MSL Soccer Cup preview
Fremd (14-2-2) at Elk Grove (12-5-0)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Robert Haskell Stadium, Elk Grove High School
2009 MSL Cup: Palatine d. Prospect 5-1
This Year's meeting: Fremd d. Elk Grove 2-0
Fremd's key characters: Spencer Filosa (Sr, MF-F, 7 goals, 6 assists) Lorenzo Savino (Sr, F, 11 g), Scott Sutarik (Sr, GK, 6.5 shutouts), Brian Hindle (Jr, MF), Alex Bochat (Sr, D, 5 a), Alex Prelipceanu (Sr, D), Eric Leonard (Fr, D), Matt Burkhardt (Sr, F).
Elk Grove's key characters: Nick Jordan (Sr, MF, 12 a), Rafal Borys (Sr, D, 4 g), Ernesto Rodriguez (Sr, F, 6 g), Cesar Rodriguez (Sr, F, 10 g), Matt Ginter (Sr, D), Mike Ginter (Sr, D), Carlos Cisneros (So, MF) Justin Gavros (So, MF).
Story line for Fremd: Vikings showed their potential to succeed early when they defeated a quartet of quality opponents at the Best of the West, shutting out all but one. With their stout backline (Alex Bochat, Alex Prelipceanu, Eric Leonard) conceding just 15 goals in 18 matches, this group is efficient, strong in the air, each is willing and able to go forward into the attack when needed. Both sides feature unique star-power from one of its captains, with senior Spencer Filosa capable of playing all three positions with ease and confidence, thus helping showing the way for an experienced lineup which has achieved a level of consistency and solidarity. The Vikings attack, which sputtered nearly all of last season, came back this fall to nearly double its goal-scoring stats, when leading goal-scorer Lorenzo Savino and his vibrant work up top would help inspire, while Brian Hindle and Nick Tambellini impose their will and work rate from the center of the park. Always an advocate for fewer matches during the week in order to train and recover, Vikings coach Steve Keller masterfully worked the the last half of the regular season to perfection, giving the club two, seven-day breaks in between matches, which resulted in a 9-1 record.
Story line for Elk Grove: Grens coach Joe Bush felt if his club could stay away from too many peaks and valleys this season, then maybe, just maybe his lads could compete for top honors in the MSL East. “We could have easily gone 0-3 to start the year, instead of 1-2, especially after dropping our first match to our MSL East rival Hersey in OT, said Bush. “But the confidence within the team never let down, and we went on to win our next 6 matches, and must-wins in the final days to clinch the division. The Grens' Jordan is the counterpart of what Filosa does for the Vikings, and has instilled his little engine-that-could belief upon his teammates, from front-to-back. The tall, rangy back trio of Rafal Borys, and Mike and Matt Ginter are confident and reasons for 11 shutouts, while giving up 14 in front of a pair of rookie keepers. The Grens' midfield, unheralded, yet tenacious, and technically gifted, each understands its place in the attack, and will look to its lone striker up top (Ernesto Rodriguez) to conjure up some trouble, as well as Cesar Rodriguez, who has embraced his new role as super-sub to become a magnificent power source, and extra pace in the Grens attack.
History lesson: When the core of this Fremd team were sophomores, the club went 2-13-1. This year, buoyed by the additon of GK Scott Sutarik, a transfer from Westminister Christian, and two-plus years of growth and maturity on its side, the Vikings defeated high-profile Neuqua Valley to win the Best of the West tourney, and help begin its eventual trip to its 12th MSL Cup appearance and an area best overall record.
The Grens erased 35 years of being on the outside looking in when a big finish down the stretch gave them their first appearance in the championship match, when the club went 5-0, including 3 straight over division rivals.
Touchline talk: “Even when we lost our MSL opener to Hersey in OT, the confidence of our team remained high, and our work rate and desire to make this season our best ever never wavered. Elk Grove's Nick Jordan
“There's a lot of seniors who have been here from the start, and we all realized this is our last chance to succeed. Elk Grove's Rafal Borys
“A lot of us were sophomores in that (2-win) season, but we've all come together, and worked hard to get better, and the addition of Scott (Sutarik) was the final piece that we needed to help get us where we are today. Fremd's Spencer Filosa
“The thing is, we've all played together for so long, ever since a lot of us were 8 or 9 years old, so this is a great thing to happen to us during our senior seasons. Fremd's Lorenzo Savino
Coaches corner
Fremd's Steve Keller (13th year, 167, 96-49): “They (Elk Grove) has a very good midfield, and their (guys) up top are quick and dangerous, so it will be important for us to come out right away and play intelligent soccer, while doing all the little things correctly in order to stay within the game plan that we draw up for the match. Our game is so much different on turf, so we will get out and train on grass, in preparation of a little bit slower of a pace on Thursday night.
Elk Grove's Joe Bush (6th year, 44-56-12): “We will have to shut down both and Filosa and Savino, as well as keeping the pressure on their people in the middle so we can keep their possession percentage to a minimum. In our match with them earlier, they seemed to win nearly every ball during the first half, and generated 7-8 corners in doing so, and that's something we just cannot allow the second time around.