Schaumburg holds off Sabres in Pepsi Showdown, 1-0
Streamwood (6-1-2) was dealt its first defeat of the season by an inspired effort from Schaumburg, which produced a sparkling exhibition of soccer on both sides of the ball to claim a 1-0 victory in a second-round match of the Pepsi Showdown boys soccer tournament Thursday night in Hoffman Estates.
Saxons all-state senior Josh Beard struck the game-winner at 55 minutes when he thumped a header into the back of the net after meeting up with Josh Halter's corner near the spot to keep the top seed in the tournament in the championship bracket and a place in Saturday's play at host Lyons Township against the winner of tonight's St. Charles North vs. Loyola Academy match.
"Maybe our record (6-4-0) didn't show (others) that we are a legitimate No. 1 seed, but tonight we may have shown we are the top seed after beating a very good team like Streamwood," offered Beard, who was moved to the back line one match before solidify an inexperienced unit after playing upfront for coach Hamid Mehreioskoui in the Saxons' previous matches.
"It was like a playoff match tonight," began Mehreioskoui, who along with Streamwood head coach Matt Polovin had to move his club to Conant for this match after the original site at Olympic Park in Schaumburg was deemed unplayable.
"Josh makes us a much better team playing in the back. But guys like Halter and Jimmy McFarland were terrific tonight and helped us slow down a talented team like Streamwood, which has a lot of weapons to watch."
Halter did an outstanding job for 80 minutes against the Sabres' superb striker, Roma Patino, while the left-footed McFarland was congratulated by his coach for the work he turned in against midfielder Lenin Beltran all evening long.
The Sabres, who defeated Marmion Academy 2-0 on Tuesday to advance, and last week drew 0-0 with highly rated Wheaton North at the Lake Park tournament, struggled in the first quarter hour and never found their pace, nor their midfield, which in turn had trouble linking up with Patino and others on this night.
"We came out flat," admitted Polovin.
"It took us awhile to get (up) to speed, and even when we did, we just weren't as sharp as we have been thus far and we weren't able to finish chances when they were there for us."
The Saxons were able to keep the pressure on their opponents thanks in part to high energy running and pace from the middle on top while winning the air war on nearly every 50-50 place there, including corners and long throws into the box.
Sabres defenders Erick Huerta, Ullses Chavez and captain Mike Chwistek did well to keep everything in front of them throughout the first half and in fact, it was Chavez who would block a sure goal early on when Tim Olson had a go at the back post.
Beard, who would play most of a chippy second half with a yellow card, tricked his way into the box to lose his mark before heading a superb inward swing corner from Halter, struck from the far touchline.
"Beard is a great player, and we just let him go from the top of the box and all the way through," sighed Polovin.
Minutes before the goal, the Sabres' Alex Lopex would hit a guided missile on frame in which keeper Payton Irmen turned up and over the woodwork to keep things at 0-0. Later it was Patino's redirected header that fell into Irmen's gloves in close to keep the Sabres out of the back of the net once again.
The two clubs will meet once again in the regular season finale on the Saxons' new turf on Saturday, October 11.