Result of the A-League match between Toronto Lynx and Rochester Raging Rhinos played Sunday May 16th, 2004 at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 4:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (all white, black names and numbers, yellow trim)
...............................22 Bryheem Hancock
...........15 Adrian Serioux...4 Joe Mattacchione (cpt)...3 Lewis Blois
9 David DiPlacido...7 Edgar Bartolomeu...17 Darren Baxter...8 Rumba Munthali...14 Tyler Hughes
.......................10 John Barry Nusum...19 Ali Gerba
Subs:...1 Richard Goddard (gk)...6 Aaron Steele (def)...11 Igor Prostran (mid)...13 Jamie Dodds (mid)...16 Josue Mayard (def)...20 Joao Valentim (gwd)...18 Brian Ashton (mid)
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coach Billy Steele...goalkeeper coach John Moreira...meidcal co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth.
Rochester Raging Rhinos (black socks, shorts, names and numbers, yellow shirts)
.................................22 Theo Zagar
..........17 David Wright...3 Craig Demmin (cpt)...25 John Wilson
11 Bill Sedgwick...21 Kirk Wilson...24 Ian Fuller...8 Shaun Tsakiris
............15 Chris Carrieri...13 Noah Delgado...10 Ryan Trout
Subs:...1 Soren Johnson (gk)...6 Carlos Mendes (def)...12 Corey Woolfolk (fwd)...16 Ian Pilarski (mid)...19 Doug Miller (fwd)...20 'Neto' (mid)...23 Lenin Steenkamp (mid)
team officials:...head coach Pat Ercoli...assistant coaches Frank Odoi and Francisco Escos.
Game officials:...referee Hu Liu...referee's assistants Neil Schofield and Amato DeLuca...fourth official Sylviu Petrescu...(red shirts, black shorts and shirts. they took their pregame run with yellow shirts but switched to red. We didn't expect Rhinos would get to wear yellow today however the media guide assures us the Lynx will wear all white as their home colours).
1st Half:...game starts at 4:05pm...Lynx defend north end on this warm day with a bright sun from the west. The national anthems were sung by 15 members of the Etobicoke Centennial Choir but then a long 15 minute delay between them and when the game started left the teams twitchy.
2 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Serioux goes to take one of his long throw-ins from a small opening between the advertising boards but a RRR player stands right on the sideline to block his momentum. Serioux deliberately throws the ball and hits him in the stomach.
4 min...RRR goalie makes sliding stop on low cross from right, rebound cleared by defenders.
5 min...Lynx goalie comes out to edge of box to prevent RRR player from getting control of ball.
6 min...RRR Trout long throw-in from left through Lynx box that Lynx defender heads wide left.
7 min...RRR Tsakiris cornerkick from left is knocked away by defender. Lynx Nusum is injured in the box.
8 min...RRR Tsakiris cornerkick from left and Lynx DiPlacido heads it forward to start a Lynx breakout.
9 min...RRR Trout throw-in from left, RRR player outjumps goalie to connect on header but ball cleared from box.
10 min...Lynx player crosses from right over RRR box that Lynx Hughes heads from left high back across box and goalie catches.
12 min...RRR player's long freekick has RRR Fuller heads from 15 yards and caught by goalie.
13 min...RRR Delgado gets loose ball on edge of box and puts shot just over bar.
16 min...Lynx Baxter 40 yard cross from right into box and Lynx Gerba is squeezed by defenders in box preventing his play.
17 min...Lynx Nusum gets to roller after RRR Tsakiris dispossessed from ball and blasts 20 yard shot just over bar.
19 min...RRR Tsakiris cornerkick from right that defender heads over box for throw-in from other side.
21 min...RRR player's long shot bounces into Lynx box that goalie has to save when RRR player gets by Lynx defender to roll ball across box.
22 min...RRR Trout heads ball back into Lynx box that goalie stops.
25 min...Lynx Nusum ends good team possession as he shoots 10 yarder from right as defender pulls him over.
27 min...Lynx Serioux takes long throw-in from right that Lynx Baxter chips ball over crowd of players after partial RRR clearance and ball caught on bounce by goalie.
28 min...RRR Tsakiris 25 yard chip from left is well over net from top right corner.
30 min...Lynx Baxter 35 yard kick just ahead of Lynx forward so goalie has time to pick up ball.
32 min...RRR Trout long throw-in from left is headed away by defender in box.
33 min...RRR RED card...Tsakiris gets direct Red card for sideswipe cleats-up challenge into stomach of Lynx Bartolomeu near RRR bench.
Bartolomeu needs to be stretchered off the field. Tsakiris looks concerned and waits to see Bartolomeu leave the field before he leaves for the locker room.
36 min...Lynx sub...Dodds replaces injured Bartolomeu before play resumes.
37 min...RRR Trout long throw-in from left has defender head ball away.
37 min...RRR Carrieri blasts 10 yard shot in box that goalie makes huge save and Lynx defender clears behind line.
38 min...RRR Wright 50 yard freekick from right over players and caught by goalie.
38 min...Lynx Baxter floats 35 yard shot into box and goalie cuts in front of leaping Lynx Gerba to make catch. RRR fast break requires another defensive stop.
43 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Nusum for knocking down RRR Demmin in RRR box for high kick.
45 min...Lynx Gerba chips from 25 yards on right over left of net and RRR goalie backs into left goal post rattling its foundation.
46 min...Lynx goalie drifts over to catch 45 yard freekick in crowd of players in his box.
46 min...Lynx players called offside on 4 on 4 rush.
47 min...RRR YELLOW card...Delgado for complaining about Lynx being awarded freekick just to right of RRR box.
48 min...Lynx Baxter 25 yard freekick near RRR right corner, Lynx high foot directs across box, Lynx Gerba header from 5 yards on left is just wide left of post.
48 min...half ends 4:53pm.
There's an ambulance on the sideline track for the entire intermission. Soon after the 2nd half starts, Edgar Bartolomeu is loaded into it and the ambulance backs out the entrance. Whatever happened, this is a serious injury.
2nd Half:..starts 5:09pm.
RRR halftime subs:...Woolfolk replaces Fuller.
...........Neto replaces Kirk Wilson.
...........Steenkamp replaces Delgado.
46 min...Lynx Baxter 25 yard shot wide right.
48 min...Lynx Baxter and RRR Sedgwick get into a pushing match in RRR end.
51 min...Lynx goalie flubs ball on right side of box and knocks it out of box then he has to get up and boot ball out of play.
52 min...Lynx sub...Ashton replaces DiPlacido.
53 min...Lynx players in RRR box action has defender finally clear ball.
54 min...Lynx Nusum 25 yard shot as he slips and its well over net.
55 min...Lynx Hughes cross from deep in left corner is bounced through RRR box.
56 min...Lynx Munthali 30 yard shot through crowd of players and ball skips wide right of post.
57 min...Lynx Gerba freekick from 25 yards is over RRR five man wall and goalie punches ball down and defender clears ball wide right.
59 min...RRR Trout ends RRR rush with 10 yard shot from right well right of net after long rush through defenders.
60 min...Lynx Mattacchione freekick from right has RRR John Wilson diving header sends ball behind line for cornerkick.
61 min...Lynx Dodds cornerkick from left, Lynx Hughes leaping header on right is wide right from 7 yards.
63 min...Lynx Blois long throw-in from left has RRR defender head back to goalie that goalie needs to catch on flying dive to left post.
64 min...RRR Wright 55 yard freekick over crowd that's caught by goalie.
65 min...RRR Neto outruns defense on right wing and regains possession of ball on edge of box and goalie picks up rolling cross.
66 min...Lynx sub...Prostran replaces Hughes.
66 min...RRR sub...Miller replaces Carrieri.
67 min...Lynx Nusum gets long run behind defender as RRR Demmin touches ball with his hand but referee's assistant Amato Deluca waves for the advantage rule. RRR goalie collides with Nusum just inside box knocking him over and referee immediately points to penalty spot. He would not let the RRR players convince him to talk to Deluca about the play.
69 min...Lynx Ali Gerba GOAL...Gerba rolls in penalty kick into right corner of net as goalie Theo Zagar dives left.
RRR goalie takes a run at the referee but his teammates restrain him.
70 min...RRR Woolfolk 15 yard shot on right has ball hit crossbar and deflects back into play.
73 min...Lynx Blois throw-in from left, Lynx Baxter (?) slides in for ball but he's grabbed and can't get good connection to it.
74 min...RRR Sedgwick gets short tapped freekick from left and 20 yards shot misses top right corner of net.
75 min...Lynx goalie rushes out to edge of box to grab bouncer.
77 min...RRR Sedgwick cornerkick from left has ball headed down and cleared on right.
78 min...Lynx Prostran gets ball when Lynx Gerba recovers ball after 1 on 1 rush but shot is blocked.
79 min...RRR Sedgwick holds off defender on left and crosses into Lynx box but play cleared.
80 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Munthali for foul just outside Lynx box on left.
81 min...RRR Sedgwick freekick from left has leaping RRR Steenkamp head ball from 3 yards off outside webbing of net on right.
82 min...RRR Bill Sedgwick GOAL...Sedgwick's kick from 12 yards deflects off defender and his diving header from 8 yards bounces behind diving goalie Bryheem Hancock into center of net.
84 min...Lynx Miller rolls 30 yard shot wide right.
85 min...Lynx Nusum gets to crossed kick and twists header from 10 yards that's caught by goalie.
86 min...Lynx Gerba gets behind defender but falls when he's touched inside box.
86 min...Lynx Munthali 30 yard shot through crowd that's caught by goalie.
87 min...Lynx Dodds cornerkick from left is low and caught by goalie.
88 min...RRR Miller has 4 on 4 rush and long run is broken up just outside Lynx box.
89 min...RRR Neto long run through right side for 60 yards and cross as RRR Miller dives for ball.
91 min...Lynx Darren Baxter GOAL...Lynx Gerba runs down on 1 on 1 and stops as defender slips near left post having run out of room and rolls ball back to Lynx Baxter who blasts in 10 yard shot into open net as RRR goalie was over protecting left post. The other defenders were just standing off to each side and Baxter ran through them to get to ball.
91 min...game ends 5:55pm.
Final Score:.........Toronto Lynx.......2........Rochester Raging Rhinos......1.....
Attendance was 2187 on this perfect day for soccer. Although there wasn't a crowd on the bern on the east side (hard for them to stare into the bright sun) the stands were packed by gametime.
First some comments on the field. The grass is in really good shape! There are no bald spots nor football lines to be seen. The rumour around the press box was that last year's grounds crew used the wrong fertilizer.
Dick Howard took the ceremonial opening kickoff to get the Lynx 8th Season home opener started. I thought it was going to be Lynx alumni day especially after Rochester radio play by play man Don Stevens pointed out Brian Ashton warming up in a #2 sweatshirt. No other blonde guys on this year's team. He retired in the off season but came in as a midfield substitution in the second half and shook things up in the middle. It should be a good fit with newcomer Darren Baxter. Baxter is only 5'7" but had some good runs, shots and passes. Second half Rhinos one-name Neto had some good 60 yard runs through the Lynx defenders as their best player. The first half had the Lynx with a 7-5 shot advantage but the Rhinos looked a lot more dangerous.
The Lynx really had to win this game. The turning point was when Rhinos went a man down after only 33 minutes. That evened play out and the Lynx looked stronger in the second half with the extra man. The Lynx opened up like the Canadian National Women's team with a hoof the ball upfield strategy at the very beginning of the game. The Rhinos and the Montreal Impact are the two teams most favoured to win the Eastern Conference this year. Two games with the Impact and another with the Rhinos left onlookers worried that the Lynx could be out of the playoffs after their first nine games. This game should be a confidence booster to the Lynx after media watchers were being warned it would take some time for the team to gel. However detractors could jump up and doubt how the game would have worked out at eleven vs eleven for 90 minutes. Theo Zagar had only let in one goal in the Rhinos three previous games and the Rhinos had beaten the Lynx 4-0 in the Rhinos home opener.
Coach Duncan Wilde had put a lot of pressure on the team by promising the media there wouldn't be any 0-0 games with his team in order to drum up local interest. I could think that this game could have ended 0-0 after the first half or that the last second strike would have been blasted over the net or wide but that's because I'm still thinking of the 2003 team.
Now the team waits to hear the condition of midfielder Edgar Bartolomeu taken away by ambulance just as the second half got underway.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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