Solorio switches role to comeback artist
Sun Warriors come from behind vs. Von Steuben in CPL quarters
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- One of the great unknowns is how a team responds to the unforeseen. Solorio has lost one time in the last calendar year.
Forgive the Sun Warriors if playing from behind has been more of a theory than an actuality.
Playing against a spirited Von Steuben team, Solorio watched somewhat agonizingly as the Panthers went up 1-0 in the 22nd minute after star Von Steuben midfielder Rambert Ramos controlled a loose ball and slotted a pass to his left that midfielder Adriel Rodriguez blasted inside the near post from about 14 yards.
Then Solorio's Alex Sanchez went to work.
Sanchez continued his remarkable individual season by scoring two goals as Solorio, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, rallied for the 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the Chicago Public League championship playoff Saturday morning at Brooks.
The top-seed in the 32-team format, Solorio (15-1-1) advances to play upstart Hancock in the first semifinal at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Winnemac Stadium.
“We made a mistake in the back, chopped the ball for what seemed like five seconds and just stood there and watched, and they settled and they scored their goal,” Solorio coach Adrian Calleros said.
Solorio has trailed only once this year in the team’s 3-2 loss against no. 4 Wheaton Academy.
“We have not had too many games where we have been down, but that is how we practice and prepare,” Calleros said. “We maintained possession. Fortunately it was not a situation where we were chasing. We never lost our head. It is not as though the goal came with five minutes to go in the game. There was still plenty of time, and we had to play our game.”
Sanchez showed again why he is the most dangerous player in the city. His two goals pushed his season total to a remarkable 37.
He also earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Von Steuben’s defense played well and keeper Carlos Martinez was stellar. Solorio is skilled and savvy enough to play its own version of the waiting game, circling its opponent and then pouncing.
In the 37th minute, defender Brian Marin played the ball on the right side and drove down the edge. After his initial idea failed to materialize, he looked over and played a ball that Sanchez smashed home from about nine yards with a left-footed blast.
“I tried to do the give-and-go with Jonathan [Vasquez], but they closed it off. So I just tried to keep my composure in that situation,” Marin said. “When I got the ball I saw Alex open, and I decided to lob it over the top.”
The game was highlighted by a scintillating central matchup involving Ramos, the top scorer in the Premier Division North, and Sanchez. Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi called Ramos one of the best players he has seen this year after he scored three goals against the Spartans in early September.
Ramos’s size, speed and quickness are the underlying source of his special talents. He a scored a division-best 17 goals and created 10 assists as the Panthers (14-5-0) exceeded expectations.
The Solorio game was no exception.
“Overall, it was a great game between two great teams,” Von Steuben coach Vedad Sarancic said. “Our guys have been battling every game the whole season. We are playing very good soccer.”
Forward James Malutan, Von Steuben’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals, started dropping into the middle in an attempt to shut down passing lanes and force Solorio out of its preferred mode of attacking around standout senior forward Carlos Villa.
Villa is a brilliant facilitator who gets to the middle as the fulcrum of the Solorio attack. There he is given the option of playing the ball wide to Sanchez or Vasquez.
The Rodriguez goal certainly centered the Sun Warriors’ attention.
“In the beginning we started off sloppy, and we knew we had to pick it up and play better,” Sanchez said. “We had to keep the intensity and keep pressuring. We have not gone down in too many games, but it does affect us.
“We knew a game was like this was coming. We knew the goal was coming, and we just had to stay patient.”
Marin said the key to the Sun Warriors’ mentality was drawing back once they broke through late in the first half to create the equalizer.
“We had to keep the same intensity,” Marin said. “We could not settle down. If we did that, Von Steuben was going to come after us.”
Instead Solorio dictated the pace and tempo of the game. The intense back-and-forth represented the most precise expression of the Sun Warriors best style of play. Each time Sanchez broke free in the second half, Von Steuben had a response.
He got some help from unexpected quarters. Freshman midfielder Ivan Soriano generated a turnover deep in the Panthers’ end and slotted the ball to Villa.
Villa deftly executed one of his customary wheel routes in taking the ball from Soriano and playing it out to Sanchez, perfectly stationed at the top of the box.
Sanchez unloaded a ball from about 14 yards that went inside the near post in the 70th minute for the game-winner.
Sarancic called foul. He objected to what he considered a clear foul by Soriano to create the original turnover. He was also unhappy about what he called a missed handball inside the box in the 72nd minute.
“Bottom line, the game should have gone to overtime, and we should have battled it out,” Sarancic said. “There were some questionable calls that hurt both teams. Our players got the wind knocked out of them when the calls started going the other way.
“If that was not an obvious foul, I don’t know what was. The guy took him out from behind. That was a game-changer.”
Ramos had one good look in the 80th minute on a free kick from about 22 yards. He drilled it and achieved considerable velocity and force. Solorio sophomore keeper Joel Estrada snared the ball to close out the game.
Now the Sun Warriors take a closer step to a program first. The defending Class AA state champion lost to Lane in the semifinals last year. Solorio is the rare city team to claim a state championship.
Only a city title has eluded them.
“This gives us memories of last season when we lost to Lane,” Sanchez said. “We don’t want to fall short in that situation.
“Honestly, right now, our goal is to have a little taste of everything.”
Starting lineups
Von Steuben
GK: Carlos Martinez
D: Sebastian Tovar
D: Juan Valencia
D: Jose Piox
D: Jesse Guijoso
MF: Rambert Ramos
MF: Dane Hoare
MF: Denilson Ramos
MF: Gabriel Edstrom
F: James Malutan
F: Nathan Ramirez
Solorio
GK: Joel Estrada
D: Omar Salgado
D: Kevin Patino
D: Brian Marin
D: Edgar Torres
MF: Rafael Soto
MF: Donovan Dorantes
MF: David Gamez
MF: Jonathan Sanchez
F: Carlos Villa
F: Alex Sanchez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Sanchez, jr., F, Solorio
Scoring summary
First half
Von Steuben—Adriel Rodriguez (Rambert Ramos), 22nd minute
Solorio—Alex Sanchez (Brian Marin), 37th minute
Second half
Solorio—Sanchez (Ivan Soriano, Carlos Villa), 70th minute
Sun Warriors come from behind vs. Von Steuben in CPL quarters
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- One of the great unknowns is how a team responds to the unforeseen. Solorio has lost one time in the last calendar year.
Forgive the Sun Warriors if playing from behind has been more of a theory than an actuality.
Playing against a spirited Von Steuben team, Solorio watched somewhat agonizingly as the Panthers went up 1-0 in the 22nd minute after star Von Steuben midfielder Rambert Ramos controlled a loose ball and slotted a pass to his left that midfielder Adriel Rodriguez blasted inside the near post from about 14 yards.
Then Solorio's Alex Sanchez went to work.
Sanchez continued his remarkable individual season by scoring two goals as Solorio, ranked seventh in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, rallied for the 2-1 victory in the quarterfinals of the Chicago Public League championship playoff Saturday morning at Brooks.
The top-seed in the 32-team format, Solorio (15-1-1) advances to play upstart Hancock in the first semifinal at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Winnemac Stadium.
“We made a mistake in the back, chopped the ball for what seemed like five seconds and just stood there and watched, and they settled and they scored their goal,” Solorio coach Adrian Calleros said.
Solorio has trailed only once this year in the team’s 3-2 loss against no. 4 Wheaton Academy.
“We have not had too many games where we have been down, but that is how we practice and prepare,” Calleros said. “We maintained possession. Fortunately it was not a situation where we were chasing. We never lost our head. It is not as though the goal came with five minutes to go in the game. There was still plenty of time, and we had to play our game.”
Sanchez showed again why he is the most dangerous player in the city. His two goals pushed his season total to a remarkable 37.
He also earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction.
Von Steuben’s defense played well and keeper Carlos Martinez was stellar. Solorio is skilled and savvy enough to play its own version of the waiting game, circling its opponent and then pouncing.
In the 37th minute, defender Brian Marin played the ball on the right side and drove down the edge. After his initial idea failed to materialize, he looked over and played a ball that Sanchez smashed home from about nine yards with a left-footed blast.
“I tried to do the give-and-go with Jonathan [Vasquez], but they closed it off. So I just tried to keep my composure in that situation,” Marin said. “When I got the ball I saw Alex open, and I decided to lob it over the top.”
The game was highlighted by a scintillating central matchup involving Ramos, the top scorer in the Premier Division North, and Sanchez. Glenbrook North coach Paul Vignocchi called Ramos one of the best players he has seen this year after he scored three goals against the Spartans in early September.
Ramos’s size, speed and quickness are the underlying source of his special talents. He a scored a division-best 17 goals and created 10 assists as the Panthers (14-5-0) exceeded expectations.
The Solorio game was no exception.
“Overall, it was a great game between two great teams,” Von Steuben coach Vedad Sarancic said. “Our guys have been battling every game the whole season. We are playing very good soccer.”
Forward James Malutan, Von Steuben’s second-leading scorer with 11 goals, started dropping into the middle in an attempt to shut down passing lanes and force Solorio out of its preferred mode of attacking around standout senior forward Carlos Villa.
Villa is a brilliant facilitator who gets to the middle as the fulcrum of the Solorio attack. There he is given the option of playing the ball wide to Sanchez or Vasquez.
The Rodriguez goal certainly centered the Sun Warriors’ attention.
“In the beginning we started off sloppy, and we knew we had to pick it up and play better,” Sanchez said. “We had to keep the intensity and keep pressuring. We have not gone down in too many games, but it does affect us.
“We knew a game was like this was coming. We knew the goal was coming, and we just had to stay patient.”
Marin said the key to the Sun Warriors’ mentality was drawing back once they broke through late in the first half to create the equalizer.
“We had to keep the same intensity,” Marin said. “We could not settle down. If we did that, Von Steuben was going to come after us.”
Instead Solorio dictated the pace and tempo of the game. The intense back-and-forth represented the most precise expression of the Sun Warriors best style of play. Each time Sanchez broke free in the second half, Von Steuben had a response.
He got some help from unexpected quarters. Freshman midfielder Ivan Soriano generated a turnover deep in the Panthers’ end and slotted the ball to Villa.
Villa deftly executed one of his customary wheel routes in taking the ball from Soriano and playing it out to Sanchez, perfectly stationed at the top of the box.
Sanchez unloaded a ball from about 14 yards that went inside the near post in the 70th minute for the game-winner.
Sarancic called foul. He objected to what he considered a clear foul by Soriano to create the original turnover. He was also unhappy about what he called a missed handball inside the box in the 72nd minute.
“Bottom line, the game should have gone to overtime, and we should have battled it out,” Sarancic said. “There were some questionable calls that hurt both teams. Our players got the wind knocked out of them when the calls started going the other way.
“If that was not an obvious foul, I don’t know what was. The guy took him out from behind. That was a game-changer.”
Ramos had one good look in the 80th minute on a free kick from about 22 yards. He drilled it and achieved considerable velocity and force. Solorio sophomore keeper Joel Estrada snared the ball to close out the game.
Now the Sun Warriors take a closer step to a program first. The defending Class AA state champion lost to Lane in the semifinals last year. Solorio is the rare city team to claim a state championship.
Only a city title has eluded them.
“This gives us memories of last season when we lost to Lane,” Sanchez said. “We don’t want to fall short in that situation.
“Honestly, right now, our goal is to have a little taste of everything.”
Starting lineups
Von Steuben
GK: Carlos Martinez
D: Sebastian Tovar
D: Juan Valencia
D: Jose Piox
D: Jesse Guijoso
MF: Rambert Ramos
MF: Dane Hoare
MF: Denilson Ramos
MF: Gabriel Edstrom
F: James Malutan
F: Nathan Ramirez
Solorio
GK: Joel Estrada
D: Omar Salgado
D: Kevin Patino
D: Brian Marin
D: Edgar Torres
MF: Rafael Soto
MF: Donovan Dorantes
MF: David Gamez
MF: Jonathan Sanchez
F: Carlos Villa
F: Alex Sanchez
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Alex Sanchez, jr., F, Solorio
Scoring summary
First half
Von Steuben—Adriel Rodriguez (Rambert Ramos), 22nd minute
Solorio—Alex Sanchez (Brian Marin), 37th minute
Second half
Solorio—Sanchez (Ivan Soriano, Carlos Villa), 70th minute