Romuald Peiser

No one can get a shot passed you

You can make any stop

Even if you’re standing still

And if a striker

Thinks he knows just what to do

He might make it through

And then get stopped by you

-Lost lyrics to Finger Eleven’s “Paralyzer” (They’re big Fury fans)

Get ready, Ottawa. Wednesday is a Fury FC gameday!

Wednesday night, Romuald Peiser and the rest of your Ottawa Fury take on legendary forward Raúl and the New York Cosmos at 7pm at TD Place. Ottawa is in first place in the NASL Fall Season standings, but they’re looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking last-second loss to Minnesota on August 15th. Here are the highlights (Minnesota goalie Mitch Hildebrandt is a gymnast, or a kangaroo, or something):

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2JjoUU4PKI[/youtube]

Now, put the torches and pitchforks away, it’s business time. This game is being hyped as a potential Soccer Bowl (NASL Championship Game) matchup, the ‘Top of the Table’ game, if you will. Both teams have shown they can score, but what defence each team brings is what will be the deciding factor. The ‘Wall of Ottawa’ showed a rare crack on the 15th, when NASL leading scorer Christian Ramirez slipped through Ottawa’s defence and scored, on a rare miscue by Raphael Alves. They looked a little more exposed at times than they have during most of the season. The Cosmos defence, led by veteran and team captain Carlos Mendes, rarely give up more than a goal a game, but that goal often comes early, forcing the Cosmos to come back (which they have). If the Fury can convert on the Cosmos’ early defensive mistakes, and keep that ‘Wall of Ottawa’ in place, they’ll stand a good chance.

Breaking the Curse

New York, more than any other team, has had Ottawa’s number. The two sides have met four times, with New York coming out on top each time. Each game has been decided by a single goal. This would be a great time to end that streak and give an extra cushion between the Fury and the rest of the table in the Fall Season.

Players to Watch

Leonardo Fernandes

The 23 year old Brazilian has 7 goals for the Cosmos, which places him among the league leaders. On loan this year from the Philadelphia Union of MLS, he has been mentioned as one of the early front-runners for the NASL Golden Boot award. After letting Minnesota’s Ramirez through a week and a half ago, defensive super-duo FalVes (Colin Falvey and Raphael Alves) will have to make sure it doesn’t happen again with the quick Fernandes.

Raúl

He may be 38 years old, but the man is still a legend. Former Real Madrid and Spanish captain, and arguably the league’s marquee player, Raúl has shown he can still hang, scoring 4 goals, and having played more minutes than anyone for NYC except defenceman Carlos Mendes and goalie Jimmy Maurer. One of the greatest scorers to ever come out of Europe, but can he get one past….

Romuald Peiser

The Phenom from Phalsbourg will need to be at his usual best on Wednesday. 8 shutouts will earn you the title ‘best goalie in the league’, (and even a mention as possible Golden Boot nominee on NASL.com), but reputation alone won’t stop the ball. Look for Peiser to be the loudest man on the field, directing the defensive line, making sure no one slips by this game.

The Ottawa Fury play the New York Cosmos at 7pm, August 26th at TD Place. Tickets are available from the TD Place website.