EDMONTON

FC Edmonton are heading into the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship, looking for their first win.

They can start by scoring a goal.

The North American Soccer League squad has failed to score in their last three games, going more than 270 minutes between goals.

They hope to snap that skid Wednesday, (7 p.m.) at Clarke Stadium against the Ottawa Fury.

“We’ve brought in players that we believe can score goals, that will score goals, that create chances,” said FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller. “At this moment in time, we need to believe that we can score goals. We’re getting into some good areas. We’ve created some good chances other than in that the (New York) Cosmos game, where we didn’t play very well.”

Edmonton has scored one goal in their first four games this season. That goal came via striker Tomi Ameobi in the 88th minute of their 1-1 tie against the Tampa Bay Rowdies four games ago.

Since then, the team has gone cold.

Most recently, they dropped a 1-0 decision, on the road to Minnesota United FC on Saturday.

“It’s really disappointing that the chances that we create, we’re not converting at the moment,” Miller said. “But I believe we’re about to give someone a hammering. The energy that I feel with the group at the moment is as positive as it’s ever been and that’s what gives me hope. The guys for one second haven’t chucked the towel in.

“There is not one head dropping here and there are guys that are coming back into form and guys that are coming back from injury and we’ll keep going.”

A 0-0 tie in the first game of the Canadian Championship last week against Ottawa has FC Edmonton in a position to advance. The winner of the two-game series moves to face the Montreal Impact in the next round.

Ottawa goes into Wednesday’s game having picked up their first franchise win on the weekend. The expansion team defeated the Carolina Railhawks 4-0 at home on Saturday. They’re currently sixth in the 10-team NASL standings.

FC Edmonton is last, with just one point from their first three league games.

“It’s a win at all cost for us (Wednesday),” Miller said. “If they get one goal, then we have to get two. That is our mindset, we have to score goals (Wednesday).

“With the greatest respect to them, I believe we’re a better team than Ottawa. They had a fabulous result on the weekend, but I believe our squad, at home, is as difficult to play against as anybody in the North American Soccer League.”

Edmonton is a few bodies short going into the game and will be expected to field a couple of 17-year-olds against the Fury.

Midfielder Hanson Boakai is one of the club’s rising stars, while defender Marko Aleksic made his debut in the loss to Minnesota, coming in for the injured Kareem Moses.

“I’ve always said if they’re good enough, they’re old enough,” Miller said. “I’m one of these coaches in Canada that wants to give these Canadian kids a chance. I have no fear of that in no way shape or form.

“We didn’t sign these guys if we didn’t feel they could make an impact at some point. I want our Canadian guys to get a chance if they’re ready.”

In their short history, FC Edmonton has never advanced to the second round of the Canadian Championship, having always had to face a higher-tiered Major League Soccer opponent.

The winner of the national championship moves on to represent Canada at the CONCACAF Champions League tournament.

“That first game in Ottawa, we should have won the game, to be honest,” said FC Edmonton defender Albert Watson. “We had the chances to win the game. We had a couple of really good chances at the end. Then if you look at the game against Minnesota, we had a lot of chances and they had one, the penalty, and it was a dubious one at that.

“I think we’ve been unlucky in some games, but we know unlucky isn’t good enough. The boys on the field know what we have to do and we’re going all out to try and do it (Wednesday) night.”

derek.vandiest@sunmedia.ca

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EDDIES GAME ON

Ottawa Fury (1-0-2) at FC Edmonton (0-1-2): Tonight (7 p.m.) Clarke Stadium

FIRST LEG

0-0, in Ottawa

WHO TO WATCH

FC Edmonton: Marko Aleksic

The 17-year-old local defender made his team debut Saturday in a loss against Minnesota United FC. Aleksic entered the game due to an injury and is expected to make his first professional start Wednesday against the Fury.

Ottawa Fury: Oliver Minatel

Scored two goals for the Fury in a 4-0 victory over the Carolina RailHawks on Saturday. The win was the first for the NASL expansion team.

COMING IN

FC Edmonton is still looking for its first win of the season. They have one point in three league games, while tying Ottawa 0-0 in the first leg of their Amway Canadian Championship series. FC Edmonton has yet to advance past the first round of the tournament.

They go into Wednesday’s contest having lost 1-0, on the road, to Minnesota United FC on Saturday.

The Fury enter the game off an impressive 4-0 victory over the Carolina Railhawks on Saturday. It was Ottawa’s first North American Soccer League victory.

Ottawa are competing in the Amway Canadian Championship for the first time in team history. The winner of Wednesday’s game moves on to face the Montreal Impact in the next round.