June 9, 2013 PDL--Toronto Lynx vs River City Rovers

[Rocket Robin]

Result and details from the Sunday June 9, 2013 PDL game

between Toronto Lynx and River City Rovers played at

Centennial Stadium in Etobicoke at 4:00PM.

35 min...RCR RED card...Peter May (their captain) is given

a direct ejection by referee Niquita Amirkhanian while

waiting on the edge of the Lynx box for RCR Hezekiah Weiss

to make a long throw-in. It looked like he must have

punched or elbowed Lynx Lloyd Grist but the ref saw it.

46 min (1st half injury time)...RCR Richard Ballard GOAL...

RCR Hezekiah Weiss kicks low 25 yard cross from right sideline

that has Ballard boot 12 yarder low and into left side

of net with goalie Adam Jansen frozen in center of net.

51 min...RCR Dylan Terry GOAL...RCR Richard Ballard rushes

to 15 yards down middle but holds possession when defenders

block him. He taps ball over to left to RCR Humberto

Bertran who rolls ball from 10 yards on left to Terry

who kicks 5 yarder from right into empty net.

Final Score:......Toronto Lynx.....0.....

.....River City Rovers......2......

Attendance was just over 200 on this warm afternoon with a bright

sun in the west. The crowd was the biggest I've seen

at a non-school day game for a few years. It was proclaimed

the first Toronto Soccer Association Day and Bill Spiers

president of the TSA took the ceremonial kickoff with

the mascot The Lynxster (who was there his second game in a row).

There were lots of chances for both teams equally in the second

half with the Rovers down a man. Best non-scoring plays

were at 12 minutes when RCR Pierce Kiembi shot an 8 yarder wide left

as an RCR player put a 20 yard ball into the box. 30 minutes

had RCR Dylan Terry cross from 22 yards on the left and a charging

RCR Pierce Kiembi headed the ball wide left from 10 yards.

44 minutes had RCR Terry send in a pass from the right from

45 yards that the charging Humberto Bertran headed a 12 yarder down

the middle wide right of the post.

Lynx swapped three players a halftime. They had to switch goalies

with Matt Silva replacing Adam Jansen when he was hurt at 59 minutes.

53 minutes had Lynx Maksym Kowal cut over the the left and blast

an 18 yarder down the middle that the goalie dived to left to push

the shot wide of the post. 56 minutes had Lynx Taylor McNamara

charge to the end line on the left to fire and 8 yarder that the

goalie smothered. 74 minutes had and RCR player on the left send

in a low cross from 15 yards past the goalie on the left post

and RCR Terry at 4 yards shoot wide right of the open net.

78 minutes had Lynx Sam Oritt roll a pass forward from 22 yards and

Lynx Leigh Veidman turned and fired an 8 yarder that the goalie

on right at 1 yard sprawled and deflected the ball wide right of

the post. The resulting cornerkick had Lynx Callum Home hit

the post on a header from 12 yards.

Chris Hubbard earned the shutout for the Rovers and had to be sharp

towards at the end when the Lynx were pressing to score.

Referee Niquita Amirkhanian controlled this game well. Besides

the Red card she gave out two Yellow cards that I counted, both

to Rovers players in the second half for sloppy challenges

when they were tiring out.

You would expect that with the Lynx having a 55 minute

man advantage they would win this game but that didn't

happen although they had plenty of chances--but the

Rovers did too. The Rovers had played Thursday and

Friday night and lost to London and Kitchener-Waterloo

on this grueling roadtrip.

This brings an end to the Lynx season opening home stand.

They hold a record of 1 win, 3 losses. Now they have

to see what they can do on the road.

I could see the Lynx players weren't in a good mood and

I was in a hurry to get to a CSL game that started

within an hour in Brampton so I asked the Lynx stats

lady some roster questions. Midfield sub Matt Osario

is an older COUSIN (not brother) of MLS Toronto FC player

Jonathan Osario. Midfield sub Eric Olazabal is a

player who played for the TFC Academy in their first

year in the CSL in 2008 with twin brother Eros. Both

moved on to play for Milltown FC when they were in

the CSL.

Rocket Robin

robing@eol.ca