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Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC V Charlotte Independence

May 31, 2019 - United Soccer League Championship (USL) - Ottawa Fury FC News Release


OTTAWA - With a 1-1 draw away from home over the weekend against Hartford Athletic, Fury FC prepares to take on Charlotte Independence at TD Place Stadium this Sunday, June 2 (kickoff 2:00 p.m., OttawaFuryFC.com). Fury FC will look to continue its unbeaten streak and collect more points in a match that will see first responders and flood efforts volunteers celebrated for all the heroic work they do for the Ottawa/Gatineau community.

STORYLINES

Canadian defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère has been putting in work ever since making his return on loan from Montréal Impact for a third year. His inclusion in the starting XI against Hartford Athletic makes him the player with the most minutes played for the club this season with 900 minutes played.

Fury FC continued its streak of positive results with the 1-1 draw away from home against Hartford Athletic over the weekend. This is the most away points collected by Fury FC in its opening 5 matches on the road, sitting at 8 points in 5 away matches in 2019 (2018: 4 pts; 2017: 7 pts; 2016: 3pts; 2015: 3 pts; 2014: 4 pts)

In addition, the team has earned 10 points in its first 5 home matches, setting the club for a historic run that has already surpassed previous club home game records (2018: 8 pts; 2017: 8 pts; 2016: 8 pts; 2015: 8 pts; 2014: 4pts)

Charlie Ward continues to anchor Fury FC's system. In Hartford, the 24-year-old was involved in 86 passes with a 94% overall passing accuracy, 90% of which was in the opponent's half. He is the current USL Championship leader in passes with 685.

With 5 consecutive games with at least one goal, Fury FC is chasing its franchise record of 8 straight games with at least one goal scored.

SCOUTING CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE

The departure of two-time USL Championship Most Valuable Player finalist Enzo Martinez to the Colorado Rapids last season had the unfortunate side-effect of seeing the Independence slide out of the playoff positions for the first time since 2015. Now Martinez is back, and the Independence have added new recruits that would seem set to help Charlotte regain its status. The most interesting offseason arrival for Charlotte, though, may be the club's new Head Coach Jim McGuinness. The Head Coach of the 2012 All-Ireland Gaelic Football championship with Donegal, McGuinness went on to work at legendary Scottish club Celtic FC under both Neil Lennon and Brendan Rodgers, ascending to coach the club's U-20 team. This is his first head coaching position in professional soccer, but the history of success he brings means he shouldn't be underestimated.

McGuinness has new additions on the defensive line in the form of Championship veteran Hugh Roberts and upfront with former Montreal Impact and Columbus Crew SC striker Dominic Oduro arriving at the club to join Martinez and returning veteran Jorge Herrera. The Independence will also have 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Andrew Gutman on loan from Celtic FC, adding to a backbone that should see the Independence become a more consistent proposition in 2019. (via USL Championship)

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Head Coach Nikola Popovic

"Charlotte is a difficult one. It's a team who presents a lot of individual players who have a lot of quality like Herrera, Enzo Martinez, Andrew Gutman, Joel Johnson, and Dominic Oduro. All these players are very high quality, a lot of them played in MLS, so if you asked me in the beginning of the season about this team, I would expect them to be top four. However, they are struggling a little bit but we cannot expect an easy game, it is going to be difficult."

"Looking back on Hartford, we created a lot of situations and normally when you go away and create such an amount of offensive production, you are supposed to win the game. However, we weren't able to be clean in terms of scoring goals and we expect to be this week. I think if we are able to produce what we normally produce offensively then we can win the game. However, we have to be dangerous in the moments when we have to play faster and we have to detect these moments; and be able at the right moment to go faster, create the chance, and score goals."

Defender Dakota Barnathan

"We can put our front foot on the game. We can dictate the game, we can dominate areas of the pitch well and then we start from the back and we move it up and we tire other teams out. So by the second half, 60th or 65th minute, you know we're just popping it around and playing our game."

"I think it's about just maintaining our game, sticking to what our coach says. It has gotten us this far and hopefully continues to pick up three points every time we come out on the field."

Forward Mour Samb

"We try to do good in every training session and in the game you see we create a lot of chances to score. Some of them we score but some we don't, but I think this next game we are going to try to put the ball in for every chance we create."

"I am feeling good. I like the system. I play like a number 10 and I am free in the middle. I can turn, I can score, and I can assist. I really like the system because we have a lot of ball possession. I am a player that likes to possess the ball as I don't like to run as much. Ball possession is good for us."

HOW TO WATCH

LIVE STREAM: OttawaFuryFC.com

TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates #HFDvOTT #ForTheFury

TICKETS: OttawaFuryFC.com | First responders & flood relief volunteers special offer

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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