August 23, 2006 USL Toronto Lynx vs Montreal Impact (from Lynx media release)
Toronto overcomes early red card for second straight game to draw 1-1 with Montreal
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2006 Venue: Centennial Stadium, Toronto Attendance: 1,184 Kick-off Time: 7:30 p.m. EST Final score: Montreal 1, Toronto 1
Match Summary
TORONTO – The Toronto Lynx overcame an early red card for the second straight game to hang on for a well-earned draw against the league-leading Montreal Impact 1-1 Wednesday night in wet conditions.
Midfielder Jamie Dodds scored on a penalty kick in the 47th minute for Toronto, while Ze Roberto replied for the Impact in the 69th minute. With the tie, the Lynx raise its record to 5-12-7 and 24 points, while the Impact improves to 12-4-8 and 44 points.
The draw increases Montreal’s lead in the USL First Division standings to five points over Rochester with one game in hand. It also stretched the Lynx’s winless streak to six games after an earlier run of five without a loss. The Lynx’s last three games - including the home and home set with Rochester last weekend - have all ended in 1-1 ties.
The Lynx played well despite being a man-down early for the second straight game. Midfielder Shawn Faria received a questionable red card in the 33rd minute for a midfield tackle on Ze Roberto. In Toronto’s last game against Rochester this past Sunday, midfielder Gordon Chin received a red card for headbutting Rochester midfielder Aaran Lines.
Dodds’ penalty kick goal was set-up when Impact defender and former Lynx Mauricio Vincello fouled Lynx midfielder Matt Palleschi in the penalty box. Dodds took the penalty, which was saved by Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton, but Dodds grabbed the rebound and shot it into the top corner for his team leading sixth goal of the season.
Montreal tied the game in the 69th minute on a header by Roberto. Leonardo DiLorenzo’s corner found Roberto behind the defence and the Brazilian easily directed the ball into a gaping net for his second goal of the season.
The second half was the opposite of the uneventful first half. Both teams picked up the pace and generated quality scoring chances, with the players adjusting to the field conditions. Late in the second half, both teams counter-attacked and sent waves of pressure in search of the game-winning goal.
Tentative play marked the first half as the players tried to find their footing on the wet field. The less than ideal conditions caused players to slip and prevented them from using their pace to make penetrating runs. At one point neither team had a shot on goal for 35 minutes.
The Lynx had the best chances to score in the first half, but the long distance shots sailed over the goal, failing to test Sutton. Sutton, who was named earlier Wednesday to Canada’s roster for the upcoming Sept. 4th friendly versus Jamaica in Montreal, leads the league with a .55 goals against average.
Montreal is 2-0-1 against the Lynx so far this season and has not lost to its Highway 401 rivals since July 16, 2003. The two clubs will meet for the fourth and final time on Sept. 8 in Montreal.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
4th min. – Dodd’s free kick rolls wide of the goal.
5th min. – Aristodemo’s volley from 25 yards out sails over the goal
8th min. – Dodds’ shot from 20 yards sails over the net.
32nd min. – Faris shown red card for tackle on Roberto
45th min. – Roberto’s shot from 15 yards out saved by Zagar.
47th min – Vincello fouls Palleschi in penalty area drawing penalty kick
48th min. – Dodds’ penalty kick to the right of Sutton saved, but rebound redirected into top of goal. MONTREAL 0, TORONTO 1.
53rd min. – Arango’s header off corner kick saved by Sutton.
53rd min. – Dodds’ shot from in close saved by Sutton.
69th min – Roberto directs header off DiLorenzo’s corner kick into open goal. MONTREAL 1, TORONTO 1.
90th min. – DiIoia’s shot from inside penalty area sails over net.
Lineups:
Montreal: GK – Greg Sutton, D – Gabe Gervais, D – Mauricio Vincello, D – Adam Braz, D – Lars Lyssand, MF – Ze Roberto, MF- Mesut Mert, MF – Leonardo DiLorenzo, MF – Mauro Biello, F – Joel Bailey, F – Mauricio Salles
Toronto: GK – Theo Zagar, D – Rick Titus, D – Andres Arango, D – Edgar Bartolomeu, D – Chris Williams, MF – David DiPlacido, MF – Robbie Aristodemo, MF – Jamie Dodds, MF – Shawn Faria, MF – Kevin Jeffrey, F – Matt Palleschi
Cautions: Montreal 3 (Bailey, 21st min.; Vincello, 50th min.; Biello, 48th min.)
Toronto 3 (Palleschi, 15th min.; Aristodemo, 36th min.; Jeffrey, 78th min.)
Ejections: Toronto 1 (Faria, 32nd min.)
Goals: Montreal – Ze Roberto, 69th min. (DiLorenzo)
Toronto – Dodds, 49th min. (PK)
Shots: Montreal 14 (4), Toronto 8 (3)
Saves: Montreal 4 (0), Toronto 4 (1)
Fouls: Montreal 14 (10), Toronto 14 (10)
Offsides: Montreal 4 (3), Toronto 2 (1)
Corners: Montreal 8 (5), Toronto 2 (0)
Substitutions: Montreal – Mert (Patrick Leduc, 54th min.)
Salles (Daniel Antoniuk, 56th min.)
Lyssand (Massimo DiIoia, 65th min.)
Braz (David Fronimadis, 85th min.)
Toronto - Bartolomeu (Marko Bedenekovich, 45th min.)
Palleschi (Damien Pottinger, 65th min.)
Williams (Osni Neto, 73rd min.)
Bedenikovic (Edgar Bartolomeu, 68th min.)
Jeffrey (Nils Dekker, 85th min.)
The Toronto Lynx’s next game is at home versus the Puerto Rico Islanders on Sunday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m. EST
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
ROB IRWIN, MEDIA RELATIONS
416 251-4625 EXT. 23
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