Result of the Wednesday June 9th, 2004 A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Puerto Rico Islanders played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 11:00am.
Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts, black shorts, names and numbers, yellow trim)
....................1 Richard Goddard
.........6 Aaron Steele...4 Joe Mattacchione (cpt)...14 Tyler Hughes
9 Dvid DiPlacido...8 Rumba Munthali...17 Darren Baxter...15 Adrian Serioux...7 Edgar Bartolomeu
..................19 Ali Gerba...10 John Barry Nusum
Subs:...23 Brian Rowland (gk)...2 Andres Arango (def)...3 Lewis Blois (def)...11 Igor Prostran (mid)...13 Jamie Dodds (mid)...21 Jure Pavic (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coach Billy Steele...goalkeeper coach John Moreira...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth
Puerto Rico Islanders (all blue, white names and numbers)
........................22 Eduardo Memendi
.......8 Raphel Ortiz...3 Luis Fernando Zuleta...4 Christopher Gores (cpt)
7 Martin Zapata...5 Diego Deering...15 Ricardo Alcero...6 Alexis Rivera...13 Johanes Maliza
...............21 Michael Mourelo...9 Carlos Garay
Subs:...12 Alvaro Torres (def)...14 Joseph Toal (def)...17 Isaac Nieves (mid)...18 Hector Rivera (mid)...20 Carlos Astondoa (fwd)...21 Michael Mourelo (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Hugo Maradonna...assistant coach Pedro Armstrong...medical co-ordinator Dr Carlos Placer
Game officials:...referee Nick Theodorakis...referee's assistants Neil Schofield and Frank Marciello...fourth official Silvio Petrescu...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)
1st Half:...game starts 11:06am...Lynx defend south end on this very hot, humid hazy day with a bright sun in the south.
1 min...Lynx Mattacchione 35 yard freekick from left is headed out of box by defender.
2 min...PR Alcero injured on edge of Lynx box.
3 min...Lynx Nusum eludes defender from long run down left and rolls cross but defender clears ball.
6 min...PR Mourelo 30 yard shot from right is well wide left.
8 min...PR Zapata 30 yard shot through crowd is well wide right.
11 min...Lynx Hughes 25 yard freekick on left is tapped to Lynx Mattacchione who shanks 22 yard kick almost to right cornerflag.
13 min...Lynx players are caught on two offsides within the same minute.
15 min...PR Zapata 22 yard freekick is lobbed over wall and goalie catches on right, long punt has Lynx forward 20 yards on PR box is headed to goalie on bounce.
16 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Gerba for diving in PR box when defender knocks him.
17 min...Lynx Serioux blasts 30 yard shot over crowd and over net.
18 min...PR Raul Diaz GOAL...PR Martin Zapata 35 yard freekick from right has first players miss header and PR Diaz on fly connect to 5 yard header from left post into right corner of net.
20 min...PR Hector Rivera replaces Deering.
22 min...PR Alexis Rivera long throw-in from left blown down in box for pushing.
25 min...Lynx Gerba long run down right and boots cross behind net.
26 min...PR Zapata 30 yard freekick from right is headed away in box.
28 min...Lynx DiPlacido cross from right is headed out of box.
29 min...Lynx player's freekick from 35 yards chipped and Lynx Nusum called offside.
30 min...PR YELLOW card...Zapata for taking too long to take 35 yard freekick.
32 min...PR Garay pushed pass and rolls 18 yard shot to goalie.
35 min...PR Zapata runs down right and cross into box, first guy misses and PR Maliza one times 10 yard shot from left that's wide left of net.
36 min...PR goalie rushes out to scoop up ball ahead of Lynx Nusum who was pushed pass in box.
37 min...Lynx sub...Dodds replaces DiPlacido.
38 min...Lynx Gerba injured PR Alcero when they bash together on ball in Lynx end.
39 min...PR Zapata 35 yard freekick on right, PR Mourelo 15 yard shot caught by goalie.
42 min...Lynx Ali Gerba GOAL...Lynx Adrian Serioux curls 25 yard shot around defenders that flying goalie Eduardo Memendi bobbles ball in catch attempt, ball is loose and Gerba chips in 3 yarder from right post.
43 min...Lynx Nusum 18 yard shot is blocked by defender. Lynx Baxter lofts rebound over net.
46 min...Lynx Ali Gerba GOAL...Lynx Rumba Munthali sends pass over center line that finds both Gerba and Adrian Serioux all alone on 2 on 0 rush. Goalie Memendi rushes out to try to break up play but Gerba gets away roller from 30 yards that rolls into empty net.
47 min...half ends 11:53am.
2nd Half:...starts 12:15pm...there's now a strong wind swirling from south west.
halftime sub...PR sub...Astondoa replaces Alcero.
..............Lynx sub...Prostran replaces Bartolomeu.
46 min...Lynx Hughes freekick from near left end line, PR Gores heads away ball. Rebound lobbed back from 20 yards is caught by goalie.
47 min...PR player's freekick from right of box is headed up and Lynx Gerba heads clearance out of box.
49 min...PR Mourelo 22 yard freekick is just over net.
51 min...PR Maliza 15 yard shot from right is well over net.
53 min...PR Alexis Rivera freekick from 30 yards on left is whistled down as ball went out of play before being knocked back in.
55 min...Lynx Nusum runs down right when pushed a through ball, he passes to Lynx Gerba who's jostled in box and balls over.
56 min...Lynx Gerba 15 yard shot is low and through defenders and wide left of post.
58 min...PR Astrondoa 15 yard chip hits left goalpost after PR Garay got to Lynx clearance in box.
60 min...PR Zapata is being blocked by Lynx Mattacchione so he flicks kick upward that hits Mattacchione on the shoulder just inside the Lynx box and referee Nick Theodorakis immediately signals a penalty kick.
61 min...PR Michael Mourelo GOAL...Mourelo rolls ball to left corner of net on penalty kick with goalie Richard Goddard sweeping body forward in middle of net.
62 min...Lynx player's cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball through crowd in box.
63 min...Lynx Serioux long throw-in, Lynx Nusum pops up 20 yard header over net.
65 min...Lynx sub...Pavic replaces Nusum.
66 min...Lynx goalie catches ball crossed from right ahead of PR forwards lined up on left post.
69 min...Lynx defenders break up long PR player's throw-in from right.
71 min...Lynx Jamie Dodds GOAL...Dodds gets pass in PR box about 18 yards out and kicks around three defenders blocking him and ball pops up. Dodds suddenly finds himself open and spears 10 yard shot into low left corner of net.
73 min...Lynx Gerba races down right in clear and blasts 25 yard shot over sliding goalie just high wide right of net.
74 min...Lynx RED card...Lewis Blois gets direct red card at Lynx 25 yard line for foot up challenge on PR Johanes Miliza.
75 min...Lynx sub...Arango replaces Gerba.
76 min...PR Astondoa header from 7 yards is palmed over bar by goalie.
77 min...PR Zapata cornerkick from left has goalie slaps ball through box, PR player on right blocked by defender.
78 min...PR Zapata 20 yard freekick from left is stopped by wall of defenders. Lynx goalie picks up low 20 yard roller from rebound.
79 min...PR Alexis Rivera long throw-in from left is caught by goalie.
80 min...Lynx goalie catches long 40 yard chip as PR Astondoa is charging in on him.
81 min...Lynx goalie 85 yard freekick bounces to PR goalie.
82 min...PR Toal cornerkick from right is knocked down by PR Mourelo but defender clears it.
83 min...PR Ortiz cornerkick from right, PR Zuleta pops it to goalie who slaps ball away but play whistled down as PR player backs into Lynx goalie.
85 min...Lynx goalie catches 35 yard cross into box.
86 min...Lynx Baxter good dribbling as he's prevented from gettting away shot so runs to cornerflag to waste time.
87 min...PR sub...Nieves replaces PR Garay.
88 min...Lynx Pavic injured while dribbling with kick to knee deep in PR end.
90 min...PR Gores skies 22 yard shot over net when ball knocked down by Lynx defender.
93 min...game ends 12:58pm.
Final Score:..............Toronto Lynx...........3..............Puerto Rico Islanders............2............
Attendance was announced as 4950. It's by far the largest school day crowd I've seen since this annual theme day begam at Centennial. The grandstand was filled as were the east side berne and some of each of the endzones.
The Lynx second goal was a crafty play. The Lynx were called on offside traps all afternoon but the Islanders defenders had let their guard down when Lynx forward John Barry Nusum was 10 yards offside and just walked back to the center line. Rumba Munthali from the center circle shot a short pass through the defence and Gerba and Serioux were open all alone. Instead of joining the play, Nusum continued to walk back to over the center line back to the Lynx side of the field. Only the Islander goalie seemed to know what was going on and came running out 35 yards to try to break up the play. From what I understand about the new offside rules, if Nusum had turned around to join the play, the offside flag should have been immediately raised.
The Islanders looked much stronger in today's game than on Saturday. They were able to get their complement of players into Canada so had six subs to choose from although not leading scorer Mauricio Salles-De Alencar and play maker Martin Zapata-Alhornoz. The Lynx get the maximum nine points available against the Islanders. The Islanders still haven't won this year but have tied Richmond, Charleston, and Syracuse.
The Lynx played the last 16 minutes one man down. Immediately coach Duncan Wilde substituted defender Andres Arango for forward Ali Gerba. Gerba had by then scored five goals against the Islanders in this week's series and six against them if the season opener is counted. Darren Baxter shined during this time as he'd make runs to the Islanders corner flags and hold off two guys until they checked him often for a throw-in.
About half the Lynx stayed on the running track to sign autographs as the crowd disbursed. At the other end of the field, some of the Islanders players stayed and signed autographs too.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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