Streamwood turnaround
delivers win at Glenbard South
Garcia collects brace in 3-1 Upstate 8 win
By Eli Ong
GLEN ELLYN -- Streamwood surfed the wave of a second half scoring barrage and walked away with a convincing 3-1 victory over host Glenbard South in an Upstate Eight Conference match Wednesday evening.
A crisp, 65-degree night greeted the Sabres on their host's Senior Night. The Raiders recognized their Class of '22 members: Aryan Sandova; Jorge Najera; Joseph Kim; Hector Gonzalez; Noah Ball; Matt Drinane; and Alejandro Gomez.
Going into the game both teams were stuck in rough stretches: Streamwood was mired in a six-game losing streak; and Glenbard South had lost six out of its last seven games.
The game opened with a nice ceremonial gesture.
Glenbard South's Gomez -- who tore his ACL in the first game of spring season and was lost for the season -- took the opening kickoff for the Raiders, who fielded the ball and scuttled it out of bounds so he could come off the field.
Streamwood turned the ball back to Glenbard South on the ensuing throw-in as a sign of respect for the injured Raiders senior, and the game began in earnest.
Streamwood head coach Matt Polovin alluded to his squad’s struggles before the game and pointed toward injuries, roster turnover, youthful inexperience and inconsistent defense and goalkeeping as stumbling blocks to success throughout the year.
Afterward, Polovin highlighted his team’s next-man-up mentality heading into the game as a major reason they walked away with a win against the Raiders.
“You know we were short three or four guys tonight and three of them were starters,” said Polovin. “Our guys really stepped up, and that’s what we really need at this point of the season.”
Chief among those who rose to the occasion was junior midfielder Michael Garcia, who blasted home two goals, and freshman forward Ricardo Aguilar who added one.
Polovin said his offense is built around Garcia and his aggressive, tactical nature, which allows the Sabres to push the ball toward the net and pressure opposing backlines.
“When I play striker there’s usually two guys, three guys that will come to me,” said Garcia after the game. “At that point I try to turn it on and turn it into a one-on-one or hold the ball and see if I can get the ball to one of my teammates who has a one-on-one.”
Both teams looked like they were shaking off a bit of rust during the first half.
Streamwood was able to control possession from the onset. The Sabres placed a pair of crosses in front of Glenbard South goalkeeper Drinane in the opening two minutes but were unable to get off any shots on goal in the process.
After that, Glenbard South swung the momentum its way, primarily through the ballhandling and touch of senior midfielder Kim. One of the fastest players on the field, Kim used his speed and passing abilities to hold back Streamwood’s attack while directing his front line to a few opportunities to attack the Sabres’ goal.
“He’s 5-foot-nothing, 100 pounds soaking wet, and he’s, he’s just ferocious at tackles, attacking bodies and playing quick and physical,” said Glenbard South head coach Adam Szyszko. “It’s fun to coach him and watch him play.”
Kim’s passing led to a set piece in the 36th minute. Forward Tres Moore blasted a free kick from 35 yards that ricocheted off a defender’s head and flew 10 feet over Streamwood’s goal. The ensuing corner yielded nothing.
Glenbard South’s two best scoring opportunities after that came near the end of the first half. Sophomore midfielder Tevaris Neidecker dribbled around a defender and Streamwood sophomore goalkeeper Jason Ramirez with just under three minutes to go in the half. Before he could get off a shot, he lost possession of the ball and watched it slowly roll out of bounds two to three yards left of the far left goal post.
The next opportunity materialized just before intermission. Kim laced a pass more than 50 yards to sophomore forward Nick Miranda the middle of the Streamwood penalty box with 10 seconds to spare.
Miranda gathered the ball and sent a shot that was blocked by the Streamwood backline. A struggle to gain possession ensued until the clock struck zero, sending both teams to halftime with the score knotted at nil-nil.
Glenbard South was the aggressor coming out of the intermission. Junior forward Esteban Godinez pushed a low skidding ground ball near the far-right goal post that Ramirez stopped in the 41st minute.
Moore had a pair of opportunities in the 44th and 46th minute, getting past Ramirez on a breakaway but pushing his shot wide right. A blast past Ramirez that appeared to be the icebreaker was overruled due to an offside call.
From that point on, the rest of the game was basically all Streamwood.
Garcia’s first goal of the night came in the 54th minute. He attacked on a breakaway up the middle and sent a low line drive from about 10 yards over the top of a sliding Drinane to record the opener.
Glenbard South (7-10-1, 1-6-0) didn't wait long to equalize. In the 55th minute’s goal was around the 55 minute mark. GBS MF Joseph Kim was a awarded a PK after a foul in the box. Streamwood keeper Jason Ramirez deflected Kim’s initial shot, but the shooter gathered the rebound and tapped the ball just inside the left goal post under the outstretched arm of Ramirez from point-blank range.
Five minutes later, Streamwood freshman forward Jairo Sanchez threaded the needle between two Glenbard South defenders. His pass rolled slightly out of reach of sophomore defender Bryan Huerta, who was pressing up in the attack and had only the goalkeeper between him and paydirt.
“A lot of times Jairo doesn’t really play like a freshman, he plays like an upperclassman who’s been doing it for the last four years,” Polovin said of Sanchez’s contributions to the team. “He never comes out. He’s played every single minute of every single game for us so far.
“He’s just someone we need out there, because he’s someone you want to have the ball at his feet. He can always find that gap for one of our wings to make their run or find an attacking mid.”
Despite the missed opportunity, the Sabres did not relent on offense. In the 70th minute, Garcia found sophomore forward Trey Yi who fired a line-drive shot that was deflected by the Glenbard South keeper. Aguilar collected the rebound and kicked it into the empty net to move the score to 2-1 in favor of Streamwood.
“I think our total effort as a team is getting there,” said Yi after the game. “I think when we were losing before this game we would get our heads down, but now we’re building momentum and starting to get ready for regionals.”
Garcia added his second goal as he gathered a pass near midfield and sailed up the right side with just under three minutes to go in the game. As Garcia approached the net, he unleashed a combo of dribble moves, allowing him to evade his defender and punch a ball under the outstretched arm of Drinane to bring the score to its final tally, 3-1.
Streamwood (5-9-2, 2-5-0) has two games remaining before the state playoffs. Both are home league contests: Fenton on Saturday; and Larkin on Oct. 12.
“You know, this is exactly what we needed – to establish some rhythm, some momentum so we can get out of the loss column,” Polovin said. “Now we’re in the win column.
“We’ve got guys stepping up and getting us in the shape that we need to be in for those last two games of the season before playoffs start.”
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Jason Ramirez
D Joel Benitez
D Marcos Gutierrez
D Bryan Huerta
D E.J. Satsatin
MF Jairo Sanchez
MF Michael Garcia
MF Andy Mendoza
F Angel Perez
F Trey Yi
F Ricardo Aguilar
Glenbard South
GK Matt Drinane
D Jorge Najera
D Jacob Lichtenheld
D Noah Ball
MF Esteban Godinez
MF Joseph Kim
MF Hector Gonzalez
MF Aryan Sandoval
F Tres Moore
F Robby Smith
F Nick Miranda
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Michael Garcia, jr., MF, Streamwood
Scoring Summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Streamwood: Garcia (unassisted), 54'
GS: Kim (unassisted), 55'
Streamwood: Aguilar (Yi), 70'
Streamwood: Garcia (unassisted), 77'
delivers win at Glenbard South
Garcia collects brace in 3-1 Upstate 8 win
By Eli Ong
GLEN ELLYN -- Streamwood surfed the wave of a second half scoring barrage and walked away with a convincing 3-1 victory over host Glenbard South in an Upstate Eight Conference match Wednesday evening.
A crisp, 65-degree night greeted the Sabres on their host's Senior Night. The Raiders recognized their Class of '22 members: Aryan Sandova; Jorge Najera; Joseph Kim; Hector Gonzalez; Noah Ball; Matt Drinane; and Alejandro Gomez.
Going into the game both teams were stuck in rough stretches: Streamwood was mired in a six-game losing streak; and Glenbard South had lost six out of its last seven games.
The game opened with a nice ceremonial gesture.
Glenbard South's Gomez -- who tore his ACL in the first game of spring season and was lost for the season -- took the opening kickoff for the Raiders, who fielded the ball and scuttled it out of bounds so he could come off the field.
Streamwood turned the ball back to Glenbard South on the ensuing throw-in as a sign of respect for the injured Raiders senior, and the game began in earnest.
Streamwood head coach Matt Polovin alluded to his squad’s struggles before the game and pointed toward injuries, roster turnover, youthful inexperience and inconsistent defense and goalkeeping as stumbling blocks to success throughout the year.
Afterward, Polovin highlighted his team’s next-man-up mentality heading into the game as a major reason they walked away with a win against the Raiders.
“You know we were short three or four guys tonight and three of them were starters,” said Polovin. “Our guys really stepped up, and that’s what we really need at this point of the season.”
Chief among those who rose to the occasion was junior midfielder Michael Garcia, who blasted home two goals, and freshman forward Ricardo Aguilar who added one.
Polovin said his offense is built around Garcia and his aggressive, tactical nature, which allows the Sabres to push the ball toward the net and pressure opposing backlines.
“When I play striker there’s usually two guys, three guys that will come to me,” said Garcia after the game. “At that point I try to turn it on and turn it into a one-on-one or hold the ball and see if I can get the ball to one of my teammates who has a one-on-one.”
Both teams looked like they were shaking off a bit of rust during the first half.
Streamwood was able to control possession from the onset. The Sabres placed a pair of crosses in front of Glenbard South goalkeeper Drinane in the opening two minutes but were unable to get off any shots on goal in the process.
After that, Glenbard South swung the momentum its way, primarily through the ballhandling and touch of senior midfielder Kim. One of the fastest players on the field, Kim used his speed and passing abilities to hold back Streamwood’s attack while directing his front line to a few opportunities to attack the Sabres’ goal.
“He’s 5-foot-nothing, 100 pounds soaking wet, and he’s, he’s just ferocious at tackles, attacking bodies and playing quick and physical,” said Glenbard South head coach Adam Szyszko. “It’s fun to coach him and watch him play.”
Kim’s passing led to a set piece in the 36th minute. Forward Tres Moore blasted a free kick from 35 yards that ricocheted off a defender’s head and flew 10 feet over Streamwood’s goal. The ensuing corner yielded nothing.
Glenbard South’s two best scoring opportunities after that came near the end of the first half. Sophomore midfielder Tevaris Neidecker dribbled around a defender and Streamwood sophomore goalkeeper Jason Ramirez with just under three minutes to go in the half. Before he could get off a shot, he lost possession of the ball and watched it slowly roll out of bounds two to three yards left of the far left goal post.
The next opportunity materialized just before intermission. Kim laced a pass more than 50 yards to sophomore forward Nick Miranda the middle of the Streamwood penalty box with 10 seconds to spare.
Miranda gathered the ball and sent a shot that was blocked by the Streamwood backline. A struggle to gain possession ensued until the clock struck zero, sending both teams to halftime with the score knotted at nil-nil.
Glenbard South was the aggressor coming out of the intermission. Junior forward Esteban Godinez pushed a low skidding ground ball near the far-right goal post that Ramirez stopped in the 41st minute.
Moore had a pair of opportunities in the 44th and 46th minute, getting past Ramirez on a breakaway but pushing his shot wide right. A blast past Ramirez that appeared to be the icebreaker was overruled due to an offside call.
From that point on, the rest of the game was basically all Streamwood.
Garcia’s first goal of the night came in the 54th minute. He attacked on a breakaway up the middle and sent a low line drive from about 10 yards over the top of a sliding Drinane to record the opener.
Glenbard South (7-10-1, 1-6-0) didn't wait long to equalize. In the 55th minute’s goal was around the 55 minute mark. GBS MF Joseph Kim was a awarded a PK after a foul in the box. Streamwood keeper Jason Ramirez deflected Kim’s initial shot, but the shooter gathered the rebound and tapped the ball just inside the left goal post under the outstretched arm of Ramirez from point-blank range.
Five minutes later, Streamwood freshman forward Jairo Sanchez threaded the needle between two Glenbard South defenders. His pass rolled slightly out of reach of sophomore defender Bryan Huerta, who was pressing up in the attack and had only the goalkeeper between him and paydirt.
“A lot of times Jairo doesn’t really play like a freshman, he plays like an upperclassman who’s been doing it for the last four years,” Polovin said of Sanchez’s contributions to the team. “He never comes out. He’s played every single minute of every single game for us so far.
“He’s just someone we need out there, because he’s someone you want to have the ball at his feet. He can always find that gap for one of our wings to make their run or find an attacking mid.”
Despite the missed opportunity, the Sabres did not relent on offense. In the 70th minute, Garcia found sophomore forward Trey Yi who fired a line-drive shot that was deflected by the Glenbard South keeper. Aguilar collected the rebound and kicked it into the empty net to move the score to 2-1 in favor of Streamwood.
“I think our total effort as a team is getting there,” said Yi after the game. “I think when we were losing before this game we would get our heads down, but now we’re building momentum and starting to get ready for regionals.”
Garcia added his second goal as he gathered a pass near midfield and sailed up the right side with just under three minutes to go in the game. As Garcia approached the net, he unleashed a combo of dribble moves, allowing him to evade his defender and punch a ball under the outstretched arm of Drinane to bring the score to its final tally, 3-1.
Streamwood (5-9-2, 2-5-0) has two games remaining before the state playoffs. Both are home league contests: Fenton on Saturday; and Larkin on Oct. 12.
“You know, this is exactly what we needed – to establish some rhythm, some momentum so we can get out of the loss column,” Polovin said. “Now we’re in the win column.
“We’ve got guys stepping up and getting us in the shape that we need to be in for those last two games of the season before playoffs start.”
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Jason Ramirez
D Joel Benitez
D Marcos Gutierrez
D Bryan Huerta
D E.J. Satsatin
MF Jairo Sanchez
MF Michael Garcia
MF Andy Mendoza
F Angel Perez
F Trey Yi
F Ricardo Aguilar
Glenbard South
GK Matt Drinane
D Jorge Najera
D Jacob Lichtenheld
D Noah Ball
MF Esteban Godinez
MF Joseph Kim
MF Hector Gonzalez
MF Aryan Sandoval
F Tres Moore
F Robby Smith
F Nick Miranda
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Michael Garcia, jr., MF, Streamwood
Scoring Summary
First half
No scoring
Second half
Streamwood: Garcia (unassisted), 54'
GS: Kim (unassisted), 55'
Streamwood: Aguilar (Yi), 70'
Streamwood: Garcia (unassisted), 77'