Toronto Lynx: 0, Long Island Rough Riders: 1
Starting Line-Ups:
Toronto: Theo Zagar, Marco Reda, Mauricio Vincello (SUB, Gregory Messam: 46th min), Joe Mattachione, Adrian Serioux, Lyndon Hooper, Brian Ashton (SUB, Darryl Gomez: 82nd min), David DiPlacido, Robbie Aristodemo, Waldo Sponton, Kristian Grzetic (SUB, Caswain Mason: 65th min).
Long Island: Adam Smith, Mersin Beskovic, Stephen Danbusky, Stephen Franzke, Carlyle Myrie, Fernando Fernandes, Joseph Ragusa, Frank Davis (SUB, Giuffrida: 70th min), Ronan Wiseman, Marcello Arango, Derrick Etienne.
(Varsity Stadium, Toronto) As a writer (and I'm sure the unimaginative John Grisham can relate to this), one of the most difficult obstacles to face is the challenge of rewriting the same scenario time again to make it eye-catching and entertaining. I will do my best to retread the story we've seen time and again throughout the 2001 Lynx campaign, the same one witnessed by 3,495 Toronto fans this muggy Friday evening.
Perhaps simplification is the answer. If so, the story goes like this: the first 45 minutes are all Toronto, pummeling the life out of L.I. 'keeper Adam Smith and keeping their final home game alive with promising set-ups and beautiful half-field runs. Then, as the clock wore down in the second half, so to did the home squad's back line. Some easily recovered minor mistakes at first, and then a costly miscalculation in stoppage time that ended the season on a supremely bitter, numbing note.
Even simpler still, midfielder Robbie Aristodemo may have said it best: "man, what a nightmare…and yes, you can quote me on that."
The game itself unfolded with promising results for the Lynx. Toronto came out hard with the unlikely yet attractive pairing of giant Kristian Grzetic and diminutive winger Waldo Sponton pushing up front. Within the first 15 minutes, two quality chances went astray with one-timers curling just wide. 7 minutes later, fiery Sponton found himself alone at the top of the visitors box. Always an exciting player, the Argentine pulled a lovely bait-and-switch routine on backliner Stephen Franzke, and rifled a right-footer from 12 yards that Smith rebounded impressively out of danger. It would not be the last time the Scottish import would suffer for his team this evening.
The remainder of the first half was mainly midfield play, Toronto stubbornly in control but Long Island refusing any further quality attempts.
The second half commenced deceivingly; both teams looked in a calculating frame of mind, searching for that one play to change the tide of the stalemate. At the 51-minute mark, vocal Mersim Beskovic took the opportunity to lay his cleats on a sprawling Brian Ashton, who had just stripped the 'Rider of the ball with a tough but clean scissor tackle. Immediately, the referee whistled all play dead, but chaos occurred; within seconds, Croatian titan Grzetic was threatening to wear Beskovic as a belt, a lot of shoving and jersey-pulling ensued, and what seemed an imminent mass free-for-all was cooled with a few yellow cards and eventual rational thinking. (Personal commentary: about ten minutes later, an increasingly flustered Beskovic told me to "go f--- myself" after several suggestions from the fans to stop whining at the ref and play the game. How's that for gratitude? I had been considering using that little moment as my final installment of "colorful comment of the match", but I'm not 100% comfortable with racy material, you see.)
There were a few half-chances at either end, and by the 90th minute, stalwart Theo Zagar had yet to sullen his padded elbows on anything resembling a real save. At the other end, the most dramatic save of the night happened just 3 minutes earlier. The tightness of the match began to loosen up with choppy tackles and desperate rushes in the Long Island end. Second half sub Gregory Messam heaved a punt up the left touchline, and Mercury-footed Aristodemo threw himself into fifth gear to complete the play. Adam Smith barreled way off his line to cut down the angle and slid headfirst to intercept the ball. A textbook goalkeeper's move, to be sure, but carrying the ball mid-slide and intentionally picking it up a good two feet out of the box is not. Inexplicably, the referee awarded only a free kick on the play. The crowd, quite simply, was riotously stunned.
The free kick was headed clear by the Long Island defense, but rolled to the feet of Aristodemo at the top of the box. Employing the same mastery as in the first half, he cut in fluidly on L.I. Captain Stephen Danbusky, and unleashed a screaming low bouncer that GK Smith hurled his body down to smother. He killed the play successfully and admirably, but the sound that came off his chest upon contact was like that of a boxer viciously working the Everlast bag. The Scot didn't take to his feet for 3 minutes, immobile and breathless.
Anticipation of a final Varsity Stadium win (the historic venue is slated for demolition next month) buzzed through the bleachers, and seemingly off neighboring Bloor Street too. Then…it happened. Well into stoppage time, the visiting RoughRiders went on the final attack. Catching Toronto on a turnover, two Islanders moved to the top of the home team goalbox, confidently in control and only tough Joe Mattachione between them and the still untested Zagar. Toronto's lone defenceman dropped back to cover the post while Zagar sized the angles. Derrick Etienne took his time, closed the space between he and the net, and went for glory. The strike went up and glanced off Mattachione's hand. With the ref poised to blow the whistle, issue the red, and deem a penalty kick, play was allowed to continue, as the game was dizzyingly already determined: the ricochet from Mattachione bounced directly to a hovering Giuffrida, who tucked it home with opportunity and lack of ceremony. Silence filled the stadium, save for the lone protests of Zagar who wanted the penalty kick instead. All he got for his trouble was a yellow card, and the final game of Toronto's 2001 campaign was sunk. To continue the simplicity metaphor established earlier, an ugly goal did the home squad in for the final time.
Card Infractions: Toronto- Grzetic (51st min), Zagar (90th min). Long Island- Arango (15th min), Smith (34th min), Beskovic (51st min).
I have decided to forego my usual feature of "Colorful Comment Of The Match" (the previously mentioned verbal beauty of Beskovic not withstanding) to include a list of the 2001 Toronto Lynx Player Awards. Congrats to all the winners, each was well deserved!
Public Relations and Community Award: Brian Ashton, Defensive Player of The Year: Mauricio Vincello, Offensive Player of The Year: Juan Arango, Fan Favorite Award: David DiPlacido, Most Valuable Player Award: Robbie Aristodemo.
My beloved Lynx, I miss you already. The months until spring training will be long and cold. To my new Lynx friends Brian, Robbie, Theo, Joe, Adrian and all the others, I wish you the absolute best in the offseason, and look forward to the dynamics of discussing the beautiful game again in about nine months time. To Peter the coach/GM, I appreciate the time you always took to be candid and cordial with me. Finally, to Gerald in the front office, thanks for making things a little easier as the season went on (us Scottish Premiere League fans have to stick together, after all). Also, my heartfelt thanks to all the great fans who made the games that much more fun (to the Forza Lynx, my favorite chant is probably "How wide do you want it? How high do you need it?"), and all the great emails that encouraged me along throughout the season. (As an aside, to all the people that approached me at the games, how do you know my name and who I am, anyway?!?!) Finally, to Varsity itself: you gave me a place to sit and buy corn chips while I thrilled to Scotland demolishing Canada in the early 80's. The wrecking ball may remove your skeleton, but the city's memories will haunt the grounds forever.
