Alfara’s late free kick lifts
Wheaton Warrenville South over Batavia
Tigers win for 1st time since Aug. 27 in 3-2 DuKane decision
By Chris R. Walker
BATAVIA -- Having already scored twice, it would’ve been no surprise for Wheaton Warrenville South senior forward Issa Husseini to line up for a free kick just a few yards outside of the box and with only a few minutes remaining in a tie game against Batavia on Thursday night.
Instead, it was senior midfielder Gael Alfara who took the shot from 21 yards from just wide of the near post. He bent his low try just over the wall and inside the wide open near standard with 3:25 remaining to lift the Tigers to a wild 3-2 victory in DuKane Conference action.
Alfara earned the nod as Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match for the Tigers over important contributors Chase Kedzior, who drew the foul that set up his opportunity, and brace-scorer Husseini.
“It was between my friend, Issa (Husseini) and me, and we were talking about it before the game, if we ever get a free kick, who takes it,” he said. “(Issa) said ‘You take it.’ I just had the confidence in shooting the goal and making it.”
With the way Husseini and the Tigers started on an appropriately cool first day of fall, it didn’t appear as if Batavia would ever get the chance to heat up and get going.
Wheaton Warrenville South (3-5-3, 1-1-1) jumped on its hosts right away. Husseini received a pass from senior Nikhil Bawa and sent it past home goalkeeper Ryan Horlock for a 1-0 advantage in the fourth minute.
“I had it on my left foot, and I’ve been blasting a lot of shots so I just decided placement on this one,” Husseini said. “I found the bottom-right corner.”
In the 16th minute, Husseini made it 2-0 by simply following one of coach Guy Callipari’s instructions.
“He (freshman Semin Razman) shot it, and it hit the crossbar; and coach always tells us to follow-up on the shot,” he said. “I just went my hardest and got the goal and finished it in.”
And just like that a Tigers team that hadn’t won since beating Schaumburg 5-0 on Aug. 27 had a two-goal advantage.
“2-0 is a dangerous lead is what we always say, and we were not prepared. We were not ready,” Husseini explained. “We just came out after that thinking we had the game in the bag, and then we saw them score two goals. It really woke us up. We fired up, and then we had to finish them off with the free kick there.”
Playing at home for the first time since Oswego East ended Batavia’s season in its regional last year, the Bulldogs had a lot of build-up heading into the game in addition to its 10-match absence from its home park. New bleachers and new lights welcomed the returning hosts.
Last Friday, the stands were packed and guests were treated to a light show after every touchdown during Batavia’s 42-0 football victory against Lake Park.
On Thursday, guests were simply treated to a competitive ballgame that wasn’t decided until the buzzer sounded, unlike Friday where the game resorted to a running clock once the score got out of hand.
Batavia began to see some success in the final 20 minutes of the first half. Brokk Olberg, Sam Barsch and Alex Marshall were among the Bulldogs who tried to whittle down the deficit. They challenged Wheaton Warrenville South backline and goalkeeper Jared Ferreya but were unable to get on the scoreboard.
Wheaton Warrenville South was under attack.
“I thought we started out really strong, and I think they started slow. We were on top of them right away, but it then kind of changed at the end of the first half,” Bawa said. “They started playing better with more intensity, and obviously we thought it was over at halftime. We were messing around and started out slow and gave up two goals so then we had to work back.”
Marshall’s performance for Batavia earned a share of the Man of the Match honor. He was a man on a mission after the break and drew the Bulldogs even before almost putting them in front.
Despite the lack of light shows after his scores, the home team was dead set to rally back and win this game.
“We just started to wake up and began playing the way we were supposed to,” Marshall said. “We started to really focus. Once we got the first goal in the second half, we got a little energy which really got us going.”
The junior midfielder struck first just four minutes into the second half. He tied the game with 30:27 left after Olberg’s corner kick found Nathan Feller. Ferreyra was able to deny Feller’s scoring attempt, but Marshall pounced quickly on the rebound and sent it in to even the match.
Just like that, it was a ballgame.
“Coach said to keep shooting so I shot that first one, and I got a goal,” Marshall said. “That one really got me going. I got a little fire inside of me and just had to keep going.”
Batavia certainly had its share of chances to score the go-ahead goal, but it proved elusive. Marshall continued his roll with a 28-yard missile that required a full-out diving effort from Ferreyra to keep the game tied with 24 minutes remaining.
Wheaton Warrenville was not surprised at the tenor of the game.
“All the teams we (play) are always a battle; it’s always a close game and no one quits,” Husseini said. “It’s never one-sided to one team and we’re always fighting hardest. Today we worked very hard, and we got the win like we needed.”
Batavia junior midfielder Max Simmons blasted a 20-yard shot with 18 minutes left and had an even closer chance off an Olberg corner kick just a couple minutes later, but the Tigers refused to give in.
Jet Oehrlein and Kedzior followed with long tries for Wheaton Warrenville South. Marshall unloaded a 30-yard attempt with 11 minutes left that sailed right as both teams pursued the tie-breaking play.
“If you appreciate the game, it’s good to see them get back into it, and deserving,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “I thought we played exceptionally well against Geneva (a 1-1 tie home Sept. 13) and just as well against St. Charles East (a 2-1 home loss Sept. 20) and only had one point to show for it. Today it wasn’t as pretty as we would’ve liked.
“I thought previously we’ve looked really good in the second half. Today we looked flat, but we had the 2-0 lead. I think sometimes regardless of how you prepare for the second half, you’re going to feel like you’re in a protective modality as opposed to being on your front foot and looking for the dagger, so to speak.”
Batavia (3-7-2, 0-3-0) lost 1-0 to the Tigers last year, yielding a Jason Weisheit goal late in the first half. This time, they responded to a first half deficit with a strong second half attack.
“Give credit where credit is due. They made a couple good chances,” Callipari said. “They were starting to strike the ball from the soft area and not trying to get in behind, because they weren’t having much success there.
“They thought their pace, initially, was what they could rely on. We nullified that so they did the next best thing which was shoot from the areas where there was lack of pressure. It (Marshall’s first goal) was a nice shot. They got the one and that gave them hope, and then they got the (second one) on a scramble, something which we can’t do too much about.
“We could’ve continued to play poorly, but we took the game back a little bit, to put some more pressure on them. Consequently, now you’re feeling pride again and you need three points, so you know where you’re at. It was a good, obviously, initial play by Chase (Kedzior) to go at the defender and create something. Then Gael’s finish is what Gael can do.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Jared Ferreyra
D: Tim Foley
D: Jerry Cuatzo
D: Christian Triscik
D: Brooks Becker
MF: Chase Kedzior
MF: Jack Beres
MF: Nikhil Bawa
MF: Gael Alfara
F: Issa Husseini
F: Jet Oehrlein
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Luke Petersen
D: Nicholas Evangelista
MF: Alexander Marshall
MF: Eder Sanchez
MF: John Smeraglinolo
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: Alejandro Garcia
F: Joshua Black
F: Michael Ruffo
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Gael Alfara, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South;
Alex Marshall, jr., MF, Batavia
Scoring summary
First half
WWS: Issa Husseini (Nikhil Bawa), 3:37
WWS: Issa Husseini (Semin Razman), 16:21
Second half
Batavia: Alex Marshall (unassisted), 43:07
Batavia: Alex Marshall (Nathan Feller), 49:33
WWS: Gael Alfara (free kick), 76:35
Wheaton Warrenville South over Batavia
Tigers win for 1st time since Aug. 27 in 3-2 DuKane decision
By Chris R. Walker
BATAVIA -- Having already scored twice, it would’ve been no surprise for Wheaton Warrenville South senior forward Issa Husseini to line up for a free kick just a few yards outside of the box and with only a few minutes remaining in a tie game against Batavia on Thursday night.
Instead, it was senior midfielder Gael Alfara who took the shot from 21 yards from just wide of the near post. He bent his low try just over the wall and inside the wide open near standard with 3:25 remaining to lift the Tigers to a wild 3-2 victory in DuKane Conference action.
Alfara earned the nod as Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match for the Tigers over important contributors Chase Kedzior, who drew the foul that set up his opportunity, and brace-scorer Husseini.
“It was between my friend, Issa (Husseini) and me, and we were talking about it before the game, if we ever get a free kick, who takes it,” he said. “(Issa) said ‘You take it.’ I just had the confidence in shooting the goal and making it.”
With the way Husseini and the Tigers started on an appropriately cool first day of fall, it didn’t appear as if Batavia would ever get the chance to heat up and get going.
Wheaton Warrenville South (3-5-3, 1-1-1) jumped on its hosts right away. Husseini received a pass from senior Nikhil Bawa and sent it past home goalkeeper Ryan Horlock for a 1-0 advantage in the fourth minute.
“I had it on my left foot, and I’ve been blasting a lot of shots so I just decided placement on this one,” Husseini said. “I found the bottom-right corner.”
In the 16th minute, Husseini made it 2-0 by simply following one of coach Guy Callipari’s instructions.
“He (freshman Semin Razman) shot it, and it hit the crossbar; and coach always tells us to follow-up on the shot,” he said. “I just went my hardest and got the goal and finished it in.”
And just like that a Tigers team that hadn’t won since beating Schaumburg 5-0 on Aug. 27 had a two-goal advantage.
“2-0 is a dangerous lead is what we always say, and we were not prepared. We were not ready,” Husseini explained. “We just came out after that thinking we had the game in the bag, and then we saw them score two goals. It really woke us up. We fired up, and then we had to finish them off with the free kick there.”
Playing at home for the first time since Oswego East ended Batavia’s season in its regional last year, the Bulldogs had a lot of build-up heading into the game in addition to its 10-match absence from its home park. New bleachers and new lights welcomed the returning hosts.
Last Friday, the stands were packed and guests were treated to a light show after every touchdown during Batavia’s 42-0 football victory against Lake Park.
On Thursday, guests were simply treated to a competitive ballgame that wasn’t decided until the buzzer sounded, unlike Friday where the game resorted to a running clock once the score got out of hand.
Batavia began to see some success in the final 20 minutes of the first half. Brokk Olberg, Sam Barsch and Alex Marshall were among the Bulldogs who tried to whittle down the deficit. They challenged Wheaton Warrenville South backline and goalkeeper Jared Ferreya but were unable to get on the scoreboard.
Wheaton Warrenville South was under attack.
“I thought we started out really strong, and I think they started slow. We were on top of them right away, but it then kind of changed at the end of the first half,” Bawa said. “They started playing better with more intensity, and obviously we thought it was over at halftime. We were messing around and started out slow and gave up two goals so then we had to work back.”
Marshall’s performance for Batavia earned a share of the Man of the Match honor. He was a man on a mission after the break and drew the Bulldogs even before almost putting them in front.
Despite the lack of light shows after his scores, the home team was dead set to rally back and win this game.
“We just started to wake up and began playing the way we were supposed to,” Marshall said. “We started to really focus. Once we got the first goal in the second half, we got a little energy which really got us going.”
The junior midfielder struck first just four minutes into the second half. He tied the game with 30:27 left after Olberg’s corner kick found Nathan Feller. Ferreyra was able to deny Feller’s scoring attempt, but Marshall pounced quickly on the rebound and sent it in to even the match.
Just like that, it was a ballgame.
“Coach said to keep shooting so I shot that first one, and I got a goal,” Marshall said. “That one really got me going. I got a little fire inside of me and just had to keep going.”
Batavia certainly had its share of chances to score the go-ahead goal, but it proved elusive. Marshall continued his roll with a 28-yard missile that required a full-out diving effort from Ferreyra to keep the game tied with 24 minutes remaining.
Wheaton Warrenville was not surprised at the tenor of the game.
“All the teams we (play) are always a battle; it’s always a close game and no one quits,” Husseini said. “It’s never one-sided to one team and we’re always fighting hardest. Today we worked very hard, and we got the win like we needed.”
Batavia junior midfielder Max Simmons blasted a 20-yard shot with 18 minutes left and had an even closer chance off an Olberg corner kick just a couple minutes later, but the Tigers refused to give in.
Jet Oehrlein and Kedzior followed with long tries for Wheaton Warrenville South. Marshall unloaded a 30-yard attempt with 11 minutes left that sailed right as both teams pursued the tie-breaking play.
“If you appreciate the game, it’s good to see them get back into it, and deserving,” Tigers coach Guy Callipari said. “I thought we played exceptionally well against Geneva (a 1-1 tie home Sept. 13) and just as well against St. Charles East (a 2-1 home loss Sept. 20) and only had one point to show for it. Today it wasn’t as pretty as we would’ve liked.
“I thought previously we’ve looked really good in the second half. Today we looked flat, but we had the 2-0 lead. I think sometimes regardless of how you prepare for the second half, you’re going to feel like you’re in a protective modality as opposed to being on your front foot and looking for the dagger, so to speak.”
Batavia (3-7-2, 0-3-0) lost 1-0 to the Tigers last year, yielding a Jason Weisheit goal late in the first half. This time, they responded to a first half deficit with a strong second half attack.
“Give credit where credit is due. They made a couple good chances,” Callipari said. “They were starting to strike the ball from the soft area and not trying to get in behind, because they weren’t having much success there.
“They thought their pace, initially, was what they could rely on. We nullified that so they did the next best thing which was shoot from the areas where there was lack of pressure. It (Marshall’s first goal) was a nice shot. They got the one and that gave them hope, and then they got the (second one) on a scramble, something which we can’t do too much about.
“We could’ve continued to play poorly, but we took the game back a little bit, to put some more pressure on them. Consequently, now you’re feeling pride again and you need three points, so you know where you’re at. It was a good, obviously, initial play by Chase (Kedzior) to go at the defender and create something. Then Gael’s finish is what Gael can do.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Jared Ferreyra
D: Tim Foley
D: Jerry Cuatzo
D: Christian Triscik
D: Brooks Becker
MF: Chase Kedzior
MF: Jack Beres
MF: Nikhil Bawa
MF: Gael Alfara
F: Issa Husseini
F: Jet Oehrlein
Batavia
GK: Ryan Horlock
D: Luke Petersen
D: Nicholas Evangelista
MF: Alexander Marshall
MF: Eder Sanchez
MF: John Smeraglinolo
MF: Nathan Feller
MF: Brokk Olberg
MF: Alejandro Garcia
F: Joshua Black
F: Michael Ruffo
Chicagoland Soccer Men of the Match:
Gael Alfara, sr., MF, Wheaton Warrenville South;
Alex Marshall, jr., MF, Batavia
Scoring summary
First half
WWS: Issa Husseini (Nikhil Bawa), 3:37
WWS: Issa Husseini (Semin Razman), 16:21
Second half
Batavia: Alex Marshall (unassisted), 43:07
Batavia: Alex Marshall (Nathan Feller), 49:33
WWS: Gael Alfara (free kick), 76:35