Chicagoland Soccer Top 25
By Patrick Z. McGavin
What a year.
This edition of the Top 25 marks the final pool of the regular season. A final poll is set to be published on the Sunday following the crowning of the Class 2A and Class 3A state champions.
Not a great deal of movement, save for Lane's rise following its extraordinary and dramatic victory over Taft in the Public League tournament final Monday night. Wheeling is also on an upswing after knocking out previously-ranked No. 3 Barrington 3-2 in the MSL Cup, reversing a regular season loss.
The big question mark is Bradley-Bourbonnais, a perfect 19-0-0; it's hard to adjudicate their numbers given their location. The football team was in a similar predicament and just destroyed highly-regarded Lincoln-Way East. One suspects something similar might be up with soccer.
As we have said all year, styles make fights. Morton is the team to beat. The question is whether a physical and talented team, like Libertyville a year ago, can disrupt the Mustangs' fluid and finesse game.
Glenbrook North has looked state championship-worthy the last six weeks. The question here is whether the Spartans are able to sustain such a peak level for another two and a half weeks.
This ranking illustrates the ideal that regular seasons matter. Conference championships are significant. The Class 3A field is a treacherous one.
Thank you for coming here and taking part in the dialogue. The final one looks to be a classic.
By Patrick Z. McGavin
What a year.
This edition of the Top 25 marks the final pool of the regular season. A final poll is set to be published on the Sunday following the crowning of the Class 2A and Class 3A state champions.
Not a great deal of movement, save for Lane's rise following its extraordinary and dramatic victory over Taft in the Public League tournament final Monday night. Wheeling is also on an upswing after knocking out previously-ranked No. 3 Barrington 3-2 in the MSL Cup, reversing a regular season loss.
The big question mark is Bradley-Bourbonnais, a perfect 19-0-0; it's hard to adjudicate their numbers given their location. The football team was in a similar predicament and just destroyed highly-regarded Lincoln-Way East. One suspects something similar might be up with soccer.
As we have said all year, styles make fights. Morton is the team to beat. The question is whether a physical and talented team, like Libertyville a year ago, can disrupt the Mustangs' fluid and finesse game.
Glenbrook North has looked state championship-worthy the last six weeks. The question here is whether the Spartans are able to sustain such a peak level for another two and a half weeks.
This ranking illustrates the ideal that regular seasons matter. Conference championships are significant. The Class 3A field is a treacherous one.
Thank you for coming here and taking part in the dialogue. The final one looks to be a classic.
Look out for: McHenry, Taft, Mundelein, New Trier, Latin, Neuqua Valley, Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South, Glenbrook South, Conant, Streamwood, Carmel, Argo, Jacobs.