FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

TORONTO LYNX GAME REPORT 

presented by Heineken 

LYNX END WINLESS DROUGHT 

TORONTO GETS BIG PERFORMANCE FROM FORWARD ALI GERBA

Date:                Sunday, June 6, 2004 

Venue:             Centennial Park Stadium, Etobicoke,Ontario       

Attendance:      1,699                

Kick off Time:    6:00 PM

Final Score:              Puerto Rico   1    Toronto   5

Match Summary: 

Making their first ever trip to Canada the expansion Puerto Rico Islanders travelled to Centennial Park Stadium for Fiesta Latina Night looking to even the score in the first of two meetings between the teams this week. The Lynx put a damper on the Islanders inaugural home opener with an overtime victory and newly appointed Islanders Head Coach Hugo Maradona, younger brother of the famed Argentinian star, were still in search of their first franchise win. With an enthusiastic crowd of 1,699 coupled with the lovely Miss Hispanidad Michelle Oriana Castro, talented singer Ricky Franco, Ecuadorian dance troupe Huairapungo and the Lynx Dance Team and Flygirls the Lynx seemed to inspired. In the 3rd minute John Barry Nusum took a long kick from 'keeper Richard Goddard through the middle, made the Islander's 'keeper Michael Veltschey commit, and lifted his 2nd of the season under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead. Despite seeing his first action of the season, Lynx 'keeper Richard Goddard was tested as the Lynx were outshot 9-4 in the opening half. With that in mind the Islanders best chance of the half came in the 19th minute when Carlos Astondoa worked the give-and-go with Carlos Garay but Goddard came up with another save. The Lynx added to their lead in the 20th minute when Ali Gerba took the ball on the right side of the box and laced a low shot that found the left corner for a 2-0 halftime lead. Missing 6 players due to various reasons things for Puerto Rico went from bad to worse, in the 56th minute Jamie Dodds sent a cross to Darren Baxter but he was denied, fortunately Ali Gerba was in the right place to notch his 2nd of the contest and gave Toronto a commanding 3-nil lead. More came in the 69th minute when Puerto Rico defender Chris Gores got careless in his own box and got stripped by Gerba who calmly sent a perfect cross to Edgar Bartolomeu who headed in his 1st of the campaign, 4-0 Toronto. The Lynx continued to press and what goes around always comes around, in the 75th minute Bartolomeu found Gerba with a low cross and sent a diving header into the back of the net for his 3rd of match, 5-0 Toronto. Puerto Rico did manage to get on the score sheet in the 87th minute, Raul Dias lifted a header over a charging Richard Goddard, to little too late as the Lynx snap their losing streak at 3 games. Toronto now improves to 3-6-0 on the season while the Islanders fall to 0-9-3. The Lynx are in action again on Wednesday June 9 at 11am against the same Islander team as they complete the 2 game series.  

Highlights:           

1st Half

3rd min: free kick from the box for Keeper Richard Goddard...cleared over center and through the middle of the field to a streaking John Barry Nusum who made Keeper Michael Veltschey commit before lifting his 2nd goal of the season under the crossbar, 1-0 Tor.

10th min: a loose ball inside the Toronto box, Carlos Astondoa with a great chance from point blank range but Goddard came up with a big save

19th min: off the give and go Carlos Astondoa with another solid chance but thrwarted once more by Goddard

20th min: Ali Gerba from the right side of the box blasted a low shot that beat Michael Veltschey into the low left corner, 2-0 Tor.

26th min: John Barry Nusum inside the Islanders box used outstanding footwork to get around a defender but could not beat Veltschey. 

2nd Half

56th min: Jamie Dodds pushed a pass to Darren Baxter inside the box, his shot what stopped but Ali Gerba pounched on the rebound and buried his 2nd of the game, 3-0 Tor.

69th min: Islanders defender Chris Gores got careless with the ball and was stripped by Gerba inside the box, Gerba then sent a cross to Edgar Bartolomeu who headed his first of the season into the open net, 4-0 Tor.

71st min: Gerba from the right side, 30 feet out on the right side launched a rocket that Veltschey got enough of to keep it out of the net.

75th min: Edgar Bartolomeu sent a low cross to Gerba and he went down and headed in his 3rd of the game, 5-0 Tor.

87th min: Raul Dias lifted a header over a charging Goddard to foil the shutout bid, 5-1 Tor.

Final Score:    Puerto Rico   1   Toronto   5

Lineups:

Puerto Rico: Veltschey, Gores, Toal (Dias, 37min), Ortiz, A. Rivera, Garay, Nieves, Astondoa, H. Rivera, Mourelo, Johanes

Toronto:  Goddard, Serioux, Steele, Mattacchione, Arango, DiPlacido, Hughes, Baxter, Dodds (Bartolomeu, 56th min), Nusum, Gerba 

Cautions: Puerto Rico: Mourelo (13th min), Toal (13th min)         Tor: Serioux (67th min)                   

Ejections: Puerto Rico: Veltschey (83rd min)  

Shots:   PR: 15    Tor: 15   

Saves:  PR: 5    Tor: 7

Fouls:   PR: 15   Tor: 20   

Scorers: Tor: Nusum (3rd min), Gerba (20th min), Gerba (56th min), Bartolomeu (69th min), Gerba (75th min)      Puerto Rico: Dias (87th min)    

The Lynx next home game is Wednesday, June 9th at 11:00am versus the Puerto Rico Islanders.

 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

 DAVID NUTT, MEDIA RELATIONS

416-251-4625 ext. 30