Match Preview | Ottawa Fury FC v. New York Red Bulls II
June 23, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release
OTTAWA - Ottawa Fury FC will be battling two opponents during their USL game this Sunday - New York Red Bulls II and player fatigue. This Sunday's game will be Fury FC's fourth game in 12 days. It'll be a true test for the Fury FC players as they will end up playing six games in 18 days by the end of this month.
The Ottawa side are coming off a hard-fought, physical 1-0 victory over AS Blainville in their Canadian Championship game on Wednesday. That game was the first leg of the second preliminary round with the second leg being played next week at TD Place. Sandwiched between these two Canadian Championship games, is the lengthy road trip to New York. The focus for Fury FC during this tough stretch will be on player recovery. Head Coach Nikola Popovic will be looking to manage his players and hoping that injuries do not play a role in team selection.
Fury FC will have the added pressure of playing their fourth consecutive away game (including Canadian Championship). Their game against NYRBII will be the third of their five-game USL road trip. Their previous USL game against Atlanta United 2 had to be suspended mid-way because of unfavourable weather conditions.
The Ottawa side have presented a strong front during this busy schedule. The players have been training hard and focussing on taking it one game at a time. Striker Tony Taylor scored his first goal for Fury FC during the game against Blainville. Having broken the deadlock, Taylor will be more confident going into the next game. Fury FC will also take inspiration from their last performance against NYRBII. That game had ended in a goalless draw but the Ottawa side had put in a determined performance and kick-started their resurgence. They went on a six-game unbeaten run and also delivered clean sheets in those games.
It's the unpredictability of the opposition that Fury FC will have to be wary about. In their last game, NYRBII ended up conceding a 2-2 draw to Bethlehem Steel FC after being up 2-0 till the 88th minute. The New Yorkers have the attacking nous, having scored 27 goals in 15 games. There are only two teams in the USL who have managed to find the back of the net more times than NYRBII. But the problem is with their shaky defence that has conceded 22 goals this season. This imbalance has seen them move up and down the standings. They are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference with 21 points. They have won just two out of their last 10 games and have a 2W-5D-3L record in those games.
Fury FC will have to shut out the opposition strikers and there are a few that they will have to watch out for. Amando Moreno (6 goals), Brian White (5 goals) and Andrew Tinari (4 goals) are the usual suspects that Fury FC will need to restrict supply to.
In the four times these two sides have met before, three of them have ended in a draw. Fury FC have claimed the only win in this head-to head battle and they will be looking to add to that statistic on Sunday.
Fury FC against New York Red Bulls II kicks off at 5:00 p.m. this Sunday, June 24 from MSU Soccer Park. Fans can watch live on OttawaFuryFC.com/Fury-Live or by following the club on Twitter @OttawaFuryFC.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
Head Coach Nikola Popovic
On the team's busy schedule... "We knew when the schedule was released that this match was going to be very difficult for us but we will have to deal with it. We can't work our players too hard. We need to focus on player recovery so that they can be ready to play the game."
On the starting line-up... "We have to watch and see who is available, how they are (feeling physically) and who is in a better shape to play the game."
On the previous game against NYRBII... "I remember that game. It was the turnaround for us. We were able to show a lot of belief in our system and our project. The team behaved very well in that game. We had faced a very difficult team, full of MLS players and this is the difficult part about New York Red Bulls II. It's a team that plays very well, who have a very good idea of what they want to do. And you never know who they are going to bring, who is going to play. So it's a team that doesn't repeat their playing eleven many times. This is the most difficult part for us because we do not know who is going to perform but whoever comes it's always a very dangerous team."
Forward Tony Taylor
On scoring his first Fury FC goal... "It's a great feeling. I have been working really hard for it. I've got to give thanks to the team as well. Without them I wouldn't be able to score. Most importantly, we got the result that we needed and I am glad that I was able to help with the goal."
On the preparation for this busy schedule... "Mentally we have to be very focussed. It's not going to be an easy task ahead and it's a lot of games. We need all the players ready to be able to perform in those games and get results. We need to focus a lot on our recovery between the games as well."
Midfielder Chris Mannella
On the team's busy schedule... "It's a lot of recovery. The days we are back here training, we are watching everything we do. We are taking care of ourselves. The staff is doing very well to make sure that we are ready for every match."
On the next game... "Every game is important to us. Every game we step on the pitch looking to win. Our preparation is the same for every match. And coach gives us the same message - that every time we are on the pitch, we are looking for a win."
On his experience with the team so far... "It's been good. Every player wants to be on the pitch. That's our job - to be out there with the guys battling every week. This is what I love doing and so I'm really happy."
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Bardhyl PASHAJ
Assistants: Gjovalin BORI and Zeno (Gyu Ho) CHO
Fourth Official: John HARTLEY
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