Soccer In Toronto 07.12.09

By Rocket Robin Soccer In Toronto

W-League Result
Sunday July 12th, 2009

Final Score
Toronto Lady Lynx 2, Ottawa Fury 0

Venue
The Hershey Centre, Mississauga

Kickoff
1:00 pm

Highlights
49 min … Lady Lynx Giselle Mangal GOAL
LL Erica Henderson cornerkick from right has LL Stefania Morra take 8 yard shot and Fury goalie Jasmine Phillips block sprawling on left side. Mangal kicks 5 yard rebound into left side of net.

57 min … Lady Lynx Erica Henderson GOAL
LL Clare Rustad 25 yard freekick from left side has Henderson leap and head 3 yarder into short right side of net.

Notes
Attendance was about 100 on this warm and sunny day with a wind from the west. Today’s theme was Mascot Day but only the Lynxster was there.

Today the Lady Lynx played the best game of the year to climb back to a 4-4-4 match for the season against the perennial division winners Ottawa Fury. The Lady Lynx had never beaten the Fury at home (once last year on the road) since they came into the league in 2005. I was thinking back to the days of the Toronto Inferno but goalkeeping coach Joe Nucifora who held the same position for that team remembers the Inferno beat Ottawa when the Fury first got their franchise. Yes! My web page does list a home win in 2001 and two home wins against them in 2002.

Justine Bernier earned the shutout for the Lady Lynx. She had a crucial save between the two Lady Lynx goals when at 53 minutes when ten-goal scorer Amber Hearn charged on left and her 18 yard shot is saved by Bernier’s sliding save at 8 yards with a defender clearing rebound. She had to make other saves as well but the Fury were threatened by the tough defence and rushed shots and had their timing put off. Clare Rustad was the best Lady Lynx defender. Fury outshot the hometown team 14 to 5.

Michael Izzo was the referee in today’s game and only gave out one card for a hard played but fair game.

The Fury has a logo for The Ottawa Citizen on their uniforms. In past years the rival paper The Ottawa Sun was the sponsor. This was the first year that the Fury have had names for the players on their backs which is not a common practice in the W-League.

CSL Result
Sunday July 12th, 2009

Final Score
Portugal FC 2, Toronto Croatia 2

Venue
Brockton Stadium, Toronto

Kickoff
7:00 pm

Highlights
1 min … PFC player turns and shoots ball from edge of box which hits falling defender on hand at 12 yards. Referee Geoff Gamble calls a Penalty kick.

2 min … PFC Ramon Bailey GOAL
Bailey’s Penalty kick shot over diving goalie Sandi Matika to right side just inside post.

18 min … Croatia Sven Arapovic GOAL
Tonci Pirija 30 yard freekick from left sideline has diving goalie Adrian Ibanez punch ball but ball deflects off Arapovic’s side and into left side of net from 6 yards.

81 min … Croatia Tihomir Maletic GOAL
TC Tomislav Ples on right charges for ball and rolls cross that TC Niko Pesa deliberately lets roll by him that pins defender to have to cover him. Maletic is alone and gets ball on left and shoots low 10 yarder into right side of net behind sliding goalie.

89 min … PFC Danny Amaral GOAL
PFC Selmir Sehic keeps ball in play on run up right sideline and crosses high from right corner flag to Amaral who heads ball from 5 yards on left to right side of net.

Notes
Attendance was about 250 with supporters for both teams on this mild evening with the weather altering between sunny and cloudy several times during the game.

PFC coach Danny Amaral was very effective putting himself into the game at 87 minutes and scoring two minutes later.

This game was rough but very exciting. Portugal FC hit the goalpost four times during the game. Jarvin Skeete hit the first at 43 minutes from 8 yards on a freekick rebound. In the second half Ramon Bailey hit the post on a 28 yard freekick. At 58 minutes Gustavo Serrano broke by a defender and his 20 yard shot on left hit the left goalpost. At 91 minutes, Ramon Bailey blasted a shot from 20 yards on the right and it hit the right post and then Taylor Lord shot the 15 yard rebound low and wide left. Toronto Croatia players had just as many chances to score themselves. Both goalies had to make spectacular saves or the score would have been much higher.

This game was moved from Friday night at 8:00 pm because Lamport Stadium is not available while during the City of Toronto’s workers strike. This stadium is operated by the Toronto Sporting Club and I’ve heard they’ve been renting out the stadium almost every night of the week so the field is being torn up with use and looks much worse than last week. A bit more of this and it will be in the same shape as when the CSL decided not to use this field anymore.

Toronto Croatia retains first place in the International Division and remains undefeated so far this season.