Mustangs settle for tie

LAGUNA BEACH — The Costa Mesa High girls’ soccer team opened Orange Coast League play Thursday against the same team it closed it out with last season.

The Mustangs let last season’s league finale against Laguna Beach get away, costing them an outright league title and forcing them to share the crown with rival Estancia.

Costa Mesa allowed another win to slip away against Laguna Beach. The Mustangs’ run at an eighth straight league title started with a less-than-stellar result.

The Mustangs outplayed the Breakers until the 69th minute, when Laguna Beach tied it at 1-1 and the match ended that way.

The conditions weren’t ideal for three Costa Mesa starters at Laguna Beach. It was cold and their cough was as loud as the fans in the bleachers.

Sami Feinstein played with the severest cough. With the help of Natalie Argueta’s father, Feinstein’s health improved while he patted her on the back on the sideline in the first half.

Feinstein returned the favor in the second half. The senior assisted on Argueta’s goal in the 41st minute, breaking a scoreless tie.

The Mustangs (7-6-3, 0-0-1 in league) weren’t at full strength, but the overall effort in the first 68 minutes looked good enough for them to begin league off on a positive note.

A foul, a phantom one if you asked Coach Dan Johnston, set up the Breakers’ best scoring chance.

Costa Mesa goalie Brittney Stair stopped the first one after redirecting a free kick from 30-plus yards out above the crossbar and out of play. Laguna Beach (4-7-2, 0-0-1) went on to convert the ensuing corner kick. Marina Paul scored on a header.

“Set plays are deadly,” said a visibly disappointed Johnston. “Set plays are the most common way to give up a goal. You hate to give them up that way, but that’s what happened.

“I thought in the field that we outplayed them.”

Feinstein helped the Mustangs control the action. The one time she left the match with 11 minutes left in the first half, Johnston understood why.

Johnston said the senior midfielder was playing with bronchitis.

Feinstein said she wasn’t feeling too well when she reached the sideline after leading a Costa Mesa attack.

Before halftime, Feinstein returned to action because of Argueta’s father, Marco. From the bleachers, Marco came down to the sideline and told Feinstein to lie on her stomach as he began patting her back, alleviating Feinstein’s cough.

The Mustangs had already coughed up a couple of early scoring opportunities from the outside. A shot by Rachel Brown bounced in front of the goalkeeper and rolled to the right, just missing the post.

Brown tried to convince officials that the ball crossed the goal line before going out of play. The goal might have been the difference in Costa Mesa winning, instead of opening league with a tie.

“It is what it is,” Johnston said.