Senn soccer coach Dan Svoboda never thought his Public League semifinal match against Curie would be the only action Friday at Winnemac Stadium.
Mather coach Rich Fay never thought he would be watching an informal intrasquad scrimmage instead of his semifinal match against Kelly.
But that was the scenario after the running feud between the soccer programs at Kelly and Farragut erupted once again. The match between Mather and Kelly was postponed pending a decision by Public League Athletic Director J.W. Smith on a protest lodged by Farragut against Kelly.
The protest was denied Friday evening.
Farragut alleged Kelly “violated some board rules and IHSA rules,” according to Farragut coach Joe Zielbauer. Farragut claimed that an unnamed player on the Kelly roster played in a club match back in late August, after Kelly began its season in the Buffalo Grove tournament. That would be a violation of IHSA rules.
But the player did not compete in a club match, said Kelly coach Stan Mietus.
“We know it, and our kids know it.” Mietus said, adding that the player in question had spent that day with his family.
Kelly knocked Farragut out the playoffs in the quarterfinals Wednesday, and the two schools’ programs have an acrimonious relationship.
Last season, after the Farragut girls team eliminated Kelly from the playoffs, Kelly filed a protest alleging that some of the Farragut players were playing in non-high school soccer during the high school season. Kelly won the protest.
Mietus said he was informed of the protest right before his team was to board a bus to Winnemac.
“It’s an emotional day,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking because it deals with the kids.”
While Kelly and Farragut were battling over legalities, Mather was left at Winnemac waiting to play–anybody.
“This is a big inconvenience to our program and our school,” Fay said. “We’re getting [cheated] on this.”
Mather’s match was originally rescheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at Winnemac. But Saturday also is an ACT testing day, and many of Mather’s players were scheduled to take the exam. The match was then moved back to 3 p.m.
The winner will face Senn in Monday’s scheduled championship match at Winnemac. Senn (12-3) defeated Curie 2-0 to advance to the final.
Svoboda has an interesting mix of players who will compete for Senn in the city championship. His midfield is made up of skilled players of African descent, led by Moroccan playmaker Marouane Taib.
It was Taib’s weaving penetration through a host of Curie defenders that led to the first goal. Taib dribbled through traffic into the Curie penalty area and found Ernest Opoku, whose shot was parried away by the Curie goalkeeper. But the rebound landed on the foot of Bosnian forward Elvis Fikic, who hammered home his shot in the 35th minute to give Senn the lead.
Although Senn’s African midfielders play a classic ball-possession style, their target man, Fikic, is a classic Eastern European striker–rugged and relentless going to goal. Senn controlled the match in the midfield and received standout play from its right back, David Owoeye, who broke up countless possessions by Curie (12-2).
After absorbing a stretch of Curie pressure midway through the second half, Taib and his midfield mates settled down and began pressuring Curie. The insurance goal came on a header by Philimon Hadgu.
“They’re all incredible dribblers and get the ball under control,” Svoboda said of his midfielders. “Then, hopefully, they get it to Elvis.”
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Svoboda thought he would know his opponent for Monday’s final by the end of the day Friday. Now he’ll have to wait another day. Senn played Kelly earlier in the season, with Senn winning 4-3.
“We wanted to come and watch Mather,” he said.
All he would have seen was Mather lounging on the field–waiting.