Fury finally put it all together for impressive win
Club will not make playoffs, but finish home schedule on high note regardless
FURY FC 4 FC CINCINNATI 0
With the pressure of trying to track down a playoff spot no longer an issue, Ottawa Fury FC halted a 10-game winless streak Sunday with a dominant 4-0 defeat of FC Cincinnati at TD Place stadium.
With seven draws and three losses in the previous 10 games, Fury FC had been officially eliminated from the United Soccer League playoff race a week earlier. Apparently Ottawa players thrived in the role of spoilers, though, as they kept FC Cincinnati from clinching a playoff berth.
Cincinnati holds the eighth and final spot with 43 points, just one more than Orlando City B with both clubs having one regularseason game to go. Sunday’s loss also kept Cincinnati (11-10-10) from catapulting into sixth place in the standings.
Fury FC (8-13-10) also has one game left, Saturday at Pittsburgh against the Riverhounds, and team members have to be wondering what might have been after displaying their full potential against Cincinnati.
“We look back at the standings out of all the ties we have (a leaguehigh 13). If we would have had at least two victories out of those ties, that would have definitely kept us in the playoffs, or the run to the playoffs at least,” interim head coach Julian de Guzman said after Fury FC’s first win in his 11 games at the helm since replacing Paul Dalglish in August.
“It was really good to see things finally work out for us, especially at home. Even though we are out of the playoffs, we still have a lot to play for and the win today was about bringing the players together.
“It was good to see the guys keep the foot on the gas until that last whistle. I’m looking forward to next week and I want to get a win on the road now.”
Not only did Sunday’s match produce de Guzman’s first victory, but Carl Haworth also scored his first goal of the season.
It felt so good, apparently, that Haworth scored his second goal just seven minutes later.
After Onua Obasi gave Fury FC a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute, Haworth scored in the 13th and 20th minutes for a 3-0 lead.
“I’ve said it on numerous occasions that I was creating the chances and getting in good areas just the bounces weren’t going my way, and, once one goes in, they’ll keep going in for me. I’m pleased I got on the scoresheet, but more proud of the performance and the guys today,” said Haworth, who started with the Fury FC organization in 2013 in the Premier Development League.
“You go back and look at our performances throughout the season, and it was like 85 or 90 per cent of a complete performance that we wanted.
“We were just missing putting everything together in the same game. Today was a culmination of everything coming together and showing what could have been.”
Steevan Dos Santos closed out the scoring in the 47th minute of a game that also featured three yellow cards and one red card for Fury FC and two yellow cards for FC Cincinnati.
It was also the sixth clean sheet of the season for Callum Irving, who has played every minute this season in goal for Fury FC.
“The season didn’t go the way we wanted, but to finish (at home) on a high note, it’s pretty emotional for us and the fans.
“I was super excited when the final whistle blew and we got to give the fans what they wanted, a win and a clean sheet,” Callum said.
The Fury will wrap up their inaugural season in the USL with a game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Highmark Stadium next Saturday.