Toronto Lynx: 0, Montreal Impact: 1
Starting Line Ups:
Toronto: Theo Zagar, Rick Titus, Josue Mayard, Rumba Munthali, Jeremie Piette,
David DiPlacido, Jamie Dodds, Sean Fraser (SUB: Dave Simpson, 75th min), Niels
Dekker (SUB: Alain Njima, 55th min), Conrad Smith, Ali Gerba.
Montreal: Greg Sutton, Gabriel Gervais, Nevio Pizzolitto (SUB: Adrian Cann,
35th min), Mauricio Vincello, Lars Lyssand, Patrick Leduc, Mesut Mert (SUB:
Masahiro Fukasawa, 61st min), Mauro Biello, Eduardo Sebrango, Kevin Wilson
(SUB: Sita-Taty Matondo, 82nd min).
(Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto) Bolstered on by an impressive showing from
the travelling faithful, the visiting Montreal Impact iced the Toronto Lynx 1-0
on an opportunistic finish by Kevin Wilson in the 49th minute.
The play had begun with an aggressive strike on the Lynx net by Impact war-
horse Biello, who showed much of the ball on his left flank attack, giving
Toronto GK Zagar full opportunity to turn the shot aside. Instead of turning it
over the bar or knocking it out of play however, the ball rolled directly in
the path of approaching Kevin Wilson who blasted it home for the away win.
“We’re happy of course with the shutout” stated Montreal Assistant Coach Peter
Pinnizotto afterwards, “and with five road games played so far and no defeats,
we’re very satisfied.”
Added Head Coach Nick DeSantis, “We dictated the play of the game from minute
one. We played very disciplined, used the space of this small playing field to
our advantage, and stuck with the game plan for the full ninety minutes.”
For his role in the goal and eventual win, Biello said “we did exactly what we
had planned to, which was attack up the flanks and just put in a solid
defensive performance.”
While Montreal took the field with focus (and a large number of key players out
on the injured list, most notably terror-striker Freddie Commodore), Toronto’s
plan seemed a complicated and disjointed affair. Although they offered a couple
of quality moments on the offense (newcomer Smith showed a game of impressive
pace and insight, while mystery-player-of-the-night Njima made the most of his
role as a sub with flash and confidence), their overall showing was drab with
an unnerving feeling of unfamiliarity with one another. Passes were
inconsistent, quality control of attacking opportunities was scarce, and any
sense of overall vision only appeared in brief glimpses.
Fullback Piette, however, seems to be settling into his central role, and one
of 2004’s fan faves, Jamie Dodds, showed up with a gritty fierce intensity.
In the visitor’s end, recent signee Lars Lyssand put in a hammer-and-tongs
performance (the same which made him such an important member of now-defunct
Syracuse), going toe to toe with Dodds all night and offering much in the way
of two-way play; he may turn out to be the most quiet and important of
offseason transfers for the 2005 campaign.
With some well-founded rumors flying in the Toronto camp of two highly rated
returning midfielders, as well as Faria, Mattachione and Arango coming off the
inured list things could go from troubled yet energetic, to promising and
wholly creative.
The Lynx next play again at home to the visiting Puerto Rico Islanders on May
the 28th.
Card Infractions: Montreal- Gervais (YELLOW, 66th min). Toronto- Gerba (YELLOW,
33rd), Mayard (RED, 92nd min).
