Toronto Lynx: 1, Charleston Battery: 0
Starting Lineups:
Toronto: Zagar, Titus, Medwin (SUB: Sheppard, 61st min), Arango, Bedenikovic, Mattacchione (SUB: Chin, 71st min), Dodds, Aristodemo, DiPlacido (SUB: Palleschi, 25th min), Jeffrey, Pottinger (SUB: Neto, 68th min)
Charleston: Wiggins, Curran, Karalexis, Catalano, Hollingworth, Alavanja, Romero, Lesesne (SUB: Glinton, 74th min), Hughes, Fuller (SUB: Smith, 56th min), Vercollone (SUB: Daley, 65th min).
(Centennial Park Stadium, Toronto) Despite some other football game on TV today, the Lynx enjoyed a large yet subdued crowd of 1,835 in their Sunday affair versus the visiting Charleston Battery; after Jamie Dodds' 73rd minute winning goal, Centennial Park was filled with the gratified cheers of Toronto faithful.
Finding the back of the net for his 3rd of the season, and further justifying his inclusion in the USL's all star squad set to play Sheffield Wednesday later this month, the tough midfielder was relieved and pleased to give his squad their second victory in a row this season.
"It's great to have two in a row like this" said the modish Dodds after the game, "hopefully we can keep running with what we've got (these past two games) and keep it rolling."
Added hardworking Aristodemo, "I don't think we played our best game of the season by far, or at least during the first half, but we got the win and we'll take it. We had younger guys playing for us today, and some injury problems to deal with, but we'll take the win."
The inclusion of unfamiliar face Cameron Medwin was in place of Toronto's Chris Williams, currently away on trial in Norway's First Division. With respect to injury, franchise gem Tony Menezes still struggles on the sidelines with minimal inclusion for the resurging Lynx, and scrappy David DiPlacido took a solid knock early in the game to be subbed out early (something the Lynx may rue in their Tuesday away clash versus the Montreal Impact, a squad DiPlacido spent the final third of 2005 playing for).
Toronto put together a patient subtle game, with several moments of offensive threat peppered throughout; by game's end, the Lynx had thrown 16 shots on the Battery's net as compared to the visitors' 8. That aside, a handful of Charleston's chances were good ones (Zagar showed flashed of his own phoenix-from-the-flame rebirth, most notably a gifted trio of close range blocks off a Battery corner in the 42nd minute of play, turning aside everything while prone and in quick succession), yet one could not help but notice a distinct lack of killer finish usually reserved for this team. Despite great efforts from quick Armando Romero up the right flank and deft play by Luke Vercollone, the visitors looked strangely out of step. Perhaps it was the 2-1 loss to Rochester the evening before, but the Battery, a team that oft-relishes taking 3-points from Toronto, simply looked out of juice.
A good reason for this was the Lynx' back four holding true in their respective roles. Veteran defensive general Rick Titus worked the glue to keep his line mates sharp, with sturdy Bedenikovic (looking more impressive and stalwart with each passing match), always competitive Arango, and the aforementioned Medwin getting the job done with no nonsense or errors alike. Tucked directly in front, Captain Mattacchione worked well feeding from the back to the attacking lanes, and playing on both sides to either Dodds or Aristodemo.
Observed GK Zagar, "there's no question we're playing better defensively. We're getting the lead in games like this when we should, holding it, and not giving up stupid ones after the fact."
On the attacking end, Kevin Jeffrey remains stalled and frustrated in his reclamation of a certified USL power finisher, but fellow Toronto newcomers Damien Pottinger and Matthew Palleschi continue to assert their prowess in front of the opposition's goalmouth. Both strikers had excellent opportunities to put the Lynx ahead further, but were stymied with either one touch too many, a rattled crossbar from Palleschi seconds prior to Dodds' goal, or able goalkeeping from Charleston's Keith Wiggins.
After weeks of almost consoling disbelief from other squads or rival supporters alike lamenting Toronto's ill-fortune on a run of 1-goal losses despite tremendous competitive play (something the Lynx' Richard Goddard says he's "heard enough of, you can only live by that for so long"), things seem to be leaning positively after finding their first win last week. With the three game schedule they face, it couldn't come at a better time. Toronto next play the Impact in Montreal this coming Tuesday, are home again for a Canadian Open Cup match versus the CPSL's Serbian White Eagles, and then round out the seven days against the visiting Atlanta Silverbacks next Sunday.
Card Infractions: Toronto- Dodds (YELLOW, 85th). Charleston- N/A.
