St. Joseph senior midfielder Dylan Robledo stands out on a soccer field for two primary reasons: his speed and his skill on the ball.
According to Chargers assistant coach Kyle Boekeloo, Robledo has an excellent first touch that allows him to gain instant separation from a defender.
“He’s very gifted with the soccer ball,” Chargers assistant coach Kyle Boekeloo said. “He can do so many things with it that are at a high level.
“It takes three or four guys to really catch up to him.”
Both of his best attributes were on display in a Chicago Catholic League match against Loyola on Tuesday, Sept. 20, which the Ramblers won 1-0. Robledo, who had found the back of the net eight times this season through 11 matches, nearly tied the game in the waning minutes.
“I know he has speed,” senior forward Emmanuel Lopez said about his teammate. “I always look for him down the line because he explodes to the ball. He hustles and he always tries to beat every player.
“And his dribbling is excellent, too.”
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Robledo sped down the left side of the pitch and cut sharply to take a through ball. Robledo, who lives in Cicero, back-heeled a pass to himself to provide a shot opportunity. Only a quick move by Loyola senior goalkeeper Jack McMenamin prevented Robledo from scoring.
“I was pretty fast as a freshman,” Robledo said. “I’ve been really working on it as the years pass by. I keep getting a little faster every year. I try to use my speed as an advantage against the defender.”
Robledo was a bit more critical of his dribbling skills, saying that he needs to keep his head up more.
After Loyola (10-1-1, 3-0) scored a first half goal from point-blank range, St. Joseph pushed the action in the second half, which included two close misses by senior Danny Magallanes. In addition to the exploits of Magallanes and Robledo on offense, the Chargers (6-5, 2-2) were also spurred on by Lopez, who created several chances.
Robledo, who said he wants to continue playing soccer in college but is undecided on a school, is rarely substituted and constantly runs the field from nearly one end to the other.
“He has a lot of strength on the ball,” Boekeloo said. “He’s naturally fit, and he also makes sure that he stays in shape year-round.”
Robledo said, “I just try and eat the right things. Not a lot of fast food.”
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press