FC Edmonton and Ottawa Fury FC fought out a rough, scrappy 0-0 draw on a hot summer afternoon at the Commonwealth Stadium on Sunday. The fixture kicked off the NASL Fall Season for both clubs as they battled 40C weather, with the heated affair picking up where it left off in the Spring Season. The Fury were looking to continue their strong form that they showed near the end of the Spring Season, building upon a philosophy of possession and attractive play. However, this was hindered when CB Ryan Richter, on loan from Toronto FC and making his debut for the Fury, was shown a second yellow card with over half an hour left to play.



FC Edmonton were looking for a stronger start to the Fall Season than their spring, where manager Colin Miller's tenure was narrowly saved with a big win on the last day of the season. These two clubs brought an intensity to this fixture that is helping grow the all-Canadian rivalry between the two NASL clubs. The Opening 45 FC Edmonton lined up with a 4-4-2 formation while Ottawa Fury FC went with their usual attacking lineup of 4-3-3. Both teams started the match with high intensity and lots of scrappy plays and tackles. CM Tony Donatelli, in particular, continued his fine spring season form with intelligent passing and control. Richter picked up the first yellow of the day early on, cutting down Eddies forward Frank Jonke with a scissor kick after he lost a battle for the ball. Fury captain DM Richie Ryan wasn’t long behind in picking up a yellow in the 14th minute, colliding with the back of Edmonton’s M Cristian Raudales’ head during a battle for the ball.



The first half was very stop and start between fouls, as players struggled to battle for the ball in the heat. However, the intensity between the players certainly was not lost. The Fury’s CB Mason Trafford would hit the woodwork while getting a touch on a dangerous ball from a Phil Davies set piece, while Edmonton’s Raudales picked up a yellow before the half time whistle. Way to grind out the result lads @OttawaFuryFC especially after red card! Showed plenty character #cleansheet #OnToTheNextOne #homeopener — Nicki Paterson (@nickipaterson8) July 13, 2014

The Second Half The second half kicked off as temperatures reached the low 40’s, and the players showed noticeable fatigue as the game wore on. The Fury, entering the second half having had 57% possession at halftime, created another dangerous chance through a Sinisa Ubiparipovic run and a pass to Davies, but would spend much of the second half behind the ball as Richter picked up a second yellow while taking down Jonke again. Richter miscued a pass with his weaker left foot, allowing Jonke to pick up the loose ball and break towards net, at which point being brought down by Richter. This would be the end of the Fury’s dominating play as they sacrificed Ubiparipovic for CB Omar Jarun and retreated to a 4-4-1 formation; nevertheless, FC Edmonton would fail to capitalize.



As the game dragged on in the heat, Edmonton slowly began to take control of the game, but the efforts came late in the game, with the introduction of 17 year old Edmonton winger Hanson Boakai a catalyst. The left winger, who caused Fury trouble earlier this year in the Amway Canadian Championship, was manhandled and fouled numerous times during his ten minutes on the pitch, while he also created some of Edmonton’s best chances. Boakai knocked a fantastic Messi-esque curler off the corner frame from the edge of the area with less than 5 minutes remaining, and delivered a corner that Eddies M Horace James put off the post in injury time.



The final whistle blew after an agonizing 5 minutes of stoppage time, as Ottawa felt fortunate to steal this point on the road while spending a third of the game a man down, while FC Edmonton will feel they really missed a chance to capitalize and earn all three points, and relying again on the youngster Boakai to provide the spark needed to create chances. Although this game lacked flow and clear chances, it did have a derby feel to it as the rivalry between these clubs grow, and this will certainly be a fixture both sets of fans look forward to in the future.



Honourable mention Notable mentions should be given to Trafford, Jarun, Drew Beckie, and Devala Gorrick for the Fury FC, who all had important plays and saves that helped earn a point for Ottawa, while Richie Ryan and Tony Donatelli were also strong in midfield as usual.



For FC Edmonton, Boakai brought the game to life for Edmonton and gave them their best chances, using his agility and determination to find space with the ball. Right winger Horace James also came alive in the second half, burning past Ottawa LB Maykon on a couple occasions and whipping in dangerous crosses. Starting XI’s



Ottawa Fury FC (4-3-3): Devala Gorrick (GK), Maykon, Mason Trafford, Ryan Richter, Drew Beckie, Sinisa Ubiparipovic (Omar Jarun 60'), Richie Ryan (C), Tony Donatelli, Oliver (Carl Haworth 72'), Tom Heinemann (Vini Dantas 83'), Phil Davies



FC Edmonton (4-4-2): Jon Smits (GK), Kareem Moses, Albert Watson (C), Alberto Navaro, Eddie Edward, Lance Laing, Neil Hlavaty, Cristen Raudales, Horace James, Frank Jonke, Daryl Fordyce