Newport Harbor got the start that it wanted, then perhaps more help than it needed, and ultimately secured an important victory early in its boys’ soccer season.
Ali Omar delivered a beautiful first strike in a 2-0 win for the host Sailors over rival Corona del Mar on Wednesday night at Davidson Field, but it was a match that had much of the drama taken out of it by an early red card.
Newport Harbor (3-2, 2-1 in the Sunset League) has notched a set of back-to-back victories for the first time this winter. Daniel Rico, who proved a probing passer in midfield for the Sailors against the Sea Kings, had the overtime game-winning goal last Friday at Marina.
Newport Harbor’s Daniel Rico (24) breaks past Corona del Mar’s Jonah Hernandez (11) on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.
(James Carbone)
Omar ran into a left-footed shot, sending it across the face of goal and depositing it into the net after finding the base of the right post in the seventh minute.
“I was just, like, in the flow state,” Omar said. “I wasn’t really thinking, but it was a great pass from Landon. Just went on through on goal. That’s always what I’m trying to do, just score a goal with it.”
It was only two minutes later that CdM (0-5-1, 0-3) wound up playing a man short the rest of the game. Martin Montoya, one of the team’s two starting forwards, was sent off for a dangerous tackle near the Sea Kings’ sideline in the ninth minute.
Newport Harbor’s Brandon Markert (13) and Corona del Mar’s Mason Paul (6) go up for a ball near the goal on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.
(James Carbone)
“Just tough all the way around, just for the atmosphere and the game at hand, wanting to have a good game 11-[versus]-11,” CdM coach Scott Nickerson said. “We’ll look back at the footage, but yeah, just tough. I wish it could have been a little bit something different.”
Corona del Mar, which has scored two goals this season, generated a total of three shots on target, Nico Fratantaro supplying two of them among his three attempts.
Luca Crespi (four saves) performed well against the shots he could get hands on, providing nothing in terms of loose balls off rebounds. The Omar shot skipped across the dewy surface, and the second goal — scored by Landon Baker in the 50th minute — was a byproduct of a free run onto the ball after his initial shot was blocked in front of the goalkeeper.
Corona del Mar goalie Luca Crespi (0) makes a save against Newport Harbor’s Ali Omar (10) on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.
(James Carbone)
Nickerson noted the strength of the team has been an experienced back line, which features seniors Mason Paul and Hung Nguyen. Both were aggressive in their challenges in CdM’s defensive third.
“They work hard,” Nickerson said. “They want it. They’re kind of the heart and soul of the team but tough, when you go down to 10 men five minutes in, to be able to counteract that.”
Baker contributed a goal and an assist, and the shutout also marked the first clean sheet kept on the defensive side for the Sailors. Jack Shepherd, who has committed to Pomona-Pitzer, had three saves to keep the Sea Kings off the scoreboard.
Corona del Mar’s Nico Fratantaro (10) dribbles down field, with Newport Harbor’s Landon Baker (12) in pursuit, on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.
(James Carbone)
Newport Harbor defenders Gibson Young, Cameron Deisner and Hayden Baker, as well as midfielders Kingston Wolfshagen and Alexander Silva, allowed little in the way of quality scoring chances. Fratantaro was afforded a couple of free-kick opportunities from distance, both of which he chose to put on frame.
“I want to make it to CIF and have a good run,” said Landon Baker, part of the senior twin tandem that has long been a fixture on the Newport Harbor roster. “Maybe win, if we can, work hard enough to get there.”
The shutout will be a tough performance to replicate Friday against Fountain Valley (6-3-1, 1-1), winner of the All-Turf Tournament, and a side that has produced multiple goals in seven of its 10 games.
Corona del Mar’s Mason Paul (6) battles for possession against Newport Harbor’s Brandon Markert (13) on Wednesday in the Battle of the Bay boys’ soccer match.
(James Carbone)
“I’ve played with these guys since eighth grade,” Omar said. “I have a lot of friends that turned into brothers, and it’s great to have those guys by my side. We aim to win every game, and right now, we’re just focused on the next game.”
Work was the operative word for Newport Harbor coach Ignacio Cid, who said the Sailors haven’t had their moment to persevere yet. It will come, he is certain, and the response will tell a lot.
“We’ll see what happens that we have to overcome together,” Cid said. “Something’s going to happen when we get mentally strong, emotionally strong together, right? When you do that, and you kind of take the next step as a unit, you seem to look a lot better on the other side.”
Corona del Mar’s Jake Raffay (17) is surrounded by Newport Harbor’s Gibson Young (25) and Kingston Wolfshagen (17) on Wednesday in the Battle of the Bay boys’ soccer match.
(James Carbone)