Toronto Sun: Lynx look like top cats in
scratching up Lions
By STEVE BUFFERY -- Toronto Sun
There was nothing
friendly about yesterday's friendly between TSV 1860 Munich and the Toronto
Lynx.
The two sides engaged in a heated, often hostile, exhibition match
that saw the A-League Lynx post a shocking 1-0 victory over Munich, a squad that
plays in the Bundesliga, the excellent German First Division.
The Lions,
as Munich's second-most famous soccer club is known, dominated throughout much
of the match, played at a cold and windy York University Stadium, but were
unable to finish from in close.
In fact, the team's leading scorer,
Martin Max, the top scorer in the Bundesliga this season with 18 goals in 28
games, managed only a couple of quality chances. One of them included a clever
header late in the game that was ably turned aside by Lynx 'keeper Theo Zagar.
Max blew off the media after the game. The 33-year-old forward is said
to still be bitter after being left off Germany's team for the World Cup.
Max has accused national team officials of favouring players from better
known teams in the Bundesliga, such as Bayern Munich, which plays at the same
stadium as the Lions but to much bigger crowds.
Irasto Knights, who has
10 caps for the Trinidadian national team, scored Toronto's goal at the
16-minute mark.
He retrieved a long pass from mid-fielder Niki Budalic
and then performed a nice stutter step around Munich goalkeeper Simon Jentzch,
before slamming home the winner.
But while the outcome was a huge boost
for the Lynx, which has limped out to a 1-3-1 start in the A-League, the play
wasn't exactly stellar.
The frigid conditions and bumpy field certainly
didn't help matters, especially for a high-quality, up-tempo squad such as the
Lions.
"We didn't expect it to be that aggressive -- especially the
first half. There were a lot of tackles that were really unnecessary," said
Munich forward Paul Agostino, a member of the Australian national team. "I was
hoping the referee would get a better grip on the game, but he wasn't up for
it."
Munich coach Peter Pacult was a little more diplomatic.
"Here in Canada, soccer is played a little bit more physical than in the
Bundesliga, but that's okay," he said. "That's why we came here, to get to know
different soccer."
Munich returns home today. In the two exhibition
games before facing the Lynx, the Lions crushed the A-League Milwaukee Rampage
7-0 and the Canadian Professional League All-Stars 6-0 earlier in the week.
"I think we surprised them," said Toronto coach Peter Pinizzotto. "They
probably thought it would be another easy game (although) they were pretty
tired."
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