Result of the Friday September 1st, 2006 CSL Open Canada Cup semi-final match between London AEK and Toronto Lynx played at Cove Road in London at 8:38pm.
London AEK (sky blue socks and shirts, white shorts and trim, black numbers)
.........................1 John Drellozis
13 Wassim Elrafih...6 Jovan Ivanovich...8 Ugo DeCandido...2 Adam Legg
12 Ahmad Birani...5 Michael Pereira...11 Haris Cekic...20 Paul Arnold
...................9 Todd Rutledge...10 Martin Painter
Subs:...3 Stu Pow...4 Dave Day...7 Tom Kenagy...14 Noel Cunningham...15 Justin Guy...16 Ryan Avola...17 Ryan Leigh
team officials:...head coach Martin Painter...assistant coaches Iain Thomson, Tom Kouzounas and Jason DeThomasis...physio John Paps...assistant match John Kouzounas
Toronto Lynx (yellow socks and shirts, black shorts, names and numbers)
...........................1 Richard Goddard
.............14 Cameron Medwin...26 Aaron Steele...3 Rick Titus
13 Jamie Dodds...23 Gordon Chin...21 Osni Neto...7 Shawn Faria...27 Edgar Bartolomeu
.....................2 Damien Pottinger...10 Ryan Anstey
Subs:...22 Theo Zagar (gk)...4 Joe Mattachione (def/mid)...6 Andres Arango (def)...8 Kevin Jeffrey (mid/fwd)...12 Marko Bedenikovic (def/mid)...15 Matthew Palleschi (fwd)...16 Niels Dekker (mid)
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coaches Billy Steele, Joe Mattacchione and Theo Zagar...team doctor Dr Frank Markus...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth...equipment manager Jim Healy
Game officials:...referee Silviu Petrescu...referee assistants Ogi Panic and Vito Curalli...fourth official Leif Maitland
the national anthem was sung by Emily Koutzanos.
1st Half:...game starts at 8:45pm...AEK defend north end on this mild evening.
3 min...Lynx Pottinger 15 yard header is wide right.
4 min...AEK player's 12 yard shot in box is blocked by Lynx defender.
4 min...AEK DeCandido 35 yard freekick is blocked by defender.
5 min...Lynx Pottinger pushes ball ahead and AEK goalie slides forward to stop through ball.
7 min...Lynx Anstey midair shot is wide left.
12 min...Lynx Pottinger cross from right has goalie step forward to catch ball dropped in collision with Lynx forward but play is whistled down.
16 min...Lynx goalie dives forward to catch cross from left.
17 min...Lynx Osni Neto GOAL...Lynx goalie Richard Goddard picks up ball and punts it downfield and it bounces forward from about 22 yards with two Lynx players and three defenders chasing it. Neto chips ball from 15 yards over goalie John Dreliozis who was coming out about 10 yards off his line and ball is over him and into net.
21 min...Lynx Bartolomeu beats two defenders on left sideline and crosses but ball cleared from box.
22 min...Lynx Dodds pushes 25 yard freekick from forward on right to Lynx Chin who bends 12 yarder cutting in just misses top left corner of net.
23 min...AEK DeCandido passes back to goalie who picks it up. Oh no! Referee whistles play for a Lynx freekick from inside the box.
24 min...Lynx Chin touches 12 yard freekick and Lynx Neto curves shot wide left of all players in box and wide of net. Eleven AEK players behind the ball.
25 min...AEK YELLOW card...Birani for tackle on Lynx rush at AEK 40 yard line.
26 min...Lynx Dodds 40 yard freekick from left has goalie catch ball in front of Lynx forward.
28 min...Lynx Anstey knocks down header on right and Lynx Chin 18 yard shot is wide left.
29 min...AEK Legg 25 yard shot on left has goalie catch easily to right of net.
30 min...Lynx Medwin rush on right and crosses into box has ball cleared.
32 min...AEK DeCandido gets through ball but is caught by defender and his weak 35 yard shot is blocked by another defender.
33 min...AEK Birani 35 yard blast is well over net.
34 min...AEK YELLOW card...Ivanovich for sliding tackle on Lynx Steele at AEK 45 yard line.
35 min...Lynx Steele 45 yard freekick is caught by leaping goalie.
36 min...AEK Legg 22 yard freekick from extreme left has Lynx defender tip through box, AEK player deflects ball wide right.
42 min...Lynx Steele 60 yard freekick is caught by leaping goalie.
43 min...Lynx Chin cross from 25 yards is wide left on end line out of play.
44 min...AEK Painter tips 20 yard shot that dribbles to goalie.
44 min...AEK player's 40 yard freekick from right sideline is blocked by defender. AEK players work in rebound and a 30 yard shot has Lynx goalie palm ball up and catch on its way down.
46 min... half ends 9:31pm.
2nd Half:...starts 9:46pm.
halftime subs:...Lynx Mattacchione replaces Faria.
...................Lynx Bedenikovic replaces Neto.
...................Lynx Palleschi replaces Anstey.
...................Lynx Dekker replaces Medwin.
45 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Palleschi pulls down AEK Painter while still in center circle.
48 min...Lynx Pottinger charge up middle but defender sliding tackle knocks ball out for throw-in.
49 min...Lynx goalie charges out for ball and AEK Rutledge trips over him after hard blast.
51 min...Lynx Bedenikovic 25 yard freekick from left has players clear.
52 min...AEK Cekic beats defender on right line but cross into box is cleared.
54 min...Lynx goalie punts ball downfield but one-hops to AEK goalie.
55 min...AEK player's 40 yard freekick is into box and AEK Cekic crosses back into box from right but Lynx player clears it out.
56 min...AEK Guy 18 yard shot blocked by diving goalie and AEK Arnold jumps but ball kicked wide left from 5 yards.
57 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Steele for knock down of AEK player at Lynx 25 yard line.
57 min...AEK player's 30 yard freekick is knocked away.
58 min...AEK Guy cross from right has AEK Painter on left head 7 yard shot wide left.
61 min...AEK Guy 40 yard freekick from right has defender leap to kick away ball on edge of box.
62 min...Lynx Titus pushes AEK Rutledge off ball so Lynx goalie can grab it. Referee awards AEK a freekick.
63 min...AEK Cekic 25 yard freekick from right has ball fly low through box.
65 min...AEK Cekic centers ball and AEK Pereira misses 18 yard kick.
66 min...Lynx Palleschi pokes ball past charging goalie and rolls 15 yarder wide right from sharp angle.
67 min...Lynx sub...Jeffrey replaces Pottinger.
68 min...Lynx Chin chests down ball in AEK box but can't get away shot.
70 min...AEK goalie catches Lynx Dodds cornerkick from left.
71 min...AEK sub...Pow replaces Painter.
....................AEK sub...Avola replaces DeCandido.
72 min...AEK Rutledge holds off Lynx Steele and pushes out but Lynx Titus but referee whistles down play in Lynx box.
74 min...Lynx Mattacchione 30 yard freekick from left has ball shot wide right.
76 min...Lynx Bartolomeu rush through two players at center and pushes ball forward to Lynx Jeffrey, Jeffrey low cross from right and Lynx Bartolomeu's 15 yard shot is stopped by flying goalie.
78 min...AEK sub...Leigh replaces Arnold.
...............AEK sub...Cunningham replaces Birani.
79 min...AEK goalie freekick from 58 yards is low and blocked, ball is cleared to Lynx Palleschi who charges and is pushed off the ball.
80 min...Lynx Palleschi intercepts clearance and his 25 yard shot is wide right.
81 min...Lynx Palleschi checked off ball in AEK box running in.
83 min...AEK goalie grabs through ball ahead of Lynx Chin on edge of box.
85 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Jeffrey for kicking ball away after whistle.
86 min...AEK sub...Day replaces Pereira.
86 min...AEK goalie 58 yard freekick has defender clear ball upfield.
88 min...AEK Pow throw-in from right has blaa bounce throuhg and AEK player's weak header from 6 yards on left is blocked.
90 min...AEK goalie 55 yard freekick is low and blocked by Lynx nearest player.
90 min...Lynx Jeffrey chips goalie from 40 yards and shot bounces wide left.
92 min...AEK cornerkick from left has defenders clear ball on right.
93 min...game ends 10:34pm.
Final Score:...London AEK......0..........Toronto Lynx......1........
Attendance was about 500 people with the stands overflowing and the excess people lined around the fence on the other sideline. Oooh now that's why the league keeps returning here year after year!
Richard Goddard earned the shutout for the Lynx. He had some bit saves to preserve the lead. At 56 minutes he dived to block an 18 yard shot from AEK Justin Guy and the rebound came out to Paul Arnold who jumped but the ball was kicked wide left from 5 yards. At 88 minutes AEK Stu Pow took a long throw-in from the right sideline and the ball bounced through the box with an AEK player getting away a weak header from 6 yards on the left that was blocked. Maybe too many long punts from Goddard but if it worked the once...
The AEK goalie John Dreliozis looked good except for coming up to take some long freekicks from near the center line. Good late strategy to put everyone up to make the play but his freekicks were low and blocked by the nearest Lynx player and he was in danger of being chipped as he was caught upfield along with his outfield players. More accurate shooting by the Lynx players could have put this game out of reach early. At 22 minutes Lynx Jamie Dodds pushed a 25 yard freekick forward down the right wing instead of into the box and Lynx Gordon Chin running down the wing and cut in towards goal took a 12 yard shot that bends and just missed the top left corner of the net. At 28 minutes Lynx Ryan Anstey knocked down a header on the right and Chin had his 18 yard shot go wide left of net. Chin played his finest game of the season and earned his starting position this game.
Also at 23 minutes, the AEK goalie made one blooper when AEK Ugo DeCandido back passed an easy ball that he should have blasted upfield but instead picked it up and the referee had to call a freekick from only 12 yards. With the entire AEK team standing on the goalline, the Lynx couldn't find an opening to score.
The AEK team looked better than the Lynx last found opponents, Hamilton Serbians in that they didn't just play ten men behind the ball (although that may be because the Lynx couldn't score until late) and they were fitter; at least they could still run after 70 minutes (but that may be because the AEK team had brought enough substitutes to use the CSL seven subs rule to their advantage.
The Lynx defense was solid with Rick Titus just brilliant with him making checks and blocking crosses. Cameron Medwin and Aaron Steele were the other starting defenders. Lynx started the second half with four subs as Joe Marracchione, Marko Bedenikovic, Matthew Palleschi and Niels Dekker came in for Shawn Faria, Cameron Medwin, Ryan Anstey, and Osni Neto. Palleschi made his presence known about three seconds after the half started by drawing a Yellow card from referee Silviu Petrescu for pulling down AEK player/coach Martin Painter while still in the center circle.
Lynx did not have players Tony Menezes, David Diplacido, Chris Williams, JeremyShipherd nor Robbie Aristodemo at tonight's game. There was no team bus and the players had to get here on their own from the 200 kms to Toronto.
One of AEK's assistant coaches tonight was listed as Jason DeThomasis who plays for the team when he's at school at University of Western in London but he couldn't play this game because he was cup tied for his father's CSL team Italia Shooters. The AEK team could have used a big forward tonight like Jason.
The winner of tonight's game earned a spot directly in the Final on Monday. This was done instead of playing the Wild card tonight and semi-finals Saturday as the Lynx have a USL league game Sunday in Toronto against Virginia Beach Mariners. The wild card game will be played tonight in London with London City against Ottawa St Anthony Italia at 7:38pm at Cove Road.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
I don't have any pictures of this game. I learned all about the dreaded "E-18" message for Canon digital cameras in the next week but that didn't help me today.
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