First Thoughts

Coming off a convincing 4-2 away victory over Indy Eleven, Ottawa Fury FC returns home to face the San Antonio Scorpions this week. They are looking to continue an impressive offense which has generated eleven goals in six games, and includes four-goal efforts against both Indy Eleven and the Carolina RailHawks.



San Antonio come into this match following a scoreless home draw against FC Edmonton, a disappointing effort which saw them fail to score while playing a man up for over an hour. They will be playing their first away game in almost a month, following a three-game home-stand which saw them sport a 1-1-1 record. The Scorpions are perfect in road matches so far this year, having achieved victories in both their away games against the Atlanta Silverbacks and New York Cosmos.



With three games remaining in the NASL spring season, this match will have significant implications for both sides. The Fury currently sits three points behind San Antonio, with both sides featuring identical goal differentials.



Keep Thinking

Both clubs will be determined for a victory, as gaining the full three points would set either team for a strong finish to the spring season. The Fury, currently sitting fifth in the standings, would be guaranteed to move up at least one spot should they secure three points, as they would draw level with San Antonio’s ten points while edging them on goal differential. A Fury victory would further allow them to inch closer to the New York Cosmos, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and Carolina RailHawks heading into the final weeks of games. With hopes of winning the spring season dwindling, Ottawa can never-the-less look to begin the fall season in a top-four position as they attempt to secure a spot in the league playoffs.



The Scorpions are looking to draw closer to Minnesota United, who currently holds the top spring season position. Anything less than three points diminishes the title hopes for San Antonio, as it allows other clubs to gain vital ground in the competitive league standings. While neither side would be content with a draw, the Fury in particular will be looking to avoid such a result. Gaining only a single point would leave Ottawa susceptible to falling into the bottom half of the standings, while hampering hopes of a top-four finish to the spring season.



The Fury’s high-flying offense will face the stiff test of San Antonio’s stellar defending, which has conceded only four goals in six league games. The Scorpions’ veteran defensive presence, led by Adrian Cann, Greg Janicki, and Stephen DeRoux, features years of experience in MLS, NASL, and USL. They will be looking to silence a Fury attack which includes Tony Donatelli and Oliver, both of whom have scored three goals this season. For Ottawa, adapting to a team with a strong defensive presence will be pivotal, as its offense will face a much tougher challenge than the youth-filled Indy Eleven back-four which they lit up in their previous match.



On their defensive side of the field, the Fury will be looking to contain former MLS designated player Eric Hassli. Having generated excitement following his high-profile signing with San Antonio, Hassli has scored two goals in six appearances with the Scorpions. San Antonio’s secondary scoring threats come in the form attackers Tomasz Zahorski, Sainey Touray, and Shaun Saiko. While the Scorpion’s attack features an excellent level of skill, a solid defensive effort from the Fury’s back-four is capable of shutting down potential threats.



Both sides have reasons to be proud heading into this match, as players from the two teams were either called for recent international duty or selected to the latest team of the week. San Antonio’s Jonathan Fana was selected to play for his native Dominican Republic in a friendly on May 15, while Ottawa’s Omar Jarun was called by Palestine to play in the AFC Challenge Cup (a tournament which serves as a qualification route to the larger AFC Asian Cup). Jarun will, as a result, miss this week’s match against San Antonio, and, depending on Palestine’s success, may miss the club’s following match against FC Edmonton. In his absence, the Fury back-four will likely feature Canadian Andres Fresenga, with Drew Beckie playing the centre-back position with Mason Trafford.



In what is quickly becoming a weekly occurrence, Ottawa was once again featured on the most recent NASL team of the week. The Fury’s Tony Donatelli was selected for the second straight week, following an impressive game against Indy Eleven which saw him score two goals. He is joined by Omar Jarun, who adds the ‘team of the week’ honour to his international call-up. San Antonio is featured on the team of the week as well, with the inclusion of left-back Stephen DeRoux. The Jamaican’s presence in the team highlights the Scorpions’ solid defensive line, which, with DeRoux’s assistance, kept a clean sheet against Edmonton in its previous game.



The San Antonio Scorpions feature several local connections to soccer in Ottawa and Canada. Followers of the sport in Canada will be aware of Shaun Saiko as both a Canadian and FC Edmonton’s all-time leading scorer. Adrian Cann, Julius James, and Eric Hassli spent significant amounts of time with the three Canadian MLS clubs, with Cann capped with the Canadian national team. Perhaps the most fascinating connection comes in the form of manager Alen Marcina, who played with the defunct Ottawa Royals during the 2002-03 season in the present-day CSL. While he scored several goals for Ottawa as an attacker, he will be looking to silence the local side in his return, eleven years later, as the coach of a visiting NASL club.



Final Thoughts

In a match whose result will have significant implications for both sides as they head into the final weeks of the spring season, both the Ottawa Fury FC and San Antonio Scorpions look to secure crucial three points. The Fury will be looking to climb into the top half of the league standings, while San Antonio looks to keep their spring season title hopes alive.



The Scorpions’ veteran defensive presence will play a key role in the game. A solid performance forces the Fury’s attackers to increase their creativity, potentially leading to frustration. If, however, Ottawa generates goals, the Fury’s defensive unit, while missing leader Omar Jarun, is capable of containing a Scorpions’ offense which has scored an average of only one goal per game this season.



Prediction

Ottawa Fury FC 1 – 1 San Antonio Scorpions