Fury FC Dealt Disappointing Result in Season Opener
March 17, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - After weeks of focused preparation, the time to shine had arrived for Ottawa Fury FC on Saturday night as it traveled to Charlotte to take on the Independence in the first match of its 2018 USL season.
Ottawa Fury FC got things rolling early in the match, stringing a few decent chances in the opening minutes, all off combinations between the three forwards, all confidently handled by Charlotte's keeper Dykstra.
Fury FC stuck to its game plan for most of the first half, working to maintain possession of the ball and pressing to regain it when a hurried pass would go the other way. Getting to the final third was difficult for both teams in the first half and neither got many threatening opportunities.
Unfortunately for Fury FC, Charlotte's transition game struck late in the half, earning the Independence a corner kick taken by Donnie Smith and cheekily back-heeled in between the sticks, giving Charlotte the lead going in to halftime.
Ottawa came out of the half ready to duke it out, moving the ball around the park nicely for the better part of the first ten minutes of the second frame.
And then Charlotte found the formula that would break down Ottawa's back line and open the outside lanes. In the 58th minute, Johnson made a determined run on the left side before finding Cato in the middle of the box. Cato would convert his second of the night.
Heart of a fighter if there was one, Fury FC was not about to let that one slip. Mere seconds after jumping on the field, Sito used his first touch of the game to direct a sly back heel pass from Salazar past Dykstra and bring Fury FC back within one.
Despite retaining most of the possession, Fury FC could not stop the Independence from opening the gates. An unfortunate foul called on Manesio in the box would lead to a Charlotte penalty kick, converted by veteran Herrera in the 80th minute, and a broken down transition and scramble on defense would close out the scoring for the night with an Ottawa own goal (Porter).
While this was certainly not the showing Head Coach Nikola Popovic had hoped for, or anticipated, there were many positives the club can take back ahead of its next contest. Early ball movement and possession showed that Fury FC was able to apply tactics as directed. Unforced errors would shift the narrative for Ottawa with a final score that could arguably be said is not representative of the overall performance. While work remains to be done and more opportunities will need to be created, belief and optimism remains.
Of note, Ottawa native Monti Mohsen, who had just signed his first professional contract earlier this week, also got his first professional start with Fury FC on Saturday, going for 45 minutes.
Following an early bye-week, Ottawa's next opponent will be Toronto FC II on Saturday March 31 from BMO Field. Toronto lost 2-1 to New York Red Bulls II earlier Saturday.
POST-GAME COMMENTS
Head Coach Nikola Popovic
"I think first we need to recognize the character that the players showed tonight. They kept fighting and that is what we want. I am very proud of them for that."
"The other team deserved to win. They created more chances and I think were better. We did have more possession, and that is a good start, but we will need to be much better if we want to win. This is not the result we wanted."
"I think we will be a different team when we get to regularly practice on a full pitch. It will be better for the guys, they will not take as long to adapt. I think this is something that was a challenge for us tonight."
MATCH REPORT
Full stats report on USL Match Centre
Starting XI
Ottawa Fury FC (4-3-3): Irving; Mohsen (Portilla 46'), Manesio, Falvey, Porter; Dixon (Seoane 64'), Mannella, Oliveira; Taylor (Salazar 56'), Dos Santos, Haworth
Charlotte Independence (4-2-3-1): Dykstra; Vines, Smith, Duckett , Johnson; Jordan (Ekra 27'), George; Cato, Herrera, Mwape (Voser 84'); Calvert (Perez 90')
Scoring Summary
41' - Cato (Smith)
58' - Cato (Johnson)
64' - Seoane (Salazar)
80' - Herrera (PK)
83' - Porter (OG)
Caution Summary
45' - George
67' - Herrera
90+3' - Oliveira
Attendance
1,438
Next Match: Saturday, March 31 @ Toronto FC II - 7:30 pm - BMO Field
Next Home Match: Saturday, April 21 v North Carolina FC - 2:00 pm - TD Place
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