Head coach hopes new strikers will send FC Edmonton’s o ence into overdrive in fall season home opener
Head coach hopes players will help team score more goals
EDM00596572_1_1
With two talented strikers added to the roster, FC Edmonton hopes to finally show a little offensive spark in their first home game of the North American Soccer League fall campaign on Sunday against the San Antonio Scorpions.
Last week, the Eddies signed 25-year-old centre striker Anthony Adur. On Thursday, they added yet another striker to the lineup, acquiring 23-year-old Corey Hertzog from the Major League Soccer Vancouver Whitecaps.
Head coach Colin Miller is counting on the latest forward additions to help solve the team’s scoring woes.
FC Edmonton finished the spring season in a disappointing fifth place with 14 points and a 3-5-4 (W-T-L) record. Defensively, the Eddies were the strongest team in the league, boasting the best goals-against average. But they struggled to put goals in the net, managing to score just 13 goals in 12 games.
During much of the latter half of the spring season, they were playing with just one striker up front. The pressure to score fell largely on the shoulders of 21-year-old Michael Cox who, while a talented striker, is considered to be a young and developing player who has yet to hit his stride.
In Sunday’s game against the Scorpions, Cox will likely not be standing in the offensive zone alone. This time around, he’ll get help from either Adur or Hertzog.
Miller said there will be changes to the Eddies formation on Sunday. While defence will still remain a priority, more players will be moved up front in the hopes it will ignite the offence and boost FC Edmonton’s goals-for average.
“The focus is never taken off our defensive game,” said Miller. “But right now, I’m going to try to make the players more aware of making the forward pass earlier, and trying to get through their defence a little bit quicker.”
Miller said he’s excited about Sunday’s game, particularly to see how Adur and Hertzog perform with their new teammates.
Hertzog is coming to Edmonton on loan from the Whitecaps for the remainder of the 2013 season, with the Whitecaps holding the option to recall him before the MLS roster freeze in mid-September.
Before he joined the Eddies, Hertzog had one goal and one assist in seven MLS games this season.
Miller has been watching Hertzog for quite some time and is looking forward to seeing him in the lineup.
“He’s going to bring a freshness to the group,” Miller said. “He plays quick and brings enthusiasm in the game. You can see that with his movement on the field.”
Hertzog, who arrived in Edmonton on Wednesday, had his first training session with the team on Friday. Although it will take some time for him to adjust, he’s eager to compete in what he expects will be a productive fall season.
“We’ve got a really good team here,” said Hertzog. “We’ve got solid defence, a great midfield, and hopefully we’ll be able to put some balls in the back of the net, too.”
While he was a member of the Whitecaps, Hertzog played against FC Edmonton in the annual two legged, home-and-away Amway Canadian Championship semifinal series.
Miller said the Eddies had considered him to be a threat.
“When Corey played against us, we were always aware of the space behind him because of his speed,” he said.
Most of the Eddies — Miller included — remember the striker from the impressive goal he scored against them during the second leg of the Championship series in May in Vancouver.
But Hertzog said the Eddies players haven’t held that goal he scored during the series against him.
“No one has given me a hard time,” Hertzog said. “Hopefully they don’t remember it.
“Or I guess I’ll just have to score some goals like that one for Edmonton now.”