Result of the Sunday August 21st, 2005 USL game between Toronto Lynx and Puerto Rico Islanders played at Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 6:00pm.
Toronto Lynx (all black, white names, numbers and trim)
....................................10 Theo Zagar
.............26 Abraham Francois...6 Andres Arango...2 Rick Titus
15 David Simpson...8 Rumba Munthali...17 Chris Williams...4 Joe Mattacchione (cpt)...16 Niels Dekker
....................20 Robbie Aristodemo...19 Said Ali
Subs:...1 Richard Goddard (gk)...11 Sean Fraser (mid)...24 Huffman Eja-Tabe (mid)...25 Matthew Balkanloo (gk)...28 Lyndon Hooper (mid)...33 Desmond Tachie (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Hubert Busby Jr...assistant coach Lyndon Hooper...goalkeeper coach Poalo Silva...medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth...equipment manager Tony Flammia
Puerto Rico Islanders (white sock fronts--black sock backs, blue shorts, white shirts, silver names and numbers)
...................................1 Dan Kennedy
4 Marco Velez...2 Dante Poli-Garcia...5 Christopher Gores (cpt)...20 Alejandro Gonzalez
14 Joshua Norkus...17 Noah Delgado...19 Johanes Maliza...11 Sebastian Rozental
.....................10 Mauricio Salles De Alencar...24 Corey Woolfolk
Subs:...12 Andres Gomez (gk)...3 Luis Fernando Zuleta (def)...7 Isaac Nieves (mid)...9 Drew McAthy (fwd)...15 Petter Villegas (mid)
team officials:...head coach Hugo Maradonna...general manager Eric Labrador
Game officials:...referee David Gantar...referee's assistants Neil Schofield and Dominic Rossetto...fourth official Silviu Petrescu
1st half:...game starts 6:12pm...Lynx defend north end on this hot sunny early evening with a strong breeze from the north. The field is in good shape despite the rain earlier in the weekend.
4 min...PR Gonzalez quick low 20 yard shot saved wide left of net.
4 min...Lynx Ali can't away show in PR box.
6 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Simpson for sliding tackle on PR Gonzalez in PR end near sideline.
9 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right has charging Lynx Arango not quite make twisting header from 8 yards. Lynx Munthali comes off the field for treatment of a cut above his eye.
13 min...PR Delgado cross into Lynx box headed away. Lynx Munthali returns to the game.
15 min...Lynx Munthali cross from left is caught in crowd of players by leaping goalie.
16 min...PR goalie cahrges out to beat Lynx Williams to deflected through ball.
17 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right has Lynx Francois pop 10 yard header just over net.
18 min...Lynx Simpson gets long pass on right wing and runs in and his 20 yard shot deflected off defender and wide right for cornerkick.
19 min...Lynx Francois leaping header from 6 yards tipped wide left for cornerkick.
20 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from left is over players in box and wide for goalkick.
22 min...Lynx Mattacchione low blast from 30 yards is well wide left.
24 min...Lynx Williams cross from left end line drifts behind net.
25 min...PR Norkus rush for ball but he crosses from right after ball was past end line.
26 min...PR Rozental passed back shot and he one touches blast from 20 yards just over net.
29 min...Lynx Mattacchione sliding tackle in Lynx box saves PR shot from in close.
30 min...Lynx Dekker cross from left end line drifts behind end line on right.
31 min...Lynx goalie dives wide left to beat PR Woolfolk to through ball.
32 min...Lynx Mattacchione 40 yard freekick from left has goalie catch ball in box then drop it but has time to pick it back up unchallenged.
33 min...Lynx goalie slides forward to dive on through ball ahead of PR forward.
35 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Dekker for sliding tackle on PR Rozental at center line.
36 min...Lynx goalie charges out to dive on ball bouncing right.
36 min...Lynx defender puts foot in to jab away PR De Alencar shot from 18 yards.
37 min...PR Rozental cornerkick from left over players in box.
40 min...PR Rozental pulled around by defender at 22 yards like square dancing but referee says he faked it.
44 min...Lynx Williams cross from left has Lynx Mattacchione nod 10 yard header low to goalie for catch.
47 min...PR Gonzalez cross from 30 yards on left is just beyond two PR players on right post.
47 min...half ends 6:58pm.
2nd Half:...starts 7:16pm.
halftime sub:...Lynx Eja-Tabe replaces Simpson.
46 min...PR Rozental 30 yard freekick from left has Lynx Mattacchione pop up header that has goalie catch ball and get pushed. Loose ball knocked into net but play called back on this foul.
47 min...Lynx goalie slides out to kick away ball.
49 min...PR De Alencar 20 yard shot from left is well wide right.
50 min...PR defender heads away cross from right.
51 min...Lynx Huffman Eja-Tabe GOAL...Lynx Robbie Aristodemo sent in cross from right and Lynx Said Ali at left post heads ball down from 3 yards to Eja-Tabe who hits low 6 yard shot to right side of net behind goalie Dan Kennedy.
52 min...Lynx Eja-Tabe turns and fires 12 yard shot that's blocked.
55-56 min...Two head-backs to Lynx goalie by defenders to relieve pressure.
57 min...PR sub...Villegas replaces Delgado.
60 min...Lynx sub...Tachie replaces Williams.
61 min...PR Villegas 55 yard freekick has PR Rozental on edge of box taps ball wide and PR Villegas charging in takes 18 yard shot wide left of net.
63 min...PR Rozental 35 yard freekick from left has Lynx Mattacchione head ball away on edge of box.
64 min...PR sub...McAthy replaces Poli-Garcia.
65 min...Lynx Mattacchione heads ball back to goalie.
66 min...Lynx sub...Hooper replaces Dekker.
67 min...Lynx Arango low 15 yard shot after cornerkick deflects off defender.
67 min...Lynx Aristodemo cornerkick from right has goalie punch out of box.
68 min...PR McAthy charges for through ball on left has roller from 10 yards stopped by diving goalie.
71 min...Lynx goalie catches long cross from left.
72 min...PR Rozental run up middle and 25 yard shot is well over net.
73 min...Lynx sub...Fraser replaces Ali.
75 min...PR Rozental 55 yard shot up middle misses cut off man and bounces to goalie.
77 min...Lynx Munthali 65 yard freekick from left has PR Gores head ball down on edge of box away from two Lynx players.
78 min...PR player's cross is over PR player waiting at side of net.
79 min...Lynx Mattacchione 25 yard freekick from left has PR Velez head ball away in box.
80 min...Lynx goalie punches away cross from left in big crowd of players in box.
81 min...PR Villegas cornerkick from right has defender knock ball away.
81 min...PR Rozental 20 yard freekick from edge of right line is headed away by nearest defender.
83 min...PR Rozental 22 yard freekick from right has goalie catch under bar withough having to move in center of net.
85 min...PR player rolls cross from left that goalie stops.
86 min...Lynx Mattacchione kicks away PR ball sent into Lynx box on cross from right.
87 min...Lynx defender heads away PR Rozental header from 8 yards.
88 min...Islanders Corey Woolfolk GOAL...Islanders Peter Villegas (?) takes quick freekick from center near right sideline that finds way to edge of box where Woolfolk gets ball between Lynx defenders and chips 7 yarder over sprawling goalie Theo Zagar into center of net.
90 min...PR McAthy 8 yard shot deflects to goalie on pinball bounce.
92 min...PR Rozental low 15 yard roller through crowd is caught by diving goalie.
92 min...PR goalie dives back to stop Lynx player and PR defender running past him trying to control ball.
93 min...game ends 8:04pm.
Final Score:.....Toronto Lynx......1......Puerto Rico Islanders.....1......
Attendance wasn't announced but given in the press box as 2638. The stands weren't completely full but there were a lot of kids on the far side berne that would have completely packed the stands so I'd estimate a good 2000. There had been a good well organized soccer youth day for much of the afternoon.
Lynx couldn't hold the lead again this game against the Islanders. That game had the Lynx still celebrating their 'winning' goal after coming back from behind 3-1 and taking a 4-3 lead with two minutes to go only to have Islanders tie it back up with one minute to go.
This game was different in that there were fewer chances and the Lynx were strong defensively and moved the ball around much better (as they have their last few games). The Islanders had more chances in the last 15 minutes when the Lynx were hanging on. Even after the tying goal Islanders Drew McAthy had an 8 yard shot deflect to Zagar and a minute later Sebastian Rozental had a low 15 yard roller through a crowd of players caught by a diving Zagar. The Islanders had played Sunday, Wednesday, Friday and today so they should have been tiring but they pulled the stops to keep the chances coming. Hugo Maradonna (brother of Diego) is still the head coach as this team tries to catch the sixth and final playoff place. Hmmm their two final games of the season are home dates against the Lynx!
I cast my media vote for Lynx player of the year for Jamie Dodds. He's currently suspended by the league so was not in today's game. Wyn Belotte was not in the lineup either. The starting forwards were Said Ali and Robbie Aristodemo who was pushed up from his midfield winger roll. He handled the majority of the cornerkicks. Joe Mattacchione took the long freekicks.
The flag flap that got the Voyageurs upset the last time the Islanders were here was solved by doing with just the double sized Puerto Rican flag on one flagpole and the Canadian flag on the other pole at the center field as well as the Canadian flag in the north endzone. No American flag today but there were three anthems played before the game.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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