Tigers settle for tie vs. Glenbard South
By Darryl Mellema

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Separating the good from the bad in Tuesday’s Plainfield North nonconference match with Glenbard South, which ended 2-2, takes some time.

The Tigers did not warm up well, and that sluggishness carried through the first 40 minutes. Despite taking the lead, Plainfield North (3-2-1) was pegged back and finished that opening half tied 1-1.

“I was really displeased with our first half,” Plainfield North coach Jim O’Hara said. “Then what do you know, our touch was just off in the first half. And we were not being aggressive. Give (Glenbard South) credit. I think they beat us to just about every 50-50 ball in the first half. We played to a tie in the first half, but I don’t think we were mentally or physically prepared.”

The second half showed marked improvement as the offense began to flow and an increasing number of chances were created. Plainfield North also regained the lead, only to have Glenbard South score to forge the tie.

“I know we played to a tie again in the second half, but I think we were much more aggressive,” O’Hara said. “Their goalie was spectacular. We had some point blank opportunities. Some we put over and some we just missed, but he made some big saves.”

Early-season matches can often be a mixed bag of performances, and the Tigers showed some definite strength through the match but also showed some areas that needed to be fixed, and at halftime many of those adjustments were made.

“We just made some small adjustments, making sure one of our midfielders dropped back and picked up,” O’Hara said. “I think we played a better second half in the middle of the field. By doing that, we were able to erase those mistakes. In the first half, we’d turn the ball over and they’d counter right at us.”

The need to sort out things was great with Wednesday’s tilt with a strong Bolingbrook team to take place without a practice. The Tigers take the field in Bolingbrook at 5 p.m.

“The first half, we came out a little rocky,” Plainfield North junior Logan Wright said. “The second half, we worked a lot harder, played more as a team and kept the ball more. We got more opportunities.”

Regardless of how they had played to that point or throughout the first half, Plainfield North grabbed the lead in the 11th minute when Garrett Gathman sent a right-wing corner kick that was flicked on in the center of the penalty area to the left, where Matt Farley was waiting to head into the goal.

That lead lasted 51 seconds until Thomas Gkotse hit a volley from the top of the penalty area into the Tigers’ goal.

“I don’t know if we really deserved (the lead),” Wright said. “In the first half, they pretty much outplayed us. The second half, I think we deserved the lead a little more, but we lost our composure at the end.”

The first half produced no further goals, but there was some excitement, notably as Glenbard South forwards moved through Plainfield North’s three-man defense with some ease. Halftime adjustments closed the gaps and the Tigers made life moving forward much more difficult for the Raiders.

But another reason Plainfield North’s defense didn’t feel pressure was due to an increased work rate in the midfield and the resulting boost that gave the team’s attack. James Thompson was strong in the air, Logan Wright and Jordan Schure combined with Gathman to keep the center strong while Jake Novacek worked hard on the right wing.

“To win games, mostly you’ve got to dominate the middle, and that’s why we’ve got five there,” Wright said. “We want to keep the ball better and create better chances and I think we’ve been doing better with that since the start of the season.”

What that meant was that Andres Castellanos and Austin Hansen saw more of the ball in attacking situations free from defenders in the second half.

The Tigers scored the go-ahead goal with 9:50 left in the match. Castellanos got free in the penalty area and passed to Thompson, who scored.

“It was the perfect ball from Andres,” Thompson said. “It was the perfect ball, the perfect pass and we had played the ball up from our back. It was great composure in the midfield to get it through. I happened to be running through and I ended up being in the first place at the right time.”

Only a sophomore and on a team that only has three seniors, Thompson will be an important part of the Tigers’ team for years to come.

“There have been moments where we’re like ‘wow, he’s really going to be a really good player for us,” O’Hara said. “He has a lot of time to grow. Watching him in the second half helps you see how he’s a real force on the field. If he has that intensity and passion all the time like he had tonight, he’s going to be a very special player.”

For a player who is hardly one of the tallest on the Tigers’ roster, Thompson shows a great ability to reach the ball in the air.

“It’s just hard work,” Thompson said. “Since I was a freshman, the guys on the team have encouraged me when I play against these big guys on varsity. They give me the confidence I need to play and it feels good to play against guys like this.”

Thompson nearly added a third goal shortly after the second, following good approach play by Hansen and Wright. But Thompson’s shot was saved, which allowed Glenbard South the chance tie the match, which it did with 5:50 to play on Gkotse’s second goal of the match.

The Tigers took the field for the second consecutive match without key junior midfielder Tyler Petprachan, who is recovering from an injury.

“He’s a fantastic player and a leader and a captain of this team.” O’Hara said. “His presence on the field, not having that hurts. I give credit to my guys. We’re not making excuses. But it changes how we do our substitutes. We had a pretty good rotation going before he got hurt, and now we have to put some different guys into those spots. It’s challenging.”