WHITECAPS CRASH OVER LYNX
Date: September 2, 2005
Venue: Centennial Stadium, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 1587
Kick Off Time: 8:00 PM EST
Final Score: Toronto 0 Vancouver 1
Match Summary:
East met West at a cool, blustery Centennial Stadium this
evening as the Toronto Lynx hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps in an
all-Canadian derby on the penultimate weekend of regular-season
USL First Division play. The visitors emerging victorious in
the hard-fought match, which was broadcast live across North
America on Fox SportsWorld Canada and the Fox Soccer Channel.
East Meets West was also the theme of the evening with
demonstrations and performances from a number of talented Asian
groups from around the city keeping fans entertained throughout.
The first half was an evenly-contested affair, with the bulk of
play at midfield. The Whitecaps had the best chance of the
period when Martin Nash struck a free kick from the edge of the
penalty area deep towards goal onto the waiting head of Kevin
Harmse who knocked it past Lynx 'keeper Theo Zagar, but the
far-side official ruled the Whitecap player offside, nullifying
the score and keeping the match level at nil-nil.
The Whitecaps opened second frame strongly and opened the
scoring early into the half when Joe Gjertsen scored his third
goal of the year, pounding a strike past Zagar. Carlo Corrazin,
a veteran with a number of caps for the Canadian National Team,
floated a high cross into the Lynx penalty area to second-half
substitute Dave Morris who headed the ball deftly to Gjertsen,
who was left unmarked in the box. Gjertsen slammed the ball
home to put Vancouver ahead.
The Whitecaps continued to dominate the play throughout the rest
of the half, and the Lynx were unable to level the match.
Aggressive defense by the visitors kept the Lynx penned in their
own end for much of the half. The loss drops the Lynx to
3-14-8 (17 points) on the season, with one home match and two
road games remaining in the season. The club's final home game
at Centennial Stadium is this coming Monday, Labour Day, when
the tackle the Minnesota Thunder at 4:00 PM. The Lynx bested
the Thunder on June 24 in Minnesota for their first win of the
season. Vancouver's record improved to 12-4-9 (45 points), good
for a second-place tie with Rochester in the USL First Division.
Notes: Toronto entered tonight's
match in 12th place of the USL First Division with a record of
3-13-8. Vancouver was in 3rd with a record of 11-5-9.
Historically, both clubs have been evenly matched, with Toronto
having an all-time record of 3-3-2 against Vancouver prior to
tonight's match. The last meeting between both clubs ended in a
goalless draw in Vancouver in April of this season.
Highlights:
5th Minute: Nash's blast from the penalty area sails harmlessly
over the Lynx goal.
9th Minute: Aristodemo feeds a ball with laser-like precision
into the 6-yard box but Dodds is unable to get his boot on it
and it rolls safely into touch.
11th Minute: Harmse is brought down in the box by a Lynx
defender, but the referee Scali waves play on and the ball is
cleared to safety by the Lynx.
18th Minute: Harmse heads home a Nash free kick from the edge
of the box but the linesman calls the play offside and the goal
is disallowed.
19th Minute: Ali's acrobatic point-blank bicycle-kick is saved
by Wick.
30th Minute: Dodds heads a Munthali cross dangerously towards
the Whitecap net but Wicks again makes the stop to preserve the
clean sheet.
33rd Minute: Aristodemo launches a missile from the top left
corner of the 18-yard box but it sails narrowly over the
crossbar.
34th Minute: Nash blasts a dangerous cross from from the left
side but Zagar makes a leaping grab to snuff the Vancouver
attack.
41st Minute: Mattacchione's free kick curls directly onto
Arango's leaping forehead, but Wicks again makes an athletic
save to again deny the Lynx.
SECOND HALF
53rd Minute: Mattacchione's free kick from deep in Whitecap
territory lands directly in front of the Vancouver goal and a
frantic scramble results. The Lynx players are unable to
control the bouncing ball and it is cleared to safety over the
goal.
56th Minute: Zagar outleaps Nash inside the 6-yard box to corral
a high cross ball and deny the Whitecaps a scoring opportunity.
57th Minute: Sub Morris heads down a Corrazin cross directly to
an unmarked Gjertsen who pounds the ball past Zagar for a
Whitecap score. Vancouver 1,
Toronto 0
66th Minute: Harmse steps into the ball at the head of the
18-yard box and launches a strike towards goal, but Zagar makes
the save.
77th Minute: Gjertsen races towards the goal on a breakaway,
evades a diving Zagar and strikes the ball towards an open Lynx
goal. The ball, however, slams harmlessly into the netting at
the side of the goal, wide of target.
87th Minute: Matando heads an Arango cross narrowly over a
leaping Wicks, but the ball also clears the crossbar, for a
Vancouver goal kick.
89th Minute: DaSilva's header flies just past the near post.
Final Score: Toronto 0 Vancouver 1
Lineups:
Toronto: Zagar, Francois, Arango, Munthali, Williams, Titus,
Dodds, Mattacchione, Aristodemo (Eja-Tabe, 84), Ali (Matondo,
72), Fraser (Simpson, 65)
Vancouver: Wicks, Dasovic, Lyall (Mayard, 82), DeSilva, Franks,
Clarke (Morris, 52), Klein, Nash (Kindel, 76), Harmse, Gjertsen
(Trout, 81), Corrazin (Fuller, 72)
Cautions: Toronto 1 (Simpson, 81)
Ejections: None
Shots: Toronto 8; Vancouver 9
Saves: Toronto 1; Vancouver 3
Fouls: Toronto 17; Vancouver 13
Corners: Toronto 1: Vancouver 3
Offsides: Toronto 1; Vancouver 4
Scorers: Vancouver: Gjertsen (57)
The Toronto Lynx' next game is at home against the Minnesota
Thunder on Monday, September 5 at 4:00 PM at Centennial Stadium.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
CONTACT:
DAVID NUTT, MEDIA RELATIONS
416-251-4625 ext. 30