Long Island Showdown
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Long Island
Showdown
Toronto needs first win this season against Rough Riders to
advance.
from the Lynx
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TORONTO-Wednesday,
September 6-Head coach Peter Pinizzotto is taking his complete roster to
Long Island for the Lynx vs. Long Island Rough Riders playoff opener on
Friday, a 7.30 p.m. kickoff. Although each team can dress only 18 players,
Pinizzotto will keep his line-up options open until game time at the
Mitchel Stadium in Uniondale - this will be the first time in several
months the season-long injury-plagued Lynx have been completely injury and
discipline free.
"That's certainly a good start because playing
this one-game elimination away from home is a tough situation, but this is
really going to help," said Pinizzotto at the final workout at Varsity
Stadium Wednesday before leaving for New York.
The Lynx met the
Northeast Division winner Rough Riders twice during the regular season,
losing both games, 2-1 on July 27 and 1-0 last Friday, September
1.
There is no second chance in the first round-a knockout blow
will eliminate eight of the 16 teams bidding for the A-League
Championship, won last year by the Minnesota Thunder, which is also
one of the teams to kickoff this weekend. So are the Rochester Raging
Rhinos, winner of the 1999 Open Cup, emblematic of the soccer championship
of the United States.
Round two is a little more forgiving as the
last eight come together next week in a 2-game home and home series
beginning Wednesday, September 13.
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