Streamwood finds elusive scoring, tops SV
Streamwood wins 2-1 on Peralta’s 2nd half penalty kick
By Gary Larsen
STREAMWOOD — Whatever he might get for his birthday or for Christmas this year, Streamwood’s Edwin ‘Pee Wee’ Peralta shouldn’t expect to get anything more from teammate Jose Ibarra.
Ibarra gave Peralta the gift of a game-winning penalty kick on Tuesday in a 2-1 Sabres win over visiting Saint Viator.
“(Coach Matt) Polovin usually asks me to take the PK, but I asked 'Pee Wee' if he felt confident taking it,” Ibarra said. “He said ‘Yeah, I’m super confident’. He’s been burying those in practice, so I was like ‘Okay, here. Take it’.”
Ibarra’s generosity and Peralta’s blistered penalty kick to the back netting gave Streamwood a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in a PepsiCo Showdown matchup.
Peralta and Ibarra teamed up on a corner kick to set up the pivotal penalty kick at 55 minutes. Peralta served into the box, and Ibarra headed it at the post where a Saint Viator defender blocked it but was called for a hand ball infraction.
Saint Viator (3-4-1) attacked hard for the next 25 minutes to the final buzzer but Streamwood (4-4-2) kept the Lions out of the net.
“I thought both teams played very well,” Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. “We were a bit unlucky on the (penalty kick), but I thought both teams scored good first goals, and I was happy with the game.
"If it wasn’t for all the stops it would have been a game of skill on one side and a game of tactics on the other side.”
Fouls, yellow cards, and red cards all added up to stop any flow from being established in Tuesday’s game. Streamwood’s pass-it-around attack, and Saint Viator’s system play contrasted well and made for flashes of quality play both ways.
As it has in nearly every game this season, Streamwood found multiple scoring chances. Now if the Sabres could only start finishing on a few more ...
“It’s how our season has been,” Polovin said. “We have chance after chance like we did today, but we only have two goals to show for it, one of them being a PK. If we put in a quarter of our chances we probably would have eight or nine wins.
“It’s a better problem to have than if we were searching for chances. As long as we get (scoring) solidified by regionals at the latest, we’ll be okay.”
The game saw chances both ways early on. Streamwood’s Michael Garcia forced a diving stop from Saint Viator keeper Matt Marchiori at five minutes, and Streamwood cleared out a Saint Viator corner kick one minute later.
Junior defender Ibarra headed a ball out at 11 minutes. Peralta sent a free kick to the goalmouth that got cleared; he swooped in up the left side into the box at 16 minutes but crossed wide.
Saint Viator’s David Lavendar reached the end line at 16 minutes but Streamwood defender Ethan Satsatin cleared out his cross. However, Lavendar found paydirt two minutes later.
The Lions' Conrad Glodz sprung Lavendar behind Streamwood’s backline with a through-ball at 18 minutes, and Lavendar did the rest. He took a touch or two ahead into the box on the left side before tucking it inside the far post from 12 yards.
“We’ve started slow this season, but I see potential for this team in the (state) playoffs,” Lavendar said. “I think our (attack) is one of our strengths.”
Streamwood's offense kept busy.
Peralta shot wide on a Jose Banuelos feed at 20 minutes, and Sabres freshman striker Angel Diaz stole a ball and dribbled in and fired from point-blank range, but Marchiori made the stop at 23 minutes.
Marchiori saved a head shot in a crowd before Banuelos fired over the bar on a decent chance at 24 minutes. Marchiori saved an Alejandro Morales head shot at 37 minutes and Saint Viator kept its 1-0 lead to halftime.
“Most of the games we’ve tied or lost have been frustrating because we’ve created so many chances,” Peralta said. “We just can’t seem to find the back of the net. We’re focusing on one-on-ones, counterattacks, and we’ve based a lot of our practice on shooting and finishing. I think it’s working, little by little.”
Streamwood keeper Eduardo DelRio saved a low-rolling shot from distance sent in by Glodz at 41 minutes, and Marchiori made a kick-save of a Morales shot at the post one minute later.
Streamwood tied the game when Diaz took a feed from Peralta and streaked in on the right side at 42 minutes. Diaz fired with a defender on his hip from 16 yards and the shot flew inside the far post.
The teams traded bursts of attacking pressure until the 55th minute. That’s when Peralta took a ball to the end line on the left side and earned the corner kick that led to the penalty kick that gave Streamwood its game-winning margin.
A hard-fought final 25 minutes saw yellow cards issued and tempers occasionally flare as Saint Viator battled to find an equalizing goal. Glodz sent a free kick just wide of the post at 59 minutes, and DelRio cut off a Lavendar cross from the end line on the left side at 62 minutes.
DelRio left his line and leapt to snare another serve into the box at 64 minutes and punched out a Liam Smith corner kick at 67 minutes.
The Lions weren’t able to solve DelRio and his back line of Ibarra, Satsatin, and Aaron and Josh Taboada, who also cleared a ball off the line down the stretch.
“Josh Taboada played very well, and Angel Diaz, a freshman up-top, played well,” Polovin said. “Eduardo (DelRio) is actually our backup keeper. Antonio (Herrera) has been hurt the last couple of games, and (DelRio) had a great practice yesterday.
"We worked on nothing but finishing, and he was making diving saves everywhere. And we’re probably going to need him for the rest of this week.”
A young Saint Viator team left the field encouraged by its effort against a Streamwood team loaded with skilled and crafty attacking players.
“I think we handled it pretty well,” Lavendar said. “We stayed in front of them, let them dribble, and that was our game plan (defensively). We persevered through some calls and never backed down. We played our game, and we played well.”
Notes
Ibarra’s excellence
Streamwood coach Matt Polovin doesn’t mince words when it comes to junior defender Jose Ibarra. “Jose is an absolute beast in the middle,” Polovin said. “I’ve said it every single game and I’ll say it again — he’s the best defender in the state, without a doubt. I don’t care what team is out there or who is undefeated, no one compares to him.”
The 6-foot-3 Ibarra is strong in the air, fast, and tough. He credits former teammate and 2018 graduate Rafa Gil for helping him gain the mentality needed to be one of the best.
“I had players like (Gil), who was a mentor to me,” Ibarra said. “He was a senior center back my freshman year, and I built a lot of confidence that year. I learned to stay calm, find the easy pass and how to handle pressure.”
Taylor’s promise
Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor appreciates the high level of skill and technique that Streamwood teams always feature and at game’s end he had a message for Sabres assistant coach Santiago Martin.
“We’re friends. I told Santi ‘Give me your two worst players on the bench, and I’ll beat you’,” Taylor joked.
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
GK: Matt Marchiori
D: Sebastian Howarth
D: Jack Westernkamp
D: Matt Oleksak
D: Christian Evans
M: Trent Reyes
M: Bryce McDonnell
M: David Lavendar
M: David Stahl
M: Conrad Glodz
F: Liam Smith
Streamwood
GK: Eduardo DelRio
D: Aaron Taboada
D: Josh Taboada
D: Jose Ibarra
D: Ethan Satsatin
M: Michael Garcia
M: Jose Banuelos
M: Edwin Peralta
M: Joel Sandoval
F: Alejandro Morales
F: Angel Diaz
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Edwin Peralta, sr., M, Streamwood
Scoring summary
First half
Saint Viator — Lavendar (Glodz) 18th minute
Second half
Streamwood — Diaz (Peralta) 41st minute
Streamwood — Peralta (PK) 56th minute
Streamwood wins 2-1 on Peralta’s 2nd half penalty kick
By Gary Larsen
STREAMWOOD — Whatever he might get for his birthday or for Christmas this year, Streamwood’s Edwin ‘Pee Wee’ Peralta shouldn’t expect to get anything more from teammate Jose Ibarra.
Ibarra gave Peralta the gift of a game-winning penalty kick on Tuesday in a 2-1 Sabres win over visiting Saint Viator.
“(Coach Matt) Polovin usually asks me to take the PK, but I asked 'Pee Wee' if he felt confident taking it,” Ibarra said. “He said ‘Yeah, I’m super confident’. He’s been burying those in practice, so I was like ‘Okay, here. Take it’.”
Ibarra’s generosity and Peralta’s blistered penalty kick to the back netting gave Streamwood a lead it wouldn’t relinquish in a PepsiCo Showdown matchup.
Peralta and Ibarra teamed up on a corner kick to set up the pivotal penalty kick at 55 minutes. Peralta served into the box, and Ibarra headed it at the post where a Saint Viator defender blocked it but was called for a hand ball infraction.
Saint Viator (3-4-1) attacked hard for the next 25 minutes to the final buzzer but Streamwood (4-4-2) kept the Lions out of the net.
“I thought both teams played very well,” Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor said. “We were a bit unlucky on the (penalty kick), but I thought both teams scored good first goals, and I was happy with the game.
"If it wasn’t for all the stops it would have been a game of skill on one side and a game of tactics on the other side.”
Fouls, yellow cards, and red cards all added up to stop any flow from being established in Tuesday’s game. Streamwood’s pass-it-around attack, and Saint Viator’s system play contrasted well and made for flashes of quality play both ways.
As it has in nearly every game this season, Streamwood found multiple scoring chances. Now if the Sabres could only start finishing on a few more ...
“It’s how our season has been,” Polovin said. “We have chance after chance like we did today, but we only have two goals to show for it, one of them being a PK. If we put in a quarter of our chances we probably would have eight or nine wins.
“It’s a better problem to have than if we were searching for chances. As long as we get (scoring) solidified by regionals at the latest, we’ll be okay.”
The game saw chances both ways early on. Streamwood’s Michael Garcia forced a diving stop from Saint Viator keeper Matt Marchiori at five minutes, and Streamwood cleared out a Saint Viator corner kick one minute later.
Junior defender Ibarra headed a ball out at 11 minutes. Peralta sent a free kick to the goalmouth that got cleared; he swooped in up the left side into the box at 16 minutes but crossed wide.
Saint Viator’s David Lavendar reached the end line at 16 minutes but Streamwood defender Ethan Satsatin cleared out his cross. However, Lavendar found paydirt two minutes later.
The Lions' Conrad Glodz sprung Lavendar behind Streamwood’s backline with a through-ball at 18 minutes, and Lavendar did the rest. He took a touch or two ahead into the box on the left side before tucking it inside the far post from 12 yards.
“We’ve started slow this season, but I see potential for this team in the (state) playoffs,” Lavendar said. “I think our (attack) is one of our strengths.”
Streamwood's offense kept busy.
Peralta shot wide on a Jose Banuelos feed at 20 minutes, and Sabres freshman striker Angel Diaz stole a ball and dribbled in and fired from point-blank range, but Marchiori made the stop at 23 minutes.
Marchiori saved a head shot in a crowd before Banuelos fired over the bar on a decent chance at 24 minutes. Marchiori saved an Alejandro Morales head shot at 37 minutes and Saint Viator kept its 1-0 lead to halftime.
“Most of the games we’ve tied or lost have been frustrating because we’ve created so many chances,” Peralta said. “We just can’t seem to find the back of the net. We’re focusing on one-on-ones, counterattacks, and we’ve based a lot of our practice on shooting and finishing. I think it’s working, little by little.”
Streamwood keeper Eduardo DelRio saved a low-rolling shot from distance sent in by Glodz at 41 minutes, and Marchiori made a kick-save of a Morales shot at the post one minute later.
Streamwood tied the game when Diaz took a feed from Peralta and streaked in on the right side at 42 minutes. Diaz fired with a defender on his hip from 16 yards and the shot flew inside the far post.
The teams traded bursts of attacking pressure until the 55th minute. That’s when Peralta took a ball to the end line on the left side and earned the corner kick that led to the penalty kick that gave Streamwood its game-winning margin.
A hard-fought final 25 minutes saw yellow cards issued and tempers occasionally flare as Saint Viator battled to find an equalizing goal. Glodz sent a free kick just wide of the post at 59 minutes, and DelRio cut off a Lavendar cross from the end line on the left side at 62 minutes.
DelRio left his line and leapt to snare another serve into the box at 64 minutes and punched out a Liam Smith corner kick at 67 minutes.
The Lions weren’t able to solve DelRio and his back line of Ibarra, Satsatin, and Aaron and Josh Taboada, who also cleared a ball off the line down the stretch.
“Josh Taboada played very well, and Angel Diaz, a freshman up-top, played well,” Polovin said. “Eduardo (DelRio) is actually our backup keeper. Antonio (Herrera) has been hurt the last couple of games, and (DelRio) had a great practice yesterday.
"We worked on nothing but finishing, and he was making diving saves everywhere. And we’re probably going to need him for the rest of this week.”
A young Saint Viator team left the field encouraged by its effort against a Streamwood team loaded with skilled and crafty attacking players.
“I think we handled it pretty well,” Lavendar said. “We stayed in front of them, let them dribble, and that was our game plan (defensively). We persevered through some calls and never backed down. We played our game, and we played well.”
Notes
Ibarra’s excellence
Streamwood coach Matt Polovin doesn’t mince words when it comes to junior defender Jose Ibarra. “Jose is an absolute beast in the middle,” Polovin said. “I’ve said it every single game and I’ll say it again — he’s the best defender in the state, without a doubt. I don’t care what team is out there or who is undefeated, no one compares to him.”
The 6-foot-3 Ibarra is strong in the air, fast, and tough. He credits former teammate and 2018 graduate Rafa Gil for helping him gain the mentality needed to be one of the best.
“I had players like (Gil), who was a mentor to me,” Ibarra said. “He was a senior center back my freshman year, and I built a lot of confidence that year. I learned to stay calm, find the easy pass and how to handle pressure.”
Taylor’s promise
Saint Viator coach Mike Taylor appreciates the high level of skill and technique that Streamwood teams always feature and at game’s end he had a message for Sabres assistant coach Santiago Martin.
“We’re friends. I told Santi ‘Give me your two worst players on the bench, and I’ll beat you’,” Taylor joked.
Starting lineups
Saint Viator
GK: Matt Marchiori
D: Sebastian Howarth
D: Jack Westernkamp
D: Matt Oleksak
D: Christian Evans
M: Trent Reyes
M: Bryce McDonnell
M: David Lavendar
M: David Stahl
M: Conrad Glodz
F: Liam Smith
Streamwood
GK: Eduardo DelRio
D: Aaron Taboada
D: Josh Taboada
D: Jose Ibarra
D: Ethan Satsatin
M: Michael Garcia
M: Jose Banuelos
M: Edwin Peralta
M: Joel Sandoval
F: Alejandro Morales
F: Angel Diaz
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Edwin Peralta, sr., M, Streamwood
Scoring summary
First half
Saint Viator — Lavendar (Glodz) 18th minute
Second half
Streamwood — Diaz (Peralta) 41st minute
Streamwood — Peralta (PK) 56th minute