Elgin, Nava hang tough,
net Classic semifinal win vs. Streamwood
Maroons rope-in home semifinal win in Fall Classic
By Bill McLean
ELGIN — More than the ball hit the net on Elgin junior forward Eduardo Nava’s goal Saturday morning in a Streamwood Fall Classic semifinal match at steamy Memorial Field.
Nava himself did, too.
The gifted, nose-for-the-goal Maroon clutched twine at the back of the container for a few seconds after his momentum brought him there right after he broke the ice against Streamwood.
“I was tired, so I hung on to the net for a little while,” Nava said. “I said, ‘Net, please hold me up.’”
Then, Elgin: scored again in the first half on senior forward Erick Ortiz’s first goal of the season; allowed a goal in the 70th minute; and hung on for a 2-1 all-Upstate Eight Conference semifinal victory.
In the mid-afternoon the Maroons (7-0-3), who are ranked no. 14 in Chicagoland Soccer’s Top 25, edged no. 24 Lockport 1-0 for the tourney title.
Streamwood (5-4-2) kicked it up a few dozen notches in search of the equalizer in the last 10 minutes of the semi, attacking the hosts with the four-forward force of Marcus Gutierrez (normally a back), Trey Yi (normally a wing), A.J. Sabanovic and Andy Benitez.
Sabres sophomore outside back Alex Alcala nearly tied it in the 78th minute, striking an upper-90, far-post shot from 15 yards. But Maroons senior goalkeeper Kleber Rodriguez timed the threat perfectly and soared to snare the ball at its apex.
“We threw everything at them, trying to tie it up with as much pressure as possible,” said Sabres coach Matt Polovin. His counterpart, first-year Elgin manager Jimmy Romano, was a 2006 Streamwood graduate, played for Polovin and served as his assistant from 2010-15.
“It was a classic Streamwood-Elgin game — a lot of a grit, a lot of back and forth,” added Polovin, in his 22nd season at the school. “Our guys gave all they could, and I thought our keeper (junior Jason Ramirez) played his best overall game of the season.”
Streamwood had landed in the semifinal as a wild card from pool play in the three-division tourney. Elgin earned the top seed.
“We kept moving on to the next play,” Romano said, referring to a key to Saturday’s win. “When you play with a next-play mentality, you don’t lose confidence.”
The Elgin opener came in the 13th minute off a 20-yard delivery from Ortiz, a co-captain. Ortiz had secured a steal moments before the send. The hustling Nava settled Ortiz’s pass in stride and then beat Ramirez from about eight yards.
The only thing Nava, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, failed to tame on the sequence was his momentum.
Thus his run-in with the net.
Nava returned the favor 21 minutes later, feeding the pass that resulted in Ortiz’s first goal in 2022. Ortiz, a slick ballhandler who darts and dashes more than he runs atop pitches, took a rather circuitous route to arrive at his shot’s launching point.
“To me, it looked like he dribbled the ball in a semicircle around the box,” Nava said.
To others, as well.
From a sharp angle situated maybe 15 yards to the left of keeper Ramirez, Ortiz used his right foot to hammer a shot to the far post. The ball Halley’s Comet-ed upper 90 and upped the lead to 2-0.
A Giant Pacific Octopus would have had a tough time altering the ball’s flight with any number of tentacles.
Ortiz double fist-pumped and then kissed the yellow sweatband around his right wrist. Several Maroons wore the bright adornment to commemorate Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s impossible NOT to be aware of Streamwood senior center back Marcus Gutierrez at any point in any Sabres soccer match. The disruptive backliner was part gnat, part wall for most of the 80 minutes.
Elgin enjoyed a Gutierrez-free pitch for only a couple of minutes in the second half; he came out briefly after suffering an injury.
“Marcus is right up there with the top defenders in the state, no question,” Polovin insisted. “He’s not as big as the top backs, but he makes up for it by being a soccer freak of nature.”
Streamwood’s Diogo Magana, a senior center back, and Bryan Huerta, a junior back/midfielder, also performed admirably against Elgin’s clever ball-movers.
“It was a very physical, fast-paced game, up and down, up and down,” Magana said. “Elgin had more chances than we did.”
Sabres sophomore center midfielder Jairo Sanchez capitalized on his opportunity in the 70th minute, curling home a left-footed free kick from 19 yards. Rodriguez made a valiant effort to stop the near-post shot before tumbling hard and ending up in a heap in the back corner of the goal.
Elgin came close to opening a 3-0 lead on a give-and-go fast break in the 48th minute. Splendid senior forward Miguel Navarro tapped a lead pass to Nava, who quickly returned the ball to Navarro.
Navarro’s shot was a tad wide.
You can’t help but notice — and appreciate — Elgin’s abilities with the ball at their feet. The Maroons do stuff you can’t teach.
Romano grinned when somebody pointed out his club’s proclivity to wow spectators.
“We give them the freedom to show their creativity,” Romano said. “But, you know what matters? Goals matter.”
And the Maroons got the ones they needed to lock up the semifinal.
Both team’s resume Upstate Eight competition Wednesday. Elgin hosts Bartlett, and Streamwood entertains Glenbard South. Both games start at 6:30 p.m.
Footnotes
You again? Streamwood returns to Elgin for a rematch on Sept. 26 in an Upstate Eight clash that begins at 6:30 p.m. … Romano played forward, center back and center midfielder when he suited up for Streamwood. … Polovin guided the Sabres to a fourth place finish at the Class 3A state tournament in 2014. Romano roamed the sidelines as an assistant for the best team in program history. … Nava’s late grandfather, Placido, died of cancer around this time last year, Eduardo noted after the semifinal. “Yes, he taught me a few things in soccer,” Nava said. … Streamwood’s Gutierrez and Elgin senior midfielder Geo Catalan engaged in an intense 1-v-1 deep in Sabres terrain in the 54th minute. Gutierrez stymied the rush, forcing a turnover. As the pair headed up-field, they exchanged words and smiles and Catalan extended his right hand to the trailing Gutierrez, who low-fived it. Who said sportsmanship is dead?
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Jason Ramirez
D Diogo Magana
D Marcus Gutierrez
D Alex Alcala
D Andy Mendoza
MF Hugo Marquez
MF Trey Yi
MF Jairo Sanchez
MF Bryan Huerta
F A.J. Sabanovic
F Andy Benitez
Elgin
GK Kleber Rodriguez
D Roberto Salinas
D German Lara
D Edgar Perez
D Julian Orozco
MF Aaron Saldana
MF Omar Saldana
MF Miguel Navarro
MF Gio Catalan
F Erick Ortiz
F Eduardo Nava
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Eduardo Nava, jr., F, Elgin
Scoring summary
First half
Elgin — Nava (Ortiz), 13’
Elgin — Ortiz (Nava), 34’
Second half
Streamwood — Sanchez (FK), 70’
net Classic semifinal win vs. Streamwood
Maroons rope-in home semifinal win in Fall Classic
By Bill McLean
ELGIN — More than the ball hit the net on Elgin junior forward Eduardo Nava’s goal Saturday morning in a Streamwood Fall Classic semifinal match at steamy Memorial Field.
Nava himself did, too.
The gifted, nose-for-the-goal Maroon clutched twine at the back of the container for a few seconds after his momentum brought him there right after he broke the ice against Streamwood.
“I was tired, so I hung on to the net for a little while,” Nava said. “I said, ‘Net, please hold me up.’”
Then, Elgin: scored again in the first half on senior forward Erick Ortiz’s first goal of the season; allowed a goal in the 70th minute; and hung on for a 2-1 all-Upstate Eight Conference semifinal victory.
In the mid-afternoon the Maroons (7-0-3), who are ranked no. 14 in Chicagoland Soccer’s Top 25, edged no. 24 Lockport 1-0 for the tourney title.
Streamwood (5-4-2) kicked it up a few dozen notches in search of the equalizer in the last 10 minutes of the semi, attacking the hosts with the four-forward force of Marcus Gutierrez (normally a back), Trey Yi (normally a wing), A.J. Sabanovic and Andy Benitez.
Sabres sophomore outside back Alex Alcala nearly tied it in the 78th minute, striking an upper-90, far-post shot from 15 yards. But Maroons senior goalkeeper Kleber Rodriguez timed the threat perfectly and soared to snare the ball at its apex.
“We threw everything at them, trying to tie it up with as much pressure as possible,” said Sabres coach Matt Polovin. His counterpart, first-year Elgin manager Jimmy Romano, was a 2006 Streamwood graduate, played for Polovin and served as his assistant from 2010-15.
“It was a classic Streamwood-Elgin game — a lot of a grit, a lot of back and forth,” added Polovin, in his 22nd season at the school. “Our guys gave all they could, and I thought our keeper (junior Jason Ramirez) played his best overall game of the season.”
Streamwood had landed in the semifinal as a wild card from pool play in the three-division tourney. Elgin earned the top seed.
“We kept moving on to the next play,” Romano said, referring to a key to Saturday’s win. “When you play with a next-play mentality, you don’t lose confidence.”
The Elgin opener came in the 13th minute off a 20-yard delivery from Ortiz, a co-captain. Ortiz had secured a steal moments before the send. The hustling Nava settled Ortiz’s pass in stride and then beat Ramirez from about eight yards.
The only thing Nava, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, failed to tame on the sequence was his momentum.
Thus his run-in with the net.
Nava returned the favor 21 minutes later, feeding the pass that resulted in Ortiz’s first goal in 2022. Ortiz, a slick ballhandler who darts and dashes more than he runs atop pitches, took a rather circuitous route to arrive at his shot’s launching point.
“To me, it looked like he dribbled the ball in a semicircle around the box,” Nava said.
To others, as well.
From a sharp angle situated maybe 15 yards to the left of keeper Ramirez, Ortiz used his right foot to hammer a shot to the far post. The ball Halley’s Comet-ed upper 90 and upped the lead to 2-0.
A Giant Pacific Octopus would have had a tough time altering the ball’s flight with any number of tentacles.
Ortiz double fist-pumped and then kissed the yellow sweatband around his right wrist. Several Maroons wore the bright adornment to commemorate Blood Cancer Awareness Month.
It’s impossible NOT to be aware of Streamwood senior center back Marcus Gutierrez at any point in any Sabres soccer match. The disruptive backliner was part gnat, part wall for most of the 80 minutes.
Elgin enjoyed a Gutierrez-free pitch for only a couple of minutes in the second half; he came out briefly after suffering an injury.
“Marcus is right up there with the top defenders in the state, no question,” Polovin insisted. “He’s not as big as the top backs, but he makes up for it by being a soccer freak of nature.”
Streamwood’s Diogo Magana, a senior center back, and Bryan Huerta, a junior back/midfielder, also performed admirably against Elgin’s clever ball-movers.
“It was a very physical, fast-paced game, up and down, up and down,” Magana said. “Elgin had more chances than we did.”
Sabres sophomore center midfielder Jairo Sanchez capitalized on his opportunity in the 70th minute, curling home a left-footed free kick from 19 yards. Rodriguez made a valiant effort to stop the near-post shot before tumbling hard and ending up in a heap in the back corner of the goal.
Elgin came close to opening a 3-0 lead on a give-and-go fast break in the 48th minute. Splendid senior forward Miguel Navarro tapped a lead pass to Nava, who quickly returned the ball to Navarro.
Navarro’s shot was a tad wide.
You can’t help but notice — and appreciate — Elgin’s abilities with the ball at their feet. The Maroons do stuff you can’t teach.
Romano grinned when somebody pointed out his club’s proclivity to wow spectators.
“We give them the freedom to show their creativity,” Romano said. “But, you know what matters? Goals matter.”
And the Maroons got the ones they needed to lock up the semifinal.
Both team’s resume Upstate Eight competition Wednesday. Elgin hosts Bartlett, and Streamwood entertains Glenbard South. Both games start at 6:30 p.m.
Footnotes
You again? Streamwood returns to Elgin for a rematch on Sept. 26 in an Upstate Eight clash that begins at 6:30 p.m. … Romano played forward, center back and center midfielder when he suited up for Streamwood. … Polovin guided the Sabres to a fourth place finish at the Class 3A state tournament in 2014. Romano roamed the sidelines as an assistant for the best team in program history. … Nava’s late grandfather, Placido, died of cancer around this time last year, Eduardo noted after the semifinal. “Yes, he taught me a few things in soccer,” Nava said. … Streamwood’s Gutierrez and Elgin senior midfielder Geo Catalan engaged in an intense 1-v-1 deep in Sabres terrain in the 54th minute. Gutierrez stymied the rush, forcing a turnover. As the pair headed up-field, they exchanged words and smiles and Catalan extended his right hand to the trailing Gutierrez, who low-fived it. Who said sportsmanship is dead?
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Jason Ramirez
D Diogo Magana
D Marcus Gutierrez
D Alex Alcala
D Andy Mendoza
MF Hugo Marquez
MF Trey Yi
MF Jairo Sanchez
MF Bryan Huerta
F A.J. Sabanovic
F Andy Benitez
Elgin
GK Kleber Rodriguez
D Roberto Salinas
D German Lara
D Edgar Perez
D Julian Orozco
MF Aaron Saldana
MF Omar Saldana
MF Miguel Navarro
MF Gio Catalan
F Erick Ortiz
F Eduardo Nava
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match:
Eduardo Nava, jr., F, Elgin
Scoring summary
First half
Elgin — Nava (Ortiz), 13’
Elgin — Ortiz (Nava), 34’
Second half
Streamwood — Sanchez (FK), 70’