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WWSouth's big second half buries Batavia By Darryl Mellema After a tight first half in which Batavia and Wheaton-Warrenville South played to a 1-1 tie, few could have suspected that the match was about to turn into a 5-1 decision. Yet that is what happened, with the visiting Tigers running rampant against a Batavia team which played the final 35 minutes of the match without its senior captain. WW South coach Guy Callipari said Batavia posed several challenges to his squad. Batavia plays a flat back four, against which staying onside can be a challenge. The Bulldogs also operate with a triangle of three midfielders with two on the outside. The attacking midfielders are supposed to make runs to provide offensive depth, in support of Ty McCoy, who operates mainly as a lone striker. Add to that the fact that Batavia plays on natural grass and the field is somewhat tight, and the Tigers had some adaptations to make to their normal game plan. “We had to take some time to acclimate,” Callipari said. “We had to take time and assess the situation and then get numbers forward. We thought what we could do is pull one of their central defenders or their back and create a hole. And then we could work into the seams.” For a half, that setup caused problems for WW South (13-1-1). The Tigers took the lead in the 19th minute when Alden Marton sent a ball forward that went off a Batavia defender but then behind that defender and into space. Marton took that deflection and powered it into the net. Batavia (6-5) equalized with 10 minutes left before halftime when Hyrum DaSilva’s shot from the top of the penalty area found its way inside the right post. “I thought we played well in the first half,” Batavia coach Mark Gianfrancesco said. “The way the second half started changed the match.” Those opening moments of the second half were devastating for the Bulldogs. First WW South had a shot cleared off the line by Jorden Carr. Moments later, the Tigers were ahead when Drew Bellmer fed Ricky Munguia for a close shot. Batavia’s Mitch Albrecht was then red-carded for excessively protesting a yellow card. The Tigers finished the scoring when Kevin Allingham scored with just under 3 minutes to play. As the half progressed, WW South found those gaps in the defense and not just because the Bulldogs were short-handed. The flat back line wasn’t always the solid fortress it has been at times this fall. “They were dropping,” Callipari said. “We have some speed up top and they were trying to counter it with tracking. That pulls it apart a little. It’s a tough thing for kids sometimes – do I go or do I stay?” Still, the match wasn’t a complete disaster for Batavia. Especially in the early stages, they were dangerous. And without getting an abundance of great scoring chances, they were dangerous. “Credit to them, they played well, especially in the first 10 minutes,” Callipari said. “They possessed it a lot and moved it around and it’s nice to see them move it in that manner.” Batavia is in a brutal run of games. After a break that went over two weeks earlier in the season, the Bulldogs are now faced with a four-match week. First they must face Glenbard South without Albrecht, who is suspended after Monday’s red card. Then Batavia faces long-time and bitter rival Geneva. “It’s a busy week for us and we’re going to have to play well against Glenbard South,” Gianfrancesco said.
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2009 Schedule
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