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NASL FC Edmonton

FC Edmonton Heads to Ottawa for Canadian Clash with Fury

September 2, 2016 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
FC Edmonton News Release


FC Edmonton Heads to Ottawa for Canadian Clash with Fury
FC Edmonton Heads to Ottawa for Canadian Clash with Fury
(FC Edmonton)

EDMONTON, AB - FC Edmonton (12W-4D-4L) heads to Ottawa for the third and final North American Soccer League (NASL) meeting with Canadian rival Ottawa Fury FC (5W-5D-11L), Sept. 2 at TD Place. The Eddies will be looking to continue their strong run of form that has seen them challenging for top spot in the NASL table.

The Eddies' have been on a torrid pace through much of the 2016 NASL season, conceding just 10 goals in 20 matches as the season prepares to enter its stretch run. The Eddies run of form has resulted in weekly league honours for Team of the Week selections.Goalkeeper Matt VanOekel was recently named NASL Player of the Week, while teammate Pape Diakite earned Player of the Month earlier in the Spring. VanOekel's play in particular has been well-documented over recent weeks-the 29-year-old leads the NASL in clean sheets (11) as well as goals against (0.50) and is within reach of tying the league record for clean sheets in a season set by Romuald Peiser (14). It has been over a month since the Eddies conceded a goal, with their current shutout streak sitting at 534 minutes.

After reaching the The Championship final in 2015, the Fury have undergone a wealth of changes in both player personnel, as well as technical staff. The result has been an inconsistent 2016 season, with the team collecting just two draws in their previous five matches to sit in 10th place overall in the Combined Standings. Similar to the Eddies, Ottawa will be without a key midfield component for Friday's fixture. Jamar Dixon as well as FC Edmonton's Nik Ledgerwood will suit up with Canadian men's national team for a pair of World Cup qualifying matches that begin Friday versus Honduras.

A budding rivalry since Ottawa's arrival in the NASL, Friday's Canadian Derby caps off a heated season of battles that have-for the most part-gone Edmonton's way. The Fury shocked their opponents in the first round of the Amway Canadian Championships by a 3-0 score, only to watch the Eddies come to TD Place and walk away with a 2-0 result, just shy of a forcing a potential rematch with Major League Soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In league play, the Edmonton side holds a distinctive edge over their Canadian counterparts. Fury have not been able to find the back of the net against VanOekel and his squad, entering Friday's match outscored 3-0.

"It's a Canadian Derby and there is lots to fight for in this match," FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller stated. "We are fighting for every point that we can and we are trying to stay at the top end of the league. They are fighting for every point that they can to catch up and challenge for a playoff spot...I'm delighted with the attitude of our players, they want to bounce back from the disappointment of a drawing last weekend at home, which is quite a statement to make."

FC Edmonton and Ottawa Fury FC kick off their September 2 match at TD Place at 5:00 p.m. The match will be available on NASL.com in Canada and ESPN 3 in the United States. Edmonton Supporters Group and FC Edmonton are hosting an Official Viewing Party at the Tavern on Whyte Avenue, beginning with the Canadian men's World Cup Qualifying match against Honduras at 2:00 p.m. MT.

For more tickets and more information, please click HERE, call 780.700.2600 or visit www.fcedmonton.com.

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FC Edmonton Heads to Ottawa for Canadian Clash with Fury
FC Edmonton Heads to Ottawa for Canadian Clash with Fury
   



North American Soccer League Stories from September 2, 2016


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