Starting Line-Ups:
Toronto- Theo Zagar, Mauricio Vincello, Joe Mattacchione, Milan Kojic, Adrian Serioux (SUB: Ali Ngon, 84th min), Shawn Faria (SUB: Irasto Knights, 102nd min), Robbie Aristodemo, Brian Ashton (SUB: David DiPlacido, 61st min), Nikola Vignjevic, Ryan Lucas, Niki Budalic.
Atlanta- Jeff Cassar, Jason Annicchero, James Wall, Alan Woods, Carlos Parra, Ryan Lieb, Gilbert Jean-Baptiste, Brian Piesner (SUB: Martin Klinger, 67th min), Byron Mitchell, Velco Iotov, John Barry Nusum (SUB: Jordy Broder, 78th min).
(Centennial Park, Toronto) The final whistle blew after an exhausting, tense, dramatic 110-minute contest, leaving the tough Toronto Lynx in the end with no playoff berth. When the fates conspire, they don't miss a trick. Take a highly unlikely upset south of the border (the Charlotte Eagles laying a 3-1 beating on the Rochester Raging Rhinos, IN Rochester no less), wholly slipshod officiating, a disallowed goal for the home squad, and you have a good majority of the basic story. As I watched striker Ryan Lucas slump to his knees, head down in disappointment and numbing disbelief, the Oasis elegy "Where Did It All Go Wrong?" crept into my head. The 2,143 fans in attendance reacted in a myriad of ways, from stunned immobile silence, to fierce offense directed at the referees (bringing a hail of litter down upon them as they nervously scurried to the change room), to a mass inaudible exit from the stadium into the warm night.
Toronto literally hammered the Georgia visitors for a solid 65 minutes, the later half of regulation and both OTs. Lengthy wing runs, midfield penetrations, clever give-n-go's, straight forward blasts, slyly curling crosses, the list went on and on. If it wasn't a case of the 'backs defense holding true, their nimble 'keeper Jeff Cassar met his fair share of challenges superbly (most notably his acrobatic diving tip over the crossbar on a made-to-order Vignjevic free kick in the 93rd min). Despite their offense being near-sterile all night, Atlanta successfully protected the 18-yard box from all possible angles, an Alamo type of defense that paid off after the extended, hard fought battle. Time and again, they fell into position to meet the reoccurring onrush of Lynx runners, sometimes as many as six at a time, and clung to their style with convincing, if uninspired, will.
For any who saw the game, let's face facts: the Silverbacks were damn lucky to have such a misinformed and insipid officiating staff making most calls in their favor. Atlanta's Carlos Parra got a red card, you say? So what, it was with 3 minutes left in the 2nd overtime and the temperamental midfielder was pushing the envelope all night. Toronto's Kojic didn't get a red card on his vicious studs-up tackle right through Ryan Lieb in the 2nd minute of the game? It would've been better if he had, and that way the moronic decisions of referee and linesman alike wouldn't have been made to punish the Lynx the entire game. Were any of the stoppages ever questioned by the Lynx squad, the referees would always meet them with that 'now-now, remember-what-I-could've-done?" face. Wow, some favor; a complete sham and disaster, a farcical representation of FIFA standard. Never mind the two Atlanta hand-balls in the second half within the perimeter of the 18-yard box (one of which was completely parallel with a linesman, who had seemingly mastered the art of sleeping while standing and with his eyes wide open), or the behind-the-scenes fouls Byron Mitchell repeatedly put into Robbie Aristodemo all night. Never mind the 'backs stalling tactics on game stoppages. Never mind the headband worn by Jason Annicchero either, a particular source of derision for the home supporters all night. All kidding aside, it was an unamusing comedy of errors. The teams should've been allowed to simply officiate themselves after the dodgy stickling and meddling thrown out by the men in black.
Putting all that aside, the Lynx still played what Joe Mattacchione recognized as their best of the season. Their attacking prowess and possession were first rate, and the entire squad, although starting nervously, got stuck in and kept the Silverbacks defensively busy, perhaps more than a team ever should be forced to. Tactical general Vignjevic had another masterful showing and Aristodemo flew on multi-cylinder combustion without ever catching his breath. Coach/GM Peter Pinizzotto recognized the importance of the match and put all concepts of hurting anyone's feelings aside, making substitution and substitution as his attacking line required. At several points, the rushing tandem of Budalic, Lucas, Ngon, Aristodemo, Vignjevic, Knights, and DiPlacido stormed the Atlanta backline, looking for an opening any which way, the proverbial chink in the 'backs armor, but alas it still remains unfound.
Despite the final result and amateurish officiating, the game was perhaps also the most exciting seen all season, at least from a Toronto perspective. (I happened to have taken the match in with several new Lynx supporters at my side, who were feverishly enthralled with the contest, some of which had only a passing knowledge of the sport itself, but engaged in all the chants, cheers, and harmless mocking with the best of them.) While the Silverbacks didn't offer much in the way of counter-attacking competition, they got the job done as required and helped contribute, as any competitive team would, to the Lynx exclusion from the post-season.
Was there an actual conspiracy to keep Toronto out of the playoffs? I sincerely doubt it. As strange as it is to see Rochester roll over by 2 goals at home (they lost to visiting Charlotte 3-1 as the Lynx-Silverbacks game was being played), and witness such inept refereeing (the apex of which was a late Budalic goal called back on a non-incident behind the play), Toronto do carry some blame. Those midseason fixtures they lost against the Hampton Roads Mariners (2-1) and Cincinnati Riverhawks (3-2) could've meant an extra six (or perhaps even eight) points to their playoff cause, meaning the Charlotte Eagles trailing by a mere two points never would've been such a concern. Regardless, what's done is done. The Lynx end their 2002 campaign with a bizarre, goalless contest of high tension and undeniable excitement. Another time, another place. We look forward to the new kits of 2003 and any new faces that come along, but please don't remove many current ones…we're getting used to having them around.
Here's to 2003, Forza Lynx.
Card Infractions: Toronto- Kojic (YELLOW, 2nd min), Vincello (YELLOW, 39th min), Aristodemo (YELLOW, 56th min). Atlanta- Carlos Parra (YELLOW 26th min, 2ND YELLOW=RED, 107th min), Mitchell (YELLOW, 104th min).
Lynx Loose Ends:… Continuing their impressive tradition of marketing players well for overseas placement, burgeoning and recently acquired midfielder Atiba Hutchinson has departed Toronto on a trial with IF Elfsberg in Sweden's First Division…A very decent match report of the Toronto Ultras 7-1 win over Rochester Stampede FC (the self-described Battle Of Lake Ontario) can be found on www.torontoultras.com. From the start page, go to 'Forums', then the 'Toronto Ultras' forum; the full story, along with some great pictures, can be found there!…Tonight's game showcased the seasonal awards given to Lynx players of outstanding achievement and contribution; well done, lads! The recipients of each are as follows: Lynx Career Achievement Award: Nikola Vignjevic, Public Relations Award: Robbie Aristodemo, Fan Favorite Award: Brian Ashton, Defensive Player of the Year Award: Joe Mattacchione, Offensive Player of the Year Award: Niki Budalic, Most Valuable Player Award: Theo Zagar.
