Edmonton gives up goals, game to Fury
The key to winning a two-game series is not conceding goals at home.
On Wednesday, FC Edmonton gave up three to the Ottawa Fury, and in a sense, gave the series away with a game still left to play.
Defender Fernando Sanfelice scored in the first half while Carl Haworth and Idan Vered added the others in the second half for Ottawa in a 3-0 victory to take a stranglehold in the series.
The second game takes place next Wednesday in Ottawa.
In the event of a tie after two games, goals scored on the road are used as a tiebreaker, but FC Edmonton will be hard-pressed to take the series to that point, needing to score at least three goals next week.
The winner of the two-game series moves to face the defending national champion, Vancouver Whitecaps, in the next round.
The Fury started the game strong, looking for the all-important away goal. They pressed high up the field and kept Edmonton pinned in their own end.
Eventually, Ottawa earned themselves a free kick along the left wing, 10 yards outside of the penalty area.
Fury midfielder James Bailey whipped a ball into the box, which Sanfelice was able to get a glancing header on and direct it into the bottom corner of the net past Edmonton goalkeeper Matt VanOekel.
The goal changed the complexion of the game for FC Edmonton, who were then forced to push forward in search of an equalizer.
They eventually took control off the contest towards the back end of the first half, playing high-quality possession soccer.
Jake Keegan had Edmonton’s first good chance, finding space in the Ottawa penalty area and directing a looping header towards the net, which Fury goaltender Marcel DeBellis was able to corral.
A few minutes later, FC Edmonton fullback Adam Eckersley swung a free kick into the box, which DeBellis was able to tip away before Albert Watson was able to get to it.
Edmonton continued to press forward and came close to equalizing two minutes from the end of the half as midfielder Shamit Shome got to the end of a Dustin Corea cross and headed a ball that appeared to be going up and over DeBellis.
The Fury goaltender, however, was able to reach back and get a fingertip to the ball to deflect it over the net.
Early in the second half, Van Oekel kept Edmonton from going down 2-0, with his best save of the game.
VanOekel was able to get down to stop a shot from Fury striker Carl Haworth, who did well to take a pass in the box, turn his defender and get a low shot off.
VanOekel, however, undid the save later in the half when he handed the ball to the Fury and was soon picking the ball out of his net.
The play began with Edmonton centre back Albert Watson playing the ball back to his goalkeeper on a harmless-looking pass.
Instead of clearing the ball, VanOekel attempted to play it up through the heart of his penalty area and it was intercepted by Ottawa midfielder Lance Rozeboom, who slid it over to Haworth for an easy tap-in.
This past Saturday, VanOekel had made similar error in a 1-1 tie at the Indy Eleven, but was able to bail himself out.
On this occasion, the mistake put Edmonton in a huge hole, which got even bigger five minutes later when Vered beat defender Adam Eckersley to a cross at the far post to put Ottawa up 3-0.
Vered was able to steer in a header off an excellent cross, whipped in by Ottawa midfielder Marcel de Jong, which bounced in front of goal freezing VanOekel.
After going down three goals, Edmonton pushed forward desperate to pull at least a goal back, but were unable to find a way past DeBellis.