Starting Line-Ups:
Toronto-Bryheem Hancock, Lewis Blois, Shawn Faria, Aaron Steele (SUB: Andres
Arango, 46th min), Darren Baxter, David DiPlacido (SUB: Jamie Dodds, 80th min),
Matt O’Connor (SUB: Rumba Munthali, 46th min), Chris Handsor, Edmilson (SUB:
Edgar Bartolomeu, 45th min), John Barry Nusum (SUB: Charles Gbeke, 72nd min),
Ali Gerba.
Virginia Beach- Matt Nelson, Steve Danbusky, Kevin Knott, Russel Hutchison
(SUB: Tony McManus, 94th min), Joe Morelli, Jeremy Aldrich, Daniel Alvarez
(SUB: Jose Gomez, 82nd min), Steve Shak (SUB: Mark Jonas, 71st min), Hamisi
Amani-Dove, Dante Washington, Carlos Garcia (SUB: Nate Winkel, 86th min).
(Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto) A rowdy crowd of 1713 saw the Toronto Lynx
pull off a hard-fought 2-1 overtime win against the visiting Virginia Beach
Mariners. Despite the attractive efforts of striker supreme Dante Washington
(who scored an opportunistic poacher’s goal for the Mariners in the 11th
minute), the goalscoring stage of the night belonged to the Lynx’ Ali Gerba,
who netted both tallies for the home squad and broke Toronto’s all time season
scoring record. Before 7:30pm this evening, the number to reach was 13, held by
former player Niki Vignjevic and currently tied by Gerba; after 107 minutes of
sometimes waterlogged, oftentimes bone-jarring play, the Cameroon born forward
left the home fans ecstatic with finishes in the 43rd minute and well into
double overtime.
Typically understated, the husky forward flashed a modest smile afterwards,
quietly beaming at his 15-goal accomplishment, and simply said, “it feels
great, not bad, not bad at all.”
For the first half of the match though, things were not all grins and pride for
Toronto. Being distinctly outplayed and looking tired, the Lynx offered little
up front and held the speedy Mariners in check through some great work
by ‘keeper Hancock and adopted backline general Chris Handsor. Taking the role
of defensive commander, the A-league vet filled in for injured Joe Mattacchione
(expected back on Saturday after recovering from a minor groin pull) in a
tough, concentrated showing. With the ferocity of an agitated wasp, backline
partner Lewis Blois acted as the proverbial thorn-in-Dante’s-side for almost
the entire 107 minutes, perhaps giving up his steeliest performance to date in
his rookie USL season. The Brit born defender earned both his lumps (a
frighteningly powerful clash with Amani-Dove in the 50th minute that left him
floored and sidelined for a good 5-minutes) and a yellow card (going just a
little too far in trying to work up Washington with a testy shove from behind
in the 69th), but the tenacious #3, already earning a hard-nosed rep in the
league, fought for the white and yellow with everything in his arsenal. After
being dealt said infraction, the Toronto Ultras were heard to chant, a la the
Thin Lizzy 70’s classic, “the Blois is back in town!”
Despite their defensive offerings, the Lynx found themselves a goal down early
and nothing to show for a crafty close-range bicycle kick by DiPlacido in the
26th, gingerly turned over the bar at the last second by Mariners’ GK Nelson,
who also showed some nice flashes of grace and positioning through the match.
With the majority of the first half hampered by an off and on downpour, both
teams looked more to be going through the motions than genuinely competing, and
the visitors carried a distinct advantage in being a goal up early. The
pendulum swung the other way in the 43rd though when Gerba hit his stride up
the left flank, cut in on Joe Monelli, and confidently hammered a near-side
strike into the back of the net. The half ended at an anxious tie; with the
rain gone for the evening the second half promised more fluidity and
opportunity for the Lynx to get back into it.
Sensing a shift in control, the Mariners came out fired and almost pulled ahead
again in the first minute of play when Washington was fed a speeding ball from
the right and directed it perfectly from 15-yard out. Doing immensely well with
the slick surface and a last second dive to the left, Hancock pulled the
attempt in and effectively ended the much-coveted striker’s chances for the
evening. In fact, outside of sub Gomez’ one-on-one with Hancock in the opening
minute of the second OT, an attempt the striker flubbed by almost overrunning
the ball and releasing late, the Mariners were shut down in the offensive
department and left the run of the match to Toronto.
As is growing familiar with Gerba, it take him a few decent attempts to find
his killing zone; witness his flurry of strikes in the 88th, 90th, and 92nd
minute of play. On another night, against another team, with perhaps a less
confident keeper, any of the three would’ve been sent home and the game
concluded earlier. But Gerba’s patience and momentum paid off 3-minutes from
the final whistle when he sailed the ball to the mesh with deliberate nuance
past a flustered Nelson. If the action itself carried its own voice, and from
my perspective it did, its accompanying words would be “it’s done, the bar has
now been raised.”
More traditionally, strike partner John Barry Nusum offered afterwards, “we
needed this win in general, regardless of what actual time of the season is it.
We needed this, and doing it in a double overtime game makes it that much
better.”
The Lynx next take on the visiting Richmond Kickers on Saturday August the 21st.
Card Infractions: Virginia Beach- none. Toronto- Blois (YELLOW, 69th min).
