Super-20 League Finals
Day One: PDA  FALLS TO MARYLAND, 1-0, TORONTO COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN 2-1

Courtesy of the USL

USL News Release

Thursday, July 31, 2008

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA - United Soccer Leagues 2008 Super-20 League North American Finals kicked off here today with one of the biggest matchups of the three day group play stage between the Toronto Lynx of the league's Midwest Division and Red Bull New York of the Mid Atlantic Division. As two of the most successful Super-20 League clubs in the three-year history of the league, the teams were bound to run into one another at some point, but neither club wanted it to be this early.

A goal did come early for the Red Bulls, who pulled ahead 1-0, thanks to a free-kick goal by Mathew Kassel. But two huge second half saves by soon-to-be Premier Development League Goalkeeper Brandon Heembrock ignited a Toronto offense led by Sherif El-Masri's two goal performance and the Lynx downed one of the most touted U-20 teams in North America, 2-1.

"This makes the 17-hour bus ride yesterday completely worth it," said Toronto Lynx Head Coach Duncan Wilde. "Coming in, we knew they would be quick and very talented. We came out in the first half in a 4-5-1 to try and hold them. They got that quick goal, but the first half was fairly even after that. Then in the second, I think they just lost their legs and we put two away."

Coming into this match the story was the offseason, which had been kinder to Red Bull New York than it was Toronto. While the Red Bulls retained the majority of their 2007 Super-20 Semifinal squad that fell to the Chicago Fire, 1-0 last season, Toronto had to rebuild a team that fell in the other 2007 semifinal to Player Development Academy (PDA) in penalties. The silver lining for the Lynx was the fact that their youth development program was producing benefits for the club's Premier Development League team, who qualified for the playoffs for the first time in several seasons.

One of the biggest players the Lynx had to replace was goalkeeper Nils Binstock, who made multiple highlight-reel saves to prolong the aforementioned PDA/Toronto semifinal match last season. In Heembrock, Wilde hit the goalkeeper jackpot two years in a row.

"He had a brilliant game," said Wilde. "A lot of times you cannot find good goalkeepers, but we have been fortunate. Nils had a great year for us at the PDL level this season. With him heading to Europe to play, I am fully prepared to give Brandon a shot to follow in his footsteps next year."

After his performance today, Wilde might not be the only coach offering Heembrock a shot.

His most defining moment came in the early minutes of the second half with Red Bull pressing hard and earning a corner. Heembrock aligned his troops to their man marks and prepared himself to defend his goal when the well-placed free kick was nodded down, but not out of the area. An onrushing Red Bull midfielder caught the ball on a volley and skillfully drove it high to the near post but, in a crowd of people, Heembrock went horizontal and ushered the sure-goal aside.

"I just threw myself at it," said Heembrock, who plays his college ball with Dominican College. "It was a volley, hit well, and I barely saw it through a bunch of bodies but I just reacted and came up big."

The shift in momentum following the save was noticeable and Toronto took advantage when John Costa played a long cross from the right touchline to opposite winger Jordan Webb. Webb took himself out of the play to get up for the cross, but managed to knock in back into the path of El-Masri, who was locked in a footrace with a Red Bull defender and a charging Red Bull goalkeeper, Brendan Dunn. El-Masri outran both and a simple touch to the back post leveled the affair at one goal apiece.

Red Bull did not flinch and was back on the offensive moments later but Heembrock was nice enough to replicate his first save for those who missed it, denying yet another well-orchestrated Red Bull attack.

The play began on New York's left flank where Dilly Duka launched a cross into a mob of players nearing the penalty spot. Matt Uy out leapt everybody, drilling a shot to the same upper-90 Red Bull had tried earlier, but the shot was again deflected wide for a corner that New York could not convert.

As with the first save, Heembrock's second began an attack, and again, El-Masri was there to convert.

"Konner [McNamara] played a through ball to my feet that crossed-up a defender," said El-Masri. "It opened up a lane for me and I just finished to the far post."

The remainder of the match saw Red Bull's once confident and organized attack shift into crisis mode. Their goalkeeper, Brendan Dunn, had their best scoring opportunity when he got on the end of a free kick attempt from midfield and chipped it just high of the crossbar. But Heembrock was still in good position to make a third game-saving stop.

"I really hope to follow Nils [Binstock] lead next year," said Heembrock after the match. "I was his backup in the PDL this season. He and I trained together a lot and he helped me out with tips here and there. My ambition is to finish college and do well enough in the PDL to get a shot at playing in Europe. Injuries can come at any time though, so getting that education to fall back on is important to me."