Aurora Juventud Get The Win

Both Bolingbrook Raiders SC and Aurora Juventud FC came in Saturday with the focus on the game in front of them but after the match, it was no surprise to see the excitement from the Aurora side as they got their win after losing to the same team in last year’s Presidents Cup Final. After being up 1-0 and shortly after receiving a red card, Aurora Juventud would have to play 30 minutes with 10-men. Bolingbrook would get back into the game drawing level, before Aurora Juventud would dig deep with 5 minutes left and win by the minimum, 2-1. Aurora Juventud would visit Bolingbrook SC and manage the three points to make it six for the season and put them atop of the standings.

Game Recap

Both sides came out aggressive, physical and with points to prove. The first 10 minutes were with a quite number of fouls that proved the game was going to be a tough one, they both wanted to come out and show no weakness. Bolingbrook began the game in more dominating fashion, they controlled the game well in the first 30 minutes, pushing Aurora Juventud back and forcing them to sit in their own half. Bolingbrook was calm and composed when attacking and the Aurora side was very comfortable and very disciplined out of possession. The two chances in the first 30 came from the home side, Alex Flores did a brilliant job to beat his defender with a drop off the shoulder and speed to get in front. It looked like he was able to get around the Aurora Juventud Goalkeeper, Carlos Fabela, with a quick move. Before he got a shot off, Carlos brilliantly was able to recover his footing and get a great block off. The next came off of a great press by Bolingbrook, where Danny Balas was able to recover high up the field but great defending from Aurora Juventud again, saved them from going down. Alex Flores and Vincent Vargas were nightmares on the wing, quick and dynamic they consistently threatened the box where time and time again the formidable defending kept things goalless. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Aurora Juventud began to counter and began to be a lot more precise with their attack. Mike Morrow was a game changer for the Aurora side as he came in and was consistently looking to drive forward and get himself into dangerous areas. He was able to win a foul 25 yards out where he brilliantly placed his shot in the top left corner, giving Aurora Juventud the lead 1-0 right before half.

The second half began like the first half ended, Aurora Juventud would begin to gain confidence and were now getting more and more touches in their attacking third. With 15 minutes played, they would receive a red card leaving them to play 30 minutes with one less man. With the red, momentum immediately began to shift and naturally, the visiting side began to sit deep as Bolingbrook began to push numbers forward. A great cross came in where it seemed they would go level, but Danny Balas header went just wide. Juan Pablo Escobar (BSC), who was dominant in the middle throughout, was growing in confidence and was beginning to get on the ball more, minutes after Danny’s missed header, he saw a shot go inches above the cross bar. Not two minutes later, Tamaur Beals would equalize for Bolingbrook SC cool and calmly making a move past the keeper to tap it in. With five minutes remaining in the game, you could sense this would not end in a draw, it felt like the home side was going to get another chance to take the lead. Mike Morrow had something to say about that yet again, he would get the ball higher up the pitch on a counterattack for Aurora, go at his defender, make a skillful move and get fouled inside the box. Just as he did in the first half, he won the foul and took the ball himself, Mike scored the winning goal with five minutes left in the game to get Aurora Juventud the three points away from home.

Player Interview

We chatted with the goal scorer of both goals for Aurora Juventud regarding the result and his impact on the game. It was clear Mike Morrow was a player that his team can count on, a player that will step up when his team needs him without hesitation and with complete confidence. Winning the free kick, taking it and scoring a screamer followed by showing grit and determination, to be by himself and attack the box, win a penalty, take it and score it, showed the player he is for the team. He does not shy away from taking on the responsibility and it paid off in this Premiership matchup.

“This is a very big game, rematch of the Presidents Cup Final. It feels good to have the team win a match like this especially losing in the final and being down a man today, but it comes down to who plays to the last minute, to the final whistle,” said Mike as he reflected on how he felt to get the result and get the two goals. He was subsequently asked what winning in such fashion and the determination that was shown can do for a team as the season progresses and he was quick to emphasize playing strong to the final whistle as the learning lesson. “This can come out at the end, the three points and goal differential but it’s all in the effort put in now and we can see what playing all the way through to the 90 minutes can do,” he concluded.

Coach’s Post-Game Interview

Continuing on the topic, we asked Coach Jesus Cerda what going down to 10-men with 30 minutes still to play showed him about his team and he was not very surprised at the team’s actions, but full of praise, stating, “It’s a very tight group, some of these kids – like Michael – have been with me since 8-years old…when we went a man down, they were still focused on winning the game. It was very similar to the Presidents Final where they went a man down and were able to get the win, now it was our turn. It’s a credit to the kids, they are all from the same neighborhood and have been together for a long time.” A proud moment for the Coach to see how they were able to use the togetherness of the group to dig deep for the win.

The familiarity of the opponent in Bolingbrook SC is clear and the Aurora Juventud coach was full of compliments when discussing Coach Capp and Balas side. “They are a great club; their coaches have had that team since they were very young too. It is always a very tough game and competitive with usually only a goal to separate us. We have that healthy rivalry and maybe we will see them again in the Presidents Cup. They are very well disciplined and very well coached,” he said. “We just got to stay focused, we still have a lot of games to play and we are focused on the State Premiership, this is our second win, and we are looking forward to starting the group-play in the Presidents Cup. Our main thing is keeping them focused and making sure they are staying healthy so we can find success in both competitions,” Coach Ceda concluded.

What’s Next?

As previously mentioned, this 17U Premiership I division is a tough one and every point will matter. Bolingbrook Raiders SC have found it tough, but they are no strangers to adversity, and they know how to bounce back. This is a very good side and regardless of their start to the season, they will compete against anyone. They break from the Premiership for a bit and will visit Pegasus FC in their next Premiership encounter.

Aurora Juventud will look to keep momentum going as they visit second place, FC United on April 27th. Both teams will be coming in undefeated and know a result will put them at the summit for the time being.