Record Impact crowd heads home unhappy.

[François]

Record Impact crowd heads home unhappy
Controversial call boosts Lynx Lynx 3, Impact 2 (OT). 8,237 fans on hand as perfect home record ends at six games

RANDY PHILLIPS
The Gazette


Thursday, July 17, 2003

CREDIT: JOHN KENNEY, THE GAZETTE

Smiles were brief: Impact's Eduardo Sobrango (right) celebrates his goal with teammate Mauro Biello.



The only thing that was good about last night for the Impact was the crowd.

In front of a franchise-record 8,237 fans, the Impact suffered only its fourth loss of the season and saw its record unbeaten streak at home ended at six games in a dramatic 3-2 overtime loss to the Toronto Lynx at Claude Robillard Stadium.

It also denied the Impact its seventh win in eight games.

Forward Ali Ngon beat Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton in the 102nd minute as the Lynx rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the final 15 minutes of the game.

Ngon also scored the tying goal in the 89th minute on a controversial penalty awarded by referee Ryan Feron after it appeared the Toronto player had taken a dive in the area.

The loss was especially bitter for the Impact because it came to a Lynx team that was the lowest-scoring club in the A-League this season.

Impact rookie midfielder Sita-Taty Matondo, fresh off the bench, scored his third goal of the season in the 72nd minute to snap a 1-1 tie.

Toronto's first goal, by Nikola Vignjvic in the 49th minute, also was scored on a penalty.

Striker Eduardo Sebrango opened the scoring for Montreal in the 33rd minute.

The loss was the Impact's first at home after a 4-0-2 start, the longest home unbeaten streak from the start of the season in franchise history.

Despite the loss, Montreal kept its one-point lead over idle Rochester atop the A-League's Northeast Division.

"Fatigue was a big factor for us tonight, as well as the absence of some players (with the Canadian national team)," said Impact head coach Bob Lilley.

"I don't know if we played well enough to win tonight," he added.

Last night's attendance topped the 8,169 that saw the Impact defeat the Colorado Foxes 1-0 on an early goal by striker Jean Harbor to win the team's first and only league championship.

"This is excellent. I'm very happy," said team president Joey Saputo of the record that came on the heals of the 7,764 that saw the Impact defeat Syracuse 2-1 last Friday. Until last night it was largest of the season and third-largest all-time.

"But as I've said before and will say again, we still have a lot of work to do," Saputo continued. "Once we start selling out on a regular basis, we'll start looking at different options.

"The attendance we've seen this season has been the result of a lot of work with community and regional associations where we've gotten out there with our product," said Saputo. "We still have a lots to do it that area, making this team appeal to as many people as possible.

"Come the playoffs and if we feel there's a need to go (somewhere bigger), we examine that possibility and at the moment certainly Molson Stadium is a possibility, but nothing has been decided.

"For the moment," Saputo added, "I'm not saying that we're too big for this stadium or that it's too small for us."

NOTES: Canada's World Cup women's team plays host to the Brazilian national squad in an international match at Molson Stadium tonight at 7 and making a return to familiar confines will be Amber Allen, a former star forward with the McGill Martlets.

The 27-year-old from Pitt Meadows, B.C., who will be playing in her 11th cap with the national team, played for the Martlets in 2000 and 2001 while completing an MBA degree. She scored 55 goals in 38 career games at McGill and won the national scoring title both years.

Allen has scored three goals in 10 previous international matches, including one this season in a 4-0 shutout over Mexico on June 12.

Tonight's game is the first of two the Canadian national team will play against Brazil in preparation for this fall's Women's World Cup.

The same two teams meet again Sunday at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa. The game will be the 100th cap for national-team captain Charmaine Hooper, who has been with the team since 1986.

Tickets for tonight's game are $18 for adults, $12 for children and $5 for Quebec Soccer Federation members.

rphillips@thegazette.canwest.com