Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC v FC Cincinnati
Published on April 27, 2018 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - Having dramatically grabbed their first point of the season in their last game, Ottawa Fury FC will look to ride the momentum when they take on FC Cincinnati at TD Place this weekend. This is the second of the three-game home stand for Fury FC.
In the first home game, a vociferous crowd of 6,137 fans saw Cristian Portilla score an incredulous goal from a corner kick, in the 86th minute, to help Fury FC get their first point of the season. The home team were a goal down against North Carolina FC but stepped up their performance in the second half and earned the draw. While maintaining a larger portion of the possession (60%), Fury FC had 10 shots and were able to restrict the opposition to just four shots. After the performance against Pittsburgh Riverhounds, this was another strong defensive display by Fury FC.
The team will look to build on these positives and carry the momentum forward when they take on a tough opponent in Cincinnati. They have conceded just four goals in their five games so far, two of which was in their last game. They will be a tough side to break down and Fury FC will have to find a way to penetrate that solid defence.
The current form of Cincinnati might work in favour of Fury FC. The season started well for Cincinnati with two consecutive wins but have failed to win in their next three games. They lost to Louisville City 1-0 and drew against Bethlehem Steel FC (1-1) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (2-2). In their last two games, they have rallied from being a goal down to get the equaliser and grab the points. Against Riverhounds, they did that twice.
In that game they had close to 64 per cent of possession and more shots on target than the opposition. Interestingly, in the first two games of the season, that FC Cincinnati won, they had lesser possession and fewer shots on goal as compared to their opposition. In the subsequent games - one loss and two draws - they had more possession and more shots on goal than their opposition.
This game will see the return of former Fury FC captain Richie Ryan to TD Place but wearing the colours of the opposition. Ryan spent two years at Fury FC and made 41 appearances and scored three goals during that stint. This is his first season with FC Cincinnati.
As for Fury FC, a player to watch out for will be Doneil Henry. The Canadian international, on loan from Vancouver Whitecaps FC, is likely to be a part of the squad this weekend. Henry brings with him extensive MLS and EPL experience and will be a boost for Fury FC during his loan.
As for the Fury players, they will be looking forward to playing at TD Place again and feed off the energy of the vocal home fans. After a draw in the first home game, they will be looking to do better and get their first win of the season this weekend.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Head Coach Nikola Popovic
"I see a lot of progress in the team. We are now closer to what we want to see this team perform in the future. As I have said before, it's a learning process and a very demanding style of play. We're still trying to find the best fit to this model... But I think from the start of the season to the last game, there has been progress."
The role of the fans... "The fans were fantastic and this helped us a lot. The amount of people who came here to watch the team was great. Playing again at home will be very good for us. If we have the support of the fans, we can have a better performance."
On the opposition... "They are perhaps the strongest in the league in terms of the players they have. We can consider them to be an MLS team. From Nazmi Albadawi to Richie Ryan, who has played here before, they have fantastic players who play at another level. It's going to be a very difficult match. But I think it's a good test for our players to see where we are."
On the improved performance towards the end of the last game... "The idea is to play more consistently, for the entire 90 minutes. The problem is that we are inconsistent. We are alternating the very good with the not-so-good. This will come with time. We will get this consistency and we will be able to play how we did towards the end of last game, more frequently during every game."
Defender Doneil Henry
"The move from Vancouver to here happened quickly. I want to get settled as soon as possible, get sharp and get into games. I want to be vocal and be a leader. I want to teach the youngsters to be more accountable and push each other to get better."
On the experience that he brings to the team... "I especially want to work with the young guys. I want to let them know that there is no ceiling. They need to continue to work and do the small things. It's the little things that really matter at the next level. I just want to help as much as I can while I am here and continue to play good football."
Midfielder Gerardo Bruna
"We had a very good crowd at the home opener last weekend. We had very good fans and a really nice atmosphere. We are looking forward to this weekend. Apparently the weather is not going to be the best but I think considering how great our fans are, they will come and it's going to be a great game."
On the possession style of play... "I am enjoying every minute. We are trying to keep the ball and trying to play good football. We are still in the early stages because our pre-season wasn't ideal. But as you can see from our performances in every game, we are getting better. I think we are going to hit our best soon. I still need to help the team a little bit more in offence but I am happy."
On the team's confidence... "We never thought that we were that bad when we got beaten in the first few games. And we don't think we are still at our best. We are getting better every day and improving week by week. We played quite well in the second half and we will take that into the next game. Hopefully we can keep playing that way. With the way we are playing, we're going to create more chances."
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Carol Anne Chénard
Assistants: Chantal Boudreau and Erick Laliberté
Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
MATCH DAY INFO
Ottawa Fury FC v FC Cincinnati
Kickoff: Saturday, April 28 - 2:00 p.m. - TD Place
USL Standings: Click Here
BROADCAST INFO
LIVE STREAM: OttawaFuryFC.com/Fury-Live | USL Match Centre
RADIO: TSN 1200 (1200 AM, TSN1200.ca or iHeart Radio app) | 104,7 Outaouais (104,7 FM)
TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates
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