Sports stats



USL Ottawa Fury FC

Saved Penalty Kick Earns Fury FC a Point in Charleston with 0-0 Draw

May 19, 2018 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Ottawa Fury FC News Release


OTTAWA - Building off their streak of two wins and three clean sheets in a row, Ottawa Fury FC was in Charleston Saturday night to visit a Battery team also on a hot winning stretch. In a true test of Fury FC's character, as advertised, Fury showed their mettle and kept Charleston off the scorecard in a nil-nil draw on the night.

Fury FC skipper Nikola Popovic put his trust in most of the starting lineup that provided results for Ottawa in their past three matches, led from the back with Crépeau in front of goal, and featuring the agile Adonijah Reid on top. Reid had impressed against Atlanta, generating most of Ottawa's chances so far this season and establishing himself as a creative force for the men in red and black.

Doneil Henry was the lone change from that lineup, feeling unwell in warm-ups, forcing Popovic to replace him with Onua Obasi at the last minute, but also allowing Thomas Meilleur-Giguere to slide into his natural centre-back position for the match.

As expected, the Battery showed how tough they are to break down, holding Fury FC to little possession (40%) and few clear-cut chances in the first half. Despite some spirited runs forward and crosses into the box by Ottawa, Charleston remained tight in the back, forcing Fury FC to retreat.

Nonetheless, Ottawa's forwards orchestrated some dangerous runs in the final third, whether they were led by Reid or Haworth, and showed encouraging sparks at times, leading all to believe only a few more gambles could break open the score line. And with continued, resolute defending by the lads, Fury FC went into the half fully in control of their fate.

Fury FC worked hard to maintain this clean sheet, suffering too many close calls that could've cost them the point early in the second frame. The most noteworthy of those coming off a penalty conceded by Ottawa in the 50th minute that pushed goalkeeper Crépeau to a spectacular double save, first denying Guerra on the penalty, then blocking the rebound shot by Rittmeyer. If fans were to remember only one play on the night, this is sure to be etched in their minds for days to come.

Ottawa's efforts in their own half seemed to infuse a new energy into the match. Shortly after the saved penalty, Fury FC narrowly missed out on another clinical Haworth free kick from outside the box, with the ball curving just off of the top corner.

Ten minutes later, Ottawa strung three consecutive corner kicks that rattled Charleston. On the third attempt, the Portilla kick found Dixon at the second post, but the ball got trapped between his torso and the goal post, bouncing out as Dixon awkwardly hit the ground.

Crépeau, buoyed by a resilient group of teammates, earned his fourth consecutive clean sheet through sweat - and almost tears - struggling with his usually impeccable distribution but making numerous significant saves that kept the Ottawa side in the match.

Steevan Dos Santos was another stellar performer on the night, applying constant pressure on the solid Battery defensive line, wining fouls in threatening areas and setting his squad up for determining actions in the last third. Reid and Haworth were also part of the worthy supporting cast on Saturday night.

With another hard-fought result under their belt and momentum building in their favour, Fury FC will look to harness the positive energy they now embody into a busy stretch of three home games in ten days, starting with an attainable win against Bethlehem Steel FC on Friday evening, May 25th at TD Place.

POST-GAME COMMENTS

Head Coach Nikola Popovic

"It was a very good performance. We have to member that we played a team that is second in the league right now, one of the best performing teams in the league, a team that was coming in with four wins in a row, a very confident team, and we were able to come here and stop them. Their only chances came from set plays and the penalty. Our team had a very confident play, controlling the rhythm of the game, and when we felt confident we could create some chances, we went and we got a few balls on the posts, for an overall very good performance."

"We had some setbacks tonight early on, with Henry not feeling well in the warm-ups, so we had to adjust. We have to be very proud of the players and how they responded. This is our fourth consecutive clean sheet and that is very important for us."

On the busy stretch coming up... "It's another test. I told the players before this game that this would be a very big test, to see at what point we are in the season playing against a strong opponent, so this was one of the tests, and now this will be another big test. We're going to have a lot of games and we'll see how the team is going to perform."

On the key to the night's performance... "The key tonight was consistent, compact play."



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 19, 2018


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.

Other Recent Ottawa Fury FC Stories



Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central