A little proves enough for Richmond / Kickers unbeaten after shootout victory

SOCCER KICKERS 1 LYNX 0

Saturday, May 8, 1999

BY JERRY LINDQUIST
Times-Dispatch Staff Writer

They’ve scored two goals in three games, but the Richmond Kickers are 3-0.

For the second straight outing,

the Kickers found the shootout to be their best friend.

Held scoreless for 105 minutes by former Virginia Commonwealth University goalkeeper Jim Larkin, the home team stopped the Toronto Lynx 4-2 in the tiebreaker. Perfect in regulation and the 15-minute overtime, Larkin couldn’t stop anything in the shootout where field players take on the opposing keepers one-on-one from 35 yards out.

“It’s a decent way to win, I guess, but it’s tough to get used to,” Larkin

said. “It’s just a breakaway. You try to make yourself big and hope they hit you.”

This was only the third shootout for Larkin, who had one last week as the Lynx held 1998 A-League runner-up Minnesota scoreless then won in the tiebreaker. Richmond’s Tony Williams, Kevin Scott, newcomer Nikola Vignjevic, and Gary Glasgow beat Larkin, and Kickers keeper Alex Deegan got a piece of three of four Toronto shots, rejecting two of them. The best out of five wins. When Glasgow walked around Larkin to hit the open net in the specified 5 seconds or less, it ended in dramatic fashion what otherwise was another monument to offensive frustration.

This A-League matchup had the smell of a shootout almost from the start. It was a game devoid of many scoring opportunities. With four defenders across the back, using the

offside trap to perfection, Toronto appeared willing to settle for the tiebreaking procedure. And when the Lynx went a man down in the 65th minute, thanks to a red card handed Milan Kojic for a high tackle from behind on Orlando Bueso, the Lynx packed it in even more.

“I’m sure it wasn’t much to watch,” Larkin said. “We struggled

going forward, but when you go to 10 men, what can you do?”

The answer for both sides was not much. Each team had two good scoring opportunities.

In the 34th minute, Toronto’s Gentian Buzalli nicked the left post. Deegan never had to make a save, but Kickers sweeper Nevio Pizzolitto did. Little more than six minutes

into sudden death, the Lynx had a free kick just outside the box. Marco Antonio drove a bullet that apparently would have tucked in under the cross bar at the near (left) post had not the 6-2 Pizzolitto not headed the ball from harm’s way.

“We want our defenders to guard the line. He was very clever. Very professional,” said Kickers assistant coach Jesse Myers.

The emphasis on building the Kickers this year was improving the attack. Against defensive-minded Toronto, which didn’t mind an ugly game, the best Richmond could do was a couple of point-blank shots that misfired so badly Larkin didn’t have to make the save. He was credited with two from the match as the Kickers were credited with a grand total of four shots in all.

In the 39th minute, Rob Ukrop had time to settle the ball some 7 yards out near the left post and fanned on the shot, dribbling it wide left. Then, with 37 minutes to go in regulation, Glasgow put a move on

Kojic, undressing the Toronto defender and leaving an open shot from about 10 yards. A 21-goal scorer for New Orleans last year, Glasgow went top shelf and missed everything.

Not pleased by what he saw, Kickers coach Colin Clarke left the field quickly when it was over. Composing himself, he returned and insisted, “It will come . . . We need a little bit of patience in the box. Once Gary gets the first one, it will flow. We’re better than last year. It will come.”

Toronto·························0 0 0 0 -- 0 Richmond·························0 0 0 1 -- 1

Scoring: Shootout: Toronto -- Holness (G), Antonio (S), Ashton (G), Deserpa (S); Richmond -- Williams (G), Scott (G), Vignjevic (G), Glasgow (G).

Shots:Toronto 7-4.

Saves: Larkin, Tor, 2; Deegan, Rich, 0.

Corner Kicks: Richmond 7-2.

Offsides: Richmond 10-2.

Fouls: Richmond 25-20.

Yellow Cards: Scott, Rich, 28th; Gaucho, Tor, 55th; Larkin, Tor, 71st; Messam, Rich, 89th; Munguia, Tor, 89th; Jonas, Rich, 99th

Red Card: Kojic, Tor, 65th.

A: 4,014.

© 1999, Richmond Newspapers Inc.

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