Lane bucks the odds, beats rival Young
Arroyo has assist and game-winning goal in 2-1 comeback win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Just about every Young and Lane soccer game is a lesson on psychology and action. In this topsy-turvy world, the natural order is upended so that what is up is more often down, or vice versa.
The usual metrics for success, like possession time and shots on goal, are rarely actual predictors of victory. A year ago, Young dominated some 85 percent of possession only to become undone by the singular power of Lane star Alex Mezyk, who scored two goals in the Indians’ 3-0 victory.
Watching the game here Wednesday night gave every indication of a dominant Young performance: meaningful play, shots, time of possession and access to 50-50 balls.
The Dolphins scored first. In a rivalry game, that means a great deal.
Despite all the negative signs Lane somehow found the means to escape.
Emerging Indians’ star junior David Arroyo continued to impress with his athleticism and playmaking ability with an assist and a game-winning goal as Lane pulled off the 2-1 comeback victory at home in Chicago Public League Premier Division North play here.
All the scoring happened in the first 19 minutes of the match, which is quite rare for the series.
Lane (3-1-1, 2-0-0) won by the same score on Monday against Taft. In both instances, the Indians absorbed tremendous pressure in trying to protect late leads.
It is a successful though very risky strategy.
“We will take the win, but this becomes a question of how long we are able to do this,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “It’s not good practice, but you take it when you can get it. And it was a good response on our part.”
The loss snapped the Dolphins’ three-game winning streak.
Young exploded from the start, playing with quickness and precision in pushing the ball into the Indians’ backline. Young parlayed the early movement and activity into a very impressive opening goal as senior midfielder Jake Gerenraich made a beautifully timed run off a corner kick from Gabe Regalado for a stunning goal in the third minute.
Psychologically, early goals almost always favor the team that scores them. Young was fighting fatigue after winning three games in the Windy City Ram Classic to qualify for the consolation title Monday at Toyota Park.
The standard narrative was upended.
“It was a tough transition from a lot of games over the weekend, and we tried to pick it up,” Gerenraich said. “I think we started strong, especially with the early goal. We couldn’t hold our end the rest of the first half, especially after their first goal. I felt like after halftime we picked it up again, and we started dominating.”
Lane reacted with poise and toughness against the early adversity. Off the ensuing restart, the Indians caught Young with a long cross that nearly resulted in a goal.
Despite not converting, Lane was locked in.
“Honestly I don’t think it rattled us too much,” Lane senior midfielder Cathal O’Connor said. “I feel like we bounced back really quick. The next play we almost scored a goal. Our team is showing a lot of resilience. Probably 10 minutes after that, I scored on the header. I felt like most of the game we were in control.”
Like Young, Lane cultivated the scoring opportunity off pressure that produced a corner kick. Despite his own finishing prowess, Arroyo is the corner specialist. He made visual contact with O’Connor.
“I made eye contact with Cathal, because there was like a 15-yard gap between the goal and the defender’s line, and I saw him running in,” Arroyo said. “I know he is acrobatic, and he is going to go for whatever ball I give him. He went for the diving header.
“He likes to be fancy.”
O’Connor scored his third goal of the year. He scored the game-winner against the Dolphins last year.
The roles switched and the Indians held control, especially playing with the wind in the first half. Newly energized, Lane delivered the crippling blow as sophomore midfielder Grant Nagle slotted a perfect through-ball that Arroyo deftly controlled in space and drilled from about 18 yards inside the near post in the 19th minute.
Arroyo earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his effort.
As McCarthy pointed out, without emphasizing the point, was the borderline offsides call. Even Ricks admitted the distinct possibility.
“The second goal, it’s disputable, but they got in behind us and finished as well,” McCarthy said. “We still did not have defenders in the right situation. That is ultimately what is missing from our game from time to time, having that guy who can get behind the defense and finish.”
The lead gave the Indians some breathing space. Young (3-2-0, 0-1-0) made every conceivable effort at equalizing in the second half. Most disconcerting for the Dolphins was they had the better of the run of play for 65 minutes of action.
Those 15 minutes from the moment of Young’s goal to the two scores Lane strung together proved the difference.
“We had a lot of chances in the second half and we had the majority of the possession,” McCarthy said. “You still have to put the ball into the net. If you are down, and they’re up, they are just going to defend, defend and defend and don’t mind kicking the ball out.
“They made us chase a goal.”
Young had several heartbreaking moments in the second half. Gerenraich hit the right post from about 20 yards.
“That shot felt really good,” Gerenraich said. “The wind, I think, took it. It was a difference of about four inches. I think, we as a program, are very proud of how we played. Unlucky result, but it’s the beginning of the season. I think if anything else this game shows we are level with every other team in the city. It comes down to capitalizing on every little chance.
“We had some so many opportunities we didn’t capitalize on.”
Junior defender Alex Espino had a couple of dangerous free kicks. In the 76th minute junior forward Elias Guzman got to the right edge and delivered a tantalizing cross in front of an available Lane goal that skipped across without a Young player able to get on the end of the shot.
“We are a fun team to watch,” McCarthy said.
Lane made one more play. That was enough Wednesday. Junior keeper Jakub Bozek had seven saves for the Indians.
“I think we are getting better as a team,” Ricks said. “I think we’re improving. As a coach, you always want to keep moving forward, even if you lose and get beat by a better team. The question is, are you moving forward. If you are taking steps back, how grave are those steps. Sometimes you have inconsistencies, where it is up and down, up and down. So far, I think we are moving forward.
“We are working hard. We are bending but not breaking. I’m okay with winning ugly.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Daniel Moderhack
D: Jake Davidson
D: Alex Espino
D: Jonathan Perez
D: Alan Gaytan
MF: Owen Anderson
MF: Gabe Regaldo
MF: Jake Gerenraich
MF: Rodney Bejabeng
F: Elias Guzman
F: Aidan Chapman
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
D: Daniel Rau
MF: Grant Nagle
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: Omar Divanovic
MF: David Arroyo
MF: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the match: David Arroyo, jr., MF, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Young—Jake Gerenraich (Gabe Regalado), third minute
Lane—Cathal O’Connor (David Arroyo), 12th minute
Lane—Arroyo (Grant Nagle), 19th minute
Second half
None
Arroyo has assist and game-winning goal in 2-1 comeback win
By Patrick Z. McGavin
CHICAGO -- Just about every Young and Lane soccer game is a lesson on psychology and action. In this topsy-turvy world, the natural order is upended so that what is up is more often down, or vice versa.
The usual metrics for success, like possession time and shots on goal, are rarely actual predictors of victory. A year ago, Young dominated some 85 percent of possession only to become undone by the singular power of Lane star Alex Mezyk, who scored two goals in the Indians’ 3-0 victory.
Watching the game here Wednesday night gave every indication of a dominant Young performance: meaningful play, shots, time of possession and access to 50-50 balls.
The Dolphins scored first. In a rivalry game, that means a great deal.
Despite all the negative signs Lane somehow found the means to escape.
Emerging Indians’ star junior David Arroyo continued to impress with his athleticism and playmaking ability with an assist and a game-winning goal as Lane pulled off the 2-1 comeback victory at home in Chicago Public League Premier Division North play here.
All the scoring happened in the first 19 minutes of the match, which is quite rare for the series.
Lane (3-1-1, 2-0-0) won by the same score on Monday against Taft. In both instances, the Indians absorbed tremendous pressure in trying to protect late leads.
It is a successful though very risky strategy.
“We will take the win, but this becomes a question of how long we are able to do this,” Lane coach Andrew Ricks said. “It’s not good practice, but you take it when you can get it. And it was a good response on our part.”
The loss snapped the Dolphins’ three-game winning streak.
Young exploded from the start, playing with quickness and precision in pushing the ball into the Indians’ backline. Young parlayed the early movement and activity into a very impressive opening goal as senior midfielder Jake Gerenraich made a beautifully timed run off a corner kick from Gabe Regalado for a stunning goal in the third minute.
Psychologically, early goals almost always favor the team that scores them. Young was fighting fatigue after winning three games in the Windy City Ram Classic to qualify for the consolation title Monday at Toyota Park.
The standard narrative was upended.
“It was a tough transition from a lot of games over the weekend, and we tried to pick it up,” Gerenraich said. “I think we started strong, especially with the early goal. We couldn’t hold our end the rest of the first half, especially after their first goal. I felt like after halftime we picked it up again, and we started dominating.”
Lane reacted with poise and toughness against the early adversity. Off the ensuing restart, the Indians caught Young with a long cross that nearly resulted in a goal.
Despite not converting, Lane was locked in.
“Honestly I don’t think it rattled us too much,” Lane senior midfielder Cathal O’Connor said. “I feel like we bounced back really quick. The next play we almost scored a goal. Our team is showing a lot of resilience. Probably 10 minutes after that, I scored on the header. I felt like most of the game we were in control.”
Like Young, Lane cultivated the scoring opportunity off pressure that produced a corner kick. Despite his own finishing prowess, Arroyo is the corner specialist. He made visual contact with O’Connor.
“I made eye contact with Cathal, because there was like a 15-yard gap between the goal and the defender’s line, and I saw him running in,” Arroyo said. “I know he is acrobatic, and he is going to go for whatever ball I give him. He went for the diving header.
“He likes to be fancy.”
O’Connor scored his third goal of the year. He scored the game-winner against the Dolphins last year.
The roles switched and the Indians held control, especially playing with the wind in the first half. Newly energized, Lane delivered the crippling blow as sophomore midfielder Grant Nagle slotted a perfect through-ball that Arroyo deftly controlled in space and drilled from about 18 yards inside the near post in the 19th minute.
Arroyo earned the Chicagoland Soccer Man of the Match distinction for his effort.
As McCarthy pointed out, without emphasizing the point, was the borderline offsides call. Even Ricks admitted the distinct possibility.
“The second goal, it’s disputable, but they got in behind us and finished as well,” McCarthy said. “We still did not have defenders in the right situation. That is ultimately what is missing from our game from time to time, having that guy who can get behind the defense and finish.”
The lead gave the Indians some breathing space. Young (3-2-0, 0-1-0) made every conceivable effort at equalizing in the second half. Most disconcerting for the Dolphins was they had the better of the run of play for 65 minutes of action.
Those 15 minutes from the moment of Young’s goal to the two scores Lane strung together proved the difference.
“We had a lot of chances in the second half and we had the majority of the possession,” McCarthy said. “You still have to put the ball into the net. If you are down, and they’re up, they are just going to defend, defend and defend and don’t mind kicking the ball out.
“They made us chase a goal.”
Young had several heartbreaking moments in the second half. Gerenraich hit the right post from about 20 yards.
“That shot felt really good,” Gerenraich said. “The wind, I think, took it. It was a difference of about four inches. I think, we as a program, are very proud of how we played. Unlucky result, but it’s the beginning of the season. I think if anything else this game shows we are level with every other team in the city. It comes down to capitalizing on every little chance.
“We had some so many opportunities we didn’t capitalize on.”
Junior defender Alex Espino had a couple of dangerous free kicks. In the 76th minute junior forward Elias Guzman got to the right edge and delivered a tantalizing cross in front of an available Lane goal that skipped across without a Young player able to get on the end of the shot.
“We are a fun team to watch,” McCarthy said.
Lane made one more play. That was enough Wednesday. Junior keeper Jakub Bozek had seven saves for the Indians.
“I think we are getting better as a team,” Ricks said. “I think we’re improving. As a coach, you always want to keep moving forward, even if you lose and get beat by a better team. The question is, are you moving forward. If you are taking steps back, how grave are those steps. Sometimes you have inconsistencies, where it is up and down, up and down. So far, I think we are moving forward.
“We are working hard. We are bending but not breaking. I’m okay with winning ugly.”
Starting lineups
Young
GK: Daniel Moderhack
D: Jake Davidson
D: Alex Espino
D: Jonathan Perez
D: Alan Gaytan
MF: Owen Anderson
MF: Gabe Regaldo
MF: Jake Gerenraich
MF: Rodney Bejabeng
F: Elias Guzman
F: Aidan Chapman
Lane
GK: Jakub Bozek
D: Matt Bozek
D: Jae Ryding
D: Oswaldo Alfaro
D: Daniel Rau
MF: Grant Nagle
MF: Cathal O’Connor
MF: Drew Kelner
MF: Omar Divanovic
MF: David Arroyo
MF: Fernando Alvarado
Chicagoland Soccer Man of the match: David Arroyo, jr., MF, Lane
Scoring summary
First half
Young—Jake Gerenraich (Gabe Regalado), third minute
Lane—Cathal O’Connor (David Arroyo), 12th minute
Lane—Arroyo (Grant Nagle), 19th minute
Second half
None