June 4, 2006 USL Toronto Lynx vs Virginia Beach Mariners (from Rob Lynch of uslfans.com)
Promise, No Delivery
by Rob Lynch, uslfans.com Match Reporter
04.June.2006
Toronto Lynx: 0, Virginia Beach Mariners: 0
Starting Lineups:
Toronto: Zagar, Titus, Arango, Bedenikovic, Williams, Aristodemo, Mattacchione (SUB: Chin, 78th), Dodds (SUB: Helinho, 82nd), DiPlacido (SUB: Baxter, 75th), Neto (SUB: Palleschi, 38th), Pottinger (SUB: Jeffrey, 66th).
Virginia Beach: Nelson, Danbusky, Low, Woods, Schwarze, Brillant (SUB: Demmin, 80th), Shak, Bilyk, Mack (SUB: Aguilera, 58th), Fenger, Nusum (SUB: O'Neill, 75th).
(Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto) A subdued, scattered crowd was given little to cheer for on the surface, but many points to look forward to in a sometimes engaging, sometimes frustrating scoreless draw with the visiting Mariners.
Virginia Beach have looked a dark horse from the beginning of the 2006 USL season, coming to TO with a well rounded 3-1-1 record thus far, conservatively building momentum and a positive style of play to match the technique of both their long standing vets and new acquisitions alike. Tonight however, right from the first whistle, the Mariners played a subdued, belabored game, looking for nothing more than a draw, and a bland one at that.
More ingratiating was the fact Toronto seemed attuned to this very early, but either caught the animal-in-a-trap mentality too late in the match or, worse still, just don't have the required collective will to put away a squad with such indifferent, arbitrary leanings. Despite a spirited second half, several whip-smart substitutions at appropriate intervals, and no less than 3 quality finishing chances (including a disallowed offside goal by newboy Kevin Jeffrey in the 69th minute) the Lynx just couldn't put the Mariners to sword and end with their first win of the 2006 season.
The first half for both teams, with little exception, was nothing short of abysmal. Both squads played with such tentative expectation it sometimes appeared a more physical interpretation of 'hot potato' as opposed to an eleven-a-side league match. Short triangular passing, uncreative long balls that were just too long, and far too many cough-ups to count.
However, each side had one quality chance within the two minutes before the halftime whistle blew: for the home squad, ex-Riverhound Pottinger was sprung up the inside right by Jamie Dodds and rifled a low threatening shot at net, bravely blocked by a sliding Woods at close range and out of play. Seconds later, the Lynx were on their heels when the Mariners' Low and Mack played some crafty give-and-go up the left, sending the latter past his marker Chris Williams and shockingly GK Theo Zagar, who drifted high to cut the angle and was left in no man's land when snaking Ryan Mack pulled around him. Rushed by another Toronto fullback, Mack committed his effort from just inside the goal box into the outside netting.
Despite another shot by Ryan Mack in the 48th minute after the break, ably held by Zagar, the offensive pendulum swung in the opposite direction and had the Mariners pushing back for the remainder of the contest. The inclusion of tough Matt Palleschi early was an inspired move on Coach Wilde's part, and he almost reaped the ultimate reward in the 52nd when he shook two Mariners loose cutting across diagonally from the left and threw into a long powerful shot Virginia's GK Nelson did well to hold.
However, the moment all Toronto faithful had been waiting for since the 2006 campaign began arrived in the 66th minute when Kevin Jeffrey, former Richmond Kicker and well-known USL striking finisher, was subbed on. His presence made an immediate difference, offering a disallowed goal 3-minutes later and breath-baiting free kick in the 87th that rattled off the far post after arcing cleverly over the Mariners' wall. Then in stoppage time, Jeffrey dropped a perfect pass into the attacking lane for newcomer Brazilian Helinho who missed the sitter and the ball entirely. Perhaps mercifully, the final whistle blew and the Lynx at least halted their losing skid at 6.
These are minutely small gains, but there is promise in the long-awaited appearance of Kevin Jeffrey, as lethal a finisher in the USL as you'll find. With more playing time and continued support, the Trini forward will undoubtedly begin wearing the shooting boots he's known for. His pairings with both hammer-and-tongs Palleschi and Damien Pottinger (a surprise acquisition who shows his own promise on the forward line) will reap reward soon enough. Despite an unsettled first half, the Lynx look to be maximizing their varied personnel, and with continued effort will shift another column left to the one that starts with a W. Another tie with a similarly disinterested opposition as the Mariners were tonight (a good squad to be sure, just not this evening) would be nothing short of scandalous.
Card Infractions: Toronto- Titus (YELLOW, 40th min). Virginia Beach- n/a.
[Opinion pieces written by fans do not represent the views of uslfans.com, but rather that of the writer.]
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