Mezyk, Lane overpower Solorio
Senior takes care of scoring in Indians' 2-0 city semifinal victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- In a game revolutionized aesthetically by skill and a selfless team style, Alex Mezyk is a pungent reminder of a different time. Solorio embodies the future with its elegant passing and beautiful finesse game. Mezyk, a Lane senior forward, upends it all with a different kind of power and grace.
“I said this during the season, but I think Solorio plays the best-looking soccer in the city,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “They get the ball from side to side, they have the talent, they spread the field. They possess the ball. But we play our type of style very well too. It’s not their style, because few teams have the kind of striker we have. We have an old-school striker. That’s a benefit, a plus you do not often see.
“Most kids these days, they want to do (Lionel) Messi kind of things. Mezyk is just out there and what a force.”
Mezyk demonstrated again his peerless ability to elevate his game on the bigger and most important stages by scoring two more goals as Lane defeated the Sun Warriors 2-0 in a first semifinal of the Chicago Public League on Thursday night on the rain-soaked field at Lane Stadium.
Lane (12-4-2) moved one step closer to achieving an unprecedented repeat city tournament championship. The Indians advanced to play Washington, which defeated Young 1-0 in the second semifinal. Lane won its sixth game in a row since Washington defeated Lane 2-0 September 20.
Lane qualified for the city title game for the sixth time in the last seven years. Lane is 2-3 in those city championship games during the current run. The final, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to noon Saturday at Brooks High School.
Mezyk scored his 19th and 20th goals of the year and earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his standout play. He has scored six goals in the Indians’ four city tournament games. He also eviscerated a disappointing regular season memory as the Sun Warriors scored an 80th minute goal to force a 2-2 draw when the teams played their Premier Division game August 28.
“We executed better, and we finished better,” Mezyk said. “We wanted to show our last game with Solorio was a fluke, and that we deserved to win and not a tie.”
Solorio (12-6-4) established the early momentum with its crisp passing. Midfielders David Diaz and David Gamez controlled the middle and forwards Jose Solis, Carlos Villa and Alex Sanchez demonstrated their sharp and expressive command.
“We saw early in the game how Solorio was dominating possession time, and that took a toll on us mentally but we fought back,” Lane midfielder Marcin Kieta said.
Mezyk created a strong combination game with Kieta and midfielder Brandon Rivera. Lane defender Zachary Rogers had the best scoring chance through the opening volley.
The rain started in about the 10th minute, and it got progressively harder.
Lane slowly, irrevocably seized the momentum. Mezyk used his superior size to punish the Sun Warriors’ backline with forays toward their goal. A foul call against Rivera, deeply disputed by Solorio coach Adrian Calleros, set up Mezyk with a free kick at the top of the box. He made a brilliantly counterintuitive strike.
Instead of playing the natural sweep of the curve, he drilled a low liner that inside the near post for a textbook free kick goal in the 31st minute for the Indians’ 1-0 advantage.
“It was a six-man wall and the goalie was kind of standing behind the wall,” Mezyk said. “I was right outside the 18. I knew it was slippery. I knew the goalie thought I’d be going the other way. I tested my luck and went where I wanted. I shot it exactly where I wanted on the ground, and the goalie had no way of getting to it.”
Solis, a senior forward who ignited the Sun Warriors’ comeback with a beautiful goal in the regular season game, said the conditions disrupted the team’s normal style and Solorio struggled to adapt.
“It was pretty hard because not many balls could be played on the ground or in the air either,” Solid said. “Our method is mostly to pass the ball short, short, short, and long balls is how we ended up playing. We were playing their game. We were not playing our game. After they scored the first goal, we still felt like we could still come back.
“After the second goal, that was tough.”
Solis and Villa generated some strong play in the second half. The game turned in the 65th minute. Solorio broke down the Lane back and moved swiftly down its right flank as Villa smashed a ball on the wing from about 19 yards that pulled Lane keeper Simon Jillson off the line for his initial block. The ball exposed the Indians’ net but a rebound ball in front of an net sailed over the crossbar.
Moments later, Lane defender Arnel Sinanagic registered a superb through-ball that created a dynamic one-on-one opportunity for Mezyk. Solorio keeper Bryan Hurtado came out to challenge the ball, but Mezyk unleashed another laser past him in the 66th minute for the game-clincher.
“It was a team effort,” Ricks said. “They had their chances, but it came down to execution. They had to finish it. I can understand their pain. The last touch is important, and we had the last touch. It was a complete team effort. Lousy weather all around for everyone. I think we deserved to get into the final.”
Solorio proved again they are a team be reckoned with. The Sun Warriors are the no. 1 seed in the Class AA Fenwick Sectional.
“The good part is that we have a week to re-charge now,” Calleros said. “Our first round of regional is not until next week. I think had we won today and then lost in a city final and then had to come back on a Tuesday, that might have a little bit of a hangover. We have a little time off. We can rest up and rest some injuries.”
Lane now rides its momentum, eager for the next step to play out.
“I would not want to play us,” Ricks said. “We have something to prove. We want to prove that we are no. 1. We are not playing for second place. In the final we are going to bring everything and leave it on the field, win or lose.
“We are going to play our style.”.
Starting lineups
Solorio
GK: Bryan Hurtado
D: Omar Salgado
D: Julian Arroyo
D: Jonathan Vasquez
MF: Luis Batalla
MF: David Diaz
MF: David Gamez
MF: Ricardo Silva-Torres
F: Jose Solis
F: Carlos Villa
F: Alex Sanchez
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Dennis Dresevic
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Greg Golba
D: Arnel Sinanagic
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Jose Villa
MF: David de la Huerta
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Marcin Kieta
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Mezyk, sr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Alex Mezyk (free kick), 31st minute
Second half
Lane—Mezyk (Arnel Sinanagic), 66th minute
Senior takes care of scoring in Indians' 2-0 city semifinal victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- In a game revolutionized aesthetically by skill and a selfless team style, Alex Mezyk is a pungent reminder of a different time. Solorio embodies the future with its elegant passing and beautiful finesse game. Mezyk, a Lane senior forward, upends it all with a different kind of power and grace.
“I said this during the season, but I think Solorio plays the best-looking soccer in the city,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “They get the ball from side to side, they have the talent, they spread the field. They possess the ball. But we play our type of style very well too. It’s not their style, because few teams have the kind of striker we have. We have an old-school striker. That’s a benefit, a plus you do not often see.
“Most kids these days, they want to do (Lionel) Messi kind of things. Mezyk is just out there and what a force.”
Mezyk demonstrated again his peerless ability to elevate his game on the bigger and most important stages by scoring two more goals as Lane defeated the Sun Warriors 2-0 in a first semifinal of the Chicago Public League on Thursday night on the rain-soaked field at Lane Stadium.
Lane (12-4-2) moved one step closer to achieving an unprecedented repeat city tournament championship. The Indians advanced to play Washington, which defeated Young 1-0 in the second semifinal. Lane won its sixth game in a row since Washington defeated Lane 2-0 September 20.
Lane qualified for the city title game for the sixth time in the last seven years. Lane is 2-3 in those city championship games during the current run. The final, originally scheduled for Thursday, has been moved to noon Saturday at Brooks High School.
Mezyk scored his 19th and 20th goals of the year and earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his standout play. He has scored six goals in the Indians’ four city tournament games. He also eviscerated a disappointing regular season memory as the Sun Warriors scored an 80th minute goal to force a 2-2 draw when the teams played their Premier Division game August 28.
“We executed better, and we finished better,” Mezyk said. “We wanted to show our last game with Solorio was a fluke, and that we deserved to win and not a tie.”
Solorio (12-6-4) established the early momentum with its crisp passing. Midfielders David Diaz and David Gamez controlled the middle and forwards Jose Solis, Carlos Villa and Alex Sanchez demonstrated their sharp and expressive command.
“We saw early in the game how Solorio was dominating possession time, and that took a toll on us mentally but we fought back,” Lane midfielder Marcin Kieta said.
Mezyk created a strong combination game with Kieta and midfielder Brandon Rivera. Lane defender Zachary Rogers had the best scoring chance through the opening volley.
The rain started in about the 10th minute, and it got progressively harder.
Lane slowly, irrevocably seized the momentum. Mezyk used his superior size to punish the Sun Warriors’ backline with forays toward their goal. A foul call against Rivera, deeply disputed by Solorio coach Adrian Calleros, set up Mezyk with a free kick at the top of the box. He made a brilliantly counterintuitive strike.
Instead of playing the natural sweep of the curve, he drilled a low liner that inside the near post for a textbook free kick goal in the 31st minute for the Indians’ 1-0 advantage.
“It was a six-man wall and the goalie was kind of standing behind the wall,” Mezyk said. “I was right outside the 18. I knew it was slippery. I knew the goalie thought I’d be going the other way. I tested my luck and went where I wanted. I shot it exactly where I wanted on the ground, and the goalie had no way of getting to it.”
Solis, a senior forward who ignited the Sun Warriors’ comeback with a beautiful goal in the regular season game, said the conditions disrupted the team’s normal style and Solorio struggled to adapt.
“It was pretty hard because not many balls could be played on the ground or in the air either,” Solid said. “Our method is mostly to pass the ball short, short, short, and long balls is how we ended up playing. We were playing their game. We were not playing our game. After they scored the first goal, we still felt like we could still come back.
“After the second goal, that was tough.”
Solis and Villa generated some strong play in the second half. The game turned in the 65th minute. Solorio broke down the Lane back and moved swiftly down its right flank as Villa smashed a ball on the wing from about 19 yards that pulled Lane keeper Simon Jillson off the line for his initial block. The ball exposed the Indians’ net but a rebound ball in front of an net sailed over the crossbar.
Moments later, Lane defender Arnel Sinanagic registered a superb through-ball that created a dynamic one-on-one opportunity for Mezyk. Solorio keeper Bryan Hurtado came out to challenge the ball, but Mezyk unleashed another laser past him in the 66th minute for the game-clincher.
“It was a team effort,” Ricks said. “They had their chances, but it came down to execution. They had to finish it. I can understand their pain. The last touch is important, and we had the last touch. It was a complete team effort. Lousy weather all around for everyone. I think we deserved to get into the final.”
Solorio proved again they are a team be reckoned with. The Sun Warriors are the no. 1 seed in the Class AA Fenwick Sectional.
“The good part is that we have a week to re-charge now,” Calleros said. “Our first round of regional is not until next week. I think had we won today and then lost in a city final and then had to come back on a Tuesday, that might have a little bit of a hangover. We have a little time off. We can rest up and rest some injuries.”
Lane now rides its momentum, eager for the next step to play out.
“I would not want to play us,” Ricks said. “We have something to prove. We want to prove that we are no. 1. We are not playing for second place. In the final we are going to bring everything and leave it on the field, win or lose.
“We are going to play our style.”.
Starting lineups
Solorio
GK: Bryan Hurtado
D: Omar Salgado
D: Julian Arroyo
D: Jonathan Vasquez
MF: Luis Batalla
MF: David Diaz
MF: David Gamez
MF: Ricardo Silva-Torres
F: Jose Solis
F: Carlos Villa
F: Alex Sanchez
Lane
GK: Simon Jillson
D: Dennis Dresevic
D: Zachary Rogers
D: Greg Golba
D: Arnel Sinanagic
MF: Brandon Rivera
MF: Jose Villa
MF: David de la Huerta
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Marcin Kieta
F: Alex Mezyk
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Mezyk, sr., F, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Lane—Alex Mezyk (free kick), 31st minute
Second half
Lane—Mezyk (Arnel Sinanagic), 66th minute