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Lyons Township sets a rematch with Neuqua Valley By Darryl Mellema
Lyons Township peppered Streamwood’s goal from the opening minute. And yet, for over the first quarter of the match, the Sabres held out. Inevitably, the Lions found the back of the net. By halftime, the tournament host school was ahead 3-0. A goal in the opening two minutes of the second half further emphasized Lyons Township’s dominance. Lions’ coach Paul Labbato emptied his bench through the second half though the goals kept flying in – eventually reaching that 7-0 final. Long before the scoring ended, it was clear to all watching that Lyons Township (10-1) was on its way to Sunday’s Pepsi Showdown championship match against Neuqua Valley. “This was one of the goals that we talked about before the season,” Lyons Township forward Horacio Sanchez said. “We all feel good about how we played today. We hope to get another win (Sunday) and come home as champions.” The Lyons play for the title on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at Toyota Park in Bridgeview immediately following the Chicago Fire-Columbus Crew match. The Lions last played for the Pepsi Showdown title in 2006. Then as now, the match took place at Toyota Park. “It’s a huge field,” Lyons Township outside midfielder Chris Meingast said of Toyota Park’s 75 yards by 120 yards surface. “I think it will help us as a team. We’re good at playing through the midfield and finding those spaces in behind.” Lyons Township has played five matches in the Pepsi Showdown and has yet to allow a goal. The Lions met Neuqua Valley in their third match of the season and lost 4-0. They have not lost since. “I remember playing there four years ago and the kids are just spent,” Labbato said. “They’re not used to that kind of space.” Ball movement was the key to Lyons Township’s victory. The team’s midfield kept the ball moving throughout the match and pulled Streamwood’s defense all over the field. “We were just on our game,” Labbato said. “(Streamwood) came out flat. They weren’t challenging in the air. We were able to not only win those balls but take control and knock it around.” That became easier as the score got larger, but even from the early portions of the match, the Lions spread the ball from side to side and kept looking for openings. “The plan was to jump on them right away,” Lyons Township outside midfielder Chris Meingast said. “We had guys coming forward left and right. I think that put them on their toes a lot. I think that everyone played the best game they played all year. When that happens, everything goes together and things are going to happen.” Meingast created the first goal in the 23rd minute of the first half when he sent a left wing cross that Horacio Sanchez headed in at the far post. “I saw (Sanchez) and he was wide open on the back post,” Meingast said. “All I had to do was find his head. He’s a stone-cold killer and he’s going to put it in if I can put it on his head. That’s a kind of motivation to get it to him.” Sanchez finished with two goals in the contest. “We were expecting a tough game,” Sanchez said. “We played well, either way.” Uriel Cabrera made the score 3-0 when he ran onto a Brian Heimerdinger through ball and scored with just over one minute left before halftime. “(Streamwood) was a good team,” Meingast said. “I mean, you don’t get to the semifinals of the Pepsi Showdown being a mediocre team. But when you come out the way we did, we feel like we can play with anyone.” The goals continued to flow throughout the second half, unlike the tension of Neuqua Valley’s 1-0 victory on the adjacent field. Sanchez got his second goal 62 seconds into the second half. Elliot Borge converted a Heimerdinger pass 12 minutes into the half for the Lions’ fifth goal. Midway through the half, Uriel Cabrera dribbled up the left wing, cut into the penalty area and scored for a 6-0 lead. Luke Skertich completed the rout with a goal in the final minute of play.
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Man of the match: Horacio Sanchez By Darryl Mellema
Sanchez was active from the opening kickoff and could have had at least a goal or an assist or two by the time the Lions opened the scoring. As it was, Sanchez scored a solid goal when he headed in Chris Meingast’s left wing cross. Sanchez got a second goal early in the second half and could have had a hat trick moments later but Streamwood goalie Edgar Leyva made a sharp save. Sanchez said he has scored seven goals and Lyons Township coach Paul Labbato said he leads the team in scoring. “It feels good, especially since I’m a forward,” Sanchez said. “I’ve got to get the job done. Everyone was moving fluidly. Meingast gave me a good ball and I knew I had to finish that. He gave me another one that I didn’t finish, but almost. I wanted the hat trick.”
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Even in a match that ends 7-0, there is sometimes still some drama. In the case of Saturday’s Lyons Township-Streamwood semifinal of the Pepsi Showdown, that drama centered around whether or not the Lions would be able to score or not.