With most eyes focused on the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, Ottawa Fury FC head coach Marc Dos Santos has quietly gone about his business of trying to improve on his club's spring campaign.

But unlike last season, when Dos Santos was determined to improve defensively, his attention leading up to the fall season kick-off July 5 is focused on solving his side's offensive woes.

And by woes, he means figuring out a way to have his team find the back of the net with something resembling consistency in front of a back line and goalkeeper that helped Fury become the North American Soccer League's best defensive team of the spring season.

Offensive production, on the other hand, was a different story. As in there was very, very little of it.

Five goals to be precise, compared to just eight against in 10 games and four consecutive shutouts to finish the season. Still, Fury finished just ninth on the 11-team NASL table.

And so Dos Santos has been busy, with the first roster move of the break being the decision not to re-sign 20-year-old Canadian midfielder Patryk Misik for the fall season. With captain Richie Ryan's impending return from injury, Drew Beckie proving to be a capable fill-in at the defensive midfield position and Mauro Eustaquio waiting in the wings, Misik wasn't going to be playing much and had opportunities in Europe to get some minutes.

"Patryk has some opportunities in Poland and Germany to play in reserve teams and he needs to play to grow," Dos Santos said Tuesday. "We felt his playing time would be very limited here."

The next move is expected to be the signing of a forward to help bolster the team's struggling offense, though a fully fit Tommy Heinemann and the return of Oliver should help in that department, too.

In Dos Santos' view, Fury is two or three moves away from being a contender in this league.

"This group is not far from being a very successful team," he said. "We have to be careful in our (roster) decisions but at the same time we know there's areas of our game that have to be better."

It's hard to argue that point, especially if Fury continues to blank its opponents.

Dos Santos knows he doesn't have a team that can be expected to score three goals a game regularly, but they don't need to. The squad is shaping up to be one that can put away 1-0 or 2-1 games, providing it can find just a little bit of regular offensive output.

"We're not scoring and for that we're going to need more quality in the last third and to finish our chances," Dos Santos said. "The positive is that we're very solid as a team, very compact defensively, we don't concede those silly goals in the last seconds.

"Last year it was a little bit if we didn't win we lost, this year it's been if we don't win we don't lose."

Fury is expected to sign a North American forward in the coming days, but the belief is Dos Santos is also looking at an international player. If that's the case, Fury would have to cut one of its current internationals to open up a roster spot. Who that could be, however, remains to be seen.



Romuald Peiser has not allowed a goal in his last 526 minutes. (Ottawa Sun Files)

PEISER NASL's BEST IN JUNE

In the midst of a record-breaking shutout streak, Ottawa Fury FC goalkeeper Romuald Peiser has been named the North American Soccer League's player of the month for June.

It has been 526 minutes since Fury was last scored on and Peiser has been in goal for every one of them, with the 35-year-old French keeper leading the league with a goals against average of 0.80, allowing just eight goals in 10 games. The last time Peiser and his Fury side conceded a goal was May 2 when Ottawa fell 1-0 to the New York Cosmos.

"I'm proud of this honour," Peiser said of the recognition. "I have to thank my teammates because it has been over a month since we have conceded a goal. They have put forth an amazing effort, and I'm proud to play with them."

Fury coach Marc Dos Santos said Peiser represents what Fury has been able to accomplish defensively in the spring season in which Ottawa allowed a league-best eight goals against. The flip-side to that is Fury scored just five goals in 10 games, closing out the spring season with three-straight scoreless draws.

"I think this honour is very good for the club, good for Romuald, and it highlights the fact that we're a squad that has been working well together to achieve some goals," Dos Santos said.

DE GUZMAN OFF TO GOLD CUP

Fresh off a pair of wins over Dominica in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying, Fury FC midfielder Julian de Guzman will return to the Canadian men’s national team in July for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

De Guzman was named one of 23 players that will compete in California under coach Benito Floro, with Canada’s first match set for July 8 against El Salvador.

“It was a good qualifier and a good way to prepare for the Gold Cup,” De Guzman said of the wins against Dominica. “We know the importance and how crucial it is to do well in the Gold Cup. This is not just a tournament that happens every two years, but this gives us a chance to be part of other tournaments such as the Copa America for 2016.”

The team will come together June 28 to train before its first match. After the El Salvador game, the Canadians will head to Houston to face Jamaica July 11, followed by a match against Costa Rica in Toronto July 14. It’s the first time a Gold Cup game will be played in Canada.

Twitter: @Chrishofley