July 13, 2011 PDL--Toronto Lynx vs FC London (by Rocket Robin)

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Result of the Wednesday July 13, 2011 PDL game between Toronto Lynx and FC London played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 11:00am.

Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts, black shorts and numbers)

...........................1 Mike Watkins
2 Taylor Lord...5 Callum Home...4 Terence Smith...3 Al James
.........7 Macca Wilde...6 Andrew Dehreyah...8 Aaron McKenna
.........9 Leigh Veidman...11 Cam Eisses...10 Lee Smyth (cpt)

Subs:...00 Matt Silva (gk)...12 Jordan Taylor...13 Eric Crawford...15 Greg Lewondowski...15 Tim Flynn...17 Cazz Warren...18 Randy Ribero
team officials:...head coach Duncan Wilde...assistant coach (today) Danny Stewart

FC London (all navy, black numbers in white and yellow outline)

...........................31 Jarrett Humphreys
5 Shawn Kodejs...4 Mike Davis...3 Gary Ogilvie...28 Chris Dillon
..........13 Ryan Walter...16 Tom Owens...8 Tyler Hemming
...........6 Scott Bibby (cpt)...9 Carl Haworth...10 Dino Ceric

Subs:...00 Toba Bolaji (gk)...7 Mike Pereira (mid)...14 Alexander Rouse (fwd)...17 Jonattan Cordoba (fwd)...20 Christian Castillo (mid) ...22 Alex Lewis (def)...24 Aaron Schneebeli (def)
team officials:...head coach Martin Painter

Game officials:...referee Greg Sutton...referee's assistants Peter Pendli and Ihor Bokiy...no fourth official...(neon yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 11:02am. Lynx defend north end on this mild day with the sun in the south.
2 min....FCL Hemming 30 yard cross from left bounces to goalie.
6 min...Lynx Wilde cornerkick from left is out to Lynx Smyth at 25 yards on left and his low shot has diving goalie miss but ball is wide right of post.
10 min...FCL Ceric 30 yard chip cross from left is caught by goalie at right post who hangs on when bumped into.
11 min...Lynx Smyth 35 yard cross from right has charging Lynx Wilde head ball over net from 10 yards on left.
13 min...Lynx Veidman 30 yard shot from right is just over net.
16 min...FCL player's short cornerkick from right has FCL Haworth cross from 22 yards cleared in box for another cornerkick.
17 min...FCL player's cornerkick from right has Lynx Lord head ball off line on left post when a FCL player heads ball from 10 yards on right.
19 min...Lynx McKenna holds off checks and cross to left has Lynx player shoot 10 yarder down middle that goalie palms over net.
19 min...Lynx player's cornerkick starts pressure in FCL box that ends with Lynx Home taking 18 yard roller through crowd of players wide left of post.
20 min...Lynx goalie catches 15 yard chip shot.
22 min...FCL Hemming low 15 yard shot from right is just wide left of post.
22 min...FCL Ceric runs ball over end line on rush on left.
23 min...FCL Haworth 12 yard cross attempt on rush on left has Lynx Home deflect ball wide left for cornerkick.
25 min...FCL Bibby 25 yard cross from far right drifts behind net.
27 min...FCL Ceric receives centering pass from left and low shot is wide right of post but wins a freekick.
28 min...FCL Carl Haworth GOAL...FCL Gary Ogilvie takes 22 yard freekick down middle has flying goalie Mike Watkins get hand to it on right and Haworth gets rebound all alone at 8 yards to kick in from 4 yards into center of net.
30 min...FCL goalie dives left to stop loose ball at 6 yards.
32 min...Lynx Smith makes two clearances on edge of box.
33 min...Lynx (FCL own goal) GOAL...Lynx Lee Smyth is passed ball at 10 yards on left and his shot has FCL Mike Davis put foot out and deflect ball into open net from 5 yards with goalie Jarrett Humphreys waiting in center of net.
37 min...Lynx James long throw-in from left has defender head ball away.
38 min...Lynx Wilde 45 yard freekick from right has leaping Lynx Eisses not quite able to turn header from 15 yards and ball is wide left.
39 min...Lynx Wilde players cross from 25 yards on left has goalie palm to left and Lynx player shoots behind him and defender blocks at 3 yards. Another Lynx player chips cross that's caught by goalie.
41 min...FCL Ceric 25 yard freekick from right has defender head ball through box.
41 min...FCL Dillon long throw-in from left has defender head ball away from box.
43 min...Lynx player's freekick from 32 yards on left has deflection off defender low and goalie picks up ball.
44 min...Lynx YELLOW card...James earns it for a tackle.
44 min...FCL Ceric 45 yard freekick from right sideline is played on edge of box.
45 min...FCL YELLOW card...Ogilvie earns it for tackle on Lynx Wilde at FCL 22 yards on right.
46 min...Lynx Wilde receives freekick tap forward and 20 yard shot is caught under bar by goalie. It appears some Lynx players crashed together taking the freekick on some kind of trick play.
46 min...half ends 11:48am.

2nd Half:...starts 12:03pm. The weather is still mild with the sun out in the south.
47 min...Lynx Home long 50 yard freekick from left has FCL goalie and Lynx Veidman crash together at 8 yards on right. The FCL goalie is knocked out as it appeared their heads knocked together in the crash.
50 min...FCL sub...Bolaji replaces Humphries in goal as he was injured in collision. Play had not resumed before the switch was made.
51 min...FCL Ceric cross from right has Lynx players head ball around but avoids shot on net.
52 min...FCL Ogilvie cornerkick from right has ball cleared. FCL Ceric crosses back into box from 30 yards on right and FCL Dillon heads ball wide left from 12 yards.
54 min...Lynx Wilde cornerkick from left is headed away from box.
55 min...Lynx Cam Eisses is called for a handball in the Lynx box when he has his arm over his head and a deflection comes up and hits it. Referee Greg Sutton calls a Penalty kick.
56 min...FCL Tyler Hemming Penalty kick shot is low to right and diving goalie pushes ball wide right for a cornerkick.
57 min...FCL player's cornerkick from right has defenders eventually clear from box.
58 min...FCL Hemming flicks header over net backwards from 10 yards after long throw-in from left.
60 min...Lynx sub...Flynn replaces Eisses.
62 min...FCL sub...Cordoba replaces Bibby.
..........FCL sub...Pereira replaces Davis.
64 min...FCL Haworth ends good pass play with roller into Lynx box that's unplayed.
66 min...Lynx Smyth freekick from 28 yards on left has defenders clear ball away for fast breakout.
67 min...FCL Ceric 25 yard shot from right deflects off defender and spins to goalie on right post.
67 min...Lynx Smyth 35 yard freekick from left has defender chests ball down and clears from edge of box.
68 min...FCL YELLOW card...Kodejs earns it for roughing at Lynx 53 yards.
.........Lynx YELLOW card...Veidman earns it for roughing at Lynx 53 yards.
69 min...Lynx Smythe 65 yard freekick from left has Lynx Lord get ball but he's checked before he can take 20 yard shot.
70 min...FCL Ceric rush on left pushes ball over end line before he can cross.
71 min...Lynx sub...Lewondowski replaces Smyth.
73 min...FCL sub...Castillo replaces Walter.
77 min...FCL Hemming 22 yard freekick from left is blasted into player wall and rebound is also blocked from same distance.
78 min...FCL Cordoba gets to through ball bouncer at 18 yards and his chip has leaping goalie catch at 12 yards.
79 min...Lynx Flynn gets break through at 22 yards and his 18 yard low shot is stopped by sliding goalie. Lynx Flynn gets passed over ball and his 15 yard shot down middle hits the left post.
81 min...Lynx Home blasts low tap over freekick wide left through players from 20 yards.
81 min...Lynx sub...Warren replaces Wilde.
84 min...FCL sub...Rouse replaces Ceric.
84 min...Lynx player's cornerkick from left is over players in box.
85 min...Lynx Veidman can't draw a Penalty kick in the box when Lynx Lewondowski crosses to him from right.
87 min...FCL Castillo gets back up after a check with Lynx Lord and his 18 yard roller is caught by goalie.
89 min...FCL Christian Castillo GOAL...FCL Alexandre Rouse gives short pass from left to Castillo who turns and shoots 18 yarder to top right corner of net.
90 min...FCL Ogilvie 15 yard shot is tipped from right is caught by goalie.
91 min...FCL sub...Lewis replaces Haworth.
94:06 min...game ends 12:52pm.

Final Score:......Toronto Lynx........1...........FC London...........2...............

Attendance was about 600 on this matinee game with the stadium filled with children from nearby City of Toronto day camps. CSL North York Astros forward Nordo Gooden was one of the group leaders. An appearance by The Lynxster who hasn't been seen in at least two years was there too. Lynx starters after the introductions kicked soccer balls into the stands. At halftime the subs came out with mini balls and threw them to the crowd. This was the final home game of the season and was the biggest crowd of the season. A Lady Lynx game against London Griffons was scheduled for later in the afternoon.

At 47 minutes Lynx Callum Home took a long 50 yard freekick from the left that had FCL goalie Jarrett Humphries and Lynx Leigh Veidman who was jumping for a header chance crashed together at 8 yards. Humphries was knocked out as their heads banged together. Home held his own head but eventually walked away on his own after shaking hands with the prone but recovered goalie. Play was stopped so the trainers could come out onto the field. Humphries was helped off and an ambulance was called. I was surprised that the ambulance was still on the sidelines after the game was over but eventually it was pulled away. I was assured by team officials that this was all part of the routine monitoring process.

Best non-scoring chances were at 17 minutes when Lynx Taylor Lord guarding the left post at 2 yards headed an FCL player's header from 10 yards who had received a cornerkick from the right. At 19 minutes Lynx Aaron McKenna held off FCL check attempts and passed over to a Lynx player to shoot a 10 yarder down the middle that the goalie palmed over the net. At 39 minutes Lynx Macca Wilde crossed from 25 yards on the left that had the goalie palm to the left and a Lynx player shot behind him and a defender blocked at 3 yards. In injury time Wilde received a freekick tap forward as it appeared two Lynx players crashed together but he took a 20 yard shot that was caught just under the bar by the goalie. At 78 minutes FCL Jonattan Cordoba got to a through ball bouncer at 18 yards and his chip had the leaping goalie catch at 12 yards. A minute later Lynx Tim Flynn got a break through at 22 yards and took an 18 yard low shot that was stopped by the sliding goalie. Flynn then got a passed over ball and his 15 yard shot down the middle hit the left post.

I missed catching some post game action where the Lynx goalie Mike Watkins and forward Macca Wilde were shown Red cards. I expect it was because only three minutes of added time was played while the goalie being knocked out and helped from the field would easily add eight minutes of time alone. The PA announcer told me that both coaches had been ejected after the game.

This was the second time the Lynx played London in a home game this season in the Division's uneven schedule. That game ended 1-0 for London but in today's game the Lynx played much better in terms of time of possession and chances to score. The Lynx have three more road games to complete their season over the next one and a half weeks. Their current record is 5-7-1 and with games to go against Ottawa, London, and Michigan, a 50/50 season record appears tough. The USL confirmed to the PA announcer that the three top teams in the division make the playoffs. Micigan, Chicago and London have locked up those places.

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca

Lynx starters