Result of A-League season opener for the Toronto Lynx against Montreal Impact played Saturday May 19th, 2001 at Varsity Stadium in Toronto at 7:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (black socks, shorts, numbers and names, yellow shirts, white trim)
......................................1 Theo Zagar
.........15 Adrian Serioux...2 Marco Reda (cpt)...3 Mauricio Vincello
10 Robbie Aristodemo...8 Brian Ashton...7 Lyndon Hooper...9 David DiPlacido...13 Chris Pozniak
........................21 Kristian Grzetic...11 Francisco Dos Santos
Subs:...22 Tom Zawislan (gk)...29 Yuri Elkaim (gk)...4 Joe Mattacchione (mid)...5 Ervin Ryta (def)...16 Aaron Benjamin (fwd)...18 Caswain Mason (mid)...19 Waldo Sponton (mid)
Team Officials...head coach/general manager Peter Pinizzotto...equipment manager Juan Carlos Ramirez Gaston...goalkeeping coach Paolo Silva...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth.
Montreal Impact (all white, black numbers and names)
.......................................22 Jim Larkin
23 Anime Benjackem...3 Carl Fletcher...24 Milan Kojic...17 Patrice Bernier
13 Lloyd Barker...4 Nick DeSantis (cpt)...20 Mauro Biello...21 Giuliano Oliviero
....................9 Niall Thompson...25 Sunny Nwachvkwu
Subs:...26 Gregory Sutton (gk)...5 Nevio Pizzolitto (def)...6 Antonio Ribeiro (def)...10 Gregory Campi (mid)...11 Darko Kolic (fwd)...16 Ian Clarke (mid)
Team Officials...head coach Valerio Gazzola.
Game Officials:...referee Zoran Kristo...referee's assistants Michael Lambert and Justin Tasev, fourth official Nick Rose (all wearing red uniforms).
This was the kickoff to the Lynx fifth season. The field at Varsity Stadium never looked better--golf course fairway calibre. Tonight was "Ontario Soccer Celebration" theme with a parade of minor soccer teams around the track. There were a lot of introductions with four recently inducted Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame members--Bob Iarusci, Jim Douglas, Dick Arends and Dr Tom Fried. The Canadian Secretary of State (Amateur Sport) the honourable Dennis Coderre took the ceremonial opening kickoff by waving to the crowd and blasting the ball over Lynx goalie Theo Zagar's shoulder positioned about 15 yards away.
1st Half:...game starts 7:28pm with Lynx defending the North goal on this warm evening with the sun setting in the northwest.
3 min...Lynx Dos Santos 12 yard shot from left is tipped over bar by Impact goalie.
6 min...Lynx Aristodemo freekick from 30 yards on left is caught by goalie in crowd of players.
7 min...Lynx goalie charges to edge of box to stop through ball by sliding to it.
8 min...Lynx Pozniak spins on left edge of box but volleys shot high over bar.
9 min...Impact YELLOW card...Benhackem at Impact 30 yard line on left for tough tackle.
10 min...Impact YELLOW card...Thompson at Lynx 35 yard line for pushing (forearm in the mouth) Lynx Serioux out of the way on Impact goalie's long clearing kick.
12 min...Impact Bernier kicks partially cleared freekick wide left from 25 yards.
13 min...Impact YELLOW card...Barker for knocking down Lynx Grzetic dribbling along edge of Impact 18 yard box. Grzetic needed to be treated on the sideline for the next 9 minutes and reemerged with a wrap around bandage on his arm.
13 min...Lynx Dos Santos 25 yard freekick easily caught by goalie before crowd of players could close in.
19 min...Lynx YELLOW card...DeSantis for pulling down Lynx Grzetic on left side breakaway.
21 min...Impact short corner kick is foiled.
22 min...Impact Nwachvkwu 10 yard header just over the bar and that ends some frantic in Lynx box action.
24 min...Impact DeSantis injured in center circle for all of two minutes.
26 min...Impact goalie catches weak 30 yard bouncer.
27 min...Lynx goalie catches 30 yard cross by Impact Nwachvkwu from near left corner flag.
29 min...Lynx Grzetic face injury when he's knocked down at Impact 40 yard line.
32 min...Impact 40 yard freekick on left caught by Lynx goalie drifting to right over towards Impact players.
34 min...Lynx DiPlacido wins ball at Impact 40 and passes forward to Lynx Grzetic who lofts 20 yard shot well over bar.
35 min...Impact DeSantis 45 yard freekick caught unopposed by Lynx goalie.
37 min...Impact Thompson pulls down Lynx Reda on edge of Lynx box.
38 min...Lynx Dos Santos freekick from 22 yards after handball call. Dos Santos lofts kick high over net.
40 min...Impact DeSantis freekick from left corner flag is cleared in crowd of players in box.
41 min...Lynx Ashton centers 30 yard shot to Lynx Grzetic who fires low shot to right post that goalie dives to grab.
42 min...Lynx Pozniak crosses shot in from left that Impact goalie catches in box.
44 min...Lynx Dos Santos injured near center line.
45 min...Impact defender leaps to head Lynx cross behind own endline.
injury time sign for two more minutes.
47 min...Lynx Vincello slips up and Impact player strips him of ball 30 yards out. The player passes off to Impact Nwachvkwu on 2 on 1 but diving Lynx goalie slides out for ball 8 yards out on left to grab ball before he gets off a good shot as he'd pushed the ball a little too far forward.
47 min...half ends at 8:15pm.
Halftime Entertainment:...They still have their Kick For Cash event where a fan must kick five balls into the empty goal from the four corners of the box and the center edge of the box for $10,000. There was also a mini game of kids across the width of the field and the Tajaba Academy of Dance in the center circle.
2nd Half:...starts 8:33pm.
Impact halftime sub...Pizzolitto replaces Benhackem.
46 min...Lynx goalie catches bouncer from Impact DeSantis from 35 yards that was sent too far ahead of Impact Nwachvkwu.
49 min...Impact goalie poorly clears ball to Lynx Grzetic but his 20 yard roller is cleared by Impact defender standing about 1 yard off line.
50 min...Impact Barker gets 10 yard shot on right side but pops it over net.
51 min...Lynx goalie catches Impact Nwachvkwu cross from 30 yards.
53 min...Impact goalie catches hight bouncer from 45 yards from Lynx Hooper.
54 min...Impact DeSantis cornerkick from left caught by Lynx goalie in crowd of players.
56 min...Impact cross into box from right and Lynx Aristodemo concedes corner. Corner kick is wasted as play is whistled down in Lynx box.
58 min...Lynx Grzetic turns and gets away 20 yard weak shot to Impact goalie as a defender is pulling him down.
60 min...Impact Nwachvkwu is injured inside Lynx box after crash with Lynx Serioux.
61 min...Impact YELLOW card...Bernier for pulling down Lynx Dos Santos before he can get to breakaway on edge of Impact box.
61 min...Impact sub...Campi replaces Oliviero.
62 min...Lynx Aristodemo freekick touched to Lynx Ashton whose 20 yard blast blocked by charging Impact wall.
62 min...Lynx Grzetic GOAL...Lynx Aristedemo crosses from near left line and Grzetic in crowd in box shoots 5 yarder to left corner of net as he runs to left post cutting in front of Impact goalie.
69 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Dos Santos on Lynx right sideline for pulling down Impact defender while trying to break out.
70 min...Lynx goalie makes leaping grab to catch freekick from 35 yards on left.
71 min...Lynx goalie catches Impact Bernier cross from right.
72 min...Impact Campi cross from right and from the left side of goal sliding Impact Nwachvkwu gets 3 yard shot to bounce off left post.
73 min...Lynx Grzetic is injured in Lynx box defending as Impact player climbs his back to try for header.
74 min...Lynx Mattacchione replaces DiPlacido.
75 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Ashton for sliding into Impact Campi at center line to get to ball.
75 min...Lynx goalie fumbles than recatches long cross into box after Impact Nwachvkwu plows into him.
76 min...Lynx Mattacchione 30 yard freekick blast into wall and his rebound shot is high wide left.
77 min...Lynx sub...Benjamin replaces Dos Santos.
80 min...Lynx Grzetic is gifted a breakaway from 30 yards out on a strange bounce off players and he rolls a 15 yard shot off left post and rebound is cleared away.
80 min...Impact sub...Kolic replaces Barker.
84 min...Impact Biello 25 yard shot in crowd of players is blasted but blocked.
84 min...Lynx Pozniak chips 20 yard shot from left over Impact net.
86 min...Impact RED card...Pizzolitto earns one directly for a vicious tackle on Lynx Serioux at Lynx 40 yard line.
88 min...Lynx Grzetic given a 40 yard breakaway and rolls ball a year wide of right post from 10 yards as Impact defender is pulling him down.
90 min...Impact Bernier long throw in from right sideline is cleared by Lynx Serioux. Impact Kojic lofts cross into box that Lynx goalie catches.
injury time sign for 3 minutes shown.
91 min...Impact Campi freekick into wall from 25 yards and Campi's rebound is blocked by charging wall.
95 min...game ends 9:22pm.
Final Score:...Toronto Lynx....1....Montreal Impact...0
This was a rough game with referee Zoran Kristo giving 7 cards. Lynx goalie Theo Zagar had to be sharp catching crosses. Grzetic rolled two second half shots less than 1 yard wide of each post on two
breakaways although an Impact defender was riding his back on one of those
shots.
A new A-League rule appears to keep time the way FIFA wants with the referee signalling the fourth official to hold up time added clapboards. The scoreboard countdown clock is just for guys like me writing down minute by minute excitement.
Attendance was announced as 3284 which must be a record for a season opener.
The Ultras cheering section completely replaced the canned music of previous years and they drummed and sang the whole game.
There was a pregame 50 minute game between the Toronto Metros-Croatia alumni (celebrating the 25th anniversary of them winning the NASL Soccer Bowl in 1976) and the another old timers team of National Soccer League Selects. The NSL stars won 4-2 on two goals from Lalo Maradona. Hey everybody could say that Diego Maradona was the waterboy as there was one of Lalo's sons with that duty.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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