A-League game of Sunday June 11th, 2000.
A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Montreal Impact played at Varsity Stadium at 7:30pm.
Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts, black shorts and names and numbers, black slashes on right chest)
...................................................22 Theo Zagar
2 Marco Reda...6 Milan Kojic...7 Lyndon Hooper...3 Mauricio Vincello
11 Lloyd Barker...9 Nikola Vignjevic...8 Brian Ashton...15 Adrian Serioux
.....................................27 Francisco Dos Santos...20 Juan Arango
Subs:...1 Jim Larkin (gk)...10 Nebojsa Vignjevic (mid)...14 Edgar Bartolomeu (mid)...16 Aaron Benjamin (fwd)...19 David Diplacido (mid/fwd)...21 Laryea Adjetey (fwd)
head coach/general manager Peter Pinizzotto, equipment manager Carl Titus, goalkeeping coach Paulo Silva, medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth
Montreal Impact (all black, white trim, name and numbers)
............................................29 Peter Zaratin
..........3 Abraham Francois...8 John Limiatis...12 Patrick Diotte
20 Mauro Biello...5 Nevio Pizzolitto...4 Nick DeSantis...15 Patrick Leduc...8 John Limniatis
...............................23 Darren Tilley...11 Darko Kolic
Subs:...13 Phil Ionadi (mid)...14 Jocelyn Roy (fwd)...16 Kyt Selaidopolous (mid)...19 Chris Stathopoulos (mid)...26 Nicolas Pinto (gk)
head coach Valerio Gazzola, team manager Mike Moretto, therapist Joan Seaman
Game Officials:...referee Steven Di Piero, referee's assistants Frank Marciello and Dominic Rossetto, fourth official Justin Tasev.
This was Emergency Services Night and firefighter Adrian Walsh sang the national anthem with the Toronto Police Ceremonial Unit and PC Bear mascot on the field.
1st Half:...game starts 7:48pm...Lynx defend north end on this cool overcast evening with a wet, slippery field.
7 min...Lynx goalie catches 70 yard through ball into box.
8 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic takes low bouncing shot from 15 yards on left that rolls left of post.
10 min...Lynx Ashton blasts partially cleared freekick from 20 yards just over bar.
10 min...Lynx Serioux intercepts ball on left and after short run shoots wide left of goal from 15 yards.
12 min...Lynx Barker cross from right bounces over and right through box.
13 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic and Lynx Dos Santos work a good give and go but defenders clear in box.
14 min...Imp Tilley weak header from 10 yards bounces wide left of goal after cross from right.
15 min...Imp goalie flies out to punch out Lynx Nikola Vignjevic freekick from left.
16 min...Lynx Serioux shot headed by Lynx Barker just wide right of post from 3 yards after Lynx Nikola Vignjevic corner kick from right.
17 min...Imp Pizzolitto pass ahead to Imp Leduc whose shot is deflected by sliding defender.
19 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic from left is headed out of box.
21 min...Imp Bernier shot from 35 yards well over net.
24 min...Imp DeSantis (?) injured when he and Lynx Ashton go for ball.
24 min...Imp Biello blasts freekick from 30 yards directly into wall.
25 min...Imp DeSantis freekick from 40 yards, Lynx goalie can only get hand to it, Imp player chips ball from left of post but Lynx Hooper heads ball safely over own bar from 2 yards while charging into net.
26 min...Imp Tilley rolls 20 yard shot right to goalie after Lynx Reda heads away Imp Biello long cross from right.
28 min...Imp Bernier outraces Lynx Hooper to loose ball and short cross to Imp Biello on 2 on 1 rush who takes shot from 7 yards low is blocked and covered by sprawling goalie.
29 min...Lynx goalie slides to take ball off Imp Bernier charging into box.
30 min...Imp Biello through pass to Imp Kolic just too far forward for him to cross from left.
32 min...Imp Tilley cross from left into box, Imp Biello centers from right and Imp Kolic shot deflected wide.
34 min...Lynx Reda 40 yard freekick to Lynx Serioux who is weakly pushed over by defenders in box.
36 min...Imp Pizzolitto cross from right is just missed for header by Imp Tilley.
37 min...Imp Kolic 30 yard blast is palmed over bar by leaping goalie.
38 min...Imp Biello corner from left is caught by Lynx goalie.
39 min...Lynx goalie picks up through ball on edge of box.
40 min...Lynx Kojic 65 yard freekick over head of Lynx forward and rolls to touch.
43 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic corner from right, Lynx Kojic twists header just wide left of net.
45 min...Lynx Dos Santos GOAL...Nikola Vignjevic (earns assist) takes freekick from 25 yards on right, Dos Santos steps in front of ball and heads it just up enough to boost over goalie's hand into top left corner of
net.
47 min...half ends 8:35pm.
Halftime show...Sandy the Dragon and a woman with a rapper who I couldn't understand demonstrate safety techniques. Like I said about them last year, how can you demonstrate artificial respiration on a mascot with a one foot snout?
2nd half:...starts 8:51pm.
49 min...Imp Tilley blasts 20 yard shot from left that diving goalie saves.
51 min...Imp Francois hurt when Lynx Barker leaps through defenders just outside Imp box.
54 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic freekick from 30 yards on left is headed towards net by defender, then appears to hit Lynx forwards chest backing into net but defenders clear ball.
57 min...Lynx Reda 40 yard shot from right is wide left of net.
60 min...Lynx Dos Santos GOAL...On long clearance from Hooper in own end, Dos Santos rushes along right on 1 on 3 but instead of trying cross, he shoots from 20 yards into top left corner of net on a tough angle.
60 min....Lynx Dos Santos almost gets to a through ball but Imp goalie on edge of box picks up loose ball.
61 min...Imp YELLOW card...DeSantis for tripping Lynx Nikola Vignjevic about 40 yards out from Imp goal after he'd gotten away.
63 min...Imp DeSantis 20 yard shot saved by sprawling Lynx goalie and DeSantis's rebound deflected over net.
66 min...Lynx Dos Santos hooks shot that's behind him puts ball over bar from 15 yards.
67 min...Imp Bernier has ball deflect off foot and roll right to Lynx goalie.
68 min...Lynx Dos Santos GOAL...Dos Santos chips 12 yarder over goalie just under bar. Lynx Arango awarded assist as he sent through ball forward from 30 yards. Dos Santos was being squeezed by two defenders when he got shot
away.
69 min...Imp Leduc 25 yarder saved by goalie.
71 min...Imp goal by Tilley getting through two defenders to redirect cross from 5 yards is called back for offside.
71 min...Imp YELLOW card...Pizzolitto for dissent at midfield.
72 min...Lynx sub...Diplacido replaces Hooper.
73 min...Lynx Ashton blasts shot from 30 yards pushed wide left by diving goalie.
74 min...Lynx Dos Santos injured in Imp end on last play.
76 min...Lynx Dos Santos returns to game.
77 min...Imp sub...Stathopoulos replaces Pizzolitto.
78 min...Imp DeSantis 30 yard shot in middle caught by sprawling goalie.
79 min...Imp sub...Roy replaces Leduc.
...............Lynx sub...Nebojsa Vignjevic replaces Dos Santos.
81 min...Lynx goalie picks up 25 yard bouncer from left.
82 min...Lynx goalie picks up ball headed by Lynx defender ahead of Imp forward.
84 min...Imp sub...Selaidopolous replaces Limniatis.
85 min...Lynx Arango cross from left bounces right through box.
86 min...Lynx sub...Benjamin replaces Arango.
90 min...Imp Tilley crosses back from end line on left but flag is up.
90 min...Lynx sub...Adjetey replaces Barker.
91 min...Lynx defender stops low cross from right.
92 min...Lynx Benjamin GOAL...Benjamin gets ball on breakaway and steps around goalie and rolls ball into empty net from 10 yards. Lynx DiPlacido gave him a pass from 30 yards.
94 min...game ends 9:40pm.
Final Score:...Toronto Lynx.....4.....Montreal Impact.....0....
A hat trick for Dos Santos! Impact had good runs for 10 minutes patches about three times in the game but Theo Zagar was up for the challenge.
Attendance was not announced (later published as 1823) but it was probably the lowest of the year with maybe 600 actually there. It looks worse on television because a lot of the people are huddled under shelter to stay out of the wet. The weather was cool and the field was wet. People sat on their programs or newspapers as it rained so much during the day. The score of the national team game was to be announced during the game but except for hearing the halftime score, I was in the dark. The pressbox was almost empty as reporters were covering the national team game or knew their editors would say "there's enough soccer in their papers" with coverage of Canada--Cuba and the first weekend of the Euro 2000 championship. This Lynx telecast was being taped for Sportsnet broadcast broadcast at 11:00pm local time with the broadcast team of Scott Granville and Helen Stoumbos doing the commentary. They are cohosts of the syndicated show 'Direct Kicks'.
The fans have a new chant for whenever Nikola Vignjevic takes a corner or freekick, singing "Nikola.....Nikola" to the same tune as the Ricola cough drops ads on television.
Rocket Robin
robing@clo.com
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