Metea Valley, Streamwood settle for 1-1 tie No. 22 Metea can't hold halftime lead against no. 8 Sabres
By Steve Nemeth
AURORA -- In true season-opening fashion, the 1-1 draw between host Metea Valley and Streamwood will be best remembered as a learning lesson.
Technically the visiting Sabres -- ranked no. 8 in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason First 50 poll -- overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with an improved second half. On the other hand, Metea Valley -- rated no. 22 -- had a stellar start and posted a stalemate with a top 10 foe. Both coaches have positives to build on and need to address a few concerns.
Metea appeared to be far more in control of the opening half than the statistics would indicate, particularly with Streamwood having the varying breeze advantage. Mustangs coach Josh Robinson attributed much of that to Abraham Antar’s midfield performance, which earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“Without a doubt he controlled the middle, especially in the first half. He generated opportunities that we didn’t always capitalize on,” Robinson said. “In the second half he was a little more present on defense because as a team, we lost some of our control. Thankfully he kept his composure.”
There was 23:17 played when the Mustangs got on the scoreboard.
“I knew Alex (Krehl) was getting ready to head the ball my way and their keeper was a little off center, so I just focused on placing it near post,” Joey Donovan recounted. “It’s a pretty nice way to start my senior year out, especially since I missed the last half of my junior season.”
Donovan, one of only two starters back for Metea Valley along with goalie Gandhi Cruz, didn’t hesitate to add a compliment for Antar.
“He’s a workhorse,” Donovan said. “It’s great to have him behind you, because you know you have time to recover thanks to how solid he is.”
Cruz also proved to be every bit the standout he’s billed to be. The Mustangs goalie earned Chicagoland Soccer All-State acclaim last year along with graduated teammates James Lynch and Evan Lang. On the flip side, Streamwood’s anchor was once again Jose Ibarra, one of only three sophomores in the state to make the 2018 CS All-State unit. Both teams also have CS Watch List performers in sophomore Colin Bastianoni for Metea and Edwin Peralta for the Sabres.
While Metea graduated 15 seniors off a 2018 regional finals unit, Antar joins Donovan and Cruz in leading another nine-member senior group this year.
“Last year we had a great team that was senior-heavy, so now it’s our turn to step up and work just hard,” Antar said. “We want to be known for our pride, character and work ethic.”
In response to the question of how a season-opening tie reflected that, Antar also was quick to answer.
“Against a team like Streamwood, a lot of people may not have expected us to score first, but we did that and that can build our confidence,” Antar said. “We were a little unlucky to start the second half, but we then worked harder to maintain the tie. Overall the match proves to us that we can rely on having each other’s back.”
The lack of luck Antar referred to was Metea’s reaction to Streamwood being significantly more aggressive following halftime.
While the match began with attacks and counterattacks, it wasn’t until just after the mid-point of the opening 40 minutes that the most notable opportunity occurred. Reserve Jacob Tune took a pass from Donovan and unleashed a point-blank nine-yard blast only to have Streamwood goalie Antonio Hererra make a huge save. However, the Sabres senior keeper wasn’t as fortunate just a minute later.
Streamwood’s bid to equalize included Peralta's 38-yard free kick that dipped under the crossbar. However, Gandhi tipped the ball over to keep the Sabres scoreess. It was one of two highlight reel-worthy tip saves by the Metea senior, the only returnee among five All-DuPage Valley Conference Mustangs honorees.
As the first half’s final 10 seconds ticked away, Krehl had a 29-yard boot from left of center which sailed just past the far right post.
As if answering that effort to start the second half, Streamwood tried to find someone in the middle from both wings before gaining a free kick on the far left. That’s where Leo Magana’s restart ping-ponged around until Alejandro Morales pounced just 2:07 after intermission.
“We pushed up and were working hard to score, so I was anticipating a rebound when it did happen,” Morales said. “The goalie was still out having tried to punch the ball away, so I just went bottom left and put a lot of power on it.”
While the shot did deflect off a Mustangs defender, it was what Streamwood coach Matt Polovin had requested his team to do. Before the Sabres’ next match, a lot of improvement has to be made on not fouling, per Polovin’s match-long pleas.
The remainder of the game wasn’t as uneventful as the final score might suggest. Right after the restart, Metea thought the lead was regained when an Antar free kick ultimately got headed in by Krehl. However, an offside whistle was flagged between the initial free kick and a ricochet prior to the header.
At just under 50 minutes, Krehl unleashed a 26-yard grounder that Hererra scooped up. At the opposite end, Aldo Jimenez followed up with a putback off a block only to have Gandhi make another save. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, free kicks from Krehl and Donovan were high or wide. With 13:20 left in regulation, Hererra was equal to stopping consecutive attempts
On several occasions, Gandhi’s powerful punts made even longer by the gusts, nearly generated scoring chances. One such boot bounced a single time before Hererra snatched it out of the air. TH Streamwood netminder did the same on solid cross from Krehl with 4:56 on the clock.
At the opposite end, Morales had a right wing free kick that went begging for a re-direct near the far left post.
“That was one example of the need to finish chances,” Polovin admitted. “I liked how we created chances in and around the box, but the flip side is finishing those chances. Hopefully our for freshmen can gain some confidence from the playing time.
“In the first half we needed to simply calm down. There were simply too many give-aways on our part due to bad touches. And we were fortunate Metea didn’t use more of them. Thankfully Jose (Ibarra) is as I maintain, one of the best defenders in the state,” Polovin said.
As previously mentioned, the statistics weren’t always indicative of play in either half. Metea had an 11-7 advantage for overall attempts and a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Corner kicks where also in the Mustangs’ favor 4-2. Gandhi finished with six saves while Hererra officially earned five stops.
“Despite not getting a win, we’ll still take this as a plus,” Peralta said. “We need to work on communicating more, something we did better in the second half especially with four freshmen. Can we improve? Yes, but to me a tie is still better than a loss.”
There was a somber tone prior to the match as both teams stood quietly in midfield as everyone joined in a moment of silence in the memory of former Mustangs soccer player Eric Severson. The Metea Valley grad was found dead in a University of Missouri residence hall last Wednesday.
A GoFundMe account was launched by Carolyn Lovelace, whose son and daughter are Missouri students. She and Severson’s mother belong to a private Facebook group for parents of Missouri students. Within a couple days, $1,820 of a $5,000 goal was raised according to Lovelace.
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Antonio Hererra
D Fernando Mancera
D Josh Taboada
D Jose Ibarra
D Ethan Satsatin
M Edwin Peralta
M Aaron Taboada
M Leo Magana
M Alejandro Morales
F Jose Banuelos
F Angel Diaz
Metea Valley
GK: Ghandi Cruz
D Justin Hines
D Tyler Kero
D Davis Quarles
D Clarke Simonich
DM Nick Sanchez
DM Abraham Antar
DM Matthew Dovalovsky
OM Colin Bastianoni
OM Joey Donovan
F Alex Krehl
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Abraham Antar, sr., MF, Metea Valley
Referees: Kevin O’Connor (center), Gheorghe Zlate, Alin Popesco
Game summary
Streamwood 1, Metea Valley 1
Streamwood 0 1 -- 1 (0-0-1)
Metea Valley 1 0 -- 1 (0-0-1)
Scoring
First half
MV -- Donovan quick finish inside near post (Krehl assist), 23:17 gone
Second half
S -- Morales loose ball finish off MV defender (unassisted), 42:07 gone
Overall shots
S 3 – 4 -- 7
MV 4 – 7 -- 11
Shots on goal
S 2 – 3 -- 5
MV 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
S (Hererra) 2 – 3 -- 5
MV (Gandhi) 3 – 3 -- 6
Corner kicks
S 1 – 1 -- 2
MV 2 – 2 -- 4
Offsides
S 0 – 0 -- 0
MV 1 – 1 -- 2
By Steve Nemeth
AURORA -- In true season-opening fashion, the 1-1 draw between host Metea Valley and Streamwood will be best remembered as a learning lesson.
Technically the visiting Sabres -- ranked no. 8 in the Chicagoland Soccer preseason First 50 poll -- overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with an improved second half. On the other hand, Metea Valley -- rated no. 22 -- had a stellar start and posted a stalemate with a top 10 foe. Both coaches have positives to build on and need to address a few concerns.
Metea appeared to be far more in control of the opening half than the statistics would indicate, particularly with Streamwood having the varying breeze advantage. Mustangs coach Josh Robinson attributed much of that to Abraham Antar’s midfield performance, which earned him Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
“Without a doubt he controlled the middle, especially in the first half. He generated opportunities that we didn’t always capitalize on,” Robinson said. “In the second half he was a little more present on defense because as a team, we lost some of our control. Thankfully he kept his composure.”
There was 23:17 played when the Mustangs got on the scoreboard.
“I knew Alex (Krehl) was getting ready to head the ball my way and their keeper was a little off center, so I just focused on placing it near post,” Joey Donovan recounted. “It’s a pretty nice way to start my senior year out, especially since I missed the last half of my junior season.”
Donovan, one of only two starters back for Metea Valley along with goalie Gandhi Cruz, didn’t hesitate to add a compliment for Antar.
“He’s a workhorse,” Donovan said. “It’s great to have him behind you, because you know you have time to recover thanks to how solid he is.”
Cruz also proved to be every bit the standout he’s billed to be. The Mustangs goalie earned Chicagoland Soccer All-State acclaim last year along with graduated teammates James Lynch and Evan Lang. On the flip side, Streamwood’s anchor was once again Jose Ibarra, one of only three sophomores in the state to make the 2018 CS All-State unit. Both teams also have CS Watch List performers in sophomore Colin Bastianoni for Metea and Edwin Peralta for the Sabres.
While Metea graduated 15 seniors off a 2018 regional finals unit, Antar joins Donovan and Cruz in leading another nine-member senior group this year.
“Last year we had a great team that was senior-heavy, so now it’s our turn to step up and work just hard,” Antar said. “We want to be known for our pride, character and work ethic.”
In response to the question of how a season-opening tie reflected that, Antar also was quick to answer.
“Against a team like Streamwood, a lot of people may not have expected us to score first, but we did that and that can build our confidence,” Antar said. “We were a little unlucky to start the second half, but we then worked harder to maintain the tie. Overall the match proves to us that we can rely on having each other’s back.”
The lack of luck Antar referred to was Metea’s reaction to Streamwood being significantly more aggressive following halftime.
While the match began with attacks and counterattacks, it wasn’t until just after the mid-point of the opening 40 minutes that the most notable opportunity occurred. Reserve Jacob Tune took a pass from Donovan and unleashed a point-blank nine-yard blast only to have Streamwood goalie Antonio Hererra make a huge save. However, the Sabres senior keeper wasn’t as fortunate just a minute later.
Streamwood’s bid to equalize included Peralta's 38-yard free kick that dipped under the crossbar. However, Gandhi tipped the ball over to keep the Sabres scoreess. It was one of two highlight reel-worthy tip saves by the Metea senior, the only returnee among five All-DuPage Valley Conference Mustangs honorees.
As the first half’s final 10 seconds ticked away, Krehl had a 29-yard boot from left of center which sailed just past the far right post.
As if answering that effort to start the second half, Streamwood tried to find someone in the middle from both wings before gaining a free kick on the far left. That’s where Leo Magana’s restart ping-ponged around until Alejandro Morales pounced just 2:07 after intermission.
“We pushed up and were working hard to score, so I was anticipating a rebound when it did happen,” Morales said. “The goalie was still out having tried to punch the ball away, so I just went bottom left and put a lot of power on it.”
While the shot did deflect off a Mustangs defender, it was what Streamwood coach Matt Polovin had requested his team to do. Before the Sabres’ next match, a lot of improvement has to be made on not fouling, per Polovin’s match-long pleas.
The remainder of the game wasn’t as uneventful as the final score might suggest. Right after the restart, Metea thought the lead was regained when an Antar free kick ultimately got headed in by Krehl. However, an offside whistle was flagged between the initial free kick and a ricochet prior to the header.
At just under 50 minutes, Krehl unleashed a 26-yard grounder that Hererra scooped up. At the opposite end, Aldo Jimenez followed up with a putback off a block only to have Gandhi make another save. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, free kicks from Krehl and Donovan were high or wide. With 13:20 left in regulation, Hererra was equal to stopping consecutive attempts
On several occasions, Gandhi’s powerful punts made even longer by the gusts, nearly generated scoring chances. One such boot bounced a single time before Hererra snatched it out of the air. TH Streamwood netminder did the same on solid cross from Krehl with 4:56 on the clock.
At the opposite end, Morales had a right wing free kick that went begging for a re-direct near the far left post.
“That was one example of the need to finish chances,” Polovin admitted. “I liked how we created chances in and around the box, but the flip side is finishing those chances. Hopefully our for freshmen can gain some confidence from the playing time.
“In the first half we needed to simply calm down. There were simply too many give-aways on our part due to bad touches. And we were fortunate Metea didn’t use more of them. Thankfully Jose (Ibarra) is as I maintain, one of the best defenders in the state,” Polovin said.
As previously mentioned, the statistics weren’t always indicative of play in either half. Metea had an 11-7 advantage for overall attempts and a 6-5 edge in shots on goal. Corner kicks where also in the Mustangs’ favor 4-2. Gandhi finished with six saves while Hererra officially earned five stops.
“Despite not getting a win, we’ll still take this as a plus,” Peralta said. “We need to work on communicating more, something we did better in the second half especially with four freshmen. Can we improve? Yes, but to me a tie is still better than a loss.”
There was a somber tone prior to the match as both teams stood quietly in midfield as everyone joined in a moment of silence in the memory of former Mustangs soccer player Eric Severson. The Metea Valley grad was found dead in a University of Missouri residence hall last Wednesday.
A GoFundMe account was launched by Carolyn Lovelace, whose son and daughter are Missouri students. She and Severson’s mother belong to a private Facebook group for parents of Missouri students. Within a couple days, $1,820 of a $5,000 goal was raised according to Lovelace.
Starting lineups
Streamwood
GK Antonio Hererra
D Fernando Mancera
D Josh Taboada
D Jose Ibarra
D Ethan Satsatin
M Edwin Peralta
M Aaron Taboada
M Leo Magana
M Alejandro Morales
F Jose Banuelos
F Angel Diaz
Metea Valley
GK: Ghandi Cruz
D Justin Hines
D Tyler Kero
D Davis Quarles
D Clarke Simonich
DM Nick Sanchez
DM Abraham Antar
DM Matthew Dovalovsky
OM Colin Bastianoni
OM Joey Donovan
F Alex Krehl
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Abraham Antar, sr., MF, Metea Valley
Referees: Kevin O’Connor (center), Gheorghe Zlate, Alin Popesco
Game summary
Streamwood 1, Metea Valley 1
Streamwood 0 1 -- 1 (0-0-1)
Metea Valley 1 0 -- 1 (0-0-1)
Scoring
First half
MV -- Donovan quick finish inside near post (Krehl assist), 23:17 gone
Second half
S -- Morales loose ball finish off MV defender (unassisted), 42:07 gone
Overall shots
S 3 – 4 -- 7
MV 4 – 7 -- 11
Shots on goal
S 2 – 3 -- 5
MV 3 – 3 -- 6
Saves (goalie)
S (Hererra) 2 – 3 -- 5
MV (Gandhi) 3 – 3 -- 6
Corner kicks
S 1 – 1 -- 2
MV 2 – 2 -- 4
Offsides
S 0 – 0 -- 0
MV 1 – 1 -- 2