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First Thoughts
Ottawa Fury face league leaders Minnesota United on Sunday afternoon as they look to continue their impressive form and battle for a playoff position. Fury FC are coming off three road wins and a home draw in the last four games and will be looking to make up for previous heartbreak against United.
Minnesota will be battling for home field advantage through the playoffs, as they have already secured their spot by winning the Spring Season. Meanwhile Ottawa look to make up for lost games at the beginning of the Fall Season that caused them to fall behind the pack.
Keep Thinking
Sunday’s match is going to be one of the most important matches for Ottawa Fury this season as they look to get their first win at TD Place. Marc Dos Santos feels the club are in a great position to take points off Minnesota as the squad is filled with confidence. However they also have “both feet placed on the ground” according to the Fury gaffer.
The match will be the first of three in seven days for Ottawa, as they host Atlanta midweek before travelling to Texas to face San Antonio next Saturday. A lot of the success that Ottawa has had recently can be partially attributed to the fact that they have had no injuries of late and the depth of the squad will certainly be tested in the coming week.
Ottawa will likely start with a similar squad as they have the last two weeks on the road, with Mayard, Heinemann and Olive starting up front; Ubiparipovic, Ryan and Donatelli through the middle; and Richter, Beckie, Trafford and Soria making up the backline. This squad has won the last two games on the road with an aggregate of 5-0 and Marc Dos Santos will not want to change the chemistry the squad has made. The bench will be strong with players like Paterson, Jarun and Dantas adding depth to the squad.
In The End
It’s another “cup final” for Ottawa this weekend and a win against Minnesota would certainly leave the Fury squad feeling as if they are finally being rewarded for all their hard work this year. Although confidence is high at TD Place, there is a certain sense of maturity among that squad that helps keep them all grounded.
Playing in front of the home crowd in Ottawa could give Fury the boost they need to find victory over the league leaders. Elsewhere, Ottawa will be hoping that Indy Eleven can grab points off of Carolina in the race for a playoff spot as scoreboard watching will become more and more important as the season closes.
Prediction
Ottawa Fury 2-1 Minnesota United
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