P osted by

Stuart Mactaggart ,

September 28, 2014 Email

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Ottawa Fury lost another heartbreaker to league leaders Minnesota United on Sunday as they fell 3-2 at home in a very entertaining game. Fury FC are still chasing that ever evasive first win at TD Place, as they continue to put in an incredible effort in front of their home crowd but still walk away empty handed. The tempo was high and the chances plenty on a beautiful Sunday afternoon as Ottawa dominated the play in front of a home crowd of 5000.

The Opening 45 Ottawa took charge of the game right from the get go as they created several chances in the opening ten minutes. In the sixteenth minute Ottawa were awarded a penalty following a foul on Fury midfielder Ubiparipovic by United centre back Tiago, and Tommy Heinemann easily slotted the ball away to give Ottawa the lead.



The lead didn’t last long as Minnesota showed their experience, quickly netting two goals within ten minutes of the Fury opener. The first goal came from Minnesota winger Ibarra after he was able to slot the ball past Fury keeper Peiser from six yards out, and the second came following a corner kick that was the result of Fury central defender Beckie failing to properly clear the ball. The five minute period in which Minnesota scored both goals was one of a few times in the day that Ottawa didn’t control the match.



Ottawa would go into the half down 2-1 but feeling as if they had a real chance to get back into the game after the break. They showed tremendous character and composure to earn the majority of possession and chances against a very high quality Minnesota squad. Wow what a stadium! Go #OttawaFuryFC Go @ TD Place Stadium http://t.co/PZXwCZeVLN — Gino (@GinoGranata) September 28, 2014

The Second Half Ottawa came out for the second half looking for a quick equalizer as they controlled the half much the same way they did the first. Tommy Heinemann was fouled just outside the box in the 52nd minute, resulting in a great scoring opportunity for Ottawa. Richie Ryan stood behind the ball from 20 yards out and put home a spectacular free kick to tie the game at two; a goal that will likely be nominated for both NASL Goal of the Week and Fury Goal of the Year.



From the moment Ottawa found their equalizer they pushed for a winner as they dominated possession and created chance after chance. As Ottawa pushed their men forward, Minnesota created chances on the counter attack. However it was Ottawa that looked more likely to score as the game progressed. It seemed as though Ottawa might actually be able to get the winning goal and get that illusive first home win at TD Place. However, it wasn’t in the cards as Minnesota were able to put the game away with a third goal in the 88th minute through Ramirez.



Ottawa showed an incredible amount of character once again as they battled for a full 90 minutes against the best team in the NASL, narrowly missing out on points. Although they will need a near perfect record to finish the season if they are to secure a playoff spot, Fury FC has shown that they have a quality set of core players to build around for next year, and can easily build a championship contending team for the future.



It seems as though gaffer Dos Santos has finally found a way to make the 4-3-3 possession oriented formation work, as the team has been able to control games recently and they have scored seven goals in their last three games. Following a goal drought earlier in the Fall Season, Ottawa has found a comfortable forward line with Mayard, Heinemann and Oliver pressing forward, with Dantas and Haworth providing depth off the bench. Meanwhile the likes of Ubiparipovic and Ryan have been able to provide goals through the midfield.



Although it is a shame to think it took so long for Ottawa to find this form, likely missing out on a playoff spot due to their slow start to the season, it is certainly relieving to see the squad performing so well after a few worrying weeks for Fury fans earlier this summer. Ottawa face Atlanta at home on Wednesday before travelling to Texas to play San Antonio next Saturday, meaning Dos Santos will be looking to use the squad’s depth to his advantage as Ottawa face three games in seven days.

Man of the Match Richie Ryan

Ottawa Fury captain Richie Ryan takes the honors of Man of the Match as he helped keep the pace throughout the game and provided a solid defensive presence that allowed defenders Soria and Richter to push forward in attack. His free kick was simply spectacular and it certainly gave the entire squad a boost to go on an try to find a winner.



Honorable Mention



Ottawa Fury midfield Sinisa Ubiparipovic again had a fantastic performance as he has proven to be the most consistent player in the Fury line up. His fancy foot work and speed causes trouble for defenders and he created many of Ottawa’s chances on the day.