Late goal sends Lake Park past Taft 2-1
Presta-Costa combo gives Lancers W; Lekki saves save day
By Gary Larsen
ROSELLE -- From elation to depression to relief, Lake Park senior Sebastian Glodz seemed to flirt with just about every emotion a soccer player can experience Tuesday.
Glodz was elated when he buried a beautiful free kick against Taft from 25 yards to give Lake Park a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute in the consolation pool of PepsiCo Showdown.
Less than 60 seconds later, elation turned to misery for Glodz when he was responsible for an own-goal on a Taft free kick sent to the Lancers’ goalmouth by Marek Klimek.
Glodz received his salvation with only six minutes left in the game when Lake Park midfielder Matteo Costa ran onto a perfect through-ball from Franco Presta and tapped in the game-winning goal from 10 yards.
“I was definitely relieved when (Costa) scored that goal,” Glodz said. “That was the first free kick I’ve scored on in a long time, so that felt really good. And then not even a minute later I made that mistake on the own-goal. I’ve never felt so high and then so low in a game that quickly before.”
Lake Park (5-2-1) had most of the ball in the first half against Taft (4-3-3), which picked up its play to provide a spirited back-and-forth game after halftime.
“The game opened up big-time in the second half. Both sides were trying to win, and you’ve got to love that,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said. “You love to see two teams fighting and battling and wanting to get a result. Neither of us wanted to play to PKs. It was an exciting game to be a part of as a coach.”
Lake Park dominated the midfield in the first half to a soundtrack of Taft coach Jeffrey Lucco loudly urging his boys to pick up their play. After intermission, the Eagles responded in fine fashion.
“(Lake Park) has a lot of tall players, so I don’t know if we were playing afraid of them or what, but in the second half I liked how we came out,” Klimek said. “We were more calm. We weren’t playing scared, did a lot more combo plays and finally started to win balls in the air. Our physicality picked up.”
A Taft team that beat Loyola earlier this season has quality players all over the pitch. But since that win, 80 minutes of intensity has since been hard to come by.
“We’re playing one half every game. So we’re either up and we lose it, or we come back in the second half,” Lucco said. “I don’t know what it is, but we have to figure it out.
“Our effort in the second half was awesome. The game was literally back-and-forth, and it really opened up. So we’re happy with the second half, just not the result.”
Through 40 minutes, a Lake Park midfield led by Presta, Costa, Gabriel Mendrano, Andrew Eliopoulos, and Brent Hatfield kept the pressure on and helped create numerous restart chances for the Lancers.
Glodz finally made one of those chances pay off from the left side with a perfectly struck free kick.
The Taft backline of Klimek, Melvin Zamora, Alexis Sanchez, and Patrick Bogusz kept keeper Michael Pierri protected from the attacking heat Lake Park generated, but afterwards both Glodz and Costa bemoaned their side’s struggle to put balls on frame against Taft during the run of play.
“That’s our problem,” Costa said. “We’re possessing in the middle and flowing through the attack, and all we have to do is start finishing. That’s what we’re working on. We’re too hesitant. We’re looking for the (perfect) area to shoot and sometimes you just have to take the shot.”
Klimek technically got credit for Taft’s first half goal after sailing it in from 45 yards out. Glodz got a foot on it, but instead of the intended clear, he redirected it past Lancers keeper Christian Lekki.
Lekki made a few top-shelf saves in the second half, twice tipping hard shots from Taft’s Agustin Gallo over the crossbar. For those timely heroics with the game tied, and his steady play in net throughout the match, Lekki was named Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match.
The Lake Park backline of Glodz, Max Ellenbecker, Daniel Nocek, and Sebastian Augustyn had their hands full in the face of Taft’s elevated second half attack.
Defensive mid Presta was also a key contributor.
“(Presta) collected our defensive shape and kind of stopped (Taft) from transitioning too much and tried to release as best he could,” Crosby said. “But him and our backs had a lot to handle in the second half.”
Taft senior Ilyass Boukrim made an impression to help turn the tide against Lake Park after the intermission. Sophomore Sergio Diaz, and freshman Brandon Tovar subbed in and gave Lucco quality minutes after the break.
“In the first half we got destroyed at midfield. We lost every fifty-fifty ball,” Lucco said. “In the second half, once our two young guys got in there (Diaz and Tovar) -- they have a fire in them that I love, and they made a big difference for us. And (Klimek) plays big in every game.”
Lake Park found an attacking surge in the game’s final 10 minutes, capped by Presta’s feed and Costa’s finish.
“In the first half it was compact, and we were combining a lot more,” Glodz said. “In the second half we were playing long-ball and chasing too much. They kept attacking us, but we figured it out towards the end and got the game-winner.”
Crosby applauded the play of Glodz, who played center back in place of junior Thomas Zakic, who was absent due to illness. He also tipped his hat to the Eagles.
“Credit (Taft),” Crosby said. “They countered really well, had a lot of good chances at the end, and we had a great save by Lekki, tipping one over, otherwise it could have been a different game.”
“They’d press for a good 10 minutes, then we’d press, and it went back-and-forth. It was very impressive, and I liked that we kept our heads in the second half. It was an exciting game. It took every player that stepped on, from coming in off the bench to the starters, to get this one taken care of.”
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK Christian Lekki
D Daniel Nocek
D Sebastian Glodz
D Max Ellenberger
D Sebastian Augustyn
M Brent Hatfield
M Matteo Costa
M Franco Presta
M Andrew Eliopoulos
M Gabriel Mendrano
F Jesus Juarez
Taft
GK Michael Pierri
D Marek Klimek
D Melvin Zamora
D Alexis Sanchez
D Patrick Bogusz
M Agustin Gallo
M Konrad Bryla
M Mateusz Koziara
M Byron Abayay
F Jakub Kapinski
F Patrick Knap
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Christian Lekki, jr., GK, Lake Park
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Park: Glodz (FK)
Taft: Klimek (LP own-goal)
Second half:
Lake Park: Costa (Presta)
Presta-Costa combo gives Lancers W; Lekki saves save day
By Gary Larsen
ROSELLE -- From elation to depression to relief, Lake Park senior Sebastian Glodz seemed to flirt with just about every emotion a soccer player can experience Tuesday.
Glodz was elated when he buried a beautiful free kick against Taft from 25 yards to give Lake Park a 1-0 lead in the 35th minute in the consolation pool of PepsiCo Showdown.
Less than 60 seconds later, elation turned to misery for Glodz when he was responsible for an own-goal on a Taft free kick sent to the Lancers’ goalmouth by Marek Klimek.
Glodz received his salvation with only six minutes left in the game when Lake Park midfielder Matteo Costa ran onto a perfect through-ball from Franco Presta and tapped in the game-winning goal from 10 yards.
“I was definitely relieved when (Costa) scored that goal,” Glodz said. “That was the first free kick I’ve scored on in a long time, so that felt really good. And then not even a minute later I made that mistake on the own-goal. I’ve never felt so high and then so low in a game that quickly before.”
Lake Park (5-2-1) had most of the ball in the first half against Taft (4-3-3), which picked up its play to provide a spirited back-and-forth game after halftime.
“The game opened up big-time in the second half. Both sides were trying to win, and you’ve got to love that,” Lake Park coach Sean Crosby said. “You love to see two teams fighting and battling and wanting to get a result. Neither of us wanted to play to PKs. It was an exciting game to be a part of as a coach.”
Lake Park dominated the midfield in the first half to a soundtrack of Taft coach Jeffrey Lucco loudly urging his boys to pick up their play. After intermission, the Eagles responded in fine fashion.
“(Lake Park) has a lot of tall players, so I don’t know if we were playing afraid of them or what, but in the second half I liked how we came out,” Klimek said. “We were more calm. We weren’t playing scared, did a lot more combo plays and finally started to win balls in the air. Our physicality picked up.”
A Taft team that beat Loyola earlier this season has quality players all over the pitch. But since that win, 80 minutes of intensity has since been hard to come by.
“We’re playing one half every game. So we’re either up and we lose it, or we come back in the second half,” Lucco said. “I don’t know what it is, but we have to figure it out.
“Our effort in the second half was awesome. The game was literally back-and-forth, and it really opened up. So we’re happy with the second half, just not the result.”
Through 40 minutes, a Lake Park midfield led by Presta, Costa, Gabriel Mendrano, Andrew Eliopoulos, and Brent Hatfield kept the pressure on and helped create numerous restart chances for the Lancers.
Glodz finally made one of those chances pay off from the left side with a perfectly struck free kick.
The Taft backline of Klimek, Melvin Zamora, Alexis Sanchez, and Patrick Bogusz kept keeper Michael Pierri protected from the attacking heat Lake Park generated, but afterwards both Glodz and Costa bemoaned their side’s struggle to put balls on frame against Taft during the run of play.
“That’s our problem,” Costa said. “We’re possessing in the middle and flowing through the attack, and all we have to do is start finishing. That’s what we’re working on. We’re too hesitant. We’re looking for the (perfect) area to shoot and sometimes you just have to take the shot.”
Klimek technically got credit for Taft’s first half goal after sailing it in from 45 yards out. Glodz got a foot on it, but instead of the intended clear, he redirected it past Lancers keeper Christian Lekki.
Lekki made a few top-shelf saves in the second half, twice tipping hard shots from Taft’s Agustin Gallo over the crossbar. For those timely heroics with the game tied, and his steady play in net throughout the match, Lekki was named Chicagoland Soccer’s Man of the Match.
The Lake Park backline of Glodz, Max Ellenbecker, Daniel Nocek, and Sebastian Augustyn had their hands full in the face of Taft’s elevated second half attack.
Defensive mid Presta was also a key contributor.
“(Presta) collected our defensive shape and kind of stopped (Taft) from transitioning too much and tried to release as best he could,” Crosby said. “But him and our backs had a lot to handle in the second half.”
Taft senior Ilyass Boukrim made an impression to help turn the tide against Lake Park after the intermission. Sophomore Sergio Diaz, and freshman Brandon Tovar subbed in and gave Lucco quality minutes after the break.
“In the first half we got destroyed at midfield. We lost every fifty-fifty ball,” Lucco said. “In the second half, once our two young guys got in there (Diaz and Tovar) -- they have a fire in them that I love, and they made a big difference for us. And (Klimek) plays big in every game.”
Lake Park found an attacking surge in the game’s final 10 minutes, capped by Presta’s feed and Costa’s finish.
“In the first half it was compact, and we were combining a lot more,” Glodz said. “In the second half we were playing long-ball and chasing too much. They kept attacking us, but we figured it out towards the end and got the game-winner.”
Crosby applauded the play of Glodz, who played center back in place of junior Thomas Zakic, who was absent due to illness. He also tipped his hat to the Eagles.
“Credit (Taft),” Crosby said. “They countered really well, had a lot of good chances at the end, and we had a great save by Lekki, tipping one over, otherwise it could have been a different game.”
“They’d press for a good 10 minutes, then we’d press, and it went back-and-forth. It was very impressive, and I liked that we kept our heads in the second half. It was an exciting game. It took every player that stepped on, from coming in off the bench to the starters, to get this one taken care of.”
Starting lineups
Lake Park
GK Christian Lekki
D Daniel Nocek
D Sebastian Glodz
D Max Ellenberger
D Sebastian Augustyn
M Brent Hatfield
M Matteo Costa
M Franco Presta
M Andrew Eliopoulos
M Gabriel Mendrano
F Jesus Juarez
Taft
GK Michael Pierri
D Marek Klimek
D Melvin Zamora
D Alexis Sanchez
D Patrick Bogusz
M Agustin Gallo
M Konrad Bryla
M Mateusz Koziara
M Byron Abayay
F Jakub Kapinski
F Patrick Knap
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match: Christian Lekki, jr., GK, Lake Park
Scoring summary
First half
Lake Park: Glodz (FK)
Taft: Klimek (LP own-goal)
Second half:
Lake Park: Costa (Presta)