Result of the A-League game of Saturday May 10, 2003 between Toronto Lynx and Montreal Impact played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 4:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (all white, black names and numbers, yellow trim)
.................................22 Theo Zagar (cpt)
16 Josue Mayard...15 Adrian Serioux...2 Jan Veenhof...3 Mauricio Vincello
10 Robbie Aristodemo...4 Joe Mattacchione...8 Brian Ashton...6 Nikki Vignjevic
........................19 Ali Ngon...11 Sebastian Barclay
Subs:...1 James Kryger (gk)...9 David DiPlacido (mid)...17 Nick Blicharski (mid)...18 Ryan Lucas (fwd)...20 Elvis Thomas (mid/fwd)
team officials:...head coach/general manager Peter Pinizzotto...assistant coach Alberto Furtado...goalkeeping coach Paulo Silva...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth
Montreal Impact (black socks, navy shorts and shirts, white names and numbers)
.......................................1 Greg Sutton
19 David Fronimadis...5 Nevio Pizzolitto...8 Gabriel Gervais...11 Lloyd Barker
10 Ze Roberto...21 Martin Nash...4 Nick DeSantis...15 Patrick Leduc
........................20 Mauro Biello (cpt)...12 Eduardo Sebrango
Subs:...2 Larry McDonald (def)...6 Mark Rowland (fwd)...15 Sita-Taly Matondo (mid)...16 Andres Arango (def)...17 Chris Williams (mid)...22 Michael Ueltschey (gk)...24 Abraham Francois (def)
team officials:...head coach Bob Lilley...assistant coach Nick DeSantis and Mike Toshack...manager Mike Moretto
Game officials:...referee Mauricio Navarro...referee's assistants Frank Marciello and Denise Robinson...fourth official Sylviu Petrescu (yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 4:17pm...Lynx defend south end on this cool late afternoon with a strong wind from the east.
The stadium now has a new scoreboard that has a clock that counts up so it's easier for me to tell time.
4 min...M Biello lobs high cross into Lynx box from right that goalie leaps to grab 10 yards off line.
6 min...M Sebrango saves ball from rolling over Lynx end line and rolls cross into box where M Nash takes 12 yard shot that's tipped over bar by sliding goalie, lands on net webbing.
7 min...M Nash cornerkick from right that goalie punches forward over crowd but play whistled down anyway.
8 min...Lynx goalie dives to stop low 20 yard shot.
12 min...M Nash 40 yard freekick headed away by Lynx Veenhof on edge of box.
14 min...Lynx Vincello cross from near left sideline from 30 yards is caught by goalie drifting right of net.
15 min...M Nash shot from midair 20 yards is wide right of goal.
16 min...Lynx Veenhof gets foot in to knock M cross over end line.
17 min...Lynx goalie rushes forward to grab cornerkick from left and throw ball forward to start break out.
17 min...M goalie catches cross from left.
17 min...Lynx goalie beats M Biello to pick up through ball.
18 min...Lynx Vignjevic freekick from 30 yards on left is bounced even with box, Lynx Ashton low 25 yard shot is rolled to M goalie.
20 min...M Nash freekick from 45 yards on right is deflected by forward but cleared by defenders.
21 min...M Nash ordered off field with blood pouring from his nose or mouth.
24 min...Lynx Mattacchione 40 yard freekick after ball is tapped to him and he lofts bouncer into box.
26 min...M Nash feeds through ball up middle but goalie charges forward to dive for ball.
27 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right is headed across box.
27 min...Lynx Serioux long throw-in from left that M player heads out of box and Lynx Mattacchione shot from 35 yards is wide right.
28 min...M Nash 35 yard freekick from left that goalie drifts right to tip as he is bumped ball is over line for cornerkick.
29 min...Impact Ze Roberto GOAL...Impact Nash cornerkick from right and charging Impact Roberto tips header from 10 yards into top left side of net.
31 min...Lynx Ngon can't turn cross into M box and ball rolls wide right.
33 min...M goalie runs to edge of box to catch 45 yard bouncer from Lynx Mayard.
34 min...Lynx Barclay injured running on right wing deep in M end. Looks like a facial injury.
36 min...Lynx Ashton 35 yard shot is high over net but he's awarded freekick.
37 min...Lynx sub...Lucas replaces injured Barclay.
40 min...Lynx goalie after pass back is checked by M Sebrango in box but ball deflects beyond touch line.
43 min...M Nash 35 yard freekick from right is wide left of net.
44 min...M goalie ends Lynx pressure with timely catch of cross.
46 min...half ends 5:03pm.
2nd Half:...starts 5:21pm.
47 min...Lynx Veenhof heads ball back to goalie to beat charging M Sebrango to break through.
48 min...Lynx Vignjevic fakes two shot from 20 yards, passes right to Lynx Mattacchione who crosses ball across box and Lynx Ngon can't quite tip ball in from 7 yards and ball bounces wide left.
51 min...Impact Ze Roberto GOAL...Impact Nash steals ball off Lynx Vignjevic on right sideline, runs down right line and cross that Impact Roberto scores with 7 yard header to right side of net.
54 min...M Biello runs along right wing and rolls cross through box that sliding M Sebrango tips over bar from 7 yards.
55 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Aristodemo for knocking down M Barker in M 40 yard line near sideline.
58 min...Lynx sub...Thomas replaces Vignjevic.
58 min...M Gervais 50 yard freekick from right is caught by goalie.
59 min...Lynx Ngon bashes by M Gervais but his 30 yard off balance shot is well off target.
59 min...Lynx sub...DePlacido replaces Ashton.
60 min...M sub...Rowland replaces Biello.
63 min...Lynx Lucas taps ball back to Lynx Ngon but he shanks 25 yard shot wide left.
64 min...M player gets to cross from left but sends it into right ouside mesh of Lynx net.
65 min...Lynx Vincello 40 yard shot over crowd is just over bar outside box.
66 min...M YELLOW card...Pizzolitto for some infraction (on Lucas?).
66 min...Lynx Mattacchione 40 yard freekick is kicked around.
69 min...M Vignjevic gets pass in all alone from 45 yards on breakaway about 5 yards offside but overruns ball at 25 yards and defender clears.
70 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from left is over everyone's head in box.
71 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from left is headed from 7 yards by Lynx Vincello that goalie makes point blank block and defender heads behind line for cornerkick.
74 min...M sub...Williams replaces Leduc.
75 min...Lynx DeSantis 40 yard freekick is cleared from box.
76 min...Lynx Ngon 40 yard freekick is blasted into wall of defenders. Lynx Serioux long throw-in from right keeps the pressure on.
77 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Veenhof for pulling down M Sebrango on break near edge of Lynx box.
78 min...Lynx sub...Blicharski replaces Mayard.
78 min..M Nash 20 yard freekick is wide left.
79 min...M player blasts 20 yard rebound that flying goalie pushes wide right of net.
80 min...Lynx Vincello 40 yard chip from left is well wide left.
81 min...M sub...Francois replaces Nash.
82 min...M DeSantis 40 yard freekick from left is well wide right.
84 min...Lynx Aristodemo cross from right into box, Lynx Lucas pops header up and ball cleared.
86 min...M Sebrango gets away on breakaway but 20 yard shot on right is well over net.
86 min...M sub...Arango replaces Barker.
87 min...Lynx Thomas gets foot to bouncer through box and ball deflected wide off defender for cornerkick.
88 min...Lynx DiPlacido cross from right, Lynx Ngon foot-tips ball and goalie makes falling save on short right side near post.
89 min...M sub...McDonald replaces DeSantis.
91 min...Lynx Blicharski 50 yard ball into box caught by goalie.
94 min...Lynx Aristodemo runs up middle and 20 yard shot over defenders caught by goalie.
94 min...game ends 6:10pm.
Final Score:.........Toronto Lynx.......0.........Montreal Impact.......2........
Attendance was 2555. It looked like before gametime there'd be lucky to be a few hundred but it filled in nicely. A short rainstorm erupted about an hour before gametime but it was sure far less than the predicted thunderstorms we were supposed to get.
I voted for Robbie Aristodemo as the 'hardest working Lynx' player for his hustle throughout the game and he ended up winning this game's award. I was really impressed with the play of the Impact's Martin Nash as their dead ball specialist and expert crosser. The Lynx defenders looked a bit suspect getting burned on a few breakaways but there's only two of them returning from last year. They better work on that or the word will get around the league.
Greg Sutton earned the shutout for the Impact. He only had one tough save to make and that was crucial at the 71st minute getting his hands in front of him to push away a point blank header.
The press box was jammed for this game with the television crew from Rogers broadcasting for their community channel (arggh, and I cut off the family cable to go to StarChoice satellite last year). Also there were two radio crews from Montreal, one for English and one for French. Montreal newspaper reporters and photographers. Late arriving Toronto newspaper guys Mike Koreen from the Sun and Norm DaCosta from the Star had a tough time finding space to plug in their laptops. Good thing I just keep notes in a paper notebook and ink pen!
Crowd noise was partially provided by a group of Impact supporters who post to the Voyageurs message board. Finally nice to meet those guys.
2002 CPSL players Nick Blicharski from Mississauga Olympians, and injured Sam Borgh from Hamilton Thunder have made the Lynx roster. Andres Arango from York Region Shooters, Chris Williams from Vaughan Sun Devils (both Toronto region teams) and Abraham Francois from Ottawa Wizards have all made the step up this year to the A-League playing for the Impact.
Today's theme was Hometown Heroes with the Toronto Lynx Dance team and Jacqueline's School of Dance providing the entertainment. Toronto mayoral candidate John Nunziata took the ceremonial opening kickoff. The national anthem was sung by 7 year old Neil Wadhvana who gave a long pep talk about how wonderful this city is.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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