Fremd’s quick strikes stun Libertyville
Fremd denied top seed Libertyville its chance at making a run into the Class 3A state championship match Tuesday night.
The No. 4 Vikings (14-6-2) took control with a superb first half of soccer — striking twice in a span of two minutes — and forcing the 2010 state runners-up to chase the lead until it ran out of time in a shocking 2-1 defeat at the Palatine sectional semifinals at Chic Anderson Stadium.
Jeremy Kosacz struck the game’s first goal at 31 minutes when he went upper 90 from 30 yards. Then, two minutes later, Brian Hindle stunned the Wildcats (17-4-1) when he fired through the wall and put away his free-kick from just outside the box to put the Vikings in commmand, and halfway to the 6 p.m. final on Friday against No. 2 Prospect, a winner in penalty kicks over Buffalo Grove.
“(Fremd coach Steve) Keller is a tactical genius,” said both Kosacz and Hindle.
After poring over scouting reports, Keller asked his team to stay organized and compact and mark Joey Ruppert and Marshall Hollingsworth as tightly as they could. He wanted the Vikings to control the flank and do their best to outwork an opponent which can strike in a moment’s notice on the counter and bring numbers from just about anywhere on the pitch like no other.
“If you coach long enough, you know all the preparations in the world really don’t matter if your guys go out there and do not execute,” began Keller. “But for the first 40 minutes of soccer, we were near flawless, and although (Libertyville) really came at us in the last 10 or 12 minutes or so, I thought we did a great job tonight, from front-to-back, and earned ourselves a terrific victory.”
Yusuke Kanada’s free-kick serve forced ‘Cats’ keeper Zach Labrum to challenge off his line to turn away the well-aimed serve. But in doing so, he left a rebound in the area, which after a scrum — spilled a free ball out to Kosacz, who promptly found the back of the net.
Moments later, the assistant referee on the far touchline ruled Labrum had stepped out of the box — and after the ball was placed on the top of the 18 — Hindle cracked the eventual game-winner with a marvelous touch.
“Libertyville had so much talent, and we knew they would be really dangerous if we didn’t stick to what Keller wanted us to do, and tonight, everyone contributed, and pretty much stayed with what our plan was,” offered Hindle.
Fremd pressed furiously, but intelligently, shifting enormous amounts of labor, and showing incredible positional discipline. Even when Hollingsworth, Rupert, Austin Bitta and Lloyd Chatfield finally found their pace and form near the hour mark, it wasn’t enough.
Although, without a superb challenge of a 50-50 ball at the spot by Vikings keeper Colton Caesius on Bitta — the Wildcats may have cut the lead in half at 70 minutes.
Carlos Schultz would bring the Wildcats closer in the 74th minute from 8 yards. But on this night, the Vikings would not allow their top-rated opponent to get any closer.
“I don’t know what to really say,” said Libertyville coach Andy Bitta. “I thought we came out and started the game really well, and we certainly had our chances in the first half, as well as the second, but two mistakes cost us tonight, and when you’ve been around as long as I have, your realize how difficult it is to advance in this sport during the state tournament series.”