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\u2019 soccer season.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Newport Harbor\u2019s Daniel Rico (24) breaks past Corona del Mar\u2019s Jonah Hernandez (11) on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.<\/p>\n
(James Carbone)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was just, like, in the flow state,\u201d Omar said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t really thinking, but it was a great pass from Landon. Just went on through on goal. That\u2019s always what I\u2019m trying to do, just score a goal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2019s two starting forwards, was sent off for a dangerous tackle near the Sea Kings\u2019 sideline in the ninth minute.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Newport Harbor\u2019s Brandon Markert (13) and Corona del Mar\u2019s Mason Paul (6) go up for a ball near the goal on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.<\/p>\n
(James Carbone)<\/p>\n
\u201cJust tough all the way around, just for the atmosphere and the game at hand, wanting to have a good game 11-[versus]-11,\u201d CdM coach Scott Nickerson said. \u201cWe\u2019ll look back at the footage, but yeah, just tough. I wish it could have been a little bit something different.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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 \u2014 scored by Landon Baker in the 50th minute \u2014 was a byproduct of a free run onto the ball after his initial shot was blocked in front of the goalkeeper.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Corona del Mar goalie Luca Crespi (0) makes a save against Newport Harbor\u2019s Ali Omar (10) on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.<\/p>\n
(James Carbone)<\/p>\n
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\u2019s defensive third.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey work hard,\u201d Nickerson said. \u201cThey want it. They\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Corona del Mar\u2019s Nico Fratantaro (10) dribbles down field, with Newport Harbor\u2019s Landon Baker (12) in pursuit, on Wednesday in a Sunset League match.<\/p>\n
(James Carbone)<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to make it to CIF and have a good run,\u201d said Landon Baker, part of the senior twin tandem that has long been a fixture on the Newport Harbor roster. \u201cMaybe win, if we can, work hard enough to get there.\u201d<\/p>\n