Eric Gradilla is a shifty player on the soccer field, and his opponents often have a hard time keeping track of him.
Just as basketball coaches are starting to play their best players regardless of position, soccer coaches are putting their best athletes on the field at the same time even if they don’t logically fit into a traditional formation.
Such a philosophy makes sense for a player such as Gradilla, a Brookfield resident and two-year starter for the Lyons boys soccer team.
At the Northside College Showcase hosted by New Trier, Gradilla demonstrated his many talents. In the pool play opener Aug. 26 against Glenbrook North, Gradilla scored a goal in the 13th minute and made a sharp clearance off the line late in the game to help propel the Lions to a 2-1 victory.
Gradilla is a hybrid player who moves fluidly between playing at forward and defender.
“I have always been a back player, but I also have always loved to take the line and go up by myself,” Gradilla said. “Playing forward is new to me, but I think I am getting the hang of it. I usually start up top. If the outside backs need a break, if we are getting pounded defensively then they bring me back there to help out and maybe create some plays from the back.”
He displayed the full range of his talents against Libertyville on Aug. 29 in Northfield. Libertyville scored three goals in a six-minute second-half flurry to earn a 3-1 victory.
Yet Lyons played Libertyville evenly for most of the match, and Gradilla was a big reason why. He showed breakaway speed to create pressure against the Wildcats.
“I am more of a runner,” Gradilla said. “If they send me up, I can sprint to the ball. They can play to my feet. I am more of a go-getter.
“I think everything I do helps us all. It helps the forwards recoup (physically) as I run and get the ball, and maybe they can do the same.”
Lyons (3-2 as of Friday) has held its own against a demanding schedule. The Lions played close games against the last two Class 3A state champions, Libertyville and Naperville North. Gradilla helped the Lions beat Glenbrook North, which was a Class 3A sectional finalist last year.
“I think these games are really helping us correct our mistakes or point out the things we need to fix in order to make us even more dangerous,” Gradilla said.
The Lions’ offense is a work in progress. The pieces are starting to come together. Senior forward Charlie Clark scored in the 48th minute against the Wildcats.
With players such as Gradilla and senior defender Tate Riordan, Lyons’ attack sometimes comes from unorthodox sources.
Charles Hall, a senior midfielder from La Grange, is a three-year varsity player. As a sophomore, he was just trying to get on the field and make a positive contribution.
“Last year was my first year starting, and I looked to take on a bigger role in the attack, especially getting the ball to our forwards,” Hall said. “People know about our defense, but we are really working hard to build our attack going forward. It is going to be different people stepping up in each game, some of our juniors off the bench, or our other forwards.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press
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