A-League game of Friday September 15th, 2000.
A-League between Toronto Lynx and Richmond Kickers played at Varsity Stadium at 7:30pm. This was the first game of the two game series in the second round of the playoffs.
Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts; black shorts, names and numbers; black slashes on right chest)
............................................22 Theo Zagar
..............2 Marco Reda...6 Milan Kojic...3 Mauricio Vincello
15 Adrian Serioux...9 Nikola Vignjevic...7 Lyndon Hooper...8 Brian Ashton...11 Lloyd Barker
.....................20 Juan Arango...27 Francisco Dos Santos
Subs:...1 Carmine Isacco (gk)...21 Laryea Adjetey (mid)...18 Chris Pozniak (mid)...16 Aaron Benjamin (fwd)...4 Joe Mattacchione (mid)...19 David Diplacido (mid)
head coach/general manager Peter Pinizzotto, equipment manager Carl Titus, medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth.
Richmond Kickers (red socks and shirts; black shorts, names and numbers on white outlines)
...............................................1 Mike McGinty
5 Chris Fox...2 Chris Brown...15 Scott Cannon...16 Josh McKay
11 Anthony Williams...20 Marco Ferruzzi...9 Paul Lekics...24 Gregory Messam...3 Kevin Knight
.....................................17 Dwayne DeRosario
Subs:...22 Ronnie Pascale (gk)...18 Kwaku Aud-Gyamfi (fwd)...25 Peter Lusak (def)...19 Mike Burke (fwd)...6 Robert Ukrop Jr (fwd)
head coach Leigh Cowlishaw, assistant coach Jesse Myers, athletic trainer Chris Brill.
Game Officials:...referee Manuel Orellano, referee's assistants Neil Schofield and Frank Marciello, fourth official Michael Lambert.
Tonight's entertainment included the Etobicoke Spectrum Baton Club with three little girls dressed as Mouseketeers, belly dancers from the Oasis Dance Troupe and the Tajaba Academy of Performing Arts. Jill Redfern sang the national anthems. The ceremonial kickoff was taken by local soccer legend Bob Iarussi.
1st Half:...game starts 7:48pm...Lynx defend south end. There are now football lines painted on the field.
7 min...Lynx Ashton 25 yard blast off defender bounces back out.
8 min...RK Williams sprung long pass to right and Lynx goalie stops him on breakaway 10 yards out and picks up rebound.
12 min...Lynx Dos Santos gets header on left from 5 yards blocked by defender after cross over box from right.
13 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic 25 yard freekick from left edge of box curls wide right of post.
23 min...Lynx Arango bounces 30 yard shot that goalie catches.
I've noticed through most of the game that RK DeRosario is being triple teamed.
25 min...RK Williams injured at Lynx 35 yard line.
27 min...RK Ferruzzi puts shot into box with 25 yard shot from right, RK DeRosario flicks 7 yard header to Lynx goalie.
28 min...Lynx Ashton boots 25 yard shot just wide of top left corner.
29 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic weak roller from 7 yards to goalie.
31 min...RK header from 10 yards popped up to goalie.
32 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Kojic for sliding tackle on RK DeRosario on right.
33 min...RK McKay freekick from 35 yards on right shot into box but play whistled down.
34 min...RK Ferruzzi bumps Lynx Nikola Vignjevic just inside left corner of box and penalty kick is awarded. Lynx Ashton had just gotten away blast in box that was blocked by defender and ball deflects to Vignjevic.
36 min...Lynx GOAL Nikola Vignjevic...Vignjevic flicks penalty kick to center of net as goalie Mike McGinty sprawls at bottom of net.
38 min...Lynx goalie pushes away RK Messam cornerkick from right.
39 min...RK Lekics injured when tackled by Lynx Serioux.
40 min...RK DeRosario blasts 30 yard shot low into wall.
43 min...Lynx Hooper injured inside Lynx box is treated off field head injury. (cut with cleats?)
45 min...RK Williams or Ferruzzi bad 35 yard shot is well wide right of net.
47 min...Lynx Hooper returns to game.
48 min...RK player kicks ball from right is headed by Lynx defender back to Lynx goalie.
48 min...half ends.
2nd Half:...starts 8:52pm.
49 min...RK Messam freekick from near right corner of flag, Lynx goalie punches ball out.
50 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic short cornerkick from left, ball passed back to Lynx Vignjevic and 30 yard shot caught by goalie.
51 min...RK Williams rolls 30 yard shot wide left.
52 min...Lynx Serioux blasts ball from 30 yards off head of fallen Lynx forward.
53 min...Lynx goalie boots away ball outside box when he has to step around defender and RK forward.
54 min...Lynx Barker gets away 25 yard shot deflected off RK defender for corner.
58 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic 25 yard freekick from right into box for goalie to punch out beyond three Lynx forwards but play whistled down.
60 min...RK on 3 on 3 but RK DeRosario passes offside to RK forward.
63 min...Lynx Ashton pushes 30 yard shot into box that goalie beats Lynx forward to pick up.
70 min...RK Fox injured at Lynx 45 yard line.
73 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic on give and go with Lynx Barker pushes ball too far forward for Barker to finish.
73 min...Lynx Dos Santos cross from right end line, RK defender dives forward to clear ball.
74 min...Lynx Dos Santos bicycle kick to keep ball in box.
75 min...RK DeRosario on 1 on 4 rush is finally cleared from ball.
76 min...Lynx sub...Diplacido replaces Dos Santos.
77 min...RK subs...Lusak replaces McKay.
...........................Ukrop Jr replaces Williams.
83 min...Lynx Ashton launches 40 yard kick that leaping RK goalie palms over bar.
84 min...Lynx goalie punches out shot into box ahead of RK Messam pressuring him.
85 min...RK sub...Adu-Gyamfi replaces Messam.
86 min...Lynx sub...Benjamin replaces Arango.
86 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic 35 yard shot well over bar.
87 min...RK Ferruzzi 12 yard blast off defender that then deflects for goalie to catch.
90 min...Lynx defender swipes at ball and misses RK DeRosario point blank shot that goalie blocks, RK Feruzzi blasts 15 yard rebound shot well over bar.
93 min...Lynx defender dribbles out of box taking ball off RK forward at 5 yards.
93 min...game ends 9:40pm.
Final Score:.....Toronto Lynx......1.....Richmond Kickers........0.......
Attendance wasn't announced over the PA system but to us in the press box as 1989 on this cool evening.
Dwayne DeRosario was given huge respect by the Lynx and at times was triple teamed. The Kickers played a 5-4-1 system until the 2nd half with only DeRosario playing forward. Most balls went to him. He'd run around until he was in the clear. (This is the guy we need to give another chance on the Canadian National team!) He was the only star of the Kickers. More than 1/3 of their goals 15 of 42 (plus 5 assists) and he only played 23 of 28 games. Kickers only gave up 25 goals but they always have four men back even if it means they leave Dwayne with few options but to pass back to the midfield.
A few scary moments near the end especially when a Lynx defender swiped at the ball bouncing into the box and missed and DeRosario get point blank shot that goalie Theo Zagar blocked, RK Marco Ferruzzi blasts 15
yard rebound shot well over bar.
Their other best chance was in the 8th minute when RK Anthony Williams was sprung loose on a long pass from the left and the Lynx goalie stopped him on a breakaway 10 yards out and then picked up rebound.
If the Lynx win in Richmond on Sunday then the next home game will be next Friday night at 7:30pm against the winner of Rochester vs Charleston. Looks like my taking in the two CPSL Cup semi-final games held at Birchmount Stadium that night may not be in my plans after all!
Rocket Robin
robing@toclo.com
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