Ottawa Fury FC play their first home game in more than 2 weeks on Wednesday, July 27th. While the 2016 season up to this point hasn’t gone as well as many would have liked (they’re currently in 9th place in the NASL Combined Season Standings), they head into the game against the Carolina RailHawks coming off a big 2-0 win in Jacksonville against the Armada. The problem has been goalscoring (there hasn’t been much), but they’ve made several additions to the team in the last few weeks, signing Canadian internationals Maxime Tissot and Jamar Dixon, as well as Thomas Stewart, Ryan Williams and Giuseppe Gentile.

Watch the highlights from Ottawa’s 2-0 win this past Sunday in Jacksonville:



We here at Apt613 want you to know your Fury, and that means getting to know the newbies. We spoke 23 year old forward Giuseppe Gentile before Fury FC’s win in Jacksonville.

Apt613: You got to play in your first game in a Fury uniform on July 10th. What’s been your impression of the team so far?

The individuals in this group work very hard. It seems like everyone is on the same page on the field, which is a huge plus. They get along off the field, and even on the field you can tell the team plays very well together, there’s some very good combinations. Now the only thing is to find a solution to put the ball in the back of the net.

Has coach Paul Dalglish said anything to you to help transition to your new team? Has he laid out his expectations?

Not directly, but I already know what’s expected of me on this team. They brought me here to score goals, work hard, help this team defensively. It’s not that the team’s playing bad, the team is actually playing very well. We gotta find ways to win games and score goals.

For fans who don’t know you yet, what style of player would you describe yourself as, and how do you hope to contribute to the team?

I’d like to think of myself as a hard-working player. If I’m given 90 minutes, I’ll be running for the full 90, and if I’m playing 45 or 25, that’s the amount of time that I’ll be running. I like to put pressure on defenders. I think I’m an aggressive forward. Running in behind, taking shots from distance and stuff like that.

Did you know anything about the city before coming?

Not too much. I wasn’t really familiar with the structure of the city and how big it is, or what was around the stadium, but obviously I’ve played here before on away games, so I’ve seen the stadium.

As a pro soccer player what’s it like coming to a new city and a new team?

On a personal level, it can be stressful. You want everything off the field to be sorted, like housing, stuff like that. If you have family, obviously you need to get kids into schools, make sure your wife finds a new job, all that kind of stuff if they apply. As for me, I’m single, it’s not as stressful. I just want to get settled, and everything on the field stays the same. You go in and do your job.

Since coming out of college you’ve had the chance to play in a few cities in North America, and you also had a stint in Switzerland. What was that like?

Europe is different, they focus on different parts of the game. Depending on what country you go to, they focus on different styles of play. Switzerland tends to be technical, so I learned a lot technically, and polished that part of my game.

When you move to a new city, is there anything you do, outside of soccer, to get to know it better?

Yeah, I’ve actually gotten to see quite a bit of the area around the stadium, like Bank Street. I think it’s a nice little area. I’ve been going to Whole Foods a lot to go eat there. They have a lot of good nutritious options, and it’s a pretty safe investment for your body to go to Whole Foods. I think that’s my go-to spot right now.

Fun Facts about Giuseppe Gentile:

Best player you’ve ever played either with or against?

Kevin Molino at Orlando City

Favourite team growing up?

Juventus F.C. in Italy

Favourite sport besides soccer?

Basketball

Favourite TV show?

How I Met Your Mother

Favourite food?

Rice with chicken

Most embarrassing thing on your ipod?

Miley Cyrus

If you were alone on a deserted island, what are 3 things you would need to have with you?

Bible

Ice cream

Phone

What would you be doing if you weren’t playing soccer?

Coaching at a club level, maybe an assistant at a college.

To listen to the entire interview with Giuseppe, listen to Apt613 Live on CHUO 89.1fm at 6pm on Tuesday, July 26th.

Ottawa Fury FC takes on the Carolina RailHawks at TD Place this Wednesday, July 27th. Kickoff is at 7pm.

They’ll then have a few days rest before facing the Tampa Bay Rowdies at TD Place on Saturday, July 30th. Kickoff for that one is also at 7pm.

Fury FC tickets are available online, by phone at 613-232-6767 ext 1, or in person at the TD Place Box Office.