NASL FC Edmonton

Daryl Fordyce Adds 100-Match Milestone to Impressive FC Edmonton Resume

Published on September 16, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


FC Edmonton midfield-forward Daryl Fordyce recently became the second player in club history to reach the 100-match-mark, following closely behind fellow Northern Ireland teammate and Eddies captain Albert Watson.

Fordyce and wife Tina arrived in Edmonton in February 2013 and were forced to deal with the challenges of finding living accommodations in the dead of the Canada's winter, alongside the culture shock of a living in a new city and country.

"Everything seems to be bigger here and it takes a bit of time to get used to," Fordyce explained. "When Tina and I first arrived it was about minus-30 and we were like, 'Oh no, this is not good,' But then the summer comes, and the summer's here are usually much better than what you get in Northern Ireland. It's a beautiful city. The people are tremendous, you get good health care and you get looked after and I just can't speak highly enough of Canada as a whole. It's hard to put everything in words, but for me its just an unbelievable country."

The Fordyce's positive experience in Edmonton has led to a near four-year stay in the city, with that timeframe likely extending dramatically as both await confirmation of their permanent residency applications.

On the pitch, Fordyce has contributed on the scoresheet on a regular basis since joining the club, pocketing no less than six league goals in each North American Soccer League (NASL) season. Fordyce holds a commanding lead as the club's all-time leading scorer with 31 goals across all competitions, and second all-time in appearances behind Watson. Fordyce insists he doesn't set expectations for himself, despite his impressive on-field contributions.

"There were no expectations to reach 100 games," Fordyce explained. "I just take each day as it comes, wherever I am in the world. As long as you keep looking after the simple things correctly, then you'll reach 100 games. I don't really put any expectations on myself apart from doing the right work day-in, day-out. Whether it's fitness or whether it's recovery, that's all I do. That's all you can do really. There is no point in looking too far ahead because there is a lot of things that can go wrong, so to speak. You have just got to take each day as it comes."

The Eddies are entering the stretch drive of what has so far been their most successful season in club history. Entering Saturday's match against the New York Cosmos- the team's third game in a week- the Eddies currently sit second in the NASL Combined standings and look poised to enter the postseason for the first time under head coach Colin Miller and the first time since their inaugural season in 2011.

"Fingers crossed that we can cross the line," Fordyce said. "The main goal at the start of the year was to get into the playoffs. We just have to keep getting on and doing what we have to do. The team has improved dramatically and we've lost some quality players along the way but, in terms of the quality overall, it has just gotten so much better. Every player is fighting for the same thing."

Despite being one of the most tenured players in club history, the Belfast native has no intention of slowing down.

"I plan to play a lot more games and years to come," Fordyce concluded. "I just want to thank our owners Tom and Dave Fath, the coaching staff and our fans and especially my wife. If we've had a bad game, I come in in a grumpy mood and she has to deal with that. I want to thank her for her understanding on all the bad days. It's good whenever you have good days, but it's the bad days when you realize who actually sticks beside you. I want to thank everyone at the club and fingers crossed there are a lot more games to come from me."

FC Edmonton travels to face New York Cosmos, Saturday September 17 at James M. Shuart Stadium at 5:00 p.m. MT. The game will be broadcast and streamed live on ONE World Sports for viewers in both Canada and the United States.

For tickets and more information, please click HERE (https://tickets.fcedmonton.com/?mc_cid4eae21f8a1&mc_eid[UNIQID]), call 780.700.2600 or visit www.fcedmonton.com.

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North American Soccer League Stories from September 16, 2016


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