2015 Fury FC NASL Season – Matchday 1 – Carolina RailHawks vs. Ottawa Fury FC Review – 3-1 L

When: Saturday, April 4, 2015 @ 1:00pm EDT

Where: WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, NC. Watch on Rogers TV Ottawa 22, TSN Go, OttawaFuryFC.com



Ottawa Injuries and Absences: M Phil Davies, DM Richie Ryan, AM Sinisa Ubiparipovic (out – injury); DM Mauro Eustaquio, CM Nicki Paterson, F Oliver (out – suspension); GK Waleed Cassis (out – registration); F Mohamed Dagnogo (in – registration); CM Julian de Guzman (in – fitness)

Ottawa (4-3-3) (L to R) – Peiser (C) 7; Randolph 6, Falvey 4, Rafael Alves 6, Richter 7; de Guzman 5, Beckie 5 (Heinemann 63′, 6), Misik 6 (Poltronieri 82′, 8); Paulo Jr. 8, Wiedeman 6, Haworth 6

Ottawa Subs Not Used – DeBellis, Trafford, Dagnogo

Carolina (4-5-1) – Gilstrap, Wagner, Tobin, Scott, Knight, Anderson (Coleman 79′), Osaki, Albadawi, Hlavaty, Shipalane, Novo (Bracalello 72′)

Ottawa Goals/Assists – Poltronieri (Paulo Jr.) 83′

Carolina Goals – Shipalane 12′, Novo 30′, Bracalello 91′

Ottawa Red Card – De Guzman 93′

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For this delayed match recap (sorry, been busy goofing around on Twitter and getting some stuff done at work), I thought that it would be more fun to highlight some interesting observations from the match in bullet points, rather than writing a long, flowing essay about the finer points of the Fury’s gameplay. I hope you enjoy this new style, let me know what you think at @BBSC_SeoulBro.

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Fury FC Observations

Talking points: Referee blows several calls, resulting in a PK conversion for Carolina, a 3rd goal for Carolina and fury-ous protests from Julian de Guzman and co., rightfully so. Mohamed Dagnogo made the matchday squad, becoming the first call-up from the Fury Academy in its NASL era. Colin Falvey had a very tough and forgettable debut and must bounce back quickly next week.

Play: Carolina brought the game to Ottawa with Ty Shipalane dominating proceedings from the right flank against Mike Randolph in the 1st half. Fury valiantly attempted to come back while down, and a conversion on the PK by Carl Haworth in the 25th minute would have brought the game even. Instead, Ottawa found themselves down 2-0 soon after. While Ottawa pressed hard and fashioned some good chances afterwards, with Paulo Jr. and Haworth leading the charge, Carolina remained dangerous on the counterattack.

Lineup and formation: Ottawa lined up in its customary 4-3-3 formation, and handed debuts to 7 debutants. Due to the absence of 6 players to injuries and suspensions, including FIVE midfielders, de Guzman was handed a start at LCM despite joining the squad just 3 days prior, alongside Patryk Misik, who was making his pro debut, and Drew Beckie, a CB/RB who was asked to fill in at DM. Manager Marc Dos Santos shifted the formation to a 4-2-3-1 in the 65th minute to try to narrow the 2-goal deficit, with some success.

Canadian content: An all-Canadian midfield, how’s that for Canadian content? De Guzman, Beckie and Misik formed the trio, while Haworth started at RW. Marcel DeBellis, Dagnogo and Mason Trafford remained on the bench, surprisingly for the latter, while Mauro Eustaquio was suspended for the match from his red card in the last match of the 2014 season.

Looking forward: Ottawa will welcome back a minimum of four players, with Sinisa Ubiparipovic expected to be back from injury, while Nicki Paterson and Eustaquio will return from suspension to add to the desperately thinned midfield corps. Oliver will come into the squad and challenge Paulo Jr. and Haworth for a starting spot in the flanks against Atlanta.

Carolina MotM: Ty Shipalane; Ottawa MotMs: Paulo Jr., Ryan Richter

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Key Fury FC Moments

15′ Carolina – Fury FC gives up a chipped goal to Ty Shipalane, who was found all alone at the edge of the penalty area on their right flank

17′ Ottawa – A beautiful combination from Paulo Jr. and Julian de Guzman finds Patryk Misik all alone in the penalty box, but the shot is saved

25′ Ottawa – Ryan Richter comes streaking down the right flank and finds Paulo Jr with a perfect cross, who volleys just over from close range. Golden opportunity

27′ Ottawa – Andrew Wiedeman goes all alone into the box and is felled by a shoulder barge. A fortunate PK call for Fury FC. Carl Haworth steps up and curls it to his right but Gilstrap is equal to the PK and saves it

29′ Carolina – Disaster on the other end as Drew Beckie is penalized for a lunging tackle just outside the edge of the penalty area on Shipalane. Neutrals can judge for themselves on YouTube, but a key blown call. Beckie does not receive a warning, interestingly. Nacho Novo slots the PK in.

37′ 44′ Carolina – Mike Randolph makes a fantastic tackle to deny Carolina an opportunity, while Peiser comes up big just before HT

46′ 47′ Ottawa – The Fury FC receives the hair-dryer treatment from Dos Santos with their 2-0 deficit, and comes out strong to start the 2nd half, with key chances from corner kicks for Paulo Jr., Richter and Rafael Alves all being saved superbly by Gilstrap.

56′ Ottawa – Haworth makes a fantastic darting run across the middle of the penalty area, with his left-footed piledriver hitting the inside of the post

65′ Ottawa – Tom Heinemann comes on at ST and the formation shifts to a 4-2-3-1 with Beckie sacrificed and Wiedeman playing CAM (see below)

83′ Ottawa – Brandon Poltronieri’s FIRST touch as a Fury FC player is a header planted firmly in the back of the net, as he attacks a floated cross from the right flank by Paulo Jr., who’s been Ottawa’s best attacking threat all game

86′ Carolina – Key Peiser save to keep the game 2-1

90′ Carolina – De Guzman is pulled down by two hands on his shoulders with the ball but the referee astonishingly waves play on, while all the players stop their movements. Bracalello continues with the ball challenged half-heartedly by Rafael Alves, as none of the players can believe the play is still continuing nor play to the whistle, and he finishes the game through the legs of Peiser. 3-1, Carolina. De Guzman is cautioned and then sent off for protesting the decision and the goal. Horrendous refereeing, and I used to serve as a soccer and tennis referee for a number of years.

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Lineups and Tactics

The Fury FC started the match in their customary 4-3-3 formation, with Drew Beckie filling in at DM as 5 Ottawa midfielders missed the game due to injuries or suspensions, while marquee signing Julian de Guzman started at LCM next to Patryk Misik. Andrew Wiedeman received the starting nod over Tom Heinemann, while Mason Trafford surprisingly remained on the bench.

With Ottawa down by two goals, the introduction of Tom Heinemann led to a shift in the formation to a 4-2-3-1, which we saw often in 2014 when Ottawa was chasing a lead, with Beckie being sacrificed in the 65th minute.

Poltronieri came in the 82th minute and was stationed on the left flank, as expected, with Misik departing the field and Haworth shifting to LCM.

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YouTube: http://youtu.be/Zb_RDg33FkA (highlights); http://youtu.be/XErVcteAz2s (full match)

OFFC: http://www.ottawafuryfc.com/news/2015/04/04/match-recap-fury-fc-downed-by-railhawks-in-nasl-season-opener

NASL: http://www.nasl.com/news/2015/04/04/ft–railhawks-3-fury-fc-1; http://www.nasl.com/match-center/884/car-vs-ott

Ottawa Sun: http://www.ottawasun.com/2015/04/04/fury-loses-season-opener

Ottawa Citizen: http://ottawacitizen.com/sports/local-sports/shaky-start-sinks-ottawa-fury-fc-in-season-opener-against-carolina

RNO: http://www.rednationonline.ca/Articles2015/FuryfalterinCarolina.aspx

CSN: http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/index.php?/page/articles.html/_/ottcityfootie/2015-fury-fc-nasl-season-%E2%80%93-matchday-1-%E2%80%93-carolina-vs-ottawa-review-r5155

NSXI: http://www.northernstartingeleven.com/fury-come-up-short-in-carolina/

Total MLS: http://total-mls.com/nasl/ottawa-fury-fc-v-s-carolina-railhawks-match-review.html

OFFC Review: https://offcreview.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/2015-fury-fc-nasl-season-matchday-1-carolina-vs-ottawa-review

Blog Fury FC: https://blogfuryfc.wordpress.com/2015/04/05/my-hindsight-is-2020-ottawa-fury-fc-matchday-1/

Fury Fanatic: https://furyfanatic.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/nasl-last-week-matchday-1/

Call Me Euro Snob: https://callmeeurosnob.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/ottawa-fury-player-grades-haworth-and-paolo-junior-shine-on-flanks-back-line-a-let-down/

Soccer Way: http://ca.soccerway.com/matches/2015/04/04/united-states/nasl/carolina-railhawks/ottawa-fury-fc/1975298/

RNO Ours is the Fury: http://www.rednationonline.ca/Podcasts2014/OursistheFuryOhCarolinaFurybegin2015.aspx

The Sound and the Fury: https://soundcloud.com/furyfanatic/the-sound-and-the-fury-episode-1-kickin-things-off

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You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro and @OFFCReview, and his Canadian Soccer News articles on Ottawa Fury FC at http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/index.php?/page/articles.html/_/ottcityfootie and https://offcreview.wordpress.com.

