Edison boys’ soccer shuts out Newport Harbor
Newport Harbor’s march to a Surf League boys’ soccer championship grew a tad more difficult in its penultimate encounter Monday evening, the Sailors losing their advantage in the chase as Edison, utilizing its home field’s prodigious width and a supreme work rate around the field, played them off the park.
Nathan Jackson provided an early goal and Rafael Godoi and Luca Petruolo added second-half tallies after turnovers in Newport Harbor’s defensive third as the Chargers kept alive their hopes of an automatic CIF Southern Section playoff berth with a 3-0 romp, the scoreline flattering their guests.
Jackson might have scored a hat-trick, or better, as Edison dictated terms from start to finish to tighten the race heading into the regular-season finales.
Newport Harbor (14-4-1 , 3-2-0 in the Surf League), offering little resistance and creating virtually nothing dangerous, dropped into second place, leap-frogged when Los Alamitos (11-9-2, 3-1-1) completed its 4-1 rout over visiting Corona del Mar about an hour later. The stakes remain the same in Wednesday night’s showdown in Newport Beach, but a draw would give the crown to Los Alamitos, which won the first meeting in overtime.
Edison (13-2-4, 2-2-1) can’t win the title after falling Friday to Los Alamitos in a game it dominated, but a win at Corona del Mar coupled with a Newport Harbor defeat would give them the Surf League‘s second sure berth. The Chargers, ranked sixth in Division 1, likely make the playoffs regardless, but head coach Charlie Breneman isn’t taking anything for granted.
“It’s a must-win for us. That’s our mentality, is a must-win ...,” he said. “Although our record is good enough to get us in, without [an automatic] bid, I don’t want to be in that position. I want to at least finish second.”
Breneman’s group was brilliant Wednesday, creating eight superb scoring chances to none for the Sailors. Edison flourished on its 75-yard-wide field — nearly 20 yards wider than most high school soccer fields — stretching play from flank to flank and penetrating through the seams, then easily winning balls in midfield or on the edge of its defensive third.
“It was [easier than anticipated],” said Jackson, a senior who’s future is in volleyball. “We came out strong, and we had a tough one Friday against Los Al, which I think fueled us. We dominated [that] game, just didn’t come out with the result, and losing to [Newport Harbor] last time at their place, when we didn’t come out strong, we were determined to come out strong and make them feel us.
“Once we got that opening goal, we just moved on from there and just kept it rolling.”
Jackson was almost unstoppable cutting inside from the left flank. He struck the crossbar just three minutes in, then provided a 16th-minute lead on the same run, finding the lower-right corner from just above the box from an Evan Crownfield feed.
“I don’t want to call Nathan a complete player,” Breneman said, “but he’s as close to a complete player as you’re probably going to find. He’s a guy who can change games, and he did that for us today.”
It might have been over by halftime, but Sailors goalkeeper Rocco Villarreal took the ball off All-CIF forward Tai Khoshkbariie’s foot following an errant back pass a minute after Jackson’s strike, and Jake Shubin, terrific on the right flank, cleared a Khoshkbariie shot off the goal line just before halftime.
Godoi, who teamed with Crownfield and Dane Peterson in the Chargers’ dominant midfield, doubled the advantage in the 52nd minute after a Newport Harbor giveaway at the edge of the Sailors’ box. Edison had two more good opportunities — Villarreal swatting away a Jackson rocket headed to the upper-right corner in the 55th minute, Trevor Dodge firing high from an open mid-box shot in the 67th minute — before Luca Petruolo first-timed a Khoshkbariie pass across the top of the box in the 73rd minute for the third goal.
“We came with different tactics today, to let them play a little bit in the back and just shift around and not over-commit ourselves,” Breneman said. “Because of that, everything was in front of us, and so we find our moments to go poke the ball in transition with pace, and it worked out for us.”
Newport Harbor struggled to combine in the middle and attacking thirds, was easily dispossessed, lost the vast majority of duels, and spent most of the game on its heels.
“It’s tough,” said Jack Davey, who gamely anchored the Sailors’ back line. “Everyone is pretty sore and tired after Friday’s big game, Battle of the Bay [against archrival Corona del Mar], and it really showed today, especially with a wide field like this one.”
It’s one to throw away. Wednesday is all that matters.
“That’s big,” Davey said. “We got unlucky at [Los Alamitos], and I’m excited to play them at Harbor, because I know we’ll have a better showing, for sure.”
Other boys’ soccer results from Monday:
Costa Mesa 4, Calvary Chapel 0: The Mustangs wrapped up the Orange Coast League title with a shutout victory over the Eagles at the Great Park in Irvine.
Costa Mesa (9-4-3, 8-0-3) will look to complete an unbeaten league campaign when it travels to take on Orange in its regular season finale on Wednesday.
Los Amigos 4, Bolsa Grande 0: Jason Marin, Eduardo Reyes, Serafin Palacios and Julian Rivera each scored a goal for the host Lobos on Monday in a Garden Grove League match.
Los Amigos (11-1-4, 7-1-1) will play for the league title when it visits Santiago (13-3-4, 8-1) on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Staff writer Andrew Turner also contributed to this report.
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