BERWYN – On Tuesday, Morton received two more lifts in its recent rise in fortunes.

The first came thanks to an amazing goal that could be best described as “Carismatic.” The second was the return to health of a key four-year varsity player.

Marquette-bound Carisma Rosales’ perfectly struck 35-yard shot early in the first half gave host Morton a very stylish 1-0 lead in its West Suburban Conference Gold Division match with Addison Trail.
 
And with fellow senior forward Aaliyah Leanos back in the lineup after missing the last six-plus games with injury, the Mustangs (8-6-0, 3-0-x) rolled on to a 2-1 win over the Blazers (6-8-0, 0-3-x).

“The first 10 minutes we started very strong,” Leanos said. “Addison Trail, we knew, was going to give us competition, especially with so many new girls we have this year. But we’re getting all the girls in the right mindset that ‘This is conference. It’s serious now. Let’s get our heads into it and get on it right away.’”

It was the reliable play of two-time Chicagoland Soccer All-State player Rosales (who has 12 goals and 14 assists this year) that provided the big moment to that desired fast start.

Launching a right-side blast from well beyond the box in the ninth minute, Rosales had perfect aim as the shot tucked inside the upper left corner of the net to put the Mustangs up 1-0.

“She’s a high-quality player, obviously,” Morton coach Jim Bageanis said, “and she knows where to hit the ball. Her placement is usually pretty much on if she gets a good look.”

Not as accustomed to seeing Rosales’ act as Bageanis is, Addison Trail coach Sergio Nunez had his own huge praise of that moment.

“That was the most beautiful shot we’ve seen all season,” Nunez said. “She really placed it.

“Nicely executed, nicely placed upper 90. She saw it (the shot chance) from the beginning. She’s an excellent player.”

Rosales adopted the start strong mantra Leanos stressed in launching the long shot.

“We hadn’t had any shots from the beginning, so I was like, why not?” Rosales said. “Give it a try, see how it works out.

“I know the goalie (Addison Trail’s Isabella Gutierrez) from club, and I didn’t know if she was going to play (a distance shot) exactly the same as she did in club, but I took the chance.”

Shaquille O’Neal on stilts would have been required to deny Rosales’ chance.

“It’s a big moment,” Rosales said of the goal. “I was glad to be picking the team up, and as a team we’re playing really competitive. I have a lot of energy; we all do. So, it helps us not just as individuals, but as we work together. It shows in our group.”

It showed itself in the 1-0 lead, and  as Morton kept rolling toward a strong advantage in play for the first 60 minutes of the match.

Mustangs goalkeeper Yaritza Padilla did her part defensively, making nice saves in the 25th and 28th minutes (the latter a low grab on an Allison Gagliano right-side 18-yarder).

But the first half otherwise was advantage Morton, including two elite scoring bids late in the stanza.

In the 36th minute, Karina Estrada burst in up the middle, but Gutierrez nicely raced off her line to make a close-up sliding foot block of the 20-yard shot.

“Karina is sneaky quick,” Bageanis said, “quick enough to get to balls and knows how to play good angles. And she had nice touch on her passes, so we’re relying on her a lot in the middle.”

Then with just eight seconds left in the half, an Addison Trail foul set up a Rosales 40-yard free kick not far from the scene of her earlier goal. But this time, Gutierrez nicely batted down and control the Rosales rocket at the right post as first half clock expired.

If halftime is sometimes supposed to create a break in momentum, it didn’t happen Tuesday.

Morton pressure began 40 seconds into the second half with a long Rosales free kick initially cleared, then a Leanos long rebound shot on goal.

Then just 70 seconds later, sophomore Adamary Huitron made a run toward the crowd near the back post and put away a Rosales cross to give Morton a 2-0 lead.

“I was indecisive at first going for it, because I thought the girls in front of me were going to get it,” Huitron said of her fourth goal of 2024. “But I got the chance, and I finished it. I was scared, but I tried.

“We had the lead (going into the) second half, so we wanted to push the ball up the field the best way we can and try to get a goal in and help secure the win.”

That halftime message and its execution worked out perfectly for what would turn out to be a necessary insurance goal.

“We told them (at the half) the next goal is going to cause the game to go either way,” Bageanis said. “Adamary’s a sneaky player. She might not check all the boxes, but
she’s fundamentally sound. She can play defense pretty well; she shoots pretty well. She passes well, and she’s only a sophomore.”

Rosales nearly made the score 3-0 with 35:20 left to go. Winning a ball right-side and with Gutierrez off her line to challenge, Rosales sent a long, high chip that was not only over the goalkeeper but also just over the crossbar.

The next two noteworthy chances also were created by Morton.

With 23:30 to play, Gutierrez saved Estrada’s lined-shot off a nice Stephanie Salmeron end line save and pass. Then two minutes later, another Salmeron pass sprung Leanos for a right-side run and shot that Gutierrez again saved.

Leanos generated two more quality scoring threats later, the best with 11:50 left. She won a 50/50 ball, sent it to Rosales, then touched a Rosales return cross just wide of the post.

“It’s good to have her (Leanos) back,” Rosales said. “It re-energizes our team and helps us out a lot up-top.

“We’ve grown up playing soccer together, so that’s a big impact and a big benefit. Obviously, she’s just getting her rhythm back. As she goes game to game, it’ll be even better for the whole team.”

Leanos offered similar take on the chemistry with Rosales.

“For the most part we’ve been playing together since we were very little, so it’s helped us a lot in terms of knowing how our style of play is,” Leanos said.

“She’s very fast, and she likes to put those balls up for me. I have to read her runs and be able to get to those balls on time. But if I don’t get there, I know she’s there to support me, and I’m there to support her.”

While providing a big lift to her team Tuesday, Leanos gave herself mixed reviews.

“I’d say it was definitely hard to get my groove back and my touches back in, especially with the speed of the game and the intensity and everything,” she said.

“I think I had a little bit of higher expectations, but it worked out well (with the 2-1 win) so I’m not too disappointed with the performance.”

For his part, Bageanis noted big positives having Leanos back.

“We moved the ball a lot better today with Aaliyah there,” he said. “She’s another threat, so they couldn’t run two or three girls at Carisma the whole game. They had to play us a little more honest.

“We’re a different team when we have Aaliyah and Carisma and Carina and Stephanie all going together. We were really moving the ball well for the middle portion of the game.”

But that middle 40-minute part of the game that Bageanis noted, ended with 20 minutes remaining in regulation.

And almost like clockwork, Addison Trail turned the tide with 19:57 to play to create a less relaxing final stretch for Morton.

Blazers forward Natalie Lupa earned a corner kick on a left-side attack. On her ensuing send, Lupa nicely found Brianna Gutierrez in the box for a 10-yard line drive. Padilla got a hand on the laser shot, but couldn’t prevent it from finding a spot inside the left post to make the score 2-1 Morton.

“Brianna’s a hustler,” Nunez said. “She just works so hard to win the ball and challenges every 50/50, and most often she comes out on top.”

Morton nearly answered 40 seconds later when Rosales sent an Estrada cross just over the net, and had several other bids down the stretch (including Leanos’ earlier mentioned tip just wide).

But Addison Trail continued to counterpunch until the end. Another Lupa run into the box was well defended by Emily Orduna and Isabel Sanchez and covered by Padilla.

“Emily plays stopper or marking back for us, and she’s always solid,” Bageanis said. “She plays hard and is a very physical player.”

Morton counter that bid with Rosales free kicks of 29 yards (over the net with 11 minutes left) and 35 yards (a hard drive caught by Gutierrez with 10:25 to go).

The last offensive push from Addison Trail came in triplicate in the form of free kicks of just under 30 yards with 8:30 and 5:40 to play (both over the net), then a more threatening counterattack by Lupa. Trying to battle through three defenders, Lupa sent a 15-yarder just wide left for a goal kick with 40 seconds left.

“They played a good game,” Bageanis said of the Blazers. “Their numbers 7 (Lupa) and 24 (Gutierrez) and 10 (Keyrin Castillo) were good players.

“We kind of dominated a little bit on possession, but they had a chance on a corner and we paid for it. And I think we were a little gassed (at the end): we didn’t play many subs in the second half. We were sticking with what was working.”

Said Rosales: “Obviously we had held them the whole game and done well defensively the whole game. We were unlucky on a corner, and we just had to keep fighting against it. They were a good, very competitive team, so it was just good overall (to win).”

For Addison Trail the strong finish was both a positive and a case of what-if.

“I told the girls I wish we could have started the game the way we played the last 15-20 minutes,” Nunez said. “That’s the way we should have started, especially started the second half, pressuring right away. But in the end, it just didn’t work out in our favor.”

Things are working out more and more to Morton’s favor. After a four-game losing streak, the Mustangs have allowed just one goal over a quartet of consecutive wins.

“We talked about things, and practices have also been helping us,” Huitron said.

“As we were losing, it was like ‘We’ll get a win next game, just move on,’” Huitron said. “So obviously that (win to end the streak) felt good, and keeping up the streak, it’s feeling better. Our confidence is bigger than it was before.”

Said Leanos: “Now that our team is fully recovered, having our full squad really helps in just being able to maneuver everyone around into more comfortable situations.”

Bageanis sees added experience as another factor.

“We knew we were young and would struggle a little bit,” he said, “but even in those losses they were one- or two-goal losses. You could see we were trying to do the right things, and it just wasn’t clicking. We were a step or two off here or there.

“They now have the idea of what the speed of play has to be at the varsity level. Now we’re halfway through the season, and it’s starting to click with more of them.”

Next comes a key stretch for Morton: a big road trip, followed by a massive conference game at Downers Grove South in early May.

This week ends with games Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Tournament of Champions in Bettendorf, Iowa.

“Obviously we get to play new teams and play on different fields, and it’s good to bond with the other girls,” Huitron said. “It’s not all soccer: we get to go to dinner and all that. And it’s just good to get out of the state.

“I think it’s just about keeping our confidence coming back from Iowa. Hopefully in Iowa we do good, so we keep our heads up, and we’re ready for Downers Grove South.”

That shorter trip west to Downers Grove looms largest on Morton’s remaining regular-season slate.

“I’d definitely say DGS this year is our main goal for this year,” Leanos said, “especially for me and Carisma as seniors. Every year we’ve lost to them, including in overtime on golden goals. This year is our senior year, so we’re definitely wanting it to go our way.”

For Morton’s coach, it’s first things first.

“We came away with a win tonight,” Bageanis said, “and hopefully we’ll build up here, get a win or two in Iowa and go from there.”

Starting lineups

Addison Trail
GK: Isabella Gutierrez
D: Madeline Beltran
D: Giselle Espinoza
D: Rubi Hernandez
D: Jailyn Gallegos
M: Brianna Gutierrez
M: Brithany Mondragon
M: Allison Gagliano
M: Keryn Castillo
M: Monserat Abarca
F: Natalie Lupa

Morton
GK: Yaritza Padilla
D: Isabel Sanchez
D: Emily Orduna
D: Romina Lopez
D: Crystal Ozuna
M: Mayrin Sanchez
M: Stephanie Salmeron
M: Karina Estrada
M: Brigitte Solano
F: Aaliyah Leanos
F: Carisma Rosales

Chicagoland Soccer MVP of the Match: Carisma Rosales, sr. F, Morton

Scoring summary

First half
M- Carisma Rosales, 9’

Second half
M- Adamary Huitron (Rosales assist), 42’
AT- Brianna Gutierrez (Natalie Lupa), 61’