OPRF win over WWS has Spanish flair
Foreign exchange student Guillen shines for Huskies in 4-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
OAK PARK -- Jaime Guillen is having the adventure of a lifetime. How many high schoolers get to travel the world and be part of a terrific soccer program?
A junior international exchange student from Madrid, Spain, Guillen arrived in the United States in August and made a spectacular debut as a starting forward for Oak Park and River Forest's ranked program.
He has been the most pleasant of surprises, and he has weaponized an already dynamic and talented offense.
Guillen showcased his terrific all around game by scoring two goals and adding an assist as the Huskies, who are ranked 14th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, scored three goals during a heightened two-minute burst at the start of the second half for a 4-1 nonconference home victory over Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday night.
“It’s fun to watch him play,” Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried said. “It has been fantastic having him, but it has also been a lot for him to take in in coming to a new country and meeting and fitting in with all the guys.”
Soccer has eased his assimilation into a new country and academic system. Guillen arrived in Oak Park just as the Huskies were beginning tryouts and training. He showed his mettle and his flair in creating plays in open space.
“This was my first big trip anywhere, but I have been very fortunate ever since I came here,” Guillen said. “I have a very good (host) family, and from the start everybody has welcomed me. That has made it very easy to integrate myself with the rest of the team.”
He has adapted beautifully to the style of American high school soccer.
“It’s not better or worse compared to Spain,” he said. “”It’s just different. Back home it is more technical, and here it’s more physical. There are very good levels in both places.”
Guillen’s creativity and explosiveness changed the tenor of the game at two important junctures, midway through the first half with the Huskies trying to convert their early opportunities and at the start of the second half.
Guillen scored his 15th and 16th goals of the year and earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
As a testament to his ease and comfort with his teammates, Guillen worked a beautiful give-and-go with senior forward Grant Kindler in the 26th minute as the Huskies took advantage of their considerable opportunities.
“We created a lot of chances in the first 15-to-20 minutes that we did not really finish on,” Kindler said. “I came in, and Jaime headed it out to me. We were able to make a run there, and I was able to get a first touch on the ball there.
“I got my head on it and it fortunately went in.”
The Huskies (11-2-1) struggled to convert early chances. They monopolized possession and prevented the Tigers’ skilled offensive threats like forward Declin Ermer and Sumani Husseini from getting free or loose to cause havoc against the Huskies’ defense.
The play was one-sided but the game was tight at the start of the second half. Fried implored his team to seize the moment and perform with greater urgency and efficiency.
“Our coach was not too happy about how we played in the first half, and he told us to come out in the second half and just take it,” Kindler said. “We did that and just came out in full attack mode.”
Guillen broke the game open by scoring two goals 45 seconds apart in the 47th minute.
The Huskies demonstrated greater resolve at the start of the second half. They maintained pressure in the Tigers’ scoring third as they pushed numbers forward and assaulted the box. Off a corner kick, midfielder Zeke Rivera made a jaunt inside the box and was pushed from behind by Ermin.
Oak Park and River Forest was awarded a penalty kick. Normally senior captain James Maguire takes the kicks. But as an example of his increased confidence Guillen asked to take the attempt, and Maguire gladly assented.
Guillen blasted a left-footed ball inside the near post for the 2-0 lead.
Moments later Guillen scissored between two Tigers and led a four-on-two break from the top and drilled another ball from about from about 16 yards for the dazzling bang-bang sequence.
“At halftime coach Fried said he wanted us to take more shots,” Guillen said. “We were getting to the top of the box at the 18 pretty easily, but we were not finishing the plays.
“We started to play better early in the second half.”
Fried was ecstatic after seeing the stronger and more assertive play at the start of the second half.
“We did a good job of controlling the game in the first half, but as I told the guys, you can possess all you want but unless you do so with purpose and look to score it is all pointless,” Fried said.
“We were not testing them in the first half. We came out in the first 15-to-20 minutes of the second half and played much differently. We put pressure on their defense. When you do that, good things are going to happen.”
Oak Park and River Forest maintained its torrid play, propelling numbers forward and dictating the pace and tempo. The Huskies put the exclamation point on the terrific burst as two defenders, Jai Hsieh-Bailey and Blake Soto collaborated on a thrilling scoring sequence.
On a throw-in from the right edge, Bailey made a first-rate service that Soto timed perfectly in smashing home the header.
A tight game was suddenly 4-0.
In retrospect the penalty kick demoralized the Tigers (3-7-1).
“We broke down after the first goal in the second half and dropped our heads a bit,” Ermer said. “We messed up on the corner, and I made a bad foul in the box. Throughout the whole game we should have worked harder. They outplayed us completely. We picked it up at the end.
“We came together and started to play better and connect on passes, which we needed in order to make it a better game.”
The Tigers’ middle of Nick McGrath, Griffin Wight and Ryan Dufty responded to the challenge and created more dynamic scoring chances. Wheaton Warrenville South’s pressure yielded dividends in the 67th minute as a foul against Ermer inside the box led to Husseini’s penalty kick.
“Their penalty kick was a deflating experience for us, and we were off our game for the stretch where they really pushed four and five forward against us,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “We have to get better defensively. Our backline has to play better. They were able to play through us too much.”
The final margin obscured the Tigers’ improved play.
“We played well except for those two minutes,” Ermer said. “Throughout the year we have played better. We just have to get into a rhythm, get some wins under our belt and continue to work hard and play together.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Joe Adamek
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Kevin Stumbris
D: Jared Coriander
MF: Nick McGrath
MF: Griffin Wight
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Sumani Husseini
MF: Christian Munoz
MF: Paul Thalmann
F: Declin Ermer
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Sam Pacenka
D: Bram Lebovitz
D: Dylan Whitney
D: Blake Soto
D: Jai Hsieh-Bailey
MF: Zeke Rivera
MF: Matt Hawthorne
MF: Mateja Tadie
MF: James McGuire
F: Paul Garcia
F: Jaime Guillen
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the the Match: Jaime Guillen, jr., F, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
Oak Park and River Forest—Grant Kindler (Jaime Guillen), 26th minute
Second half
Oak Park and River Forest—Guillen (penalty kick), 47th minute
Oak Park and River Forest—Guillen (unassisted), 47th minute
Oak Park and River Forest—Blake Soto (Jai Hsieh-Bailey), 49th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South—Sumani Husseini (penalty kick), 67th minute
Foreign exchange student Guillen shines for Huskies in 4-1 victory
By Patrick Z. McGavin
OAK PARK -- Jaime Guillen is having the adventure of a lifetime. How many high schoolers get to travel the world and be part of a terrific soccer program?
A junior international exchange student from Madrid, Spain, Guillen arrived in the United States in August and made a spectacular debut as a starting forward for Oak Park and River Forest's ranked program.
He has been the most pleasant of surprises, and he has weaponized an already dynamic and talented offense.
Guillen showcased his terrific all around game by scoring two goals and adding an assist as the Huskies, who are ranked 14th in the Chicagoland Soccer Top 25, scored three goals during a heightened two-minute burst at the start of the second half for a 4-1 nonconference home victory over Wheaton Warrenville South on Thursday night.
“It’s fun to watch him play,” Oak Park and River Forest coach Jason Fried said. “It has been fantastic having him, but it has also been a lot for him to take in in coming to a new country and meeting and fitting in with all the guys.”
Soccer has eased his assimilation into a new country and academic system. Guillen arrived in Oak Park just as the Huskies were beginning tryouts and training. He showed his mettle and his flair in creating plays in open space.
“This was my first big trip anywhere, but I have been very fortunate ever since I came here,” Guillen said. “I have a very good (host) family, and from the start everybody has welcomed me. That has made it very easy to integrate myself with the rest of the team.”
He has adapted beautifully to the style of American high school soccer.
“It’s not better or worse compared to Spain,” he said. “”It’s just different. Back home it is more technical, and here it’s more physical. There are very good levels in both places.”
Guillen’s creativity and explosiveness changed the tenor of the game at two important junctures, midway through the first half with the Huskies trying to convert their early opportunities and at the start of the second half.
Guillen scored his 15th and 16th goals of the year and earned Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match honors.
As a testament to his ease and comfort with his teammates, Guillen worked a beautiful give-and-go with senior forward Grant Kindler in the 26th minute as the Huskies took advantage of their considerable opportunities.
“We created a lot of chances in the first 15-to-20 minutes that we did not really finish on,” Kindler said. “I came in, and Jaime headed it out to me. We were able to make a run there, and I was able to get a first touch on the ball there.
“I got my head on it and it fortunately went in.”
The Huskies (11-2-1) struggled to convert early chances. They monopolized possession and prevented the Tigers’ skilled offensive threats like forward Declin Ermer and Sumani Husseini from getting free or loose to cause havoc against the Huskies’ defense.
The play was one-sided but the game was tight at the start of the second half. Fried implored his team to seize the moment and perform with greater urgency and efficiency.
“Our coach was not too happy about how we played in the first half, and he told us to come out in the second half and just take it,” Kindler said. “We did that and just came out in full attack mode.”
Guillen broke the game open by scoring two goals 45 seconds apart in the 47th minute.
The Huskies demonstrated greater resolve at the start of the second half. They maintained pressure in the Tigers’ scoring third as they pushed numbers forward and assaulted the box. Off a corner kick, midfielder Zeke Rivera made a jaunt inside the box and was pushed from behind by Ermin.
Oak Park and River Forest was awarded a penalty kick. Normally senior captain James Maguire takes the kicks. But as an example of his increased confidence Guillen asked to take the attempt, and Maguire gladly assented.
Guillen blasted a left-footed ball inside the near post for the 2-0 lead.
Moments later Guillen scissored between two Tigers and led a four-on-two break from the top and drilled another ball from about from about 16 yards for the dazzling bang-bang sequence.
“At halftime coach Fried said he wanted us to take more shots,” Guillen said. “We were getting to the top of the box at the 18 pretty easily, but we were not finishing the plays.
“We started to play better early in the second half.”
Fried was ecstatic after seeing the stronger and more assertive play at the start of the second half.
“We did a good job of controlling the game in the first half, but as I told the guys, you can possess all you want but unless you do so with purpose and look to score it is all pointless,” Fried said.
“We were not testing them in the first half. We came out in the first 15-to-20 minutes of the second half and played much differently. We put pressure on their defense. When you do that, good things are going to happen.”
Oak Park and River Forest maintained its torrid play, propelling numbers forward and dictating the pace and tempo. The Huskies put the exclamation point on the terrific burst as two defenders, Jai Hsieh-Bailey and Blake Soto collaborated on a thrilling scoring sequence.
On a throw-in from the right edge, Bailey made a first-rate service that Soto timed perfectly in smashing home the header.
A tight game was suddenly 4-0.
In retrospect the penalty kick demoralized the Tigers (3-7-1).
“We broke down after the first goal in the second half and dropped our heads a bit,” Ermer said. “We messed up on the corner, and I made a bad foul in the box. Throughout the whole game we should have worked harder. They outplayed us completely. We picked it up at the end.
“We came together and started to play better and connect on passes, which we needed in order to make it a better game.”
The Tigers’ middle of Nick McGrath, Griffin Wight and Ryan Dufty responded to the challenge and created more dynamic scoring chances. Wheaton Warrenville South’s pressure yielded dividends in the 67th minute as a foul against Ermer inside the box led to Husseini’s penalty kick.
“Their penalty kick was a deflating experience for us, and we were off our game for the stretch where they really pushed four and five forward against us,” Wheaton Warrenville South coach Guy Callipari said. “We have to get better defensively. Our backline has to play better. They were able to play through us too much.”
The final margin obscured the Tigers’ improved play.
“We played well except for those two minutes,” Ermer said. “Throughout the year we have played better. We just have to get into a rhythm, get some wins under our belt and continue to work hard and play together.”
Starting lineups
Wheaton Warrenville South
GK: Joe Adamek
D: Sam Schlegel
D: Kevin Stumbris
D: Jared Coriander
MF: Nick McGrath
MF: Griffin Wight
MF: Ryan Dufty
MF: Sumani Husseini
MF: Christian Munoz
MF: Paul Thalmann
F: Declin Ermer
Oak Park and River Forest
GK: Sam Pacenka
D: Bram Lebovitz
D: Dylan Whitney
D: Blake Soto
D: Jai Hsieh-Bailey
MF: Zeke Rivera
MF: Matt Hawthorne
MF: Mateja Tadie
MF: James McGuire
F: Paul Garcia
F: Jaime Guillen
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the the Match: Jaime Guillen, jr., F, Oak Park and River Forest
Scoring summary
First half
Oak Park and River Forest—Grant Kindler (Jaime Guillen), 26th minute
Second half
Oak Park and River Forest—Guillen (penalty kick), 47th minute
Oak Park and River Forest—Guillen (unassisted), 47th minute
Oak Park and River Forest—Blake Soto (Jai Hsieh-Bailey), 49th minute
Wheaton Warrenville South—Sumani Husseini (penalty kick), 67th minute