Hindsight is 20/20: Fury Matchday #2

After a point on the road in Atlanta after a 1:1 draw at Silverbacks Park on Saturday night, I look back on the what could have changed had they only taken my advice that I’m writing after the fact.

Don’t Continue to be Injured

The midfield was the problem unit heading into the 2015 NASL season for the Ottawa Fury FC and the top three guys Richie Ryan, Ubiparipovic and de Guzman have played an entire one game combined since the start of the season (and JDG didn’t see that first game through).  Ryan and Ubi continued to be injured and the midfield is having a tough time without them.  With the team unable to complete multiple passes in Atlanta’s half, the injuries, and a suspension, is not doing the Fury any favours early in the Spring Season.  While not a persistent injury, missing Paulo Jr was a big factor on Saturday as the wing play was a bit stifled and lacked any creativity and pace.

Stolen from katiescucina.com

 

Be the Bigger Man

I don’t know what the Fury did to upset the referee union, perhaps they forgot to donate to their last fund raiser (probably for blindness, get it!).  Whatever it was to warrant the wrath and scorn of referees and linesman (yeah, I know their called referee’s assistants, but they run the lines not pick up the ref’s dry cleaning).  Again, the Fury we’re the victims of another blown call, this time leading the the tying goal.  Fury need to nut-up and apologize to the ref’s union and maybe send them a basket full of jam or something, I don’t know how these things work?

Stolen from theguardian.com

No Long Ball, No

Alright, we get Tommy Heinemann is tall but he’s not exactly the prototypical target man able to bring down long balls with ease and hold up play until he sets up a winger or midfield with the perfect pass to create an opportunity.  Yet, every game, generally at the beginning, the defenders and mids lob balls to Tommy hoping he’s going to magically make something out of them, but he either misses them completely or heads them down field to the opposing defenders.  This is not Tommy’s fault, although he didn’t have the greatest game on Saturday, but that of the mids and defenders who look for the quick transition.  This has never worked for the Fury ever, so stop doing it.

Stolen from redsarmy.com

More Goal Celebration Choreography

“Why is Nicki Paterson yelling at the sky?”  I thought to myself after the opening goal that put the Fury ahead 1:0 in the first half.  It wasn’t until Colin Falvey would later provide context to the awkward moment by fake choking Nicki.  Ah that makes sense now, thanks!  Maybe spend more time choreographing these instead of convincing some guy you’re all a bunch of super elite hitmen.

Maybe Next Time Take Delta

To be fair I stole this from an Atlanta Ultras sign I saw during the match.  Less crazy people, also, you don’t have to listen to the emergency spiel in two languages.

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

Atlanta Silverbacks Q&A with Sean Yancy and Match Preview

Q&A with SoccerATL’s Sean Yancy

I was fortunate to talk to socceratl.com‘s Sean Yancy about the Atlanta Silverbacks 2015 season and beyond ahead of Saturday nights clash at Silverback park. Give @SoccerATLdotcom a follow on the Twitter and check out an excellent Q&A he did with former Atlanta and current Fury defender Mike Randolph.

BlogSmith: Where do you see Atlanta finishing overall at the end of the season?

Sean Yancy: This is so difficult to answer with all the turnover in NASL and only one match in the books, but I’ll give it a try. I think Atlanta will be the surprise of the league this season. Many have counted them out due to their limited budget due to league ownership, but they’ve managed to put together a strong squad despite those constraints. I can see them competing for a playoff spot, but only if they can avoid key injuries and have young players step up.

Courtesy of bigapplesoccer.com

Bloggy: Who was Atlanta’s biggest signing this off season? 

Sean: Right now I’d say it is Simon Mensing, the English CB. He assumed the captain role and will be a leader for the team. But potentially it could be Hans Denissen, who is still recovering from injury, but could be a huge signing if he can get back to his San Antonio Scorpions-like form.

Bloggy: What are the Silverbacks strengths and weaknesses?

Sean: The teams strength is in their forwards. Matt Horth returns to the team, Hans Denissen could be a great addition, Shaka Bangura is speedy and dangerous, Kyle Porter brings MLS experience.

Sean: Depth and cohesiveness. An injury to a key player would mean another very inexperienced player would need to start. This already happened with starting goalkeeper Steward Ceus going down to a knee injury and CJ Cochran having to make his first pro start opening night (though he played great). Also, the team only got together about a month before the season started, and haven’t had a chance to really connect yet.

Courtesy of Sky Sports

Bloggy: Who’s the one player Atlanta can’t do without?

Sean: One game in it has to be the captain, Simon Mensing. He’s the leader on the backline, as well as the rest of the team.

 

 

Bloggy: Who’s a young player we should keep an eye on this year?

Sean: Jon Okafor. He’s a 25-year-old wide midfielder/winger. He had a great preseason and won a starting role. As of now, the fans know him for his throwback short shorts, but soon they’ll know him for his dangerous play.

Bloggy: What positives can Atlanta take away from Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Indy?

Sean: CJ Cochran was a big positive. He didn’t look flustered, made some difficult saves, and looked confident though it had to be nerve-wracking. I think the biggest thing was that there was a team out there and they got a result (though it was a heartbreaker at the end not to win) when most thought the Silverbacks were done for good. Now we’ve got a team in Atlanta that has shown us something, given the fans hope for a decent season.

Bloggy: What are you most looking forward to in this 2015 NASL Season? 

Sean: Just the fact that we have a season and a team to watch! It got pretty scary there and looked like we wouldn’t, but the league stepped in and here we are.

Bloggy: How positive are you the Atlanta Silverbacks will be back in 2016? 

Sean: As a fan I’m hopeful, but if I take myself out of that mindset it’s hard to believe that they’ll be around in 2016. It would make sense for the league to keep the team going through 2016 because it’s the only game in town until 2017. They need to find local ownership to make that happen, but it doesn’t seem like the best investment for the long term. There’s always a possibility they find a way to keep it going, so I’m gonna hold out hope that that happens.

Big thanks to Sean for taking the time to answer my questions!  While we don’t wish them anything resembling good luck on Saturday, we do wish the Silverbacks good luck during the season and with efforts to keep the club in Atlanta with some of the most passionate supporters in the league.

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Ottawa Fury FC Visit a Retooled Atlanta Silverbacks 

After having lost their first game of the NASL season last Saturday in a controversial match in Carolina 3:1, the Ottawa Fury FC will travel to Atlanta looking for their first win in 2015.  The Silverbacks will be seeking revenge from an Ottawa team that not only beat them in their last two meetings, but also signed their star defender and captain Mike Randolph over the off season. Atlanta’s new, and MLS Championship winning coach (Colorado Rapids) Gary Smith will be counting on his two biggest off season acquisitions: striker Hans Denissen and defender and now captain Simon Mensing to keep their undefeated season intact.  Silverback’s drew their opener at home 1:1 to Indy after a 90′ penalty scored by super-sub Don Smart.  Ottawa will welcome back Nicki Paterson, Mauro Eusatquio as well as 2014 top scorer Oliver from suspension to the lineup, but will be without Canadian international midfielder Julian de Guzman who will be serving a one game suspension as well as Richie Ryan, Paulo Jr. and Sinisa Ubiparipovich with injury.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7 pm Saturday at Silverbacks Park and can be seen live on Rogers 22, and streamed online at ottawafuryfc.com or on the radio on TSN1200.

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

My Hindsight is 20/20: Ottawa Fury FC Matchday #1

Stolen for Pinterest.com

Note: This isn’t a proper game review, for actual game reviews please read Kendra’s, the official NASL.com’s, Neil Morris’ (Carolina perspective) and/or you can watch it your dammed self via YouTube, minus the first 13 minutes and most of the 69th minute, of course.

After an event-filled, controversial and disappointing 3:1 loss in Carolina to begin the NASL 2015 season for the Ottawa Fury FC, I look back at what should/could have been different had the Fury coaching staff and players read these thoughts before kickoff last Saturday afternoon.

Don’t be Injured

This goes without saying, but if you want to contribute to the team and its success, don’t be injured.  With the team’s midfield already depleted, Richie Ryan (undisclosed), Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Karma: April Fools Day) and Philippe Davies (upper body, possibly the arm that he broke and had surgery on) all missed suiting up for the Fury last Saturday.  We all understand that Canada has a great universal healthcare system, but that doesn’t mean you can break appendages left, right and center to get the full experience your tax burdens pay for.

Cards Carry Over, Duh

Marc Dos Santos isn’t getting enough flak for managing his players possible card suspensions in the Ft. Lauderdale match last November.  Perhaps if he had the forethought to curb Oliver’s and Nicki Paterson’s aggression during that match and not given Mauro Eusatquio the green light to plunge himself at the feet of a Strikers player minutes after the ball had left, the Fury’s midfield wouldn’t have been in the mess it was on Saturday.

Stolen from ifkbloggen.alandstidningen.ax

Starting Trafford Over Falvey

With the shambles the midfield was in, as detailed above, Ottawa only fielded one defender who played in the 4:0 clean sheet/rout the Fury handed the RailHawks last April and he played CM (Beckie).  Dos Santos started seven players making their Fury debut including three out of four defenders.  Perhaps the inclusion of Trafford would have provided the much needed stability in the back line that Falvey didn’t, who often got caught out of position.

Penalty: Not Haworth

Continuing a trend that started early in Ottawa’s brief history, they have a statistically improbable amount of trouble scoring penalties, which prove crucial as they usually do. This time the misser, Carl Haworth, stood up and took a weak waist-high shot that was closer to the keeper than the post.  Granted the options were limited at that time, but giving the task to a player with only two professional goals to his credit was risky.  Perhaps a veteran player would have missed as well, but giving it to a player with a better shot would have been the safer play.

Starting Brandon Poltonieri

This was probably the biggest mistake that would have affected the score sheet.  Instead of playing Beckie at CM, who played admirably and did not look out of place, perhaps the coaching staff could have started the Costa Rican/American defender and midfielder. Poltonieri scored less than a minute after coming on in relief of Patryk Misik at the 83rd minute.  If my math fails me, and it usually does (I’m a writer not a scientist at CERN), had Brandon P. started, and kept at his pace, he would have scored approximately 12.9 goals. You could equally say that since he was on for the last goal, they would have conceded about 12.9 goals too, but that shouldn’t count because that last goal was bullshit!

JDG Feared for Ref’s Safety

Julian de Guzman was the victim of a non-call made by the ref which lead to the insurance marker by Carolina while the Fury were pressing for the last minute tying goal.  After the goal JDG was yellow carded when JDG tried to tell the ref he may have lost his sight momentarily showing concern for the man, as sudden loss of sight may be the symptom of something more serious like stroke or heart failure.  A field with 22 men running around with a ball flying at high velocities is hardly the place for a man with vision problems, JDG then carefully grabbed the ref’s arm to escort him to safety and seek medical attention, when the ref blindly stumbled for his ref-wallet and showed JDG a red card.  Now de Guzman will miss the next match in Atlanta, while the ref somehow made it back to his hotel room.

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

4 Questions Heading into the 2015 Ottawa Fury FC Season

On the eve of the 2015 NASL season I ask the four questions surrounding the Ottawa Fury as they head into their second season of professional soccer.

 

1) Where will the goals come from?

If you were to poll Fury fans about the clubs biggest let down of the 2014 season, goal scoring would be at the top of that list, narrowly beating out Garbage Pail Smoke Shows and Bon Jovi.  The Fury were second last in the league last year putting balls into the net and did not re-sign the top two players in assist last year: Donatelli and Dantas.  Additions to the 2015 Fury forwards were: Paulo Jr, zero goals since 2012; and Andrew Wiedeman, 4 goals in 44 MLS games.  Heinemann is healthy heading into the season, Oliver has room to improve on his team leading goal scoring form a year ago and Haworth has already scored twice as many goals in preseason this year than hid did in all of 2014.

2) Attendance Up or Attendance Down?

2014 was a strange year for attendance at Fury matches, first off they played at Carelton U’s Keith Harris Stadium in the Spring Season with a max of just over 3k, and second their first game in TD Place broke the NASL modern day record in attendance with over 14k, with a little help from OSEG’s ticket packaging.  2015 is a new year and a full year at TD Place, and most of the construction has been completed and walk up crowds should increase because of it.  The new broadcasting deal allowing fans to watch away games over Rogers 22 and steaming at ottawafuryfc.com for FREE, should increase both the visibility of the club locally and allow casual fans a way to follow the team without any monetary investment.  Having an average crowd above 10k is years away in my opinion, but with the right marketing and improved results an average of 6 to 7k per match isn’t out of the question, however this will take a bit more effort on OSEG’s part to advertise to the city and not to its already established supporters.

3) Too Many Chiefs?

Leadership, has long been a trait desired by coach Marc Dos Santos since he began to first build the team back in late 2013.  Richie Ryan the clubs captain is joined this year by the Canadian Men’s National Team captain Julian de Guzman, and Mike Randolph the Atlanta Silverback’s captain in ’14.  With strong leaders in keeper Romuald Peiser and in defense with Rafael Alves, Dos Santos will need to ensure these strong personalities are on the same page.  With the club’s wealth at leadership, the Fury should be less prone to those last minute losses and draws that plagued the season in ’14, however, they will be more susceptible to clash if results don’t go their way and the many leaders on the team are not in sync with one another.

4) Will TD Place become a Fortress or Bouncy Castle?

No doubt the switch from Carleton to TD Place was a positive for the players, coaches and staff last June, unfortunately the wins did not follow them.  For some reason the success found at Keith Harris was nowhere to be found at Lansdowne. With only one win, against the last place team no less, TD Place became a fortress…for the opposing teams.  It could be said that since it was a new Stadium it was new for the Fury players as well, and they didn’t understand and learn the little nuances and differences the field held until late in the season.  Perhaps, it’ the barren North Side stands and the noise of the crowd doesn’t fill the stadium and therefore acts much more like a neutral sight match.  Either way if the Fury are to succeed in this league they are going to need a fortress in their backyard, not a bouncy castle.

If you like what I write, you might like what I say, listen to the Ours is the Fury Podcast for a preview of the Ottawa Fury FC v. Carolina RailHawk match, plus way more stuff.

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

 

Ottawa Fury FC: Philosophical Change or Building a Champion

After the 2014 season that saw the Ottawa Fury FC compete with the NASL’s best teams but did not get the results they were looking for, including only one victory in their new stadium, changes were afoot for Marc Dos Santos’ squad for 2015.  Many, including yours truly, thought an emphasis on improving the attacking side of the ball were surely on the way as the philosophical ideology of the new club had been an attacking/possession oriented style of play.  The Fury, last season, only outscored one other NASL team (Atlanta Silverbacks) and at one point in the season went over 400 continuous minutes without scoring a goal, not exactly what an attacking orientated team should have on its resume.  In contrast the Fury finished the season with a -4 goal differential, and finished 5th in goals conceded, conceding one less than the eventual Soccer Bowl finalists Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

 

Moving toward the start of the 2015 NASL campaign, the Fury have brought in eight new faces to the National Capital.  Defensive signings came early and often as the club inked NASL veterans: Mike Randolph (Atlanta), Rafael Alves (Ft. Lauderdale) and Brandon Poltronieri (Atlanta) as well as adding former Charleston Battery (where have you heard that before?) CB Colin Falvey, who actually has a decent goal scoring record with 25 professional goals to his credit.  These four newcomers will challenge the four returning defenders: Mason Trafford, Drew Beckie and Ryan Richter for playing time in 2015.  Conversely, the Fury added Paulo Junior (forward), Andrew Wiedeman (forward), Patryk Misik (midfield) and Julian de Guzman (midfield) to the roster but don’t look to upgrade the offensive side of the ball over the players they ostensibly replaced in P-R Mayard, Omar Jarun (he did score 2 goals last year), Vini Dantas and Tony Donatelli.

Courtesy of chssoccer.net

 

Have the Fury and Marc Dos Santos changed philosophies over the winter, or is this a calculated step in building the foundation of a highly competitive and ultimately a trophy winning team?

A philosophical change would be the result of a) the club’s financial restrictions, or b) the numerous last minute match deciding goals the Fury gave up last year.  The Fury have never competed money-wise with the NY Cosmos and Minnesota United’s of the league, but this year has been the first time on record that the club has come out and said it can’t compete with the “big boys”.  So what an you do to make a small budget club into a contender?  Stay strong at the back, where players are generally cheaper and make your team harder to break down.  Stoke City in the EPL have been the leaders of a budget team building a team around defending the ball, not the prettiest of football, but they’ve been in the top flight for seven straight years now, and don’t look to drop anytime soon.  By adding  more depth at the back Dos Santos hopes to turn those last minute losses and ties in ’14 into points this year.  The club hailed the Mike Randolph and Alves signings as improvements to leadership, basically calling out Trafford and Beckie for their lack of leadership and perhaps the scapegoats to the losses to Minnesota U. and San Antonio at Carleton last Spring Season, two of the most notable chokings of the Fury season.  Although Dos Santos had coached in the NASL before, it’s certainly not the same league as it was back then.  Perhaps in 2014 the decision was made to change the club’s early style and identity to one that could be the most effective for the amount of talent available to this team.

Courtesy of zimbio.com

 

Building a winner in this sport takes time, or money, the Fury don’t have much of the latter so they’re going to depend on time.  Romuald Peiser showed late last year that he’s one of the best keepers in the league, but he’s not getting younger, and if you’re Marc Dos Santos you want to maximize his effectiveness on the team by surrounding him with the best defenders you can to provide a formidable barrier between the opponents and the score sheet.  This barrier, once established, would give the midfield players, most notably Richie Ryan the ability to play further up the field and use his elite passing skills to maintain possession in the opponents half and set up the offence more reliably.   With more defensive pressure taken off the midfield, the wingers will have more opportunity to make runs deeper into the final third of the pitch and to utilize the width of the field more. While the strikers and wingers were not the brightest spot on the roster last year, they are mostly young, and for most of was their fist taste of NASL or even professional soccer.  It’s not too much of a stretch that Dos Santos is confident that Oliver, Haworth and a healthy Heinemann can improve this year enough to carry the offensive burden that will require more output this year if they are going to compete for a spot in the NASL Championship or to advance far in the Voyageurs Cup while not sacrificing the attacking orientated possession style the club was built on coming into the league last year.

Courtesy of lapresse.ca

 

Either way, it should be an interesting season for the Fury and a full year at TD Place.  In a little over two weeks time we will see the end result of the Fury’s offseason and will be able to understand a little more if this was a philosophical change or the building of a young franchise into a winning one.

 

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

 

Ottawa Fury FC NASL Year in Review

Here, in chronological order, is the Ottawa Fury FC’s NASL year in review…enjoy.

March:

– March 15, Fury play 1st game in their history at Complexe Branchaud-Briere vs. York University (2:1 win), Paterson scores first goal in history with a 1st half penalty

– March 21, Fury’s first road trip takes them to Rochester to face the Rhinos, and achieve a 1:1 draw

– After visa issues cause delays Hamza Elias, Vini Dantas and Maykon show up to training camp

– March 29, Fury finalize their roster signing try-out and local player Kenny Caceros as the club FINALLY unveils their kit’s at a fashion show.  Also, Fury’s last home preseason friendly against Syracuse U. ends in a 1:1 draw

Courtesy of NASL.com

 

April:

– April 1, Fury travel to South Florida to resume training camp ahead of NASL season

– Fury play 2 matches against Saint-Marc (0:4 Win) and Floridians (1:2 Win) where Tommy Heinemann is injured and will miss 9 matches coming back on May 31st.

– April 12, 2014 Fury kick-off professional NASL soccer in Ft. Lauderdale against the Strikers (lose 2:0), Nicki Paterson injured and will be out until July 26, missing 12 matches.

– April 19, In front of 3,457 fans professional soccer returns to Ottawa at Carelton U as Minnesota win controversially in the 96/97/98th minute, Vini Dantas scores the first goal in club history in the 50th minute.

Courtesy of NASL.com

 

– April 23, Fury’s first match in the Voyageurs Cup ends 0:0 at a freezing Carelton against FC Edmonton, Gorrick makes a few great stops showing a glimpse of how well he’ll play for the remainder of the Spring season

– April 26, Fury win their first match with a commanding 4:0 win over Carolina behind Oliver’s 2-goal 1-assist outing earning him the Fury’s only NASL player of the week honors

– April 30, Fury lose the away leg in the Voyageurs Cup 3:1 in Edmonton. Fury supporters unable to see first half due to “technical difficulties”

May:

– May 3, Fury fall in Atlanta 2:1 in one of the worst outings in the Spring and perhaps all season, traveling from Edmonton after a mid-week V-Cup the Fury looked worn out and tired

– May 10, returning home the Fury draw 1:1 against Tampa Bay, a missed penalty from Oliver proves decisive

– May 17, Behind 2 goals from Tony Donatelli the Fury pick up their first away win over their expansion cousins Indy Eleven

Courtesy of nuvo.net

– May 24, After a goals by Donatelli, his 4th in 3 games and Ubi, Fury take a 1-goal lead into the 80th minute and watch as the eventual Soccer Bowl champs SA Scorpions score 2 to take home the 3 points at Carelton

– May 31, Tommy Heinmann comes back from injury to score in injury time to defeat the Eddies at the last game held at Carelton U.

June:

– June 3, Goalkeeping coach David Bellemare resigns

– June 8, Fury lose a tight game in New York against the Cosmos in the final match of the NASL Fall season, Fury finish 6th in the Spring Season and 4 points behind Carolina for the 4th and final playoff spot

– NASL goes on Summer Break for the World Cup being held in Brazil

July:

– Off-Season Moves:  Fury send back Zakaria Messoudi to Montreal (loan) and release Hamza Elias (moment of silence please!) to sign Keeper Romuald Peiser in a questionable move as Devala Gorrick had played so well during the Spring Season.  Fury also get Ryan Richter on loan from Toronto FC.

– July 13, NASL Fall season begins with the Fury drawing 0:0 in Edmonton, Ryan Richter debut’s with a second yellow early in the 2nd half

– July 20, TD Place opens in front of 14,593 supporters breaking the NASL single game attendance record, unfortunately the Fury would lose 0:1

Courtesy of metronews.ca

– July 23, Three days later the Fury would welcome Scottish Championship side Rangers in  front of over 8,000 fans.  Fury would lose 0:1, this would be the only chance the fans got to see both Chad Bush and Marcel DeBellis in net

– July 26, Fury would visit Carolina and experiment with a 4-4-2 formation, it did not work.  Paterson would return from injury, but this would be the last time Devala Gorrick would see action for Ottawa

August:

– August 2, Fury would travel to play Minnesota at the University of Minnesota in the second game of a double-header, Fury would lose a heartbreaker 2:1 after a weak penalty was called, this was the first game Peiser would start, Ubi would score to break a 400+ minute NASL scoreless drought for the Fury

– August 7, Ottawa signs former Liverpool FC keeper Bruce Grobbelaar as goalkeeping coach

– August 9, Fury would extend their NASL losing streak to 4 games as they lose to Ft. Lauderdale 1:2, Carl Haworth would score the club’s first ever goal at TD Place.

Courtesy of insidesoccermagazine.ca

– August 17, Fury would end their 4 game losing streak at home to San Antonio as Tommy Heinmemann score in the 89th minute to seal the draw

– August 23, Fury would break their 6 game winless streak as they defeat Indy Eleven 1:2 in a rain postponed match, Ubi with the winner

– August 28, Fury release Brazilian defender Maykon

– August 30, Fury lose 0:2 to Tampa Bay at home, Fury haven’t won at home since May and have won 1 game in their past 8 matches; MDS lashes out because of Bon Jovi

September:

– Sept 7, Fury off an Oliver controversial injury-time goal draw Carolina 2-2 at TD Place

– Sept 13, Oliver and Ubi both score as the Fury record their first away win to a team not named Indy with a 0:2 win over Tampa Bay

– Sept 16, Fury sign Jamaican international defender O’Brian Woodbine to a contract, to replace the departed Maykon

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

– Sept 20, Oliver scores for the 3rd straight game to beat Atlanta in Atlanta 0:3 for their first back-to-back victories in the NASL and both are away.  Fury are starting to get back into the playoff picture

– Sept 28, Fury lose a hard-fought match against league leaders Minnesota United 2:3 at home,  Richie Ryan score an amazing free-kick in the loss

October:

– October 1, Fury win their first game at home against the struggling Atlanta Silverbacks 2:0, behind a strong performance by Vini Dantas in the mid-week game

– October 4, Fury behind Ryan Richter’s last minute goal draw the eventual Champion San Antonio Scorpions 1:1

Courtesy of NASL.com

– October 8, Fury release defender Andres Fresenga

– October 11, Fury lose a tough game in New York against the Cosmos 2:1, Oliver is the recipient of a hard foul and is taken out of the game, after the game Oliver is said to be out the remainder of the season.  Fury are officially eliminated form the playoffs

– October 18, Fury lose at home to FC Edmonton 0:2, in one of their worst performances of the year

– October 26, Fury lose their home finale 1:2 against the Indy Eleven, Fury end up winning only once in 9 games (10 inc. Rangers) at TD Place in 2014

November:

– November 1, Fury can’t hold on the the lead after a 54’ red card from Eustaquio and draw Ft. Lauderdale 1:1 in Florida in the last game of the NASL season

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC

Ottawa Fury FC Off-Season Began Today

The Ottawa Fury FC season ended on November 1st in Ft. Lauderdale but their off-season started today as the Fury announced the club will not extend the club option on three of its player’s contracts and declined to re-sign another.  Omar Jarun, the Palestinian International defender, was re-signed with no terms or conditions announced.  The four players cut range wildly in playing time and skill, but will forever be a part of the successful season that saw professional soccer return the the National Capital.

Kenny Caceros

Courtesy of VancouverSun.com

 

Caceros, the 26 year old Ottawa-born defender, was signed on March 29, 2014, the same day the kits were revealed, after making the team as a try-out player. Kenny, the former Fury PDL and Capital City FC player, never started a game for the Fury and only played 19 minutes of competitive soccer in 2014.  Having never cracked the starting lineup it’s no surprise he won’t return for 2015, although many will claim he wasn’t given a fair chance.

 

 

 

 

Ramon Soria

Courtesy of the Ottawa Sun

A lot was expected from Ramon Soria, the 25 year old Spanish defender, when the Ottawa Fury FC made him the clubs first ever defender when they singed the former Spanish youth international on December 13, 2013.  Soria didn’t start seeing extensive playing time until the departure of Maykon and played admirably until the club signed Jamaican international O’Brian Woodbine.  Never being consistent enough to warrant steady starting XI consideration it was no surprise that the Fury cut him to free up a valuable international spot.

 

 

Pierre-Rudolph Mayard

Courtesy of http://www.stevekingsman.com

Mayard, the 26 year old winger, was signed on February 20, 2014, saw action in 20 competitive matches for the Fury, however, 12 of those he was brought on as a sub.  Playing primarily on the wing Mayard wasn’t able to replicate his ability on the field to the score-sheet scoring only once with no assists.  The Wing positions were perhaps the weakest on the team, and Mayard often found himself behind Oliver, Carl Haworth, and Phillipe Davies on the roster. Mayard was often most effective coming off the bench and using his size and speed to beat tired defenders.  Arguably the most surprising of today’s cuts, Mayard just simply did not do enough in 2014 to earn a return in 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

Vini Dantas

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

25 year old Brazilian striker Vini Dantas may have been cut by the club, but he will always be remembered in club lore as the scorer of the first Fury goal, a 50th minute header in the home opener at Carelton. Dantas wasn’t helped by his visa issue getting into Ottawa late to start training camp, coupled with the the injury to Tommy Heinemann, he was left as the lone striker to play the majority of the Spring Season.  While he didn’t have the scoring record that might have kept him around, he did lead the Fury in assists and times subbed on.  Dantas found himself stuck behind Heinemann after he returned from injury and was barely able to break the staring lineup.  That didn’t stop Dantas from playing in 28 of the 29 competitive maches the Fury would play in 2014.  When given a chance to start Dantas almost single-handily tore Atlanta apart in the lone victory at TD Place for the Fury.  If the Fury were to improve up front it would have to be at the expense of the former Tranmere Rover target as Heinemann is under contract for 2015.  Dantas is a complete young player and will land on his feet wherever he goes.  Dantas currently plays MASL indoor soccer with the Baltimore Blast alongside Fury midfielder Tony Donatelli.

With the signing or Jarun, the Fury currently have 6 players under contract for next year: Paterson, Ryan, Peiser, Heinemann, Trafford and Jarun.  With the loss of the four players today that leaves: Gorrick, Bush, DeBellis, Beckie, Woodbine, Eustaquio, Ubiparipovic, Donatelli, Haworth, Davies and Oliver as the 11 remaining players to be re-signed from last years squad (Richter was on loan and his contract is owned by Toronto FC).  With Marc Dos Santos saying he want’s to bring 8-9 new faces into the organization, that means we should expect to see 4 or 5 of those eleven players not return to Ottawa next year. While it’s tough to see players go, it will be exciting to see who MDS and the Fury staff bring in to replace them to make the team a playoff team in 2015.

Blog Smith  @BlogFuryFC

 

 

2014 Ottawa Fury FC Players’ Notes

In the 2^nd part of our season review on the 2014 Ottawa Fury FC season, Namu Yoon (@BBSC_SeoulBro), from Canadian Soccer News and the OFFC Review blog, and Blog Smith (@BlogFuryFC), from Metro News Ottawa, the Ours is the Fury podcast on RedNation Online and the Blog Fury FC website, weigh in on the season and comment on two aspects they liked about each player and one aspect about each player that they thought could be worked on for next season. We will focus our comments on those who played at least 5 competitive games for Ottawa and remained with the club as of the last NASL matchday.

You can weigh in on the comments section below, or harp at us on Twitter! We’d like to once again extend our thanks and congratulations to all the Ottawa Fury FC players, coaches and the on/off-field staff, and we hope they enjoy their well-deserved rest and vacations.

Goalkeepers

GK Romuald Peiser – Namu Yoon (NY): Can make spectacular saves, and can pull off a string of good saves. Could do better on 1-on-1 chances and breakaway chances. Blog Fury FC (BF): A strong leader that can make unbelievable saves; however, often gets flustered in a crowd.

GK Devala Gorrick – NY: Great reflexes, and communicates strongly with his defenders. Could do better on aerial balls and crosses into the area. BF: Has a high competitive level and great positioning, but is lacklustre in air.

Defenders

LB/CB Ramon Soria – BF: A versatile, smart defender who can deliver great deep crosses into box, but should work on defending in space. NY: Good bursts up the field with the ball, and versatile on both the left flank and in centre. Sometimes beat for pace by faster wingers.

LB/RB O’Brian Woodbine – BF: Quick, tough defender always a threat to join the attack but is sloppy at times and gives away too many fouls. NY: Confident in both attack and defense, and can match faster wingers for pace. Outmuscled by more physical wingers time to time.

CB/LB Mason Trafford – BF: The team’s workhorse is a tenacious defender. Is an average, not spectacular, all-around player. NY: Composed in central defense, and initiates a significant number of attacks with good passing. Needs to win more aerial duels on crosses and long balls from the opposition half.

CB Omar Jarun – BF: Is physically unmatched on the field, and is an offensive threat on set-pieces. However, is often caught out of position by his lack of speed. NY: Very aggressive and physical, and leads the back four well with strong communication. Ball control could be better, with quicker passes out of the backline.

CB/RB Drew Beckie – BF: The best slide-tackler on team has the ability to mark anyone on the field, but must work to avoid costly mistakes. NY: Hustles for the ball, and makes brave tackles and shots blocked. Needs to ensure that clearances get the ball out of the danger area.

RB/CB Ryan Richter – BF: Strong on the ball and great in anticipating when to push forward in attack, but lacks focus sometimes and must work on being more team-first. NY: Very good with the ball while attacking on the right flank, and is physical on defense. Needs to ensure consistency, with fewer mistakes on the ball in our own half.

Midfielders

CM/CAM Sinisa Ubiparipovic – NY: Great imaginative passing, and fine technique on the ball. Should help out on defense more if playing in central midfield. BF: The best pure dibbler on the team who runs at defenders creating offensive opportunities, but lack of conditioning cost him down the stretch.

DM Richie Ryan – NY: Wide and composed vision from central midfield, and makes strong tackles in midfield. Can not be allowed to get caught up field while playing as the only defensive midfielder. BF: Arguably the best passer in the league and the club’s vocal leader. However, his marking is poor for a DM, and he simply needs to run more.

DM/CM Mauro Eustaquio – NY: Good passing on long balls to the wingers and fine tackling in centre mid. Must be careful not to get caught in possession holding on to the ball. BF: Plays the game like a veteran player and has great range and is an adept defender, but a bad mistake cost Fury final match of season.

CM/RM Tony Donatelli – NY: Smooth link-up between midfield and offense, and always seems to find the open man. Must improve speed to help out on defense and to get into the opposing penalty area. BF: A physical presence in midfield with great vision and is patient under pressure, but lacks imagination and creativity in final third.

CM/RM Nicki Paterson – NY: Good through passes and energetic in the midfield. Could improve on being more accurate with long-range shots and passing. BF: Not afraid to take a shot, and will track back and defend; unfortunately, he disappears in some matches and must work on making more medium to long passes.

Attackers

LW/RW/CAM Oliver Minatel – BF: Fury’s leading scorer while playing limited minutes is a rare goal-poaching winger. Doesn’t always bring his A-game and needs to improve an inconsistent work rate. NY: Great athleticism in the penalty area, and brave in the air. Could get more involved in the build-up play with the striker.

LW P.R. Mayard – BF: Strong and quick with the ability to stretch opposing defenses down the flanks; however, his technique needs to be worked on for him to stand out. NY: Enthusiastic on the left flank, and can cross the ball well. Should attempt to pick out the right short passes when needed.

CF Tom Heinemann – BF: Tremendous work-rate with an uncanny resilience to constant hard tackles/fouls; however, must do better to create scoring chances on his own. NY: Great physical presence up top, and can finish a variety of different chances. Could work on better positioning for the aerial duels.

CF/CAM Vini Dantas – BF: An accomplished possession-type dribbler with incredible vision to create great goal-scoring opportunities; however, should work on becoming a more clinical finisher. NY: Really good play with the back to the goal, and can pick out nice chipped passes. Must provide a stronger presence in the penalty area.

RW/LW Carl Haworth – BF: Is very quick with exceptional close-quarter ball control and isn’t lacking confidence and skill to pull off the unbelievable. Needs to work on playing in space and crossing the ball. NY: Very energetic and aggressive and a good example to follow on the pitch. Could work on getting into and getting more involved inside the penalty area.

RW/RB Philippe Davies – BF: The best crosser on the team who plays defense as well as he does wing. Needs to become more well-rounded to be a consistent starter. NY: Best crosser on the team, and nice technique on the flanks. Could look for more involvement in the offensive buildup and on defense.

Other Fury FC Players

GK Marcel DeBellis, GK Chad Bush, LB Maykon Araujo, CB Kenny Caceros, RB Andres Fresenga, CM Hamza Elias, CM Zakaria Messoudi

You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.

You can follow Blog Smith on Twitter at @BlogFuryFC, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at BlogFuryFC.wordpress.com, and his contributions to the Ours is the Fury podcast at @OttawaFury.

The 2014 Ottawa Fury FC Bloggers’ Awards

The inaugural NASL regular season has now wrapped up for Ottawa Fury FC, and there have been great and well-cherished moments throughout 2014. Namu Yoon (@BBSC_SeoulBro), from Canadian Soccer News and the OFFC Review blog, and Blog Smith (@BlogFuryFC), from Metro Ottawa Newspaper (@MetroOttawa), the Ours is the Fury podcast on RedNation Online and the Blog Fury FC website, weigh in on the 2014 season and comment on who they feel deserve some of the end-of-the year awards that they have shamelessly taken from the excellent Waking the Red TFC SB Nation website (@WakingTheRed).

You can weigh in on the comments section below, or harp at us on Twitter! We’d like to extend our thanks and congratulations to all the Ottawa Fury FC players, coaches and the on/off-field staff, and commend the great fans and SGs that supported the club at Lansdowne, Carleton, and on the interwebz.

Team MVP

Blog Smith: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Runner-up: Oliver) – This was not an easy decision and could easily be 4-5 different players. Ubi was the most consistent midfielder all year and an offensive threat whenever he touched the ball. Showing incredible skill on the ball, he was catalyst for the possession game the Fury were able to maintain (and often dominate) in most matches.

Namu Yoon: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Runner-up: Tony Donatelli) – The Fury FC midfield was the strongest component in the team throughout the year, and Richie Ryan (my 3^rd choice) provided the rock-solid stability and Donatelli provided the silky link-ups between defense and offense. However, Ubi was the magician that made the Fury offense possible, with his fantastic through balls to the strikers and the wingers, and the great technique to weave around the defenders when needed.

Courtesy of The Ottawa Citizen

Offensive Player of the Year

Namu: Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Runner-up: Oliver) – As described above, he was the talisman that made the team function in its possession-oriented game, while he was also capable of the magic moments that broke open a game with his precise through passes. Oliver showed incredible athleticism in the penalty area, leading the team in goals scored, with the majority of his goals coming off his head while playing as a winger in a 4-3-3 formation. That’s just astounding. Honourable mentions to Tom Heinemann/Vini Dantas for their leading of the forward line and Carl Haworth for his non-stop running.

Bloggy: Oliver (Runner-up: Vini Dantas) – The Fury’s leading goal scorer and the only NASL Player of the Week winner from the club, Oliver was able to score some incredible goals from the wing, a position that produced almost no offence throughout the year. Seven goals and three assists in an injury-shortened season is undeniably incredible.

Defensive Player of the Year

Bloggy: Romuald Peiser/Devala Gorrick (Runner-up: Drew Beckie) – This may seem a bit like cheating, but it’s hard to pick one without picking the other. In a year that had many defensive lapses, both Peiser and Gorrick were outstanding all season, with both making very few mistakes while often saving the team with highlight-reel saves. Ottawa finished 5th in the league in goals conceded.

Namu: Romuald Peiser/Devala Gorrick (Runner-up: Drew Beckie) – Easily the hardest pick for me, personally. At the end of the day, when I thought about who were the players that helped keep Ottawa’s strong defensive record, it had to be the two keepers, who both displayed fantastic reflexes in net, and kept the team in the game for numerous occasions. Among the defenders, Beckie displayed a strong amount of grit and hustle that enabled him to win headers and block numerous shots, even taking in a concussion in the spring season as a result, while also helping start the passing game from the back. Honourable mention to O’Brian Woodbine for showing great 1-on-1 defensive skills in the games that he played after being picked up near the end of the season.

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

Young Player of the Year

Namu: Drew Beckie (Runner-up: Oliver) – Both Beckie and Oliver were integral to the side for their relative youth, but I felt Beckie’s all-around contribution when on the field was just that little bit better than Oliver’s, despite Beckie playing only about 75% of the league matches, due to both injury and team selection.

Bloggy: Oliver (Runner-up: Drew Beckie) – At 22, the young Brazilian has many years ahead of him, and if he can build on an amazing 2014 season, he has the potential to be scary-good in this league, if he isn’t already.

Moment of the Year

Bloggy: Oliver’s last second equalizer against Carolina at TD Place that led the Fury out of the basement of the league table and into the best run of the year for the Fury, who would shortly find themselves in the thick of the playoff race (Runner-up: First Fury win 4-0 over Carolina).

Namu: The home openers at Carleton and Lansdowne. The home opener at Carleton brought back a high-calibre professional footy side to Ottawa and was the culmination of a great amount of dedication by the OFFC staff, while the Lansdowne opener put Ottawa firmly on the North American footy landscape (Runner-up: The epic last-minute winner by Tommy Heinemann off the bench vs. FC Edmonton in the spring season).

You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.

You can follow Blog Smith on Twitter at @BlogFuryFC, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC here, and his contributions to the Ours is the Fury podcast at @OttawaFury.

 

Three Players That Changed the Ottawa Fury FC’s Fall Season

The beginning of the NASL Fall season didn’t start out as expected for the Ottawa Fury FC. After a successful Spring season in which Ottawa finished in 6th place, the Fury were hoping to build on their strong start and push for a playoff spot as they moved from Carleton U. into the new TD Place at Lansdowne.  Well, the Fall Season did not start out as planned, after drawing FC Edmonton at Commonwealth Stadium, the Fury went on to lose the next four matches and five out of the next six and saw the club go goalless in 410 minutes (4 1/2 matches) which saw the Fury plummet in the standings to last place in both the Fall and Combined tables.  Just when all hope was lost the Fury were able to go on an eight match streak that saw them win four (including 3 away in a row) and draw two, and climb back into the playoff picture and even achieve their first win at TD Place.  There’s no question that this was a team effort, but three players stood out and were the backbone in taking the Fury from the basement to climbing up the NASL table and making them one of the hottest teams in the league.

Romuald Peiser

Courtesy of OttawaFuryFC.com

After the surprising signing by the Fury who had three keepers already, including Devala Gorrick who was arguably Ottawa’s MVP during the Spring season, Romuald Peiser started the Fall season on the bench.  Replacing Gorrick in the starting XI after a 3:0 thrashing in Carolina, Peiser began his Fury career a bit shaky giving up two goals in back-to-back losses.  By the third match Peiser became comfortable in the Fury net and became a real force in the league and an on-field leader the still new and young Fury defense desperately needed.  Peiser’s greatest game was in Tampa Bay as he made a couple of acrobatic highlight-reel save to preserve the clean sheet and victory for the Fury.  It is no coincidence that the Fury’s great run has come at the time its veteran keeper has really stepped into the role Marc Dos Santos envisioned for him when he was signed over the Summer.

Last 8 matches: 3 Clean Sheets, 0.875 GAA, 2 x NASL Team of the Week 

Oliver

Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen

 A day-1 starter for the Ottawa Fury FC, big things we’re expected from the young Brazilian winger and he delivered quickly with an NASL Player of the Week, 2-goal, 1-assist, performance during the Fury’s first ever win against Carolina at Carleton U.  Oliver failed to reproduce this form for the remainder of the Spring and early Fall season before succumbing to an injury.  Oliver returned as a sub against Tampa Bay on August 30th, and then again a week later when he came on against Carolina when he was able to get his head on a cross in injury time to tie the game in front of the rocking TD Place faithful. Oliver would go on to score the deciding goal in Tampa Bay the next week followed up by a goal and an assist in Atlanta two weeks later.  He would later add another assist against Atlanta, during the Fury’s first win at TD Place.  Oliver’s clutch return to form from injury was the offensive spark the Fury desperately needed that helped the Fury become one of the hottest and most dangerous teams in the NASL.

Last 5 matches: 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 1 x NASL Team of the Week

Richie Ryan

Courtesy of OttawaFuryFC.com

Richie Ryan, the first captain in Ottawa Fury FC history, had a rough start to Ottawa’s inaugural season in the NASL.  The veteran Irish midfielder had trouble coping to the North American game as well as having to be the catalyst in midfield surrounded by a team full of mostly strangers.  Ryan struggled with defensive responsibilities and decision making while handling the physical nature of the NASL.  Ryan was always flashing his incredible vision and passing skill throughout the Spring and early Fall season, but more often than not the mistakes more than overshadowed the positive.  In the same match that Romuald Peiser started in his first match, Ryan was injured in pre-game warm up and was replaced with Mauro Eustaquio, who had a really good game against the league leaders.  Ryan returned to the lineup the week after and has been a force ever since. Mistakes are almost nonexistent and his pass selection and decision making is unmatched in the NASL.  Ryan has transformed himself into the leader of the team and the face of the young franchise.  His goal/assist stats will never be flashy, however he has been the victim of countless heavy challenges including being the victim of two red card offences in the two wins versus Atlanta.  The highlight of Ryan’s (and the Fury’s) year was the jaw-dropping freekick against Minnesota that was awarded the NASL Play of the Week.  Ryan’s skill with the ball and his leadership off it goes hand-in-hand with the recent success Ottawa has achieved.

Last 8 matches: 1 Goal, 1 x NASL Play of the Week

While the playoffs are not in the cards for the Ottawa Fury FC this year, this team has the ability to really make some waves and garner some respect in the NASL before the end of the season.  With five games left can these players remain in form?  Will another group of players emerge to take the Fury to another level?  Sinisa Ubiparipovic has been stellar all season and can break a game open at any moment. Mason Trafford (who shows up in every Fury photo somehow) has been a rock in the back line.  Vini Dantas looks more dangerous the more playing time he gets and was the offence in the Fury’s first win at TD Place.  Only time will tell.

Blog Smith @BlogFuryFC