Result of the A-League game of Wednesday May 14, 2003 between Toronto Lynx and Syracuse Salty Dogs played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 12:00pm.
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
....................18 Ryan Lucas...11 Sebastian Barclay
Subs:...1 James Kryger (gk)...9 David DiPlacido (mid)...17 Nick Blicharski (mid)...19 Ali Ngon (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
Syracuse Salty Dogs (all red, black numbers, black and white trim, no names on shirts, the numbers were hard to read so some shooters in my report don't have names)
..........................................1 Paul Nagy
12 Michael Kirmse...25 Bennito Kemble...6 Sebastian Sinozic...21 Carlos Semedo
4 Neil McNab...23 Judah Cooks...8 Tommy Tanner...7 Lars Lyssand
............................14 Gabriel Valencia...20 Anthony Medina
Subs:...3 Joe McNab (def)...5 Ryan Mack (fwd)...15 Mike Ritch (fwd)...16 Machel Millwood (fwd)...17 Jason Cole (def)...22 Raji Ananda (mid)...0 Michael Gabb (gk)
team officials:...head coach Laurie Calloway...goalkeeper coach Remi Roy...assistant coach Tommy Tanner
Game officials:...referee Steve Depiero...referee's assistants Neil Schofield and Amato Deluca...fourth official Bogdan Stanescu...all black uniforms.
1st Half:...game starts 12:13pm...Lynx defend north end on this sunny day with the sun in the south and a strong wind blowing from the north.
0 min...Lynx Mattacchione freekick from 45 yards on right blown offside as Lynx player runs for ball up sideline.
3 min...Lynx Vincello 60 yard freekick pushed into box from 25 yards but goalie picks up ball.
4 min...Lynx goalie rushes to right edge of box to catch high through ball.
5 min...Lynx Mattacchione 30 yard freekick in center of field after ball is tapped around but SSD player slides forward from wall to block kick.
6 min...SSD Medina rushes on left and crosses, ball is popped up by Lynx Vincello.
8 min...Lynx Mattacchione freekick from 45 yards on right is just over leaping Lynx Lucas's head on left side of net.
9 min...Lynx goalie's 80 yard freekick outside box on left is blown offside in SSD end.
10 min...Lynx Mattacchione 40 yard freekick blasted into three men SSD wall. Lynx Vignjevic crosses into box but SSD goalie leaps forward to catch it.
12 min...Lynx Lucas recovers loose ball and turns and fires 20 yard bouncer low to goalie.
13 min...SSD goalie catches long bounced ball into box.
15 min...Lynx goalie catches cross from right in crowd of players.
16 min...Lynx Mayard pops up 12 yard header over net.
17 min...Lynx Barclay knocked over in rush to ball up midfield.
18 min...Lynx Mattacchione 22 yard freekick is lobbed over 5 man wall and over net.
20 min...Lynx Mattacchione chips ball from 25 yards to goalie ending Lynx pressure outside box.
22 min...Lynx Mattacchione 45 yard freekick from right , Lynx Vignjevic knocks down ball on left edge of box and chips well wide right.
23 min...SSD Valencia breaks around defenders and rolls ball forward to SSD Neil McNab but diving goalie grabs ball.
23 min...Lynx Lucas leaps for header in box that goalie catches but defender had been slapped so play whistled down.
25 min...Lynx Serioux long throw-in from right that SSD defenders in box head away.
27 min...SSD Semedo 55 yard freekick is headed out of Lynx box.
28 min...SSD Cooks freekick from 28 yards tapped into Lynx wall as play miscued.
30 min...Lynx Aristodemo throw-in from right to Lynx Barclay, ball tapped back for Lynx Aristodemo to cross and ball cleared from box after cross.
32 min...Lynx Lucas rush up right and 15 yard shot is blocked by goalie, low rebound by Lynx Lucas blocked by defender and goalie slides to cover up ball.
35 min...Lynx player's freekick from 50 yards, SSD defender chests ball over end line while in box blocking access to Lynx players.
36 min....Lynx Mattacchione rebounds cornerkick clearance from 25 yards on right wide left of net.
43 min...SSD Valencia on right redirects rolling cross just wide right of net after long charge from SSD Tanner up right sideline
43 min...Lynx cross into SSD box missed hand ball non-call on SSD defender.
47 min...half ends 1:00pm.
2nd Half:...starts 1:16pm.
46 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Mattacchione for knocking over SSD Lyssand in center circle who has to temporarily leave field.
47 min...Lynx goalie leaps in crowd of players to catch ball left of net.
49 min...SSD Neil McNab 35 yard shot that goalie blocks and scrable for rebound as SSD player charges into box.
49 min...SSD cornerkick from left is whistled down in box.
51 min...Lynx Vincello cross from left corner drifts behind net.
52 min...SSD Kirmse 60 yard freekick flick headed by leaping SSD Valencia at 20 yards that goalie catches.
53 min...Lynx Barclay knocks down ball at 20 yards with defender on him and turns and fires ball high and wide right.
54 min...Lynx Barclay collides with SSD defender and SSD goalie and he's injured on edge of SSD box in rush for through ball.
57 min...Lynx Ashton 35 yard freekick is blasted over bar.
58 min...Lynx Lucas in middle boots 40 yard shot well wide right.
59 min...Lynx Mayard long cross from right is bounced left through box.
60 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Vincello for pushing incident with SSD Tanner at midfield on sideline that knocks sign board over.
62 min...SSD sub...Millwood replaces Neil McNab.
63 min...SSD Millwood races up left wing, his cross is knocked over end line by Lynx Veenhof.
64 min...SSD cornerkick from left is knocked back out by Lynx defender. Lynx Vignjevic heads away 2nd cornerkick but SSD keeps the pressure on.
65 min...SSD Lars Lyssand GOAL...Lyssand from 12 yards on left side slides ball under goalie. Lynx Vignjevic had ball taken away from him in box and two SSD's including Lyssand led charge.
66 min...Lynx Lucas leaping header on Lynx cornerkick from right is over net.
68 min...SSD team keeps pressure on in Lynx box although they shank some kicks and have others blocked but Lynx can't clear ball.
68 min...Lynx sub...DiPlacido replaces Vignjevic.
69 min...SSD Tanner cornerkick from right has ball headed out of box by defender.
72 min...Lynx Barclay has low 18 yard roller deflected wide right by defender.
73 min...Lynx Barclay gets pass up middle and ball is deflected off target.
74 min...Lynx goalie races out to 40 yards on left to clear through ball ahead for charging SSD Millwood.
75 min...Lynx sub...Thomas replaces Aristodemo.
................SSD sub...Mack replaces Valencia.
76 min...SSD Lyssand and SSD Millwood on give and go in Lynx box but defender blocks final pass.
76 min...Lynx goalie catches SSD Tanner cornerkick from left in crowd of players.
77 min...Lynx Mattacchione 35 yard freekick from left that goalie catches easily.
79 min...Lynx sub...Ngon replaces Lucas.
80 min...SSD Semedo blast from 25 yards after getting cross from left is well over net.
80 min...Lynx Mayard injured in Lynx box breaking up earlier play.
82 min...Lynx Barclay called offside when he ball 50 yards from SSD goal.
82 min...Lynx goalie beats two SSD players to ball in box.
83 min...Lynx sub...Blicharski replaces already removed Mayard.
85 min...SSD sub...Joe McNab replaces Tanner.
86 min...SSD Millwood rushes on left and Lynx Veenhof forces shot wide.
88 min...Lynx Barclay called offside again.
88 min...Lynx Serioux long 45 yard cross from right is caught easily by SSD goalie in crowd in box.
91 min...Lynx Ngon 35 yard freekick is blasted into four man SSD wall.
92 min...Lynx Thomas cornerkick from left is headed over box and ball is worked back in and Lynx Ngon slides 12 yard shot into left side of net but play is ruled offside. He'd got to ball fired forward and held up in strong wind.
94 min...game ends 2:05pm.
Final Score:..........Toronto Lynx............0................Syracuse Salty Dogs...........1.........
Attendance was announced as 3572 for the team's annual School Day matinee game. A team official said they had about 1000 cancellations because of numerous school board 'work to rule' campaigns. The grandstand was filled and the east side hill had a few hundred kids on it but the hill didn't look as covered as years past. The cheerleaders of Aurora High School tossed each other round before the game. The American national anthem was a canned recording but O Canada was played by the Willowdale Middle School band. Different classes started leaving with 20 minutes to go yet the game only lasted two hours including intermission. It's not baseball folks! A huge parking lot avoided a traffic jam of school buses.
A media official who walked across the field at halftime commented the field was muddy and full of divots. Most in the pressbox including me agreed that the field looked in better shape than on Saturday. We've had a few days of rain in between to green things up. Rough terrain may be a good excuse but the other team had to play on it too. Lynx can't use the excuse of confusing twin brothers Neil and Joe McNab because they weren't on the field at the same time. Dogs Michael Kirmse did some somersault throw-ins but Lynx Adrian Serioux is much more effective with his sideline throws into the box.
Lynx were called off numerous times in the second half on borderline calls. The game seemed to change after the Dogs brought in speedy Machel Millwood. He seemed to be effectively marked by defender Jan Veenhof who must have been given the job of shadowing the star player. Veenhof was my choice as Lynx 'hardest worker' but that media choice award was won today by Sebastian Barclay. Lynx left themselves open at the back after going down a goal when they had to press for the equalizer. Goaltender Theo Zagar even ran into the Dogs box to pressure the defenders during a last minute Lynx cornerkick.
Lynx are in a standings hole already falling to 1 win, 2 losses. They've only played against their Northeastern Division opponents. They have a busy weekend coming up as they have to play the 2 and 0 Salty Dogs again on Saturday night in Syracuse and return home for Monday's Victoria Day game at 6:00pm against Rochester. With only two of the five division rivals making the playoffs this year, the Lynx could be in big trouble if they don't have weekend success. No goals scored in two home games is not a way to win fans. At least three Lynx freekicks blasted into a defensive wall isn't very creative. Lynx had a 9 to 1 shots-on-net advantage in the first half (13 to 6 for the full game) and although few looked dangerous that would have been the time to score with the wind at their backs.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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