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Posted by
Stuart Mactaggart,
October 19, 2014 |
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Stuart Mactaggart
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Ottawa Fury fell to Canadian rivals FC Edmonton at home on Saturday as they failed to recover from a poor opening 20 minutes. The match was the third between the two clubs in the NASL this season and the fifth this year including the Canadian Championship. The win for FC Edmonton means they will likely earn home field advantage for the 2015 Canadian Championship with their finish in the NASL combined standings.
The Fury starting lineup consisted of Woodbine, Jarun, Trafford and Richter in defence, with Jarun once again being preferred over Drew Beckie. Ubiparipovic started on the bench as Paterson replaced him in the midfield alongside Donatelli and Ryan. Both Oliver and Heinemann missed the game due to injury and suspension respectively, meaning Davies and Mayard started up front with Dantas.
The Opening 45
Ottawa Fury started the game off with a fairly slow pace, allowing FC Edmonton to take control of the early parts of the match. The Alberta club took the lead in the 9th minute as Chad Burt was able to neatly put away a ball crossed onto the edge of the six yard box. The goal didn’t seem to ignite the Fury players to play with the same energy and passion that we are used to seeing and in the 20th minute FC Edmonton doubled their lead through a corner kick. The ball seemed to find itself into the back of the net from the corner following some poor defending and luck with a strong wind.
Ottawa Fury slowly started to work their way back into the game as the first half progressed, earning three free kicks within 30 yards of the net. However, they were unable to capitalize from the opportunities. Richie Ryan and Nicki Paterson both sent balls just over the top of the net, while Mayard placed his dead ball right into the wall.
The Second Half
The second half was dominated by Ottawa as they controlled much of the play and created most of the chances. Woodbine provided a lot of pace down the left wing while Dantas had an impressive performance up front. Omar Jarun found himself with a great scoring opportunity, however FC Edmonton keeper John Smits was able to get enough on the ball to push Jarun’s shot wide.
Ottawa would finish the game with 61% possession and out shot FC Edmonton 17 – 6 (8-5 on target), however, it wasn’t enough to overturn mistakes made early on. This will certainly be a game that Ottawa felt they could have won, as coach Marc Dos Santos said they “scored on our mistakes”.
The win for FC Edmonton keeps them in the hunt for a playoff position, while Ottawa Fury FC was eliminated from the race last weekend. Fury will face their fellow expansion side Indy Eleven next Sunday in their final home game of the year and they will be looking for another big win against the American club.
Man of the Match
O'Brian Woodbine
O’Brian Woodbine had a great game despite the Fury performance early on. He played the perfect left back position, providing a lot of pace and energy down the wing. The former Jamaican international seems to be fitting in well with the squad and the tactics that coach Marc Dos Santos prefers to use and he stood out in the Fury loss.
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