Pair from Haworth Sends Fury to

 Eastern Conference Championship Final

Fury Captain Converts Late Penalty Kick as Fury Down Reading United 3-2

Ottawa Fury Soccer Club Announces

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Ottawa, ON - Four the third time in four years the Ottawa Fury have advances to the PDL Eastern Conference Championship Final. In a see-saw affair against Reading United, Fury captain Carl Haworth (pictured right) scored his league-best 17th goal of the season in the 86th minute converting a penalty kick to see the Fury past Reading United 3-2. Ottawa will face the winner of Ocean City/Carolina who play at 5pm ET. The Eastern Conference Championship is scheduled for Sunday (July 28) at 7pm at Carey Stadium in Ocean City, NJ.

It was a patient start to Saturday's Eastern Conference Semifinal as the Ottawa Fury and Reading United renewed their rivalry. Both sides spent the first ten minutes feeling each other out and it was Reading United that found the back of the net first doing what not team has done to the Fury in more than 9 games. Kadeen Dacres took the feed from Darius Madison to beat Chad Bush snapping his shutout streak at 831 minutes. For the first time since June 16, the Fury found themselves trailing, but responded almost immediately with plenty of pressure. It would take just 11 minutes for the Fury to pull the game level as Eddie Jones found the Artur Piperkov cross and Ottawa was back on track. Shortly after Jones' equalizer, Reading looked to restore their lead, but Chad Bush made a remarkable save to keep the game tied. Ottawa would maintain possession for the remainder of the half, but were unable to find an opportunity to take the lead. Both side headed to the dressing room locked a 1-1. 

Reading came out the strong of the two sides to start the second half with a wave of pressure that Ottawa was able to absorb without conceding a goal. The deadlock would be broken in the 72 minute as Steve Neumann picked out Mario Pinto Neto who smashed it on the volley to net a picture-perfect goal at the back post - definitely a goal-of-the-year candidate as Reading United restore their lead. Ottawa would trail for all of three minutes as Carl Haworth would finally add his name to the score sheet taking the Andrew Sousa ball and blasting it in at the far post to pull the Fury level once again. In the 86th minute Shaun Foster's header from a Fury corner was ruled to be knocked down by a handle ball inside the 18-yard box and the Fury were awarded a penalty. Haworth stepped up to score his league-best 17th of the season, and fifth of the playoffs, to put the Fury ahead 3-2. Reading United would send long ball after long ball forward in the dying minutes, but were unable to find an equalizer and Ottawa would take the 3-2 victory. 

The Fury will now await the winner of this evening's second semifinal between Ocean City and Carolina. The Fury have a history against both opposition with Carolina knocking them out in the Conference Championship game last July, while Ottawa upset Ocean City in the Conference Semifinals last year. The Fury extended their unbeaten streak to 11-games (10-0-1). 

NEXT GAME

PDL Eastern Conference Championship Final
Ottawa Fury vs Ocean City No'easter or Carolina Dynamo
Carey Stadium - Ocean City
Sunday, July 28 @ 7PM