May 29, 2018 USL Toronto FC II--Ottawa Fury vs Toronto FC II preview (from ottawafuryfc.com)
Match Preview | TFC2 at Fury FC By Ottawa Fury FC, 05/29/18, 11:30AM EDT It will be a confident Ottawa Fury FC team that will head into this mid-week battle with Toronto FC II as with every passing game and with every gritty performance, the believers are stacking up for Fury FC. MATCH DAY INFO: Ottawa Fury FC v Toronto FC II Kickoff: Wednesday, May 30 – 7:00 p.m. – TD Place USL Standings: Click Here BROADCAST INFO: LIVE STREAM: OttawaFuryFC.com | USL Match Centre RADIO: TSN 1200 (English) | 104,7FM Outaouais (Français) TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates Match Notes | OTTvTOR THE MATCHUP It will be a confident Ottawa Fury FC team that will head into this mid-week battle with Toronto FC II as with every passing game and with every gritty performance, the believers are stacking up for Fury FC. After an early stumble, the Ottawa side is producing one determined performance after the other, helping fans buy into the vision of the team. While Fury FC Head Coach Nikola Popovic had preached for patience from the fans and to see this as a long-term project from the get-go, he will be happy with the results that the team is already delivering. Fury FC will head into their 11th game of the season on a high. They have been unbeaten in their last five games, having won three of those. Their defensive organisation and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau have proved to be impenetrable with five consecutive clean sheets. The offence is also finding its teeth. In the last game, where they defeated then second-rank Bethlehem Steel FC 1-0, they had 14 shots on goal, which is the most they have had in a game this season. The team is functioning well as a unit with everyone eager to contribute: the five goals scored so far have come from five different players. In the last game it was the turn of Kevin Oliveira to put his name in the scoring charts. The midfielder did that in style by scoring just 44 seconds into the game. This marked the fastest league play goal in Fury FC history. The game against Toronto FC II will be Fury FC’s second consecutive home game. They have lost just one game at TD Place this season and have been undefeated in the other four, having won two out of those encounters. They will be looking to add another W against their name this Wednesday. Their opponents are currently on a five-game losing streak and are currently the only team in the Eastern Conference, and one of the only two teams in the USL, to not have won a game so far this season. Toronto FC II will be eager to start their recovery after an extremely sluggish start to the season. They have lost nine games and have conceded 24 goals so far. Their shaky defence let in 14 goals in the last five games. But they have also been able to score 10 goals and despite them being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Fury FC should be wary about such an opponent. These two sides have met each other three times before in the USL with Fury FC having a 2W-0D-1L record in those games. The previous games have been low-scoring affairs but one suspects that this game could follow a different script. This is the second of Fury FC’s three-game home stand after which they will be on the road for a lengthy five-game span. Club and fans alike will be looking to maximize their home field advantage and continue their unbeaten run. It all starts at 7 p.m. this Wednesday night, and tickets are available at OttawaFuryFC.com/tickets. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING Head Coach Nikola Popovic “We have to focus on the performance. It wasn’t so bad when we were on the not so good run, but now it’s not perfect, we still have a lot of things to work on. It is encouraging that we are getting better and better. Now we have to be consistent to continue like this: this [undefeated] run will mean nothing if we go back to our old ways.” Midfielder Kevin Oliveira On his quick goal last match… “I’m happy! I had been trying in many games before and the ball would not go, and this one came fast! But I’m most happy about the three points.” On his high number of minutes and role with the club… “I’m enjoying this, I’m here to give my best to the team. The team believes in me, the coach believes in me, so I’m just doing my best. Whatever they need me for I am there to fight until the end. I’m just happy we are getting more chances, we are getting points, we are winning and playing better, that’s what matters. We just have to keep going.” Defender Eddie Edward “Our trick: it’s an entire team effort. The guys on the field, the guys that come off the bench, the guys that train weekly and get us prepared… It’s just the whole team coming together, digging deep and embracing the system that we’re playing. We’re all working towards a common goal and that is to get the three points and keep it tight at the back.”
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