Initial Thoughts

After a lacklustre 0-2 home loss vs Tampa Bay last week, Ottawa Fury FC plays its second home match in a row this weekend, welcoming Carolina RailHawks. While Ottawa continues to shuffle around its defense in the wake of injuries and returns to full fitness, Carolina comes in with a drastically different form from what they have shown in previous months. Their incredible home form of the spring and the 2013 season is all but a memory now with four losses in five home matches this fall, but their away form has picked up in light of their faltering home record, with two consecutive 0-1 away victories. See also: Ottawa Fury fail to build on momentum as they fall 2-0 at home to Tampa Bay



Ottawa has been at the bottom of the Fall Season standings for the past month, with 5 points from 8 matches, while Carolina sits at 8th place with 9 points from their 9 matches, as their form has dropped since their 4th-place finish in the spring season. Ottawa has a home record of 2-2-5 for the 2014 NASL season, while Carolina comes in with an away record of 2-2-5 as well.



Carolina has had a tough time in Canada this season, with a 6-1 loss at Edmonton to conclude the Spring Season, while they were defeated 4-0 at Ottawa when they visited in the middle of the spring season. The RailHawks and the Fury have played each other more recently, as Ottawa visited North Carolina for a sound defeat of their own, losing 3-0 away as Ottawa’s experimental diamond midfield formation opened up defensive gaps in the team. Carolina ST Zack Schilawski shined with a brace in the match, but the striker has recently enrolled in law school and has missed the last two matches.



Keep Thinking

With the departure of LB Maykon and the loan recall of RB Ryan Richter (who may return for Sunday), the club is lacking in numbers in its defensive ranks. CB Drew Beckie remains injured and has only resumed light training, while RW/RB Philippe Davies is suspended for this weekend after his two bookings against Tampa Bay. CB Omar Jarun and RB Andres Fresenga are working their way to full fitness, as they were named to the matchday squad for the first time in over a month last week.



With the enforced absences of 6 defenders in their starting XI, the Fury FC is expected to start DM Mauro Eustaquio at CB for the 2nd match in a row, and is looking at DM/CB Kenny Caceros to possibly come in at RB for the Carolina match, in addition to stalwarts CB Mason Trafford and LB Ramon Soria. The club is also expected to announce the signing of RB O’Brian Woodbine, a Jamaican international who was most recently with New England Revolution, sometime next week, as well as another possible signing in midfield. In other team news, winger Carl Haworth picked up a knock and limped off in training this week, and may be doubtful for the Sunday match.



Carolina lost its last match 0-2 at home to Atlanta, as it get used to life without its leading scorer Schilawski. The striker was vital to the team, leading Carolina in both goals and assists, but may very well not return to the club for the foreseeable future due to the demands of law school. The team still has dangerous weapons in RM Ty Shipalane, CAM Enzo Martinez and LM Danny Barrera, in the team’s 4-2-3-1 formation.



Final Thoughts

This match should be a more competitive fixture than the two previous meetings between the clubs, as Ottawa has not yet recovered the fluidity that it showed in its passing and movement in the huge home victory in the spring season, a match in which various players such as Oliver, Donatelli, Ubiparipovic and Davies all hit top form for the day. Nor should the match be similar to the fall season match at Carolina, where a formation used rarely by the team backfired for the day as the midfield was bypassed with ease in its diamond shape. Instead, look for a competitive matchup between two sides who have dropped off from their fine spring form and will be looking to gain crucial points in the current Fall Season.



Injuries and Suspensions

CB/RB Drew Beckie (out, 2-3 weeks), RW/RB Philippe Davies (1-game suspension)



TV (Ottawa)

Rogers TV Ottawa 22, Rogers TV Sports 369, NASLLive.com, Sunday 3:00pm EDT



Prediction

Ottawa Fury FC 1-1 Carolina RailHawks



RNO Ours is the Fury Podcast Match Preview

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