Barragan puts Oak Lawn
in Windy City title match
PK in 2nd OT earns Spartans berth in Toyota Park final
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BURBANK — Giovanni Barragan was not going to let his frustrations overwhelm him.
So much happens during a game, moments and actions pile up, rarely allowing players to stand back and catch their breath. Everything is in the moment. The hardest part is sometimes forgiving yourself.
During the first overtime of his team’s showdown with Bloom, Barragan had visions of being the conquering hero. He split two defenders and broke down the left edge and had a textbook shot with his natural left-foot that he was ready to put away for the game-winner.
The shot pushed inches wide. He was left to wonder.
“I was really frustrated after I missed that shot,” the Oak Lawn senior midfielder said.
That is the best part about the game. You never have to wait very long for a second chance, especially when you are an attacking midfielder and the lynchpin of the team’s attack. Barragan is never going to lack for opportunities.
He delivered with the game in the balance by drawing a foul inside the box and converting the penalty-kick with 1:32 remaining that powered the Spartans to a 2-1 double-overtime victory over the Trojans in the first semifinal of the Windy City Ram Classic on Monday at Reavis.
Oak Lawn (4-0-0) qualified for its first appearance in the title game against defending champion Bremen on Wednesday at Toyota Park.
The tournament games are played under special rules: 35-minute halves and two five-minute overtime periods. The victory was the third-consecutive overtime game for the Spartans in the tournament. They won their two previous games on penalty kicks.
“We’re tired of playing all of these long games,” Barragan said.
Oak Lawn ventured into entirely new territory with four-consecutive wins to start the tournament.
“This is not only the farthest we have ever gone in the tournament, it’s the first time we ever won the first game,” Oak Lawn coach Nate Joiner said.
“The difference with this year’s team is we have a lot of talent, seniors who have been with me for at least three years, and a couple for all four years. They know the system, and they genuinely like each other, and it’s a very close-knit team.”
Barragan earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for his excellence. He vanquished the disappointment of not finishing the strong scoring chance in the first overtime and refused to yield. He put constant pressure against the Trojans’ backline.
His ability to dart in space and create his own shot led to the penalty-kick.
“I received the through-ball from Jose Lopez, and I got past at least one player, and I saw there just one player between me and the keeper,” Barragan said. “I’m a lefty, so I tried to cut inside to get a better shot and [the defender] tripped me.”
The foul occurred right at the dividing line marking the box. He calmly stepped up and drilled the shot into the upper right hand corner. Oak Lawn survived the Trojans’ furious push over the final minute and a half to secure the victory.
“I have been taking penalty-kicks my whole life, and I haven’t missed so far in high school. So I was pretty confident,” he said. Barragan scored his third goal of the season. “This was our third game in a row playing in overtime, so mentally we were prepared for it.”
He directly impacted both goals for the Spartans. He assisted forward Mohammad Farraj in the 18th minute on the goal that locked the score up at 1-1 apiece, drawing a defender and slotting a ball as Farraj completed his run.
“There was really no other chance of passing the ball (back) in that moment,” Farraj said. “I looked around, and I didn’t see any other players to pass the ball. I shot the ball strong on the side so the keeper could not save it. It was luck, but also a good goal.”
Bloom (3-1-0) caught the Spartans off rhythm in the seventh minute as midfielder Jose Rodriguez broke through a seam and finished a tricky off-balance shot that generated just enough movement to float under the grasp of Spartans’ keeper Abel Cavada.
Bloom star forward Alex Segoviano had a free-kick from about 18 yards that glanced off the post, partially deflected by Cavada in the moments just before the final scoring sequence. That is how close the game was.
“It was coming down to a shootout anyway,” Bloom coach Kelly Gutierrez said. “At that point the match could go either way. It was a frustrating loss, but I saw a lot of things that I like. Our center-midfielder was doing a great job of covering. Our forwards — they are trying to get through a tough defense — against a very good team. We knew coming in it was going to be a really tough game.
“I think we started out a little nervous, on the back of our heels; and then we came back and played a very good second half.”
Bloom plays Shepard in the tournament’s third-place game Wednesday at Reavis.
Now Oak Lawn floats into the final, symbolic importance very much attached for a program eager to make its own name.
“We have never gotten this far before in the tournament, so we just want to bring a title back to our school,” Barragan said.
Fighting through the early adversity proved something to Joiner.
“I love to see their faces, going into the locker rooms at Toyota Park, being on that professional field with the perfect grass,” he said. “We played on the field the last two years for different reasons. This is going to be different. I always love to see their faces.
“This is something we are always going to remember.”
Starting lineups
Bloom
GK: Vincente Herrera
D: Moises Rangel
D: Juan Ruiz
D: Roberto Coria
D: Leonardo Aldape
MF: Eric Mendoza
MF: Jose Rodriguez
MF: Alexander Bernal
MF: Miguel Mariano
F: Alex Segoviano
F: Anthony Aldape
Oak Lawn
GK: Abel Cavada
D: Matt Barrera
D: Adam Baniewicz
D: Sadiq Mohamad
MF: Cody Figus
MF: Donal Nugent
MF: Akram Madhi
MF: Giovanni Barragan
MF: Michal Szlafarski
F: Mohammad Farraj
F: Michal Cieczak
Man of the Match: Giovanni Barragan, MF, Oak Lawn
in Windy City title match
PK in 2nd OT earns Spartans berth in Toyota Park final
By Patrick Z. McGavin
BURBANK — Giovanni Barragan was not going to let his frustrations overwhelm him.
So much happens during a game, moments and actions pile up, rarely allowing players to stand back and catch their breath. Everything is in the moment. The hardest part is sometimes forgiving yourself.
During the first overtime of his team’s showdown with Bloom, Barragan had visions of being the conquering hero. He split two defenders and broke down the left edge and had a textbook shot with his natural left-foot that he was ready to put away for the game-winner.
The shot pushed inches wide. He was left to wonder.
“I was really frustrated after I missed that shot,” the Oak Lawn senior midfielder said.
That is the best part about the game. You never have to wait very long for a second chance, especially when you are an attacking midfielder and the lynchpin of the team’s attack. Barragan is never going to lack for opportunities.
He delivered with the game in the balance by drawing a foul inside the box and converting the penalty-kick with 1:32 remaining that powered the Spartans to a 2-1 double-overtime victory over the Trojans in the first semifinal of the Windy City Ram Classic on Monday at Reavis.
Oak Lawn (4-0-0) qualified for its first appearance in the title game against defending champion Bremen on Wednesday at Toyota Park.
The tournament games are played under special rules: 35-minute halves and two five-minute overtime periods. The victory was the third-consecutive overtime game for the Spartans in the tournament. They won their two previous games on penalty kicks.
“We’re tired of playing all of these long games,” Barragan said.
Oak Lawn ventured into entirely new territory with four-consecutive wins to start the tournament.
“This is not only the farthest we have ever gone in the tournament, it’s the first time we ever won the first game,” Oak Lawn coach Nate Joiner said.
“The difference with this year’s team is we have a lot of talent, seniors who have been with me for at least three years, and a couple for all four years. They know the system, and they genuinely like each other, and it’s a very close-knit team.”
Barragan earned the Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match honor for his excellence. He vanquished the disappointment of not finishing the strong scoring chance in the first overtime and refused to yield. He put constant pressure against the Trojans’ backline.
His ability to dart in space and create his own shot led to the penalty-kick.
“I received the through-ball from Jose Lopez, and I got past at least one player, and I saw there just one player between me and the keeper,” Barragan said. “I’m a lefty, so I tried to cut inside to get a better shot and [the defender] tripped me.”
The foul occurred right at the dividing line marking the box. He calmly stepped up and drilled the shot into the upper right hand corner. Oak Lawn survived the Trojans’ furious push over the final minute and a half to secure the victory.
“I have been taking penalty-kicks my whole life, and I haven’t missed so far in high school. So I was pretty confident,” he said. Barragan scored his third goal of the season. “This was our third game in a row playing in overtime, so mentally we were prepared for it.”
He directly impacted both goals for the Spartans. He assisted forward Mohammad Farraj in the 18th minute on the goal that locked the score up at 1-1 apiece, drawing a defender and slotting a ball as Farraj completed his run.
“There was really no other chance of passing the ball (back) in that moment,” Farraj said. “I looked around, and I didn’t see any other players to pass the ball. I shot the ball strong on the side so the keeper could not save it. It was luck, but also a good goal.”
Bloom (3-1-0) caught the Spartans off rhythm in the seventh minute as midfielder Jose Rodriguez broke through a seam and finished a tricky off-balance shot that generated just enough movement to float under the grasp of Spartans’ keeper Abel Cavada.
Bloom star forward Alex Segoviano had a free-kick from about 18 yards that glanced off the post, partially deflected by Cavada in the moments just before the final scoring sequence. That is how close the game was.
“It was coming down to a shootout anyway,” Bloom coach Kelly Gutierrez said. “At that point the match could go either way. It was a frustrating loss, but I saw a lot of things that I like. Our center-midfielder was doing a great job of covering. Our forwards — they are trying to get through a tough defense — against a very good team. We knew coming in it was going to be a really tough game.
“I think we started out a little nervous, on the back of our heels; and then we came back and played a very good second half.”
Bloom plays Shepard in the tournament’s third-place game Wednesday at Reavis.
Now Oak Lawn floats into the final, symbolic importance very much attached for a program eager to make its own name.
“We have never gotten this far before in the tournament, so we just want to bring a title back to our school,” Barragan said.
Fighting through the early adversity proved something to Joiner.
“I love to see their faces, going into the locker rooms at Toyota Park, being on that professional field with the perfect grass,” he said. “We played on the field the last two years for different reasons. This is going to be different. I always love to see their faces.
“This is something we are always going to remember.”
Starting lineups
Bloom
GK: Vincente Herrera
D: Moises Rangel
D: Juan Ruiz
D: Roberto Coria
D: Leonardo Aldape
MF: Eric Mendoza
MF: Jose Rodriguez
MF: Alexander Bernal
MF: Miguel Mariano
F: Alex Segoviano
F: Anthony Aldape
Oak Lawn
GK: Abel Cavada
D: Matt Barrera
D: Adam Baniewicz
D: Sadiq Mohamad
MF: Cody Figus
MF: Donal Nugent
MF: Akram Madhi
MF: Giovanni Barragan
MF: Michal Szlafarski
F: Mohammad Farraj
F: Michal Cieczak
Man of the Match: Giovanni Barragan, MF, Oak Lawn