Andrews Osborne vs. Harvey boys soccer: Phoenix potent, connected in 6-2 win
Sep. 7—As it goes bridging Labor Day every fall, just how good the Andrews Osborne boys are going to be is a mystery — even on AOA's campus.
With the Phoenix's blend from local and predominantly abroad, the only way to find out is to get on the pitch and see.
What was seen Sept. 7 as a capable Harvey side visited was AOA is once again not shy in playing direct regardless of personnel. On that point, and on this result, there was no mystery.
Diego Rivas netted a brace as the Phoenix took control of the match and Giancarlo Toirac contributed a late brace to blow open a 6-2 win over the Red Raiders.
AOA is now 3-0, as Coach Drago Dumbovic and his side are still developing cohesion.
"We are still in the stages of understanding each other," Dumbovic said. "It's our third game, and we only have 10 days of practice sessions. So the kids are still trying to create a good chemistry, understanding when to, when not to.
"They're doing very, very well for the time they've spent together. And there is a lot of energy and intensity. Everybody just wants to go forward, which I'm trying to teach them — there's always something forward, right? But we have so much speed and so much talent in a team that everybody can kind of handle the ball. So from my perspective, you kind of have to give them opportunity to express themselves."
The Phoenix have that flair, with a slick counter game and ambitious off-ball flow, and took a 3-0 lead from the opening 40.
The account opener came in the 28th minute, when Ishmael Mensah played an ambitious wide touch to generate space and crossed for Rivas.
The sophomore, a native of Madrid, trapped and did well with a right-footed finish for a 1-0 lead.
#NHsoccer AOA 1-0
Diego Rivas 28th min pic.twitter.com/zbAeHGkOQL
— Chris Lillstrung (@CLillstrungNH) September 7, 2023
Manu Nieto made it a 2-0 match in the 29th, and Lucas Alonso Garcia capped a potent 40 for AOA in the 37th with a chip from distance after Harvey had difficulty combining out of the back.
"I (like) the winning, because it was good play," Rivas said when asked, through an interpreter, what he liked most about the 80 in the attack. "I am so happy for that.
"I really liked the first (goal). It was more special for me because we needed to start winning, and that was a good point for the team."
The Phoenix generated 10 shots on target after halftime.
Rivas capped his brace in the 53rd, and his through ball sprung Toirac for the run that led to contact and a penalty kick. Toirac slotted that PK from the spot, along with a later strike, for the final margin.
It will always be a work in progress with the timing and situational reality, but AOA has a knack for being an X-factor as it carves its niche one fall to the next.
"We are stressing who we want to become," Dumbovic said. "And one of things I'm extremely stressing is we are going to do it first class. I want everybody to respect us. We are not going to cut corners. We'll be respectful to others. We are going to do it the right way.
"When you do that, you are creating that environment where everybody is believing in each other."
Alexis Orozco and Mason Haffa recorded the goals for Harvey (6-2) in the 41st and 74th, respectively.
