Glenbrook North bursts past Maine West
Just one season after a less than sparkling 2009 campaign, Glenbrook North appears to be a strong favorite to rule the Central Suburban North in boys soccer this fall.
The Spartans boast plenty - an all-state caliber keeper, technical skill, and speed. Lots of it.
The Spartans (5-2-2) found another gear when they needed it Monday night, and when presented with an opportunity struck for a pair of second-half goals to defeat Maine West 2-1 in Des Plaines.
The visitors won their third consecutive match with a dazzling display of possession and playing impressively on the counter-attack. The pace of Jonathan Weber, Michael Simon, Jack Rosenbach, Nick Olson among others sent the host Warriors (7-2-4, 1-1-0) to just their second loss of the season.
"I don't know if its our inexperience, or the fact that (North) played so much pace, but they kept us under pressure that entire first half and got us into so many 2 v 1's that we never really got anything going until after the break, when we came out with much more energy and began to play the way we know that we can," said Warriors coach Mike Divincenzo, who recently recorded his 100th career win in the program. "The crazy thing is we probably had the best two scoring chances in that first half, but Paul (Vignocchi, Glenbrook North's coach) has a great keeper, and he made an amazing save on our first chance. And then on the second, one of their defenders cleared a ball off the line to save a sure goal.
"But with all that said, they were clearly the better team in the first 40 minutes."
The aforementioned Spartans' quartet charged forward and was the primary problem for the Warriors as they handled most of the early exchanges with movement and creativity to force defenders Emmett Turner-Jackson, Austin O'Toole and Ramon Contreras to be strong in the tackle in order to keep the visitors away from keeper Jecsan Torres.
"Our possession tonight was terrific, and we know coming in that Maine West was going to be well organized and tough to attack on its home turf," said Vignocchi. "We were very quick in our play, and moved and switched the ball very well, and when the opportunity to counter was there for us, we took full advantage and were able to finish twice from it."
Glenbrook North keeper Quinn McAnaney stopped a point-blank smash from Nelson Herrera at 27 minutes to stop a sure goal after the freshman was given a superb ball from Bruno Velazquez. Then, just after the half-hour mark, McAnaney could only watch a ball sent over the senior from Jayson LeSeth fall to Herrera at the endline; a defender cleared the ball.
The Warriors began the second half with purpose, but two minutes after the break the Spartans took an ill-advised corner from their own end, and it was full throttle from Jeremy Albert up the left side. He found Simon on a run into the box, where the junior was sandwiched by a trio of Warriors, making the foul and subsequent PK call an easy one for the center official.
Weber converted his spot-kick seconds later.
Weber again was the architect in another Spartans counter and goal, and again by bursting up the left side before finding Rosenbach at the post, where he slotted under Torres in the 66th minute.
The Warriors could have easily mailed in the final quarter hour of play. Instead, Divicenzo's team pushed forward with enthusiasm and fnally cut into the Spartans' lead.
With a brilliant piece of individual work on the ball, Herrera drew two defenders into the center channel, then calmly laid the ball off to LeSeth, whose one-timer bent around the outstretched gloves of McAnaney.
Glenbrook North defended with might for a final 10 minutes of frantic play, keeping most of the long serves sent over the top in front of them to squelch the Warriors' chances of getting even.
"We didn't give up, and we played with a lot of heart and desire, even after we fell behind by 2 goals, and that's what I am most proud of, especially with so many young guys on our roster," said Warriors senior Ryan Ybarra.