Fury FC Strike Out in Season Opener Against Fort Lauderdale‏

Saturday, April 12, 2014

The long anticipated arrival of professional soccer began for Ottawa Fury FC Saturday night in Fort Lauderdale and despite a strong first half the storied Fort Lauderdale Strikers took a 2-0 victory. A 13th minute goal from centre back Rafael Alves got the Strikers going and a late conversation from defender Darnel King propelled the Strikers to the top of the NASL table after the opening night of the season. Fury FC will return to the Nation's Capital Sunday afternoon focusing on their home opener against Minnesota United FC on Saturday, April 19 at 3pm. Keith Harris Stadium at Carleton 
University is expected to be sold out as professional soccer launches in Ottawa.

The game started like a chess match as both sides looked to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. A promised, Fury FC played a possession game from the get-go with that was highlighted by several quick runs down the right side by Carl Haworth. Haworth proved to be a threat early on as his quickness saw him pass Strikers captain Ivan Guerrero on several occasions. After Vini Dantas had a good chance the Strikers would get one of their own with a free-kick from 20 yards out. Mark Anderson's delivery skipped along the ground bouncing of several legs before finding an unmarked Rafael Alves at the back post who slid home the opening goal putting the home side ahead 1-0 in the 13th minute.

Despite the repetitive moniker of being an 'expansion' side, Fury FC responded well as their continued their possession-based attack. Ottawa's response would ask Strikers newcomer Oka Nikolov to make several key first-half saves as his near 20 years of experience in the Bundesliga showed on Saturday night. Nicki Paterson had a free kick just miss wide at the back post and would later be denied by Nikolov on a bouncing shot from 20 yards. Goal scorer Rafael Diaz would go down with an injury late in the half and would not return after halftime. Ottawa went to the locker room with plenty of positives owning a majority of possession with the Strikers chances only coming from set pieces.

It was a fast-paced start to the second half with Vini Dantas rifling a powerful low shot from the top of the box, but was denied by a diving Nikolov. The Strikers proved a different side in the second half with playing a more possession-based game and hitting Fury FC on the count on several locations. Centre backs Omar Jarun and Mason Trafford made several timely challenges to keep the score line close. Trafford would be named 'Man of the Match' for Fury FC by the TSN 1200 broadcast team that aired Saturday's season opener on 580 CFRA.

Dos Santos would go to his bench looking to inject some life into the offence with Pierre-Rudolph Mayard coming into the game whose speed and experience made an immediate impact winning Ottawa a couple corners and free kicks. Ten minutes later Tony Donatelli would come into the game as the Fury looked to push for an equalizer. Despite the new additions, the Strikers counter attack prove success as Darnell King found space behind the Fury FC backline and despite a claim for offside King received the ball and went in on the breakaway and while being denied by a fantastic save from Devala Gorrick on his first attempt, King slotted home the rebound to put Fort Lauderdale ahead 2-0 in the 80th minute. Ottawa would earn several late free-kicks and corners, but were unable to net their first-ever NASL goal.

Fury FC will travel home on Sunday and following a well-deserved off-day on Monday after two-weeks of camp in Sunrise, they return to the training pitch at Carleton University on Tuesday morning. Ottawa will prepare to face Minnesota United FC who blanked San Antonio 2-0 tonight in their season opener. Saturday's launch of pro soccer in Ottawa is expected to be a sellout at Carleton University.

It has been years in the making, but at long last professional soccer kicks off for Ottawa Fury FC in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday evening against one of the most storied franchise in the history of the North American Soccer League (NASL).

Addressing his players earlier in the week, Head Coach Marc Dos Sanots said "we might be an expansion team, but we are not expansion players." As a team, Fury FC are new to their opposition, but to a man opposing coaches and players are familiar with several names - especially those who have played on the North American stage. While some of the international talents maybe unknown, their resume's showcase the experience and talents they bring to the squad.

Captained by Clonmel, Ireland native Richie Ryan, Fury FC boast experience and depth in both leadership and ability. Alternate captains Nicki Paterson and Omar Jarun both carry with them USL PRO experience while Sinisa Ubiparipovic and Tom Heinemann bring their fair share of MLS and NASL experience to Ottawa. Fury FC will however go without the services of Heinemann who is day-to-day with an ankle injury.

A trio of Brazilians should prove invaluable to Dos Santos' squad. Forward Oliver Minatel might be 22 years of age, but brings with him a wealth of experience and along with fellow countryman Vini Dantas should help shoulder the offensive expectations that have been placed on target-man Tom Heinemann. The third Brazilian threat who will spend time at both ends of the pitch is left back Maykon. He helped AEL Limassol capture the Cypriot First Division Championship which provided the Brazilian defender with UEFA Champions League experience. Another international who will make his NASL debut this season is Ghanaian midfielder Hamza Elias - a quick and dynamic player, Elias adds depth to an already deep position in Ottawa's line-up.

Devala Gorrick is expected to take the lead in goal for Fury FC, but has healthy competition in Marcel DeBellis and Chad Bush pushing him on a daily basis. Gorrick came to Ottawa after spending the 2013 season with IK Frej in Sweden following three standout seasons in the Thai Premier League. In front of him expect to see Mason Trafford line-up next to Jarun at center back with former Columbus Crew draft pick Drew Beckie arming the right back position and Maykon on the left.

The position where Ottawa has ample experience is their coaching staff led by Marc Dos Santos. A man who is no stranger to this League knows his opposition and what it takes to win at this level. Sprinkle in the experience of his assistant Martin Nash who had a storied career at this level and the successes that goalkeeper coach David Bellemare has on his resume and this All-Canadian coaching staff should prove a valuable resource for the players.

Like many teams in the NASL, the Strikers made many changes during the off-season. Günter Kronsteiner's side has 14 players returning for the 2014 campaign that includes imposing center back Sefan Antonijevic and midfielder Martin Nuñez who led the Strikers in scoring in 2013.
Kronsteiner took over mere weeks before the start of the Fall Season last year improving the Strikers side after a dismal Spring Season. Over the off-season, the Austrian native turned to Europe for two key additions with a wealth of Bundesliga experience in goalkeeper Oka Nikolov who spent nearly 20 years at Eintract Frankfurt and forward Marius Ebbers who made a name for himself at FC St. Pauli. The experience of this duo plus the addition of midfielder Chris Nurse from FC Edmonton see's the Strikers a much different side from last season with this added depth and experience.

With the NASL split-season format and an early break in the season avoiding matches during the FIFA World Cup, the 9-game Spring Season should make for a competitive one. The winner of the Spring Season is guaranteed a spot in the 4-team Championship and earning home-field advantage for at least the semifinals.

It was be a furious start to the season for Fury FC who will play six games in the opening 21 days of the season including a home-and-home series against FC Edmonton in the preliminary round of the Amway Canadian Championship. Expect the depth of Dos Santos' squad to be tested during the opening three weeks of the season.

After Saturday's season opener in Fort Lauderdale, Fury FC will return home to prepare for the arrival of professional soccer in the Nation's Capital when Ottawa hosts Minnesota United FC in their home opener on April 19th. Carleton University is almost sold out for next Saturday's home opener - for tickets call 613.232.6767 or visit OttawaFuryFC.com

Ottawa Fury Fc ready to kick off 2014 NASL Season!

The North American Soccer League may be second-tier but it isn’t second-rate.

Just ask Marc Dos Santos, coach of the freshly minted Ottawa Fury FC.
“I believe there’s a lot of players in the NASL that could play for MLS teams,” said Dos Santos. “The reason sometimes they don’t play for MLS team is because they feel they have to start. They prefer playing every game for an NASL team than maybe be on the bench of an MLS team.”
For Dos Santos, the big difference between the leagues are the MLS’ star designated players.
“If you take all the franchise players away, it’s very equal,” he said.
The expansion Ottawa club kicks off Saturday in Fort Lauderdale against the Strikers. Indy Eleven, based in Indianapolis, is the other new entry in the 10-team league.
Players with MLS experience on the Ottawa roster include midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic (New York Red Bulls and Montreal Impact) and forward Tom Heinemann (Columbus). Defender Drew Beckie spent last season with Columbus, playing most for their reserves.
Dos Santos himself coached the Montreal Impact from 2009 to 2011, stepping down the year before the team entered Major League Soccer.
“The good thing about me with the Impact is when I left, we left on very good terms,” he said. “I kept a lot of friends there.”
The Impact have loaned 20-year-old midfielder Zakaria Messoudi to Ottawa to give him more playing time.
After leaving the Impact, Dos Santos went to Brazil where he coached youth teams and led the Palmeiras under-15 club to its first Brazilian championship in 2012.
Canadian talent on the Fury roster includes goalkeepers Chad Bush and Marcel DeBellis, defenders Drew Beckie, Andres Fresenga, Mason Trafford and Kenny Caceros, midfielder Philippe Davies and forwards Carl Haworth and Pierre-Rudolph Mayard.
Irish defensive midfielder Richie Ryan will captain Ottawa with midfielder Nicki Paterson and defender Omar Jarun as alternates.
“He really leads by example,” Dos Santos said of Ryan. “Players follow him. He works very hard in every single training session. There’s no difference for him between a game and a training session.”
NASL teams are limited to seven internationals. Imports on the Ottawa roster include Brazilian left back Maykon, Ghana midfielder Hamza Elias and Scottish midfielder Paterson, and Brazilian forwards Vini Dantas and Oliver Minatel.
The 36-year-old Dos Santos, who speaks French, English, Portuguese and Spanish, says his toughest job has been to take the new roster and make sure it is on the same page.
“I think that we’re in the right direction.” he said. “Of course, you need time when you’re an expansion team. You go through growing pains.”
His goal is to play a possession-based game, with a compact aggressive defensive game.
So far so good. Ottawa went undefeated during the pre-season with a 3-0-2 record, outscoring the opposition 11-5.
Ottawa will play its home games at Carleton University’s Keith Harris Stadium before moving into the new TD Place stadium for the fall part of the season.
Dos Santos’ expectations this season in Ottawa are realistic.
“My objectives at the ends of this year is that we’re respected in the North American market.”
Ask him his dream and he offers up the semifinals of the Amway Canadian Championship, which features the two NASL teams and three MLS clubs, and “maybe” the final four of the NASL.
“That’s a dream I have with the players … But at the end of the day we want to finish the season and, at the end, have everyone respect us as a club.”
Ottawa takes on FC Edmonton later this month in a home-and-away series to see who progresses to meet the Montreal Impact in the Amway semifinals.