of a Jack Daly cross 17:30 before halftime denied a Downers South chance, the next Mustangs’ push produced great combination passing – and a well-struck finish.
Passes by Daly and Alex Flores eventually found Torres up-top. The ensuing 28-yard rocket targeted just under the crossbar to put the Mustangs up 2-0 with 16:35 left in the half.
“Flores gave me a good pass,” Torres said. “I pounded it and luckily it went in.”
Down 2-0, the Wolves made a strong push over the next 10 minutes with excellent threats off set pieces.
The rush began with a Hlavacek 42-yard free kick punched out of the crowd in front by Mustangs goalkeeper Parker Smith 15:25 before the half.
Then with 10:55 on the clock, a Dawson Johnson 45-yard free kick ended with the Wolves’ best chance of the day – a 12-yard header by Magana that skimmed off the crossbar and over the net.
Magana had a hat trick Thursday in a Wolves’ 8-1 win over Brother Rice. And Oswego East also had tied tournament finalist and host Hinsdale Central 3-3 Tuesday on goals by Waclaw, Stewart and Ford Frazer.
But such huge offensive production was elusive Saturday.
“We just didn’t play good,” Magana said of the loss. “It’s kind of hard when we’re missing players. That’s why today was a different game. But I think we need to compete more and work harder during the week (in practice).”
The Wolves’ tie with the Red Devils (in which they led 3-0 late in the first half) followed strong play in a one-goal loss to top-ranked Naperville North. But Saturday was a different story.
“I’ve told our guys this -- any team on our schedule can beat us, and we can beat any team on our schedule,” Szymanski said. “A lot depends on our effort and energy. We work off our energy to do good things, and we just didn’t bring it today.
“Especially in the midfield (where the Wolves missed three starters) -- Downers South dominated the midfield. Between 6 (Flores) and 11 (Hristijan Veceski), they were able to do whatever they wanted with time and space. And when they can do that, they’re a good team.
“We know going in that they (the midfielders) were the key,” Szymanski added, “and we just didn’t change what they did. And that made it easy for them.”
Stapleton had well deserved praise for his midfield corps.
“James David is an important guy for us in the midfield,” Stapleton said. “He kind of helps protect our backline, and we facilitate plays through him. I thought he had a nice match against Hinsdale Central (on Thursday), and he played well here.
“The combination of the guys in the midfield, Eric Torres, Alex Flores and James, and Mauricio (Becerra) came off the bench and played well. Our movement was much better, and it starts with those guys in the middle. The quicker they play, the faster everyone else plays. And that was evident today.”
After withstanding Oswego East’s mid-first half response, the Mustangs were back in threatening mode just before the break. A Becerra corner kick with 4:50 left was nicely headed upfield by Wolves midfielder Nolan Laczynski.
Then after Michael Beube’s nice block in the box of a Plainfield North shot from Frazer, a prolonged Downers South push in the final minute of the half was denied by plays from Johnson and Hlavacek.
Besides a 24-yard free kick just over the net by Downers South’s Veceski with 32:30 left to play, the Wolves had the first two big chances of the second half.
A Magana 10-yard shot hit the crossbar two minutes in, then a Johnson 20-yard drive was denied on a diving save by Smith with 24:45 to play.
But the energized Mustangs wouldn’t stay corralled for long.
Oswego East goalkeeper Nathan Huerter made a high catch of a Daly header with 16:10 to go, but had no chance on the Mustangs’ next attack.
Beube patiently held the ball on a left side push before sending a cross to Gonzalez, whose low 12-yard shot from the right side netted his third goal of the year and a 3-0 Downers South lead.
“In practice we always work on moving the ball,” said Gonzalez, whose two goals Saturday earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors. “We needed to keep working on that, and we knew we’d get better and keep going up.
“We got in open spaces. Someone went wide, and we just kept passing in and out, in and out. I saw the opportunity getting the ball and then scoring.”
Both goalkeepers were busy over a subsequent two-minute span. Huerter made a nice leaping catch of Becerra’s well-struck 46-yard free kick with 12:20 left, then made a save at the near post on a Joseph Vargas shot with 10:15 to go.
In between, Mustangs goalkeeper Smith preserved his eventual shutout with a stop on Joey Bavol’s low 20-yarder off a Bradley Allgaier pass with 11:15 on the clock.
Oswego East senior Xavier Pacheco took over between the pipes for the final 10 minutes, and was tested immediately with a save on Kurt Bennett’s header off a corner kick.
Wolves defender Eric Montano blocked two-consecutive shots on a Downers South threat with 5:15 left, starting a counterattack that ended with a Torres clear of a Zachary Lass try.
Then in the final two minutes, the Mustangs capped their already strong day with more damage.
Vargas was tripped on a send into the box by Becerra, and Vargas scored on the ensuing penalty kick with 2:06 left to up the lead to 4-0.
Then with 1:34 to go, Daly took a pass on the right side from Vargas and chipped a shot past a charging Pacheco to produce the 5-0 final.
Stapleton hopes the big day offensively is a breakthrough for his young side.
“If they can replicate this – I don’t expect five goals every day -- but they were all quality goals,” Stapleton said. “And they came off of our buildup. That’s important to note. The opportunity came, and they were able to finish.”
Gonzalez has seen the early progress for a largely new Downers South lineup.
“We became like a family since Day 1,” he said. “We bonded together and knew if we kept working -- that’s how we got the (5-0) score today.”
Oswego East’s main upcoming task is to get its entire lineup back on the field. But despite Saturday, the Red Devil Cup had positives.
“Manuel Magana had a hat trick and two assists against Brother Rice and played well, Michael (Waclaw) when he was out there played well, and Dawson Johnson has been solid for us all year,” Szymanski said.
“He (Johnson) is everything you ask – a great leader, a great captain. I’ve been moving his position with guys out, and he doesn’t question, he just goes out and plays hard. That’s good to see.”
For Stapleton, Saturday produced both a nice win and a great reunion with his ex-assistant.
“It’s always fun,” Stapleton said. “We’re good friends, and we talk about expectations for our teams that we have. Last year he got the better of us (a 2-1 Oswego East win over the Mustangs), this year we got the better of him.
“I know for him missing a couple key guys makes a difference, but Steve does a great job. They’re a good team. They’re going to be something to reckon with towards the end of the season, no doubt about it.”
As for the Mustangs, the next test is right around the corner.
“It’s going to be tough this weekend (the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis),” Stapleton said. “There’s still a lot of growing to go for us, but I think it was a great step today.”
Starting lineups
Oswego East
GK Nathan Huerter
D Mitch Hlavacek
D Caleb Harris
D Joey Bavol
D Dawson Johnson
M Nolan Laczynski
M Juan Vega
M Zachary Lass
M Ford Frazer
F Ryan Aten
F Manuel Mangana
Downers South
GK Parker Smith
D Max Schmidt-Bailey
D Michael Beube
D Peter Pieropoulos
D Adam Chaplin
M Kurt Bennett
M Alex Flores
M Eric Torres
M James David
F Enrique Gonzalez
F Hristijan Veceski
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Enrique Gonzalez, so. F, Downers Grove South
Scoring summary
1ST HALF: DGS Enrique Gonzalez 29:31; DGS Eric Torres (Alex Flores assist) 16:35
2ND HALF: DGS Gonzalez (Michael Beube) 15:36; DGS Joseph Vargas (penalty kick) 2:06; DGS Jack Daly (Vargas) 1:34.