The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Open Door’s window closes shut at AOA
There really wasn’t an ideal way to rationalize the proceedings Oct. 27 for Open Door after a Division III district semifinal at Andrews Osborne.
The Patriots outshot, outpossessed and, objectively, were probably the better side for at least an hour of the match.
And yet, they found themselves in a three-goal hole by
ANDREWS OSBORNE 3, OPEN DOOR 1
the 15th minute en route to a 3-1 setback to the Phoenix, who got a brace from Antonio Salerno to sandwich a key strike from Andro Filipovic.
Open Door coach Joel Baker, whose side ends the fall 12-4-1, tried valiantly to summarize a match that, in many facets, defied explanation.
“Inevitably, those kind of things happen when you have conditions and you play against an excellent team,” Baker said. “Andrews Osborne, they capitalize on opportunities, and they did today.
“It was just a blessing to be out and play this season. At the start of the year, I wasn’t sure with COVID and everything if we were going to be able to play. The Lord has blessed us. We’ve had a good team. But again, you come down, you’re down, 3-0, with a few mistakes in the back.
“That’s life when you play against a good team. Those things come back and they haunt you sometimes.”
AOA (11-2), with standout strikers Salerno and Filipovic operating with creative license up top, were assuredly on form to start the match. Salerno had a lovely finish just 56 seconds in for a 1-0 lead.
Then in the 11th minute, Isaac Lee served a corner kick far post for Filipovic, and the returning D-III first-team All-Ohioan slotted a header, his 19th goal of the fall, for a 2-0 advantage.
Salerno made it a 3- 0 match in the 15th minute, when he played a touch to split the backline and took care of a right-footed strike.
And then ... Open Door was the better side for the bulk of the match. After playing far too direct early, the Patriots did manage some decent combo work on a waterlogged grass pitch and generated some setpiece opportunity.
Rainers Kinnear had a free kick go begging high in the 19th minute, and Danny Sandoval had an inswinger go just over the crossbar in the 33rd.
The match got even more chaotic 11 seconds into the second half, when a Phoenix was assessed a rellow after an ill-advised slide tackle at midfield.
Open Door pushed for lifelines and finally got one in the 57th minute. Parker Loescher earned a penalty kick after contact on the left side of the box, and Sandoval put away a right-footed strike. That, ultimately, was the final margin, though.
Baker even pushed goalkeeper Danny DiFranco into the attack in the last five minute to help grab a second, but it wasn’t to be.
As Baker alluded, he was thankful to have a season at all. And after a 12win campaign with a predominantly young side, he hopes for better in 2021.
“So I would say this has been nothing but a tremendous success,” Baker said. “As I talked to the boys, as we were just recapping the season for a few moments, we started this process, and this is our third year together. We’ve had a few years to play together.
“We’ve worked on consistency and competition throughout every stage in that process, two words we emphasize day in and day out. And what we saw tonight was consistency, competition.”