Fury Poor in Season-ending 1-0 Defeat

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The first half was arguably their worst of their inaugural NASL Spring Season, but Ottawa Fury FC came on strong towards the end of their date with the defending-champion New York Cosmos, squandering multiple late opportunities while sinking to a one-nil defeat.

The first forty-five were an admitted embarrassment for Marc Dos Santos’ side.  The Fury FC manager was quoted at describing the first half as a ‘show’ that his squad ‘watched…New York play in front of them.’  I couldn’t agree more- it was quite possible the worst half of technique from Ottawa’s expansion team thus far.  The team couldn’t string more than two passes together, and looked disorganized in the midfield.

A defensive breakdown allowed Alessandro Noselli (above) to slice through the heart of the Fury defence before depositing a great ball from Mads Stokkelien into the back of the net, and the hosts led after just six minutes.

Things didn’t improve much for Fury FC in the first half, as they managed just one shot off-target which didn’t trouble Cosmos ‘keeper Jimmy Maurer.  Dos Santos’ side were completely overrun by the likes of Noselli, Guenzatti, and Joseph Nané in the midfield, and were extremely lucky to trail by the single goal at half-time.

An initially bright start to the second half for Fury FC quickly fizzled, as a few semi-chances just after the fifty minute mark went unused before the Cosmos regained control of the midfield and created multiple chances.

Luckily for Ottawa, Gio Savarese’s side couldn’t take advantage of two quality chances in the second half which could’ve put the game to bed- Mads Stokkelien missed a wide-open net after skirting around charging Fury ‘keeper Devala Gorrick, while standout defender Jimmy Ockford couldn’t get a foot to a well-delivered free kick from Ayozé.

Fury FC would finally get their first true chance of the match in the 73rd minute, as Tom Heinemann‘s half-chance was headed well wide of the Cosmos net.

It took the Fury until the 88th minute to actually force Maurer into making a save- but boy did he have to be sharp when called upon.  A Maykon free kick sailed into the Cosmos’ penalty area, where Tony Donatelli headed cross-goal for Drew Beckie.  The Fury FC centreback was unable to beat Maurer from close range, and the Fury’s only true chance of the match was squandered.

Despite multiple corners/free kicks in injury time, Ottawa didn’t come close to scoring again, and deservingly fell one-nil to a distinctly average Cosmos team.  Carl Haworth and substitute P.R. Mayard both had excellent shooting opportunities late-on blocked because they took too long to shoot.

New York didn’t beat Fury FC on Sunday afternoon- Fury FC beat themselves.  The Cosmos did not play an especially good game, and the three points were there for the taking had Ottawa played even marginally better in the midfield.  Poor passing throughout, combined with an overall terrible first half, sunk the Fury on Sunday at Shuart Stadium.

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Match Ratings

(Average Rating = 6.0)

Gorrick, GK – 7.5 – Another quality performance from, in my opinion, the Spring Season MVP for Fury FC.  Made two or three quality stops, commanded the defenders well, and was the reason it wasn’t 2- or 3-0 New York by halftime.

Maykon, LB – 5.0 – Another mediocre/poor performance from one of the team’s ‘marquee’ signings, Maykon made some decent runs up the left flank, but to make a run you need pace- something he has sorely lacked this season (be it due to match fitness or injury).  Turned the ball over, by my count, eleven times on Sunday.  Eleven.

Trafford, CB – 5.5 – Noselli sprinted right past him on the NY goal, and he made multiple ‘gaping mouth’ defensive mistakes- two in his own penalty area!  One of many Fury players who just…wasn’t up to par on Sunday.

Beckie, CB – 6.0 – A poor game by Beckie compared to the rest of his body of work this season, the former Columbus Crew draft pick failed to bury Ottawa’s best chance of the match, and was partially to blame along with Trafford for NY’s goal.

Davies, RB – 6.5 – Davies performed admirably yet again at right back, coming up with two crucial tackles in the defensive third while joining the attack when appropriate.  Best Ottawa defender on the day, in my opinion.

Oliver, LM/LCM – 5.5 – After a promising start to his Spring Season, Oliver’s form dipped substantially towards the end of the season- culminating in today’s invisible performance.  The only times he was noticeable this afternoon were when he was stomping, elbowing, or chirping Cosmos players.

Ryan, CM – 6.0 – The captain, dependable as ever, did suffer a slight dip in form Sunday along with the rest of his team.  Some of his passes were uncharacteristically poor, and he lost out on multiple physical battles against the more physical Guenzatti.  Still one of the better Fury players outside of Gorrick.

Donatelli, RCM – 5.5 – The team’s surprise leading scorer did little against the Cosmos, only touching the ball ~10-12 times.  Did head Maykon’s free kick perfectly to Drew Beckie late in the game, but other than that- invisible.

Vini Dantas, LW – 5.5 – Playing in a different position with a different role, Dantas was fairly invisible.  Had a handful of decent touches on the ball, but didn’t have the pace to create chances off the wing.  Was substituted on 72 minutes, after picking up a yellow card for a pretty clumsy tackle.

Heinemann, ST – 6.0 – Heinemann is a striker.  To perform, strikers need service.  Heinemann had no service, therefore had no chances to affect his rating.  Actually did well on the only half-chance he received to get a head to an air ball.

Haworth, RW – 6.5 – Haworth was energetic, but lacked the opportunity to create because, well, the Fury saw none of the ball in the offensive third until ~85 minutes.  Took too long on an injury time opportunity, but other than that was at least noticeable- more than most of the squad can say.

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All things considered, it was a disappointing performance from Fury FC.  They had a chance to knock off the defending (and out of form) league champions, to put an exclamation mark on their first NASL Spring Season- but they didn’t.  They slumped to an uninspired one-nil defeat.

Some pundits, media members, and fans highlighted the absence of Sinisa Ubiparipovic as the reason for the midfield’s poor play.  The fact is, Ubiparipovic did very little in the team’s 1-0 win over FC Edmonton last week, and the midfield still performed well.

Tonight’s game highlighted the fact that this team does need to improve in certain areas, and Marc Dos Santos has promised they will (here).

Coming up later this week will be a full Spring Season recap, with overall ratings for every player who saw the pitch, as well as a separate post for my Fury Spring Season M.V.P designation.

As always, keep your eyes peeled on the Fury FC website for more of my W-League articles.

Have a great off-season!

Exclusive 1-on-1 with Marc Dos Santos

Goals Are Set to be Reached

Marc dos Santos has held plenty to smile about during his first campaign at the helm of Fury FC.

Entering play in their inaugural season, neither Ottawa Fury FC’s players nor supporters knew what to expect. An ever-evolving league, the NASL, a brand-new squad of players put together by manager Marc Dos Santos- it could have all gone very wrong, and nobody would have expected anything better from an expansion team.

However, fast-forward two months and it’s a very relaxed, focused Dos Santos which greets media at a mid-week press conference. His club has just announced a friendly against Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers on July 23rd, and he is clearly feeling confident about his side’s abilities after a very credible debut in the NASL’s 2014 Spring Season. “One of our main goals was to gain the respect of the league, and in league circles now everybody knows that when they play the Ottawa Fury, it’s going to be a tough game. They know they will have to suffer to beat us,” he explains.

As with any start-up company or expansion franchise, there have been growing pains for Fury FC. Dos Santos’ side has suffered two last-minute defeats at home, against teams in the thick of the NASL’s ‘Championship’ picture; Minnesota United and the San Antonio Scorpions. By the same token, there have been moments of ecstatic happiness for the club and its supporters, including a 4-nil master-class victory over the then-hot Carolina RailHawks on April 24th.

“For a club with two-and-a-half, three months of history, and only ten competitive games played, I think we can be proud of what we have done this spring,” beams Dos Santos, who has built an admirable expansion squad which features players from four different continents.

The Canado-Portuguese manager, who had success with the Montreal Impact during their time outside of the MLS, says the key to any expansion team is vision. “If you build an expansion team, you need to have a clear model of play in place. You need to know exactly the type of players you want to go after.”

The 37 year-old Dos Santos has played a relatively consistent 4-3-3 throughout Fury FC’s inaugural campaign, and has brought in suitable players for his formation- including NASL Team-of-the-Week member Tony Donatelli. “Tony won the league with me in Montreal (in 2009), playing. Not on the bench, people forget that. He won in 2008 with Vancouver, playing- not on the bench or in the stands. At the end of the day, he is one of those players that brings something to every team he plays on. He’s a more mature player now, more responsible, and great for our squad.”

When asked to name his personal MVP for the Spring Season, Dos Santos automatically responds, “The team.” There truly is a sense of togetherness in the Fury squad, which shows both on the pitch and off it. “The group, the character, the willingness to learn from mistakes. I’m very happy with the group as a whole, and we just have to continue to grow. These guys have a lot of ambition, and that’s important when you’re trying to build a winning team.”

The Fury FC manager, who treats his team as his second family, highlights the importance of squad identity- especially in a team’s first-ever season. “We don’t need to do a big squad rotation,” he says firmly, when asked about the inclination certain teams have to make massive roster changes between the NASL’s Spring and Fall campaigns, “I’m happy with the guys we have. There could be a move or two for the betterment of the team.”

On a more personal note, Dos Santos wants to ensure that Fury FC does not become, as he describes it, “A revolving door of players.” He wants Fury FC’s players to become recognizable in the community, and wants to instill a sense of continuity in his squad. “I want our supporters to associate with our players, not ask ‘Who is that guy,’ and ‘Where did so-and-so go’,” he explains towards the end of the presser.
In terms of setting goals, Dos Santos is looking both to the 2014 Fall Season and beyond. “It’s all about the long-term with me. Yes, we have some areas we need to get stronger in the now- we’ve just signed these guys named Tom and Nicki, they will help a lot,” he jokes, referring to recently-injured striker Tom Heinemann and still-injured midfielder Nicki Paterson. “We are going to get stronger where we need to get stronger, but a lot of that won’t come until 2015- this is a long-term vision here with Fury FC.

The main focus for Dos Santos and his coaching staff remains this season’s pursuit of a spot in the NASL’s ‘Championship’. “Right now we are four points out of fourth. To ultimately reach our goal, we will need to be at least fourth. You will not see me truly smile until that is done,” says a focused Dos Santos, turning on heel and heading off towards the training pitch to prepare his charges for their final match of the NASL Spring Season this weekend against the defending-champion New York Cosmos.

W-League Fallout- OFFC Women vs. KW United (May 31st)

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My match recap on ottawafuryfc.com

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It was a surprisingly close affair between the Fury Women and K-W United yesterday at Keith Harris Stadium, as Fury FC dominated the second half but took until the 85th minute to put K-dub away for good, when Lydia Hastings tapped home Kristy Moore’s rebound.

This will be a two-sided recap, one angle for the Fury Women and one for K-W United, because why not.

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The Fury Angle

• Second consecutive poor start for Dom Oliveri’s squad.
• Arin Gilliland was monstrous, especially in the second half.  Her 23rd minute goal was an incredible individual effort.
• Caught up-field a number of times by K-W, which resulted in surprising odd-man rushes for the visitors.
• Jill McVicker made a great, albeit meaningless, diving penalty stop late in injury time.
• Despite Gilliland’s goal, it was a very lacklustre first half for the Fury Women.

Coach’s Perspective (with Dom Oliveri)

“Dom, a 2-0 victory for your squad today but definitely a lot of things to work on..”

“Again, we didn’t start very well.  It was a poor first forty-five minutes, I felt we were chasing things we didn’t have to.  We were marginally better in the second half, but overall it wasn’t good enough for us, to be honest.  We apologize to the fans who paid good money to come and watch us play today- we weren’t nearly good enough, and we know we have to be better.”

“Arin Gilliland put in her second consecutive Player-of-the-Match performance- describe how key she was for your side today.”

“Arin was fantastic today, best performer by far.  One of the only players that turned up to play today, for us.  Definitely a handful, she could’ve had three or four on her own.  I don’t think we’d have three points without Gilli’s performance today.”

“You head down to face K-dub next weekend- what has to improve?”

“Well we just have to keep working.  As a staff, we have to keep preparing the players- but at the end of the day, not starting well is on the players.  That’s not on us as a staff.  We just have to figure it out as a group, together, because we’ve certainly had two good second halves.  We just can’t keep giving teams forty-five minute headstarts.”

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The K-W Angle

• Maxine Murchie was strong on the ball on the left flank, and had some good link-ups with Courtney Conrad up front.
• ‘Keeper Alison Gondosch had a second half for the ages, keeping the score respectable while turning aside ten Fury FC shots.
• Defense was essentially shredded by Ottawa, will have to find a way to shut them down if they want a result next weekend at home.

Coach’s Perspective (with Stuart Neely)

“A tough 2-nil defeat for your squad today, what let you down?”

“Well when you’re playing a side like Ottawa Fury, they’re a classy squad, they move the ball well, they’re well-coached- we knew we were always going to be up against it.  Today we needed a little more tactical awareness from ourselves, on the field, and giving that second effort on loose balls to close plays down.  I felt we might’ve been a bit unlucky to not get a break in the first half, but good teams find ways to win, and the Fury came on inspired in the second half.  We made three changes to play three at the back and push players forward, and when you do that you’re risking a counter-attack goal if you take that chance.  On the day, we were certainly beaten by a superior squad, that’s going to be in contention for the league title.”

“Maxine Murchie moved all over the pitch today- where do you like her best on the pitch?”

“She came to play today, floated in off the wings especially.  We do give her a bit of free reign to do that.  She did a job for us, but eventually she ran out of gas a bit.  We just didn’t link up with our forward players today very well, and we were just a bit too respectful of the Fury.  When you’re respectful of quality, the quality will tend to hurt you.”

“Any positives to take out of today’s match?”

“Absolutely!  I thought we kept at it, and we did create a number of opportunities in the second half to get back into the match and just couldn’t take them.  I liked the spirit of the team.  You always want to put your best foot forward for the ninety, but today we just didn’t at times.  We got a late opportunity from what I thought was honestly a dubious penalty, you know I thought the Fury defender made a great defensive tackle, but what can you do?  We had some positive opportunities to get on the scoreboard, and the work rate was good too.

“Final question, how key was your ‘keeper today?  Ten stops!”

“The second half was definitely something for Alison (Gondosch) to be proud of.  We never hang our hat on it, but we want those saves all the time, and the first goal we felt was an all-around weak goal defensively.  We spoke about the first goal at halftime, and we pointed the blame on the back four and the goalkeepers.  Top honours to Alison in the second half, she really came out to play today.”

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The two sides will do battle again next Saturday down south, as the Fury Women will look to improve to 3-0-0 in their young W-League season, whilst K-W United will look to pick up their second victory of the campaign.

The Story of Six Points: A Weekend in Fury-land

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Men’s Recap

Women’s Recap

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Men’s Thoughts

“People’s jobs are on the line.  If we keep losing, I could lose my job.” – Colin Miller, manager, FC Edmonton.

It was a hard-fought three points for Marc Dos Santos’ side in a game that was permeated by bizarre refereeing decisions all night long.  It was excellent to see Tommy Heinemann make his debut and make an immediate impact-

A pleasant surprise which has immediately set him apart from some of the club’s other ‘big’ signings.

The Fury outchanced the Eddies (by my count) 7-2 on the evening, and their continental style prevailed over the visitors’ English, direct style.

All things considered, three points were very deserved based on the run of play and use of possession.  That being said, these games have to be won- if OFFC want to be a playoff club, they have to beat out-of-form bottom-feeders like FC Edmonton.

Ratings

Gorrick, GK – 7.5 – Gorrick was good throughout the evening, superbly denying the Eddies’ Neil Hlavaty from long range in the first half.  Commanded well from the back, organized his defenders well as per usual.

Maykon, LB – 6.5 – Maykon was fairly steady on the left flank, had a few nice touches, made a few nice expeditions up his side, etc…but I still believe that there’s something wrong when one of your marquee signings has his flank being targeted by the opposition when they need a goal.

Trafford, CB – 7.0 – Trafford defended well, making a key block off of a corner that bounced around inside the Fury 18.  Was very solid against the likes of big Frank Jonke.

Beckie, CB – 7.0 – Beckie made a key block in front of his own net early in the second half, and worked well in tandem with Trafford.  Some great aerial defending at the death was key too.

Davies, RB – 6.5 – Dropping back in the absence of Andres Fresenga and Omar Jarun, Davies put in an admirable body of work- focusing on his defensive duties first.  His great football instincts shone through.

Ubiparipovic, CM – 6.0 – Seemed disappointed when MDS substituted him, but the fact is he hasn’t shown the same creative game he showcased early in the Spring Season.  Hate to speculate, but perhaps he’s carrying some kind of injury.

Ryan, CM – 6.5 – Another dependable performance in a distribution role from Ryan, who picked up a knock early on.  Covered well defensively the odd time that Beckie or Trafford tracked forward.

Donatelli, CM – 6.5 – The three-time NASL Team-of-the–week member was good, but did not stand out the same way he has in recent games.  Still showing very good instincts and a solid touch on the ball.

Oliver, LW – 6.0 – Another player who has cooled down somewhat, Oliver saw his goal (off of a corner kick) waved off.  Didn’t create a whole lot on the ball.

Dantas, ST – 6.5 – Another hard-working, gritty performance from Vini Dantas.  The striker worked hard, had a few nice touches, but never really became a scoring threat on Saturday evening.

Haworth, RW – 7.0 – Haworth was excellent, dashing all over the right flank and looking dangerous throughout the match.  Took the 39th minute shot which should have led to a Fury penalty, had it not been for a disgraceful referee non-call.

(The fan-boy in me wants to give substitute and gamewinning goalscorer Tom Heinemann a 10.0, but we’ll stick with a 9.0)

Heinemann, ST – 9.0 – A great individual performance from Heinemann after being out for a loooong time.  His flick-on goal was a thing of beauty and he looked hungry and determined throughout his substitute minutes.

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Women’s Thoughts

In all honesty, it was a poor performance from the Fury Women.  For a squad with as much talent and experience as they boast, K-W United should have been a pushover.

Stuart Neely’s side defended tooth and nail, and credit must be given for that.  Their keeper, Alison Gondosch, had the game of her life, making nine stops.

Regardless, manager Dom Oliveri was unimpressed.  When you outshoot a team 19-4, and 14-1 in the second half alone, you shouldn’t have to wait until the 85th minute to put the game to bed.

The offensive link-ups were promising, as was the awesome penalty stop in injury time by Jill McVicker.

Oliveri was very dejected in his post-game interview, and I completely understand why- the team they beat 2-nil was a team they could’ve and probably should’ve beaten by more.

Match Notes

McVicker, GK – Made two or three quality stops and robbed Cassie Wheldon on an injury time penalty shot. 

Hubka, RB – Was very strong on the ball, made one key tackle at the edge of the Ottawa 18 in the first half.

Steinlage, CB – The tall CB roamed forward quite a bit, but took care of her defensive responsibilities well.

Zadorsky, CB – Showed a veteran presence at the back, distributed well, nothing too flashy.

McCarthy, RB – Made two nice runs up the left flank, put relatively decent crosses into the box.

Hastings, CDM – A very defensively-responsible midfielder, Hastings roamed forward and could have had two or three goals.  Smashed home Moore’s rebound to put the game away late.

Rynier, CM – Was very tenacious in the midfield, but some of her passes were hit and miss.

Woods, CM – Not quite as impressive as the Quebec game, Woods was still a calming presence in the midfield.  Rushed up into a more attacking mid position quite a bit in the second half.

Moore, LW/ST – The wiley vet looked dangerous throughout the afternoon, but a few 50/50 offside calls limited her offensive chances.  Still got a few good shots away.

Oduro, ST/W – Another questionable performance from Oduro, who was substituted for the second straight match.  Assuming by her stature that speed is her biggest asset, it hasn’t really shown yet.

Gilliland, RW/ST – Gilliland was easily the best player on the pitch, making confident runs all over the park and taking a couple of great shots.  Understandably called to US U-23 camp.

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Final Thoughts

A very solid six points on the weekend for the club as a whole- the men took home three points they were nearly robbed off, whilst the women got the best of both worlds- three points and things to improve upon in training this week!

The #MostFurious tags for this weekend go to Tom Heinemann and Arin Gilliland, who were a cut above the rest this weekend at Keith Harris Stadium.  Both players physically took hold of their respective games and looked dangerous when on the ball.  They also coincidentally scored the game-winning goals in their respective games…hm…

Finally- a brief thanks to the Carleton University grounds crew for doing the best job they could for the Fury FC Spring Season.  From here on out, the men’s games will be at TD Place and the women’s games will be at the Algonquin Soccer Complex.  Cheers to those legends for making KH Stadium as accommodating as possible for fans, media, team employees, and of course, the players.

A great weekend for the Fury Family.

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Quotes of the Weekend

“People are playing for their jobs, that’s what people don’t understand.  And to have officiating put that in danger, it’s criminal.” – Colin Miller, manager, FC Edmonton.

“There are certain players that suffer when they are out- Tom (Heinemann) and Nicki (Paterson), for example, are like that.  I believe that god is fair, and it was fair that Tom scored that goal today, after all of the work he put in, during and after training.  I’m very happy for him.” – Marc Dos Santos, manager, Ottawa Fury FC.

“At the end of the day, it’s on the players to perform.  Not on the staff.  We prepare as best as we can, but another slow start is just inexcusable.” – Dom Oliveri, manager, Fury W-League team.