Toronto Lynx: 2, Vancouver Whitecaps: 1
Starting Lineups:
Toronto: Zagar, Titus, Dekker (SUB: Bedenikovic, 38th min), Arango, Williams, Dodds (SUB: Palleschi, 88th min), Mattacchione, Aristodemo (SUB: Chin, 71st min), DiPlacido, Pottinger (SUB: Sheppard, 67th min), Jeffrey.
Vancouver: Caig, Clarke (SUB: Noreiga, 79th min), Klein, Cann, Alberts, Nash, Kindel, Matondo (SUB: Gjertsen, 54th min), Morris, Kambere (SUB: Donatelli, 54th min), Jones (SUB: Testo, 54th min).
(Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto) Something seemed strangely prophetic about the pre-game selection blaring on the loudspeakers prior to kickoff: "Steady As She Goes", the twangy hipster anthem by alternative darlings The Raconteurs. While the Lynx have yet to find themselves on the right side of each 2006 contest prior to this, their performances have been both inspired and horrendously unlucky. The song itself seemed a cautioned plea to simply stick with the game plan. 90-minutes of sometimes graceful, sometimes ugly football later, the Toronto Lynx found themselves victors over the USL's current reigning leaders, on a tight but definitive 2-1 score line.
Said Coach Wilde afterwards, "perhaps we showed the 'Caps a little bit too much respect over the course of the game, but one thing we did right was maximize our points at home, which hasn't happened until now. We've got a good squad here, and the lads deserved this. If we can keep everyone healthy and get some wins together, who knows what can happen?"
Perhaps shaking the monkey of such a spell of winless contests, midfielder David DiPlacido observed "we've played better in other games and still lost, this times the breaks just fell our way." Smiling, he added "any Bob Lilley team is going to be a good one, but we managed a way to get two past them and hold on for the win."
Looking to redeem themselves after a tough 2-0 loss to Rochester, and facing an always threatening Montreal later in the week, Lilley's 'Caps looked to this game for some redeemed points on a tough road swing. As always, they came out looking confident and playing the tough style we've come to expect from the western thoroughbreds. Toronto was able to weather the raging Whitecaps and pull off their first earned 3-points of the season.
Despite an early scare from ex-Lynx player Matondo, who slinked past the offside trap in the 9th minute and drew a dramatic rebound knee-save from GK Zagar, the visitors weren't to find the back of the net until 20-minutes later.
11-minutes following, the Lynx went on the scoreboard first with a masterfully dropped 30-yard curler from Jamie Dodds. Taking a speeding pass from Aristodemo off the right flank, Dodds floated the ball in. The effort gently sailed to the far top corner, unwittingly presenting itself as a shot going out of play; Whitecaps GK Caig didn't even move from his spot and watched the tricky dip fall at the last second perfectly with a hushed swish.
A Vancouver corner in the 29th whipped in from the right side, Zagar missed his connection on the punch, and a fast Whitecaps header was sent directly towards the net. Cleared off the line by a sprawling Arango, it was met by on-the-spot Matondo (looking the entire game to play hard against his former squad) and trickled in.
But the stalemate would only last another scant 2-minutes, as Lynx rookie Damien Pottinger, taking the cross-box feed from busy Dodds, side footed the ball away, stylish and unmarked.
The second half, while goalless, offered other moments of great competition, most notably Dodds' attempt to make lightning strike for his team twice 4-minutes in, when he rang a long range shot off the post at an approximate identical range and circumstance as his earlier goal. With a large number of Vancouver subs in the 54th minute (see above), the visitors brought some increased urgency to the pitch but unable to convert.
Former MLSer David Testo magnificently curled a free kick over Toronto's defending wall in the 61st minute, but the ball was held well by Zagar and snuffed any chance for a rebound. Tough Adrian Cann labored industriously 3-minutes later to work the ball up the left past the last line and squeezed off a powerful pass to an empty wing across the box. Another second half inclusion, impressive Tony Donatelli from the PDL, rifled an optimistic blast at Toronto's net from 35-yards a few moments later, but again Zagar met the task and held strong.
Vancouver's greatest chance at equalizing came in the 69th minute, with a barrage of three close shots around the 6-yard box perimeter. Testo duped his marker with a crafty flick deep into the attacking zone, garnering an initial save by Zagar, and the rebound rolled unfettered, with no Lynx colors in sight, only to be hammered over the crossbar.
One last effort, and an 86th minute close range scramble, was pulled out of the air by Toronto's inspired 'keeper and held to the ground to send the visiting 'Caps away with nothing earned.
"We played well in the first half and saw a lot more of the ball" observed Coach Lilley, "but Toronto defended their lead very well and made the most of their chances. Quite simply, that was the difference."
No one is of the delusion Toronto fans are suddenly on the cusp of a miracle renaissance with the admittedly impressive win over the USL's current leading team, but it is a great springboard to run with the points and use that in the upcoming match with visiting Charleston on Sunday. With a respectable but underachieving record so far in this campaign, the Battery could be the type of opposition Toronto needs to continue with their improving method and garner another badly needed victory in the climb out of the league's doldrums. With this earned confidence now on everyone's mind, the Lynx have been challenged to prove they deserve better.
Card Infractions: Toronto- DiPlacido (YELLOW, 45th min), Jeffrey (YELLOW, 73rd min). Vancouver- none.
Special Note: Both the Toronto Lynx' U15 and U16 top their conferences with 5 consecutive wins apiece in Super-Y league action, going impressively undefeated so far. Best of luck in Chicago this weekend to both squads!!!
