Fremd shows well in win at Elk Grove

By Darryl Mellema

There is a general consensus is that Fremd's boys’ soccer team is better than its 2009 record has shown.

And for the record, the Vikings entered Tuesday's contest at Elk Grove with 2 wins in 11 outings. Eighty minutes of inspired soccer later, Fremd had increased its win total by 50 percent and made believers of those who watched the team's 4-2 victory over the Grenadiers in Mid-Suburban Conference play.

“We're a lot better than our record,” Fremd midfielder Spencer Filosa said. “We just haven't been able to put everything together that (Vikings coach Steve) Keller's been teaching us.”

For his part, Keller felt his team put together its best performance of the season.

“We've had some bad luck,” Keller said. “We've had problems finishing off games we had a chance to win. Hopefully this is a sign that the luck's on our side a little bit.”

Early in the match Elk Grove (6-5-2, 3-2-2 MSL) threatened to overwhelm Fremd (3-8-1, 2-5.) The Grenadiers counterattacked at great pace and created situations where they outnumbered Fremd's defense. Those quick-breaking tactics allowed the hosts to recover from an early deficit and take the lead.

Fremd got off to a good start of its own when Brian Hindle scored from a scramble following a corner kick 10 minutes into the match.
The lead lasted less than 2 minutes before Jon Pachar received the ball midway into the Fremd defensive half. Pachar held up the ball and then played it to Ernesto Rodriguez, who followed from the left channel of the penalty area into the right side netting.

Elk Grove's best period of play came following that goal. Steve Pruim hit the crossbar and post on a floating right wing cross and the Grenadiers were always dangerous as they moved swiftly through midfield. The go-ahead goal, however, did not come until 5 minutes remained in the half. Nick Jordan played a long ball into space. Cesar Rodriguez reached the ball first and chipped Fremd's goalie.

As with the first pair of goals, Fremd's equalizing goal came less than 2 minutes after Rodriguez's goal. Spencer Filosa took the ball on the right wing, beat two defenders while moving toward the end line, and then cut inside roughly 10 yards from goal. Filosa was tripped from behind and a penalty kick was awarded. Filosa stepped up and put away that kick and the teams went to halftime tied 2-2.

The key adjustment in the second half involved Fremd taking away Elk Grove's quick bursts through midfield toward the Vikings penalty area. Heavily involved were Fremd's three central midfielders in a 3-5-2 formation. Filosa, Michael Heika and Hindle were mostly responsible in that area of the field, and they worked to clog that area better in the second 40 minutes.

“We just got our marks together and played like we were supposed to,” Filosa said. “We stayed with our marks and switched off when we needed to.”

Through the second half, those quick movements were limited as Fremd increasingly took control of the match.

“I think toward the end of the first half, with those three in there, they kept the ball for us and they directed the play,” Keller said. “When the center of midfield does that, the other team doesn't have the ball and they can't be dangerous. I think more than their defending and work rate when we lost it, their keeping possession for us was the key.”

But Fremd wasn't playing in a defensive shell and those players worked forward, as shown 15 minutes into the half when the Vikings scored the goal which gave them the lead they did not surrender.

Filosa sent a ball to the right wing to Lorenzo Savino, who took the ball toward the end line before centering for Hindle, whose off the ball movement was rewarded when he scored his second goal of the match.

“We weren't able to connect as smoothly,” Elk Grove coach Joe Bush said. “We were good sometimes, but we needed to use the width a little more. But their guys are pretty talented in the middle. When you've got three core guys in the middle, you're going to be a good, dangerous team.”

The match had two more key points. The first came 2 minutes after Hindle's second goal when Irving Cruz was red-carded for dissent for Elk Grove. The second came with just under 3 minutes to play when Savino took a long ball at the midfield line, raced ahead of the defense and cracked a wicked shot into the net to seal the Vikings victory.

“We did a nice job responding to their first set piece goal and then we took a 2-1 lead,” Bush said. “I don't know if we gave up, but they got that PK and I felt that came from a poor defensive effort. The third goal they scored, nobody was marked in the middle. But (Fremd) did a good job of getting open and not quitting.”

With time still left in the season before the playoffs, Fremd can expect to see more improvement – especially if Tuesday's match becomes a springboard and not an isolated result.

“I told my guys that Keller's one of the best coaches around and that he's not going to let his team continue as they were,” Bush said. “They're going to get better. I watched them play (Rolling) Meadows a couple of weeks ago and they're a far better team. They're going to give some teams some problems in the playoffs. Their record is deceiving.”

Man of the match: Spencer Filosa

By Darryl Mellema

Spencer Filosa has played literally everywhere for Fremd this year.

So it's no surprise that on Tuesday he defended goal posts on Elk Grove set pieces, was a key piece in the Vikings midfield, was tripped in the penalty area while attacking to earn a penalty kick and then converted that spot kick for the final goal in a 2-2 opening half as the Vikings went on to win 4-2.

“At the beginning of the season, I started at midfield,” Filosa said. “I went back to defense, went up to forward and then came back to midfield for this game.”

Filosa showed some dribbling skills as well in the movement that led to his being fouled in the penalty area to create the penalty kick.

“It was just a great ball by Mike Heika,” Filosa said. “I just tried to go to goal and it worked out for us.”