Lynx End Winless Drought
June 6, 2004 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Toronto Lynx News Release
Making their first ever trip to Canada the expansion Puerto Rico Islanders travelled to Centennial Park Stadium for Fiesta Latina Night looking to even the score in the first of two meetings between the teams this week. The Lynx put a damper on the Islanders inaugural home opener with an overtime victory and newly appointed Islanders Head Coach Hugo Maradona, younger brother of the famed Argentinian star, were still in search of their first franchise win.
With an enthusiastic crowd of 1,699 coupled with the lovely Miss Hispanidad Michelle Oriana Castro, talented singer Ricky Franco, Ecuadorian dance troupe Huairapungo and the Lynx Dance Team and Flygirls the Lynx seemed to inspired. In the 3rd minute John Barry Nusum took a long kick from 'keeper Richard Goddard through the middle, made the Islander's 'keeper Michael Veltschey commit, and lifted his 2nd of the season under the crossbar for a 1-0 lead. Despite seeing his first action of the season, Lynx 'keeper Richard Goddard was tested as the Lynx were outshot 9-4 in the opening half.
With that in mind the Islanders best chance of the half came in the 19th minute when Carlos Astondoa worked the give-and-go with Carlos Garay but Goddard came up with another save. The Lynx added to their lead in the 20th minute when Ali Gerba took the ball on the right side of the box and laced a low shot that found the left corner for a 2-0 halftime lead.
Missing 6 players due to various reasons things for Puerto Rico went from bad to worse, in the 56th minute Jamie Dodds sent a cross to Darren Baxter but he was denied, fortunately Ali Gerba was in the right place to notch his 2nd of the contest and gave Toronto a commanding 3-nil lead. More came in the 69th minute when Puerto Rico defender Chris Gores got careless in his own box and got stripped by Gerba who calmly sent a perfect cross to Edgar Bartolomeu who headed in his 1st of the campaign, 4-0 Toronto.
The Lynx continued to press and what goes around always comes around, in the 75th minute Bartolomeu found Gerba with a low cross and sent a diving header into the back of the net for his 3rd of match, 5-0 Toronto. Puerto Rico did manage to get on the score sheet in the 87th minute, Raul Dias lifted a header over a charging Richard Goddard, to little too late as the Lynx snap their losing streak at 3 games.
Toronto now improves to 3-6-0 on the season while the Islanders fall to 0-9-3. The Lynx are in action again on Wednesday June 9 at 11am against the same Islander team as they complete the 2 game series.
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USL First Division Stories from June 6, 2004
- Two Mariners Named as All-Stars - Virginia Beach Mariners
- Wave United Gets First Win With 1-0 Triumph Over Syracuse - Milwaukee Wave United
- Lynx End Winless Drought - Toronto Lynx
- Impact host Richmond Sunday - Montreal Impact
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