Eddies look to fix defence for playo run
Eddies focus on fixing defence after disastrous 0-2-1 road trip
FC Edmonton finished in 10th place in the North American Soccer League’s spring season, but the team still has its sights set on a playoff berth.
Only five points separate the Eddies from third place in the standings, with their fall season set to kick off against the San Antonio Scorpions on July 5 at SMS Equipment Stadium in Fort McMurray.
“We’re five points out of a playoff spot and with 20 games to go, there’s definitely no panic,” said Edmonton head coach Colin Miller.
“I know it’s easy for a head coach to keep spouting positive things, but I truly believe that we’re in a false position in the league.”
The Eddies ,who have a 2-53 win-loss-tie record in NASL play, have resumed training. They are looking to make some serious adjustments on the defensive side following two losses and a draw during a three-game road trip to close out the spring season. Allowing early goals proved to be a back-breaker for Edmonton in the first part of the season. Injuries also caused problems.
In an effort to shore up roster depth, the Eddies have added midfielders Pablo Cruz and Thiago de Freitas, pending international clearance.
“I am very excited to get back started with the players,” said Miller. “We need to correct the errors we’ve been consistently making defensively; we can’t keep playing from behind.”
Edmonton, which had a strong showing during two rounds in the Amway Canadian Championship early in the season, has had 20 of its 23 players get more than 100 minutes of game time. That depth could play a role in a successful fall season for the currently depleted squad.
“It’s nice that we don’t have anything like the Amway championship going on in the fall because those games had a genuine effect on the players,” Miller said. “With the injuries we’ve had, we’ve seen what a good portion of the team can do with meaningful play time as well.”
The Eddies have to play their first home game of the fall season in Fort McMurray instead of Clarke Field in Edmonton because of the Women’s World Cup.
“It’s a beautiful venue there and the community has been very welcoming to having the team play some games over there,” said Miller. “The guys are looking forward to it as well.”