Details of the A-League game of Wednesday June 12th, 2002 between Toronto Lynx and Pittsburgh Riverhounds played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 12:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (all white, black names and numbers, black and yellow shoulders)
........................................22 Theo Zagar (cpt)
....................6 Milan Kojic...4 Joe Mattacchione...3 Mauricio Vincello
15 Adrian Serioux...9 David DiPlacido...8 Brian Ashton...11 Nikki Vignjevic...10 Robbie Aristodemo
.............................19 Irasto Knights...7 Niki Budalic
Subs:...1 James Kryger (gk)...5 Shawn Faria (def)...14 Diego Santillana (mid)...18 Julio Penalillo (def)...20 Elvis Thomas (fwd)...21 Matt Rosenfeld (def)
team officials:...head coach/GM Peter Pinizzotto...assistant coach Les Anning...goalkeeping coach Paolo Silva...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds (all black, yellow names and numbers, white trim)
...........................................0 Randy Dedini
14 Matt Chulis...12 Michael Green...20 Jaman Tripoli...3 Tim Shaydak
7 Henry Gutierrez...4 Gary DePalma...11 Brian Johnson (cpt)...6 Joe Worthen
.............................9 Jeff Houser...13 David Flavius
Subs:...8 Mario Gori (def)...10 Michael Apple (fwd)...16 Kevin Alvero (fwd)...19 Ali Ngon (fwd)...21 Derek Potteiger (mid)...22 Ben Garry (mid)...23 TJ Hanning (gk)
team officials:...head coach Kai Haaskivi...assistant coach Tim Carter.
Game Officials:...referee Stive DiPiero...referee's assistants Niel Schofield and Angelo Gertsakis...fouth official Steve Mortimer.
National anthems were sung by some school bands with other bands providing pregame entertainment and the ceremonial kickoff was by 1997 Lynx player Paul Stalteri who is now a Canadian national team fixture and midfielder for Werder Bremen in Germany.
1st Half:...game starts 12:09pm and it soons starts to lightly rain on this warm overcast day. Lynx defend South end. All times converted from my wristwatch as only a small tabletop scoreboard was operating at field level.
3 min...Lynx goalie on edge of box catches long cross from center sideline above leaping PR player.
7 min...Lynx DiPlacido pushes ball into box for Lynx Knights but play blown offside.
9 min...Lynx Vignjevic chips ball to sprinting Lynx Budalic in box by goalie grabs it.
10 min...PR goalie rushes up to catch bouncer on left edge of box.
11 min...PR YELLOW card...Chulis for grabbing Lynx Knights from behind preventing his 25 yard shot.
13 min...PR Gutierrez injured in center circle (with hamstring pull).
15 min...Lynx Budalic crosses from left while inside box and two Lynx players miss header, one player looks like he hits shoulder on goalpost. Play carries on and ball is crossed back to Budalic whose 7 yard shot is wide left.
16 min...Lynx goalie beats PR Flavius to ball sliding to it.
17 min...PR sub...Alvero replaces injured Gutierrez.
18 min...Lynx Vignjevic cornerkick from left is blocked low by PR defender and cleared.
19 min...Lynx player kicks 35 yard freekick blocked by runner in PR wall.
20 min...Lynx Vignjevic 35 yard curler is high and wide right.
21 min...PR Chulis 50 yard freekick from right is caught by leaping goalie in crowd on edge of box.
23 min...Lynx Budalic 30 yard freekick blasted low in PR wall.
24 min...Lynx Ashton touched pass and 30 yard blast is palmed over net by PR goalie.
25 min...Lynx Vignjevic rescues ball going over left sideline and crosses into box just over Lynx players on right post.
28 min...PR Kevin Alvero GOAL...Alvero heads in from 10 yards after PR Joey Worthen crosses from left corner. Another PR player missed header after Worthen connected which may have distracted Lynx goalie Theo Zagar.
29 min...PR Flavius 20 yard shot over net.
30 min...Lynx Vincello twists header wide left from 15 yards.
32 min...Lynx Ashton blasts low 35 yard shot wide right.
34 min...Lynx Vignjevic boots 15 yarder that's tipped wide right.
34 min...Lynx Mattacchione 15 yarder chip shot is palmed over net.
35 min...Lynx Budalic 7 yarder hits crossbar and Lynx Knights boots 5 yard rebound over net!
35 min...Lynx Budalic beaten to ball by sliding goalie to ball in PR box.
35 min...PR DePalma cross from right bounces to goalie.
36 min...Lynx Vignjevic 25 yard low shot caught by sprawling goalie.
38 min...PR DePalma crosses over goalie after he'd made save. PR Worthen misses connecting with one yard shot on left post and ball bounces wide left!
40 min...Lynx Vignjevic cross from left from 30 yards caught by goalie.
41 min...PR Shaydak injured when he pulled Lynx Kojic down on right side of PR box.
43 min...Lynx Vignjevic freekick from left 30 yards falls in box but is cleared.
46 min...half ends 12:55pm.
Halftime:...There's a schoolkids penalty shootout with the Lynxster in net.
2nd Half:...starts 1:12pm.
Halftime subs...PR Apple replaces Houser.
....................PR Gori replaces Shaydak.
48 min...Lynx Budalic curves ball from right too far for Lynx Knights and ball rolls to goalie on edge of box.
49 min...Lynx goalie slides out to beat PR Flavius to ball.
50 min...Lynx Milan Kojic GOAL...TL Nikki Vignjevic crosses from near right corner flag, leaping Kojic heads 2 yarder on left post that PR goalie Randy Dedini has squeeze the wet ball through his hands into left side of net.
53 min...PR Worthen boots 12 yarder from left right over bar after Lynx defender tries to head away cross.
57 min...Lynx Vignjevic low shot into box and Lynx Budalic running across box flicks header into short right mesh of net from 7 yards.
60 min...PR goalie injured in box when players leap for popped up cross into box.
61 min...Lynx Knights springs Lynx Budalic but PR defender prevents shot with PR goalie caught out of net.
61 min...Lynx Serioux rolls 20 yard shot picked up by goalie on right post.
62 min...Lynx Vincello prevents PR cross into box from getting to PR Apple.
65 min...PR YELLOW card...Worthen on delayed call for his body shove on Lynx Ashton.
66 min...Lynx Vignjevic 30 yard shot palmed over net by goalie.
67 min...PR Chulis heads away Lynx Vignjevic cornerkick from left.
67 min...Lynx Mattacchione 40 yard shot just wide left of net.
68 min...Lynx Vincello 20 yard roller across box stopped by goalie.
70 min...PR DePalma cornerkick from right is behind net.
71 min...Lynx Aristodemo rush on left with cross that Lynx Vignjevic gets weak 7 yard header caught by goalie.
73 min...PR sub...Potteiger replaces DePalma.
75 min...Lynx sub...Thomas replaces DiPlacido.
77 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right is partly cleared but Lynx Ashton rolls 25 yard blast but player in box called offside.
79 min...PR Worthen good run up left, he rolls cross to right but diving goalie catches it.
80 min...Lynx Ashton grabbed from behind as previously Lynx Knights injured in PR box and then PR guy injured and play carried on.
81 min...Lynx Budalic 20 yard freekick into wall and Lynx Ashton rebound rolled 25 yards caught by diving goalie on left post.
83 min...Lynx Serioux throw-in from right and Lynx player pops up header, Lynx Vincello charging in for header from 5 yards has it caught by goalie.
85 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Knights for punching near center circle.
..............PR YELLOW card...Tripoli for punching near center circle.
87 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right, partial clearance to Lynx Ashton whose low shot from 20 yards caught by goalie.
88 min...Lynx Mattacchione 55 yard freekick headed on left edge of box.
89 min...Lynx Vignjevic cross from left that Lynx Thomas gets to but PR defender blasts ball off him deflects to goalie.
90 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Serioux for tackle on PR Worthen near left sideline of Lynx end.
92 min...Lynx Knights turns on right and 40 yard kick well high wide left.
92 min...half ends 1:59pm.
1st Extra Time:...(two ten minute Golden Goal overtime halves)...starts 2:04pm...Lynx defend north end.
Extra time sub...Lynx Faria replaces DiPlacido.
94 min...Lynx Budalic 15 yard blast of high ball well wide left of net.
95 min...Lynx goalie on right edge of box to clear ball.
96 min...Lynx goalie goalie knocks over PR Potteiger ball in box but no call.
97 min...PR Apple chips ball from 20 yards not high enough to be over retreating goalie after defender fell.
98 min...Lynx RED card...Serioux picks up his second YELLOW card for sliding tackle on PR Gori near center circle.
99 min...PR Alvero freekick on left hits Lynx Thomas.
100 min...PR Potteiger cornerkick from right PR Green heads 10 yarder that Lynx goalie blockes and crawls to pick up as defenders hold off PR players.
100 min...half ends 2:14pm.
2nd Extra Time:...starts 2:15pm...Lynx defend south end.
102 min...PR sub...Ngon replaces Chulis.
103 min...PR Potteiger freekick from right, PR Apple 12 yard header just over bar.
105 min...Lynx GOAL (an own goal)...Lynx Nikki Vignjevic takes cornerkick from left and PR Ali Ngon while facing net deflects ball off his foot into own net with big crowd of players in box.
game is over!
Final Score:.......Toronto Lynx.......2 (2 OT)...............Pittsburgh Riverhounds...........1 (2 OT).........
Attendance was about 3500-3800 as this was the team's annual 'School Day' promotion hence the strange midday starting time. The crowds filled the stands and spilled over to the hill on the east side of the stadium. The weather was warm but wet and there was intermittent rain during the game.
The Under 20 Canadian national Ali Ngon had only come into the game three minutes before he ended it with the own goal.
Theo Zagar has been named captain of the Lynx for the rest of the season as Marco Reda won't be coming back.
The Lynx dominated the game and this advantage showed on the official shots on net during regulation time as 20-2. Still some of the Ultras in the pressbox wondered how the Lynx were going to lose this one while Sharon of the Riverhounds web site wondered how her team was going to lose as both teams had only won three games between them so far this season and both Riverhound victories had been against the Lynx. These were two bad teams but the game was exciting. Next 'bad team' up for the Lynx is the one victory Calgary Storm this Saturday night.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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