A-League game of Sunday July 19, 1998.
Here are the results of the A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Rochester Raging Rhinos played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto at 2:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (white socks, shorts, and shoes, blue names and numbers, yellow & gray chevrons on shorts sides and shoulders).
......................................1 Hubert Busby Jr.
2 Marco Reda...4 Peter Sarantopoulos...17 Daryl Holmes...16 Rick Titus
9 Elvis Thomas...8 Brian Ashton...13 Kevin Holness...6 Nikola Vignjevic
..........................21 Noah Epstein...15 Adolfo Mella
Subs:...22 Theo Zagar (gk)...20 Danley Johnson (def)...14 Dragan Ianosev (mid)...24 Robert Irvine (mid)...19 David DiPlacido (mid)...11 Giuseppe Lanotte (fwd)...23 Phil Caporrella (fwd).
Team Officials:...head coach Peter Pinizzotto, equipment manager Sergio Grenci, medical coordinator Dr Gringmuth.
Rochester Raging Rhinos (all dark green, white names and numbers)
..............................25 Pat Onstad
12 Michael Kirmse...6 Mali Walton...27 Tim Hardy...3 Craig Demmin
20 Nate Daligcon...10 Yari Allnut...12 Michael Kirmse...13 Yogi McKay
..................18 Jimmy Glenn...26 Darren Tilley
Subs:...1 Billy Andracki (gk)...4 Scott Schweitzer (def)...8 Tommy Tanner (mid)...15 Ezikiel Alamo (mid)...19 Doug Miller (fwd)...22 Mike Domm (fwd)...17 Fuseini Dauda (def).
Team Officials:...head coach Pat Ercoli...assistant coach Frank Odoi...head trainer Craig Rand.
Officials:...referee Zoran Kristo...referee's assistants Frank Marcello and Neil Scofield...4th official Glen Sharkey.
1st Half:...Lynx defend South goal, game starts 2:06pm.
3 min...Lynx 25 yard shot batted down by RR goalie.
5 min...Lynx Vignjevic 20 yard shot from bounce is wide right.
6 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Sarantopoulos for knocking into RR player as that player was breaking out of own end.
10 min...Lynx Vignjevic 20 yard freekick over wall of 4 RR-2 Lynx-1 RR players and ball batted down by RR goalie near right post.
12 min...RR cross from 20 yards whistled down by referee.
13 min...RR Steenkamp 25 yard freekick over five man wall to middle of net just under bar, palmed over net by Lynx goalie.
14 min...RR Hardy rebound from corner caught by Lynx goalie.
16 min...RR YELLOW card...RR goalie Onstad for argueing call.
17 min...RR goalie beats Lynx Thomas to through ball on edge of box.
18 min...Lynx GOAL...Vignjevic 25 yard chip shot over crowd into left corner of net. Assist credited to Holness.
22 min...RR Daligcon slides to get to crossed ball near right post and from 3 yards pops ball well over net.
23 min...Lynx Holness 25 yard soft grounder scooped up by RR goalie.
24 min...Lynx goalie catches 20 yard shot after short centering pass.
27 min...RR Allnutt 15 yard shot from far left sails just over net.
28 min...Lynx goalie catches 40 yard shot cross in front of RR forward.
More good chances for RR when Lynx Holmes can't clear ball.
32 min...Lynx GOAL...Vignjevic from arcing shot from 15 yards curls under bar in right side of net (assist given to Epstein who intercepted defenders pass and gave sliding kick to Vignejvic on left of goal).
33 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Vignjevic for 'excessively' celebrating his goal! He came beyond the side line to wave to the crowd. The crowd was on their feet for him but I suppose you can't delay the A-League clock. Get the new cheerleaders to lead the celebrations.
42 min...RR goalie catches 55 yard lob from Lynx Sarantopoulos.
43 min...Lynx goalie catches 5 yard header from RR Tilley.
44 min...Lynx goalie clears ball in box, Lynx Holness clears ball in box.
45 min...Lynx Sarantopoulos hurt on edge of Lynx box as he's hit on the side of the face under eye. (he returned in 2nd half with a bandage under eye). The clock runs out. When this injury first happened and RR played on including a player blasting a shot after the offside flag although the Lynx goalie blocked it anyway.
2nd Half:...started at 3:10pm. weather overcast.
Halftime subs:...RR Dauda replaces Kirmse.
........................RR Domm replaces Hardy.
49 min...RR corner kick cleared by defender.
52 min...Lynx YELLOW card...goalie Busby for clearing ball after being awarded freekick. RR player pulled down Lynx Sarantopoulos. The ball was cleared back to goalie.
55 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Holmes for obstruction tugging on RR shirt along right touch line.
56 min...Lynx Epstein and Mella push up on break and tight cross near right touch line tipped by RR goalie but huge rebound cleared by defender.
60 min...Lynx goalie picks up low cross from left side.
61 min...RR GOAL...Steenkamp from about 12 yards on tip deflection to left corner of net after 25 yard shot from another player. The change of direction caused Lynx goalie to crawl back into net (remember playing crab soccer in grade school?) but it was just out of reach.
61 min...RR sub...Alamo replaces McKay.
67 min...RR Steenkamp 20 yard shot after short set up wide left of post.
68 min...RR YELLOW card...Steenkamp for argueing call at center circle although RR's had been awarded freekick.
69 min...RR get good chance one yeard out near Lynx right post.
70 min...Lynx goalie catches 40 yard shot.
71 min...Lynx Vignjevic hurt near RR left sideline.
71 min...Lynx sub...Johnson replaces Mella.
71 min...Lynx Reda half steps when he steps into RR box and RR's block ball and clear.
I notice along with others that the countdown clock is not working. The Lynx coach has noticed this too but it takes awhile to get the attention of the pressbox and the 4th official. It must have been stalled for at least a minute.
73 min...Lynx goalie picks up RR Allnutt twist header in box from 5 yards left of post.
75 min...RR Steenkamp 40 yard freekick well over bar.
76 min...Lynx Holness good cross from right side tipped wide left for corner.
77 min...RR goalie palms crossed header from left side over bar.
79 min...RR goalie steps wide left to catch Lynx Vignjevic corner kick from right side.
82 min...RR Dauda 30 yard shot wide right of net.
83 min...weather it starts to rain but not very hard.
86 min...RR player 20 yard shot from right well over net.
87 min...Lynx sub...Caporrella replaces Epstein.
88 min...Lynx goalie catches 20 yard shot from Lynx Caporrella.
89 min...Lynx sub...Irvine replaces Vignjevic.
89 min...RR Steenkamp 40 yard shot stopped.
90 min...Lynx Caporrella 40 yard break along left side centred but saved.
Final Score:.........Toronto Lynx...........2.......Rochester Raging Rhinos........1.....
Big win by the Lynx as Rochester had a record of 15-1 coming into this game which is by far the best in the league. Hopefully it will give the Lynx, who broke out of a four game losing streak today, the confidence to believe that on any given day they can beat any team.
Attendance wasn't announced but looked to be more than 2000 as hundreds of fans came in from Rochester. The time of the game was changed from 4:00pm to 2:00pm so it could be broadcast for the American market as the A-League game of the week. The cameras were arranged very cleverly in the empty east stand so their view could pick up the crowd in the west stand and it looked like some people were actually at the game!
The team now has five cheerleaders and for this game, the Etobicoke High School Jazz Band was there to play 'Oh Canada' (sang normally but with a jazz backing was very interesting). The American anthem was canned music.
Rocket Robin
robing@clo.com
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