Numbers lie in Young's 0-0 tie vs. Von
Dolphins dominate Von Steuben but scoring woes continue
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Young started the new season awash in pride and optimism, knowing the struggles and hard work of recovery the last two years had a larger purpose and end point. Everything was directed toward this year.
The Dolphins return 18 starters from last year’s team. Two years ago, building for the future, the Dolphins suffered a momentary setback and were relegated to the First Division. On the outside looking in, Young fought back and returned to the Premier Division ready to capitalize on that experience.
“We have a lot of guys who are seniors who have been on this team since they were sophomores or even freshmen, and they are very quiet,” Young coach Ian McCarthy said. “We are trying to outskill everybody, and sometimes it is just that communication and teamwork that needs to happen.”
Eager to claim its first league victory after a solid road victory over Stagg, Young produced an almost mathematical quandary by dominating against Von Steuben in every conceivable fashion though still struggling for the final piece as the two played to a 0-0 draw Wednesday afternoon at McKinley Park.
“We just have to score, and we will be good,” Young midfielder Leo Daley said. “That has been the problem all the time I have been here -- my fourth year here. We still can’t score. If we figure it out we will be dangerous.”
Von Steuben keeper Carlos Martinez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, registered nine saves for the Panthers (4-1-4, 0-0-1).
In the first 10 minutes, Von Steuben had the upper hand, primarily because of the quickness and creativity of junior midfielder Dane Hoare. He had two early shots from just inside the top of the box that pushed just wide and top of the frame.
That constituted pretty much the entirety of the Panthers’ attack.
“Today we did not come out like we should have,” Hoare said. “We were tired, or just not awake. I don’t know what was going on with our team. We played two tournaments before and came out with a lot of energy, playing two games a day. We did not come out with the same intensity. I think we are just trying to get warmed up. I just thought we were slow and going to the ball nonchalantly.”
Young senior Dixon O’Banion had just one save. A second half free kick by sophomore midfielder Rambert Ramos was the only other offensive action of note by the Panthers after the early attack generated by Hoare. The Panthers did well to close finishing space, especially in their defensive third -- the place where much of the game was centered.
“When you do not win many balls in the middle, you are going to have a hard-fought game,” Von Steuben coach Vedad Sarancic said. “We played probably one of our worst games of the year. It hurts when you have some players injured, but that is not an excuse. We shot ourselves in the foot by not playing our game and allowing them to control the entire middle.
“That closing down, that happens when you are scrambling to get to the ball. All we did today was scramble because we did not play the game we were supposed to play, the way we played against Huntley when we played them.”
Young (1-2-3, 0-1-1) strung together some exquisite combination play, like an early action involving midfielder Josue Espinoza, midfielder Gabriel Regalado and a hot one-touch finish by forward Aidan Chapman. The play also symbolized a great deal of what transpired during the day. Young looked great in sequencing moments until it came time for the dominant and decisive action. The Chapman shot was hard but right at Martinez.
“I think it’s composure and communication,” McCarthy said. “A guy needs to know that he has time, and a guy needs to know what his strengths are and getting it on to his right foot or left foot. Knowing when you are at the six-yard box, you have to know you have basically one touch and be able to finish it. There’s no reason to trap a ball down, knowing that opportunity is going to disappear in a matter of seconds. We are definitely a more dangerous team now. We had opportunities to win this game.”
Daley and senior midfielder Evan Wimberly did a superb job of controlling the middle, dictating a tempo favorable to the Dolphins and pushing players out wide in order to bolster the attack and put the Panthers constantly on their heels. Everything favored Young, like the 17-4 advantage on shots. Still the score was blank on both sides.
In the second half, Young generated five corner kicks to zero attempts by the Panthers. Martinez loomed large enough for the Panthers and Young could not quite pull the trigger.
“We locked them down defensively, but we just could not put one in the back of the net,” senior Young defender Christion Rice said. He had two shots on goal, in the second half, that were particularly dangerous. Young did a commendable job of pushing numbers. The Dolphins had all the prerequisites of success except the actual achievement.
“We had many chances, but we just have not been able to finish,” Rice said.
Von Steuben offered scant resistance in the middle of the field. The Panthers were stiffer inside the box. Some of Young’s most skilled offensive players -- Wimberly, Chapman, Espinoza -- were in position to score only to be frustrated by Martinez’s quick hands or a defender shutting down space or interfering with a final pass.
Neither team could find a great deal of solace in the result.
“This was the first time we did score in the game, but we usually do not have issues scoring when we play the game the way we are supposed to,” Sarancic said.
Likewise, as well as Young looked, moral victories could do little for a team looking to accumulate more tangible and successful actions.
“We are playing well, possession-wise, dominating games, but we just cannot put the ball in the net,” Daley said.
Starters lineups
Von Steuben
GK: Carlos Martinez
D: Jose Piox
D: Cesar Mejia
D: Jonathan Holcomb
D: Sebastian Tovar
MF: Gabriel Edstrom
MF: Dane Hoare
MF: Juan Valencia
MF: James Malutan
F: Ricardo Luna
F: Samy Bouchama
Young
GK: Dixon O’Bannion
D: Jonathan Perez
D: Jake Davidson
D: Christion Rice
D: Alex Espino
MF: Evan Wimberly
MF: Leo Daley
MF: Esme McCarthy
MF:Jake Gerenraich
MF: Josue Espinoza
F: Aidan Chapman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the match: Carlos Martinez, jr., GK, Von Steuben
Scoring summary
No scoring
Dolphins dominate Von Steuben but scoring woes continue
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Young started the new season awash in pride and optimism, knowing the struggles and hard work of recovery the last two years had a larger purpose and end point. Everything was directed toward this year.
The Dolphins return 18 starters from last year’s team. Two years ago, building for the future, the Dolphins suffered a momentary setback and were relegated to the First Division. On the outside looking in, Young fought back and returned to the Premier Division ready to capitalize on that experience.
“We have a lot of guys who are seniors who have been on this team since they were sophomores or even freshmen, and they are very quiet,” Young coach Ian McCarthy said. “We are trying to outskill everybody, and sometimes it is just that communication and teamwork that needs to happen.”
Eager to claim its first league victory after a solid road victory over Stagg, Young produced an almost mathematical quandary by dominating against Von Steuben in every conceivable fashion though still struggling for the final piece as the two played to a 0-0 draw Wednesday afternoon at McKinley Park.
“We just have to score, and we will be good,” Young midfielder Leo Daley said. “That has been the problem all the time I have been here -- my fourth year here. We still can’t score. If we figure it out we will be dangerous.”
Von Steuben keeper Carlos Martinez, the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match, registered nine saves for the Panthers (4-1-4, 0-0-1).
In the first 10 minutes, Von Steuben had the upper hand, primarily because of the quickness and creativity of junior midfielder Dane Hoare. He had two early shots from just inside the top of the box that pushed just wide and top of the frame.
That constituted pretty much the entirety of the Panthers’ attack.
“Today we did not come out like we should have,” Hoare said. “We were tired, or just not awake. I don’t know what was going on with our team. We played two tournaments before and came out with a lot of energy, playing two games a day. We did not come out with the same intensity. I think we are just trying to get warmed up. I just thought we were slow and going to the ball nonchalantly.”
Young senior Dixon O’Banion had just one save. A second half free kick by sophomore midfielder Rambert Ramos was the only other offensive action of note by the Panthers after the early attack generated by Hoare. The Panthers did well to close finishing space, especially in their defensive third -- the place where much of the game was centered.
“When you do not win many balls in the middle, you are going to have a hard-fought game,” Von Steuben coach Vedad Sarancic said. “We played probably one of our worst games of the year. It hurts when you have some players injured, but that is not an excuse. We shot ourselves in the foot by not playing our game and allowing them to control the entire middle.
“That closing down, that happens when you are scrambling to get to the ball. All we did today was scramble because we did not play the game we were supposed to play, the way we played against Huntley when we played them.”
Young (1-2-3, 0-1-1) strung together some exquisite combination play, like an early action involving midfielder Josue Espinoza, midfielder Gabriel Regalado and a hot one-touch finish by forward Aidan Chapman. The play also symbolized a great deal of what transpired during the day. Young looked great in sequencing moments until it came time for the dominant and decisive action. The Chapman shot was hard but right at Martinez.
“I think it’s composure and communication,” McCarthy said. “A guy needs to know that he has time, and a guy needs to know what his strengths are and getting it on to his right foot or left foot. Knowing when you are at the six-yard box, you have to know you have basically one touch and be able to finish it. There’s no reason to trap a ball down, knowing that opportunity is going to disappear in a matter of seconds. We are definitely a more dangerous team now. We had opportunities to win this game.”
Daley and senior midfielder Evan Wimberly did a superb job of controlling the middle, dictating a tempo favorable to the Dolphins and pushing players out wide in order to bolster the attack and put the Panthers constantly on their heels. Everything favored Young, like the 17-4 advantage on shots. Still the score was blank on both sides.
In the second half, Young generated five corner kicks to zero attempts by the Panthers. Martinez loomed large enough for the Panthers and Young could not quite pull the trigger.
“We locked them down defensively, but we just could not put one in the back of the net,” senior Young defender Christion Rice said. He had two shots on goal, in the second half, that were particularly dangerous. Young did a commendable job of pushing numbers. The Dolphins had all the prerequisites of success except the actual achievement.
“We had many chances, but we just have not been able to finish,” Rice said.
Von Steuben offered scant resistance in the middle of the field. The Panthers were stiffer inside the box. Some of Young’s most skilled offensive players -- Wimberly, Chapman, Espinoza -- were in position to score only to be frustrated by Martinez’s quick hands or a defender shutting down space or interfering with a final pass.
Neither team could find a great deal of solace in the result.
“This was the first time we did score in the game, but we usually do not have issues scoring when we play the game the way we are supposed to,” Sarancic said.
Likewise, as well as Young looked, moral victories could do little for a team looking to accumulate more tangible and successful actions.
“We are playing well, possession-wise, dominating games, but we just cannot put the ball in the net,” Daley said.
Starters lineups
Von Steuben
GK: Carlos Martinez
D: Jose Piox
D: Cesar Mejia
D: Jonathan Holcomb
D: Sebastian Tovar
MF: Gabriel Edstrom
MF: Dane Hoare
MF: Juan Valencia
MF: James Malutan
F: Ricardo Luna
F: Samy Bouchama
Young
GK: Dixon O’Bannion
D: Jonathan Perez
D: Jake Davidson
D: Christion Rice
D: Alex Espino
MF: Evan Wimberly
MF: Leo Daley
MF: Esme McCarthy
MF:Jake Gerenraich
MF: Josue Espinoza
F: Aidan Chapman
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the match: Carlos Martinez, jr., GK, Von Steuben
Scoring summary
No scoring