Ottawa Fury FC has made significant headway during this offseason, having yet stepped onto the field for a USL match. With Head Coach Paul Dalglish and the team securing some solid signings from front to back and the organization forming a substantial partnership with Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact, the Fury’s 2017 USL debut already looks to be a promising one.

“It kind of bridges the two cities between Montreal and Ottawa,” Dalglish said of the newfound partnership. “It’s huge for us. It’s a respectful partnership where we have our own identity in that we are an independent team. Our main goal is to win, first and foremost. We’re going to help each other on and off the field, to try and learn from each other and build the market of soccer in our part of Canada.”

Fury President John Pugh, during the 2016 USL Winter Summit, called the affiliation a “perfect match” for both clubs.

“The affiliation agreement allows us to do what we want – be an independent club, sign players that we want to sign – but also bring in a small number of their players to boost our roster,” Pugh said. “They will benefit greatly from playing with players of the caliber that we’ve signed for our team. It’s a win-win for everyone.”