Lynx kick off road trip with win
SAM LASKARIS from The Mirror
May. 28, 2003
The Toronto Lynx kicked off its longest road trip of the season in fine style. The men's professional soccer club, which plays its home contests at Etobicoke's Centennial Stadium, edged the host Virginia Beach Mariners 1-0 in A-League action on Monday night.
The contest was the first one during the local team's three-game road trip through the southern United States.
The Lynx are also scheduled to play against the Charlotte Eagles tomorrow (Thursday) evening. And it will conclude its week-long journey with a match against the Atlanta Silverbacks on Saturday.
Prior to embarking on its trip, on paper at least, the game against the Mariners appeared it would provide the stiffest challenge for the Lynx. That's because the Mariners entered Monday's battle sporting an impressive 4-1-0 record.
"They're all tough games to win because you're playing on the road," Lynx coach/manager Peter Pinizotto told The Guardian from his hotel room yesterday morning. "But this one was a big one because Virginia has been playing well and they hadn't lost at home."
Lynx midfielder Joe Mattacchione scored the game's lone goal, in the opening half.
Then the Toronto side managed to shut down the Mariners' offence. Virginia Beach had scored 14 goals in its first five matches.
"We concentrated on more of a defensive game," Pinizzotto said. "But we had a few other chances to score besides the goal."
Though the Lynx had struggled early on, posting a 1-3-1 mark heading into their road trip, Pinizzotto said his squad had set a goal of winning all three of its matches on its current trip.
That goal became much more realistic after Monday's triumph. That's because the Lynx will now face a pair of teams that have yet to record their first wins of the season.
Charlotte has an 0-4-3 record while the Silverbacks got off to a 0-2-4 start.
Even after its current road trip concludes, the Lynx will still have another away contest before playing at home.
The Montreal Impact will play host to the Lynx on June 6. The Lynx will then entertain the Impact on June 8 in a 4 p.m. game.
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