

Posted by

Stuart Mactaggart ,

October 17, 2014 Email

Stuart Mactaggart

On Twitter:

@FuryFanatic_Mac

First Thoughts

Ottawa Fury FC will host Canadian rivals FC Edmonton this weekend as they battle for home field advantage in the 2015 Amway Canadian Championship. The match will be the fifth between these two clubs this year, having faced each other twice already in the NASL and twice in the Amway Canadian Championship. Edmonton knocked Fury FC out of the Canadian Championship with a 3-1 aggregate score line in May, however Ottawa holds an advantage in NASL play, having won one and drawn one.



Ottawa Fury FC may have fallen out of the NASL playoff picture for the season. However, the squad are determined to finish the season in a winning fashion, having two home games remaining before finishing the season on the road in Fort Lauderdale. A win against FC Edmonton would help Ottawa climb within two points of their Canadian rivals, but it could also eliminate FC Edmonton from the playoff race if results elsewhere in the NASL go against the Alberta club.



Keep Thinking

Ottawa don’t have many injury worries heading into the match, however they will be missing a few key players. Forward Oliver will be out indefinitely following a vicious elbow to his face last week against the New York Cosmo, while Tommy Heinemann was given two yellows in the same match and will be suspended for the FC Edmonton match.



Fury captain Richie Ryan will return to the lineup after the birth of his daughter, meanwhile Mauro may overcome a hamstring injury to find a place on the bench. Ryan will likely be partnered by Ubiparipovic and Donatelli in the midfield, while there is also depth in Paterson. The forward line will likely see Dantas get a start through the middle, something we have seen very little of through the fall season. The Brazilian scored a fantastic goal in his last start for the club vs Atlanta earlier this month.



In the end

It will be a much different Fury squad than the one that faced Edmonton in the Spring Season, as there is a lot more depth on the bench for Ottawa. However, the injury/suspension of some key players may have an effect on the squad. Hanson Boakai is not expected to travel with FC Edmonton following his mid-week appearance on the bench for the Canadian Men’s National Team. Boakai played a big role in FC Edmonton’s dominant performance in the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championships.



Prediction

Ottawa Fury FC 3-2 FC Edmonton