USL Ottawa Fury FC

Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC V New York Red Bulls II

Published on May 1, 2018 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release


OTTAWA - Ottawa Fury FC will be hosting their School Day Game this Wednesday when they take on New York Red Bulls II. This game will be the third consecutive home game for the Ottawa side. The two games at TD Place this season have resulted in a draw and a loss for Fury FC.

The first home game saw Fury FC grab their first points of the season. In the second game, the home team put on a solid performance in the first half against FC Cincinnati before conceding three goals in the second and losing the game.

With this mid-week game coming after just a three-day gap, Fury FC will look to quickly put that loss behind them and put on a strong performance at TD Place. The presence of around 6,000 school kids, screaming their unadulterated and uninterrupted support, will provide added inspiration to the Fury FC players.

The first half display against a strong team like FC Cincinnati showed that Fury FC have what it takes to take the battle to the opposition. They will be looking to reduce the individual mistakes that led to the goals and put up a stronger defensive display. And they will have to be on their toes because their opponents this week have the ability to punish them severely.

The NYRB II are the team that has scored the most number of goals this season with 15 strikes in their seven games. In two of their games, they have scored five goals apiece. They have lost just one game this season, a 3-1 loss to Atlanta United 2. They are unbeaten in their five games since (2W-3D-0L) and this performance sees them occupy the third spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The positive for Fury FC will be that despite being a strong attacking unit, NYRB II also have a shaky defence - one that has conceded eight goals in seven games so far.

Forward Brian White is the in-form player for NYRB II, having already scored four goals this season and currently tied third in the USL standings. Fury FC will have to ensure that supply to White is cut off.

Fury FC can take confidence from their past results against this opponent. They haven't lost to this opposition in the three games that these two sides have played against each other so far. Fury FC lead the NYRB II 1W-0L-2D, with the teams sharing the points in the remaining two games. In both these games, the Ottawa side fought from a goal down to grab an equaliser in the dying minutes of the game - 94th minute to be precise on both occasions. Fury FC will be hoping for more of that fighting spirit on Wednesday and feeding off the raucous energy of the school kids.

Tickets for the matinee game against NYRBII (10:30 a.m. KO) are still available at OttawaFuryFC.com , by calling 613.232.6767 x1 or in person at the TD Place Box Office.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Head Coach Nikola Popovic "I think it's fantastic to put these kids in the stadium and give them an experience of soccer at this level. This is what we need in North America. We need these young kids to start loving the game and then we can have more people playing the game and then the sport can reach higher levels."

On the opposition... "They are a very strong team. Perhaps, New York Red Bulls II and Swope Park Rangers are the two best affiliate or MLS B teams in the league. They always play attractive football. They score a lot of goals and they are always dangerous to play against. But we know that sometimes there's some inconsistency too, when it comes to the roster. That's why it is difficult to analyse these teams because they change a lot. But they are a team that are organized and strong in attack."

Midfielder Jamar Dixon "It's going to be a great atmosphere. Last season was the first time we did it. It was amazing and it was a great day for the kids. First and foremost, they were extremely happy to be here and they were cheering from the 1st to the 90th minute. It was excellent."

On having a club like Ottawa Fury FC in the city... "Growing up I didn't have this. To have this and to see where it's come today, it's amazing. It's unbelievable. For these kids to come here and watch the game and then they can look and say, 'I want to play centre-middle, I want to play goalkeeper or something like that'. It gives them hope and motivation. Bigger clubs like Toronto, they have had that for a while. It's time for us to give more kids an opportunity."

Defender Monti Mohsen On his progress so far... "I have been training with a lot of great players, who have a lot of experience, and being a 17-year-old kid I learn a lot from them. There are tough days and then there are good days and I learn from both. I learn from my mistakes and my teammates help me a lot on and off the field. It's been a great experience so far."

From a kid in Ottawa to a Fury FC player... "The presence of Fury FC is very important because now kids in Ottawa can dream about playing for their local club. For me Fury wasn't a professional club at that time but now it is and getting here was definitely one of my goals. I see a lot of kids training every day, working hard and hopefully they'll get to represent the great city of Ottawa."

MATCH OFFICIALS Referee: Matt SOUARE Assistants: Marie-Han GAGNON CHRETIEN and Sean HORNSBY Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc LAUZIERE

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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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