Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC V Charlotte Independence
June 1, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - The resurgent Ottawa Fury FC will face a tough opponent in Charlotte Independence this weekend. The Ottawa side will have to dig deep because this Saturday's game will be their third in a span of nine days. They will look to feed off the energy of the home fans as they play their third consecutive game at TD Place. After this weekend, they set forth on a lengthy, five-game road trip.
This game is also a chance for Fury FC to showcase their improvement this season. These two sides played in the 2018 season opener and it resulted in a 4-1 loss for the Ottawa side. After that initial stumble, Fury FC's performance has enjoyed a strong upward curve. They have extended their unbeaten streak to six games and they have won four of those. They have six consecutive clean sheets and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau is tied first in the USL for most shutouts.
Before this shutout stream, Fury FC had a goal difference of -12 but now they have been able to reduce it to -5. The 3-0 win against Toronto FC II was the first time this season that Fury FC were able to score in both halves. Forward Steevan Dos Santos scored his first brace of the season and became the first Fury FC placer this season to get on the scoreboard twice. It has been a consolidated team performance that has helped Fury FC gain positions in the standings too. From the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, they have climbed up to 10th.
Standingv in their way will be a confident Independence team. They are fifth in the Eastern Conference right now and are coming off three consecutive, confidence-boosting wins. With nine goals scored in those three games and just three conceded, Independence are enjoying a good run right now. They have a 5W-2D-3L record in 2018. Fury FC will have to be wary about Independence striker Jorge Herrera who has scored five goals this season.
Overall, this is the fourth meeting between these two sides with each team having a win each and one game ending in a stalemate.
Fury FC will be keen to finish their three-game home stand on a high. An added incentive for Fury FC will be a surge up the standings. The top 10 teams are within seven points of each other and the gap between Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in fourth position and Fury FC in 10th is just three points. A win for Fury FC will see them climb up quite a few positions. It's all to play for this weekend.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Head Coach Nikola Popovic
On the opposition... "It's going to be a very tough match. They're coming into this game with three consecutive wins and are in a good shape. We have been having a good run in our last six games too. It's going to be a very difficult match for us but I hope that we are going to stay consistent and compact. We will have to put in a very good performance to win this game."
On the fans... "I hope to see a lot of fans for this game. They have been fantastic in the support they have been giving us since the beginning of the season, when it was rough for everybody and them too. I think the support they give us is fantastic and I expect to see a lot of people against Charlotte Independence."
Midfielder Chris Mannella
"I missed a few games because of the red card but I am happy that's out of the way and I am back within the team. It feels really good. I have played at the six (defensive midfielder) for a while and I am happy to be back. I am going to keep working and hopefully get another result this weekend."
On the opposition... "We have one last home game before we head out of Ottawa for a bit so it's really important to get another three points here at home. We've have been pretty solid over the last few matches. If we can carry that into this game, then we will be good."
Defender Nana Attakora
"I was happy to get out there. In the first game I was nervous. It's always like that but my teammates and the staff helped me to be as comfortable as I could be. I was lucky to get the results too."
On the opposition... "Charlotte Independence is a really good team. Just looking at the table and the results, we know it's going to a very difficult 90 minutes. We're doing our best to recover and go again. But we know it's going to be the toughest game so far. We're fully focused on that."
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Carol Anne CHENARD
Assistants: Philippe BETTEZ QUESSY & Lyes ARFA
Fourth Official: Matt SOUARE
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