Morton’s physical style
slows down hot Willowbrook
Moreno scored brace in 3-1 conference win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BERWYN -- The early marquee showdown involving two of the top programs in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division offered a telling lesson in physics.
Willowbrook and Morton told an evocative clash between a seemingly unstoppable force and an immovable object.
With senior midfielder Grace Tumilty seemingly bending the game to her will, Willowbrook unleashed a devastating offensive attack with 10 goals through its first two games.
Tumilty was the fulcrum of the attack with a remarkable seven goals.
Morton offered a classic resistance in the form of a tough and hard nosed group of physical defenders who rarely allowed Tumilty the space she needed to work her magic.
Adriana Moreno is also a force in her own terms, a whirling dervish of a player with a knack for locating the vulnerabilities of the other side.
Moreno scored two goals and keeper Fernanda Sanchez Duran made several highlight stops in the Mustangs’ 3-1 conference victory here Tuesday night.
The Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match scored her third and fourth goals of the year.
Her poise, balance and vision are highly impressive. Like the rest of her teammates, Moreno is reacquainting her game with her feel and touch.
“Today was one of our best games, and the first win in our conference,” Moreno said. “We had Covid last year, and it messed up our season and we came back out of shape.
“Compared to other years, it was definitely hard getting back into shape.”
Willowbrook (2-1-0, 2-1-0) dictated the pace and rhythm of the first two games with early goals, forcing earlier opponents Leyden and Addison Trail to adjust to their style.
Morton (1-1-1, 1-1-0) seized the upper hand with an early goal and knocked the Warriors off their heels, forcing them to react and adjust to their quick and physical style.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Morton,” Willowbrook coach Julio Del Real said. “They’re a very well-coached, hard and physical team.
“Although we told the girls it was going to be a physical match, we just didn’t show up like we are capable of playing.”
The Mustangs’ top attacking pieces, Moreno and freshman Aaliyah Leanos, swung the game with their creative and dynamic play at the start of each half.
Moreno is the cool and savvy veteran who leaves a physical imprint on the game with her forward bursts and aggressive style.
Leanos is a quick and stylish freshman just learning how to adapt to the speed of the varsity game. The two are forming a natural bond on the field.
Leanos is going off instinct and making quick reactions, like her goal in the fourth minute. She put just enough of a second touch on a ball that evaded the grasp of Willowbrook keeper Maddie Aderholt for the early advantage.
“I’d say my goal was pretty lucky,” Leanos said. “It put us in a great mood and a great position to finally have an early goal like that.
“It gave us the motivation to keep going and not stop or give up.”
Morton played with the wind in the first half. It gusted up to 30-mph at various junctures. Moreno got behind the Warriors’ back on several occasions only to have the wind-influenced balls skitter past her or the other Mustangs.
Aderholt, a very gifted young keeper, made a spectacular stop of a rocket ball by Carisma Rosales to prevent any further damage in the first half.
Morton defenders Brianna Avalos and Mya Hernandez are fast, nervy and physical players who are the most experienced and talented of the Mustangs’ backline.
They shadowed Tumilty and junior forward Erin Fitzgibbon, the central focus of the Warriors’ attack.
“Tumilty and (Fitzgibbon) are really good players for them,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “They work well together, and I think we did a good job of disrupting their offensive flow.
“We actually followed our game-plan tonight. The girls did a good job of keying on who we wanted them to key on. We held them down as much as we could.”
Willowbrook defender Izzy Manning, who is the place kicker for the Warriors’ football team, is the free kick specialist. Her booming kicks into the final third are the other signature piece of the Warriors’ attack.
Manning created some intriguing possibilities for the Warriors.
“Izzy’s a special player,” Del Real said. “She helps tremendously, and we try to take advantage of it as much as we can.
“Although we let up the early goal, I thought overall we did a good job at the start of the game. We were putting together our passes. Although we were not really finishing them off, I thought we were moving the ball much better.”
Three significant actions near the end of the first half and the start of the second half determined the outcome.
In the 36th minute, Willowbrook was awarded an indirect kick just outside the left edge of the box. Off the first touch, midfielder Mackenzie Parente played a line drive howitzer that Duran made a superb diving stop on.
Going into the wind to start the second half, Moreno took a through-ball from Rosales and powered past Aderholt and a Willowbrook defender for a goal less than a minute into the second half.
Sanchez Duran punctuated the superb sequence by stopping Tumilty on a penalty kick in the 45th minute.
“I like to do stuff out there,” Sanchez Duran said. “I like to not think about things, and just do them. On the penalty kick, I always try to read their eyes.
“Usually I know if they want to try and trick me, they look at one side and try to go to the other side. I just got there really quickly and had the advantage.”
Willowbrook finally broke through in the 53rd minute on a second penalty kick attempt after a Morton player had an illegal touch inside the box.
Manning took the second attempt and buried it inside the far post to pull the Warriors within 2-1.
“I thought we were going to pick it up a little bit after that first goal, but we didn’t,” Del Real said.
Moreno put the game away with a beautiful combination sequence with Leanos. Getting the ball on the right wing, Leanos made a quick move to the outside edge and delivered the terrific cross to Moreno for her second goal.
“The final is not really a score that shows how we played,” Del Real said. “I thought we are better than that. I don’t think it was that big of a difference, but again it showed they wanted it more than we did.
“Overall it was an even match. They just capitalized on what they had, and we didn’t.”
Bageanis made the immediate switch to the girls’ side after coaching his boys’ team. He sees a team finding itself.
“All the girls teams are in the same boat,” he said. “We are all trying to catch up, and you see glimpses every week of getting better at this, getting a little better defensively and getting better with our conditioning.
“It’s a process, and hopefully every week is a little bit better with our improvement.”
Starting lineups
Willowbrook
GK: Maddie Aderholt
D: Abbey Spada
D: Layla Elgamal
D: Izzy Manning
D: Ali Vittorio
MF: Brooke Vandergrift
MF: Mackenzie Parente
MF: Grace Tumilty
MF: Rachel Klamecki
MF: Molly Brennan
F: Erin Fitzgibbon
Morton
GK: Fernanda Sanchez Duran
D: Stephanie Quevedo
D: Natalie Valadez
D: Mya Hernandez
D: Brianna Avalos
MF: Carisma Rosales
MF: Mayte Gongora
MF: Ariana Valdovinos
F: Xochilt Flores
F: Adriana Moreno
F: Aaliyah Leanos
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Adriana Moreno, sr., F, Morton
Scoring summary
First half
Morton—Aaliyah Leanos (unassisted), fourth minute
Second half
Morton—Adriana Moreno (Carisma Rosales), 41st minute
Willowbrook—Izzy Manning (penalty kick), 53rd minute
Morton—Moreno (Leanos), 70th minute
slows down hot Willowbrook
Moreno scored brace in 3-1 conference win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BERWYN -- The early marquee showdown involving two of the top programs in the West Suburban Conference Gold Division offered a telling lesson in physics.
Willowbrook and Morton told an evocative clash between a seemingly unstoppable force and an immovable object.
With senior midfielder Grace Tumilty seemingly bending the game to her will, Willowbrook unleashed a devastating offensive attack with 10 goals through its first two games.
Tumilty was the fulcrum of the attack with a remarkable seven goals.
Morton offered a classic resistance in the form of a tough and hard nosed group of physical defenders who rarely allowed Tumilty the space she needed to work her magic.
Adriana Moreno is also a force in her own terms, a whirling dervish of a player with a knack for locating the vulnerabilities of the other side.
Moreno scored two goals and keeper Fernanda Sanchez Duran made several highlight stops in the Mustangs’ 3-1 conference victory here Tuesday night.
The Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match scored her third and fourth goals of the year.
Her poise, balance and vision are highly impressive. Like the rest of her teammates, Moreno is reacquainting her game with her feel and touch.
“Today was one of our best games, and the first win in our conference,” Moreno said. “We had Covid last year, and it messed up our season and we came back out of shape.
“Compared to other years, it was definitely hard getting back into shape.”
Willowbrook (2-1-0, 2-1-0) dictated the pace and rhythm of the first two games with early goals, forcing earlier opponents Leyden and Addison Trail to adjust to their style.
Morton (1-1-1, 1-1-0) seized the upper hand with an early goal and knocked the Warriors off their heels, forcing them to react and adjust to their quick and physical style.
“You have to give a lot of credit to Morton,” Willowbrook coach Julio Del Real said. “They’re a very well-coached, hard and physical team.
“Although we told the girls it was going to be a physical match, we just didn’t show up like we are capable of playing.”
The Mustangs’ top attacking pieces, Moreno and freshman Aaliyah Leanos, swung the game with their creative and dynamic play at the start of each half.
Moreno is the cool and savvy veteran who leaves a physical imprint on the game with her forward bursts and aggressive style.
Leanos is a quick and stylish freshman just learning how to adapt to the speed of the varsity game. The two are forming a natural bond on the field.
Leanos is going off instinct and making quick reactions, like her goal in the fourth minute. She put just enough of a second touch on a ball that evaded the grasp of Willowbrook keeper Maddie Aderholt for the early advantage.
“I’d say my goal was pretty lucky,” Leanos said. “It put us in a great mood and a great position to finally have an early goal like that.
“It gave us the motivation to keep going and not stop or give up.”
Morton played with the wind in the first half. It gusted up to 30-mph at various junctures. Moreno got behind the Warriors’ back on several occasions only to have the wind-influenced balls skitter past her or the other Mustangs.
Aderholt, a very gifted young keeper, made a spectacular stop of a rocket ball by Carisma Rosales to prevent any further damage in the first half.
Morton defenders Brianna Avalos and Mya Hernandez are fast, nervy and physical players who are the most experienced and talented of the Mustangs’ backline.
They shadowed Tumilty and junior forward Erin Fitzgibbon, the central focus of the Warriors’ attack.
“Tumilty and (Fitzgibbon) are really good players for them,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said. “They work well together, and I think we did a good job of disrupting their offensive flow.
“We actually followed our game-plan tonight. The girls did a good job of keying on who we wanted them to key on. We held them down as much as we could.”
Willowbrook defender Izzy Manning, who is the place kicker for the Warriors’ football team, is the free kick specialist. Her booming kicks into the final third are the other signature piece of the Warriors’ attack.
Manning created some intriguing possibilities for the Warriors.
“Izzy’s a special player,” Del Real said. “She helps tremendously, and we try to take advantage of it as much as we can.
“Although we let up the early goal, I thought overall we did a good job at the start of the game. We were putting together our passes. Although we were not really finishing them off, I thought we were moving the ball much better.”
Three significant actions near the end of the first half and the start of the second half determined the outcome.
In the 36th minute, Willowbrook was awarded an indirect kick just outside the left edge of the box. Off the first touch, midfielder Mackenzie Parente played a line drive howitzer that Duran made a superb diving stop on.
Going into the wind to start the second half, Moreno took a through-ball from Rosales and powered past Aderholt and a Willowbrook defender for a goal less than a minute into the second half.
Sanchez Duran punctuated the superb sequence by stopping Tumilty on a penalty kick in the 45th minute.
“I like to do stuff out there,” Sanchez Duran said. “I like to not think about things, and just do them. On the penalty kick, I always try to read their eyes.
“Usually I know if they want to try and trick me, they look at one side and try to go to the other side. I just got there really quickly and had the advantage.”
Willowbrook finally broke through in the 53rd minute on a second penalty kick attempt after a Morton player had an illegal touch inside the box.
Manning took the second attempt and buried it inside the far post to pull the Warriors within 2-1.
“I thought we were going to pick it up a little bit after that first goal, but we didn’t,” Del Real said.
Moreno put the game away with a beautiful combination sequence with Leanos. Getting the ball on the right wing, Leanos made a quick move to the outside edge and delivered the terrific cross to Moreno for her second goal.
“The final is not really a score that shows how we played,” Del Real said. “I thought we are better than that. I don’t think it was that big of a difference, but again it showed they wanted it more than we did.
“Overall it was an even match. They just capitalized on what they had, and we didn’t.”
Bageanis made the immediate switch to the girls’ side after coaching his boys’ team. He sees a team finding itself.
“All the girls teams are in the same boat,” he said. “We are all trying to catch up, and you see glimpses every week of getting better at this, getting a little better defensively and getting better with our conditioning.
“It’s a process, and hopefully every week is a little bit better with our improvement.”
Starting lineups
Willowbrook
GK: Maddie Aderholt
D: Abbey Spada
D: Layla Elgamal
D: Izzy Manning
D: Ali Vittorio
MF: Brooke Vandergrift
MF: Mackenzie Parente
MF: Grace Tumilty
MF: Rachel Klamecki
MF: Molly Brennan
F: Erin Fitzgibbon
Morton
GK: Fernanda Sanchez Duran
D: Stephanie Quevedo
D: Natalie Valadez
D: Mya Hernandez
D: Brianna Avalos
MF: Carisma Rosales
MF: Mayte Gongora
MF: Ariana Valdovinos
F: Xochilt Flores
F: Adriana Moreno
F: Aaliyah Leanos
Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Adriana Moreno, sr., F, Morton
Scoring summary
First half
Morton—Aaliyah Leanos (unassisted), fourth minute
Second half
Morton—Adriana Moreno (Carisma Rosales), 41st minute
Willowbrook—Izzy Manning (penalty kick), 53rd minute
Morton—Moreno (Leanos), 70th minute