By Uy Pham
The Fountain Valley High School (2-2) and Newport Harbor High School (2-2) boys’ soccer teams entered the two overtime periods scoreless on Friday, each looking to break the stalemate and secure the win. It wasn’t until junior Umar Majid’s goal two minutes into the second overtime period that the scoring deadlock would be broken in favor of the Barons, who secured a 1-0 win in their opening Sunset League match.
“It felt good, I was just confused on why everyone was bombarding me,” Majid said. “And then I realized I scored the last-minute goal that ended the game.”
With his explosive speed, Majid provided decisive runs down the wings of the field throughout the game, working to maneuver past the Sailors’ defense to generate offensive opportunities. Seniors Zachary Groff and John Ennen held the Barons’ defense firm as the center backs and worked to initiate the build-up of their offensive play. On the offensive side, seniors Drew Payne and Ethan Ro connected the Barons’ passing schemes, searching for the space to generate the Barons’ shots on goal.
The Barons’ started off the game with an early chance from a back-post cross to Majiid and another cross to Payne, but the Sailors’ goalie quickly gained control of both crosses. Throughout the first half, the Barons’ would dominate the possession, quickly recovering the ball on defense to transition toward shifting the ball around on offense.
Newport Harbor’s first test for the Barons would come six minutes into the half, as a shot from the Sailors’ forward was easily caught by junior Jacob Stevens. A deep ball from Groff downfield was won by Payne against the pressure of several defenders. Payne waltzed down the field and maneuvered around several defenders, but his shot was ultimately blocked.
With 24 minutes remaining in the half, a combination play between seniors Chrystian Varela and Joseph Gendi created the opportunity for a bottom left corner shot ultimately saved. Sophomore Cole Korhonen whipped a ball to the back post intended for junior Duel Hernandez, but the pass barely slipped past.
Ro worked to generate offensive opportunities by capitalizing on the Barons’ defensive pressure in their offensive half. On the defensive side, Groff and Ennen held back the Sailors’ attempts to work up the field. In the Barons’ final shot of the half, a tackle by Ro allowed for Payne’s to advance the ball, but senior Asif Sahib’s left corner shot hit the crossbar.
Majid kicked off the second half with his explosive pace, bursting down the sideline and connecting with Payne, but the Barons were unable to locate a shot. The game’s tempo shifted, with the Sailors’ holding their defensive ship and instead pushing the Barons’ back to defense.
“I thought we played better in the first half and created more chances, but we just didn’t finish opportunities,” head coach Jason Smith said. “And then in the second half, we didn’t play with the same intensity as the first half.”
The Sailors had several opportunities for long free kicks, but catches by Stevens and a header by junior Jack Chavez stopped the Sailors’ from connecting a shot. Stevens’ saves would hold the Sailors’ scoreless on several plays: a catch on a deep curved shot to the top right, a dive to the bottom post and a rebound one-on-one save.
“We started to make mistakes because of our tiredness, so we tried to get some fresh legs in and create some more offense,” Smith said.
Shifting back to offense, Ro attempted to locate Majid on the back post. The ball sailed past the goalie, but ultimately the Barons’ could not maintain possession. In their final attack of the half, an offensive push by Payne turned into a Sailors’ free kick caught by Stevens.
For the first period of overtime, the Sailors’ secured a free kick on the top left of the penalty box, but a header by Ennen and a save by Stevens prevented Newport Harbor from converting the rebound attempt. Payne soon had a one-on-one attempt on the offensive side, but the goalie’s dive pushed the ball wide.
Despite dominating possession again in this period, offensive opportunities involving Ro, Payne and Gendi were halted by the Sailors’ defense.
Then, two minutes into the second period of overtime came the golden goal from Majid. Majid dribbled past a defender, and he soon recovered the ball to maintain possession. Firing a shot to the bottom left, the ball sailed past the goalie’s outstretched arms for the first and only goal of the game.
The game came to an end as the Barons’ bench emptied onto the field in celebration.
“[Majid] probably had the most chances, so it’s good he finished his third or fourth chance of the game … He needed that. Hopefully he can build off of that,” Smith said. “It’s his first goal of the season, coming at the right time — the first game at home, first game in the league.”
The Barons will face off against the Corona del Mar Sea Kings (2-3) for their next league match at home on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.
“We’ve got a long way to go. We have to get better,” Smith said. “It’s a long season, 11 more games, so we just have to build on this and keep going.”
