Dismal loss adds to troubles of victory-starved Fury FC

After the most tumultuous 72 hours in franchise history, the Ottawa Fury FC had to be relieved to spend 90 minutes back on a field and temporarily forget all the offfield distractions.

And now instead of trying to get their heads around a shocking change in leadership on the Fury FC bench, the players can worry about their most lopsided United Soccer League defeat of the 2017 season.

The Fury FC, in need of a win Wednesday night in Orlando in the worst of ways, came up well short in a 3-0 loss to Orlando City B in the head-coaching debut of former Fury FC star and captain Julian de Guzman at the brandnew US$225-million, downtown Orlando City Stadium.

The Fury FC were foiled on numerous early scoring chances by Orlando City keeper Earl Edwards Jr. and Orlando City goals in the 34th, 53rd and 70th minutes doomed them.

The loss dropped Ottawa four points back of Orlando City, who now sit tied for seventh in the battle for eight playoff spots in the conference and things will only get tougher with road games again Saturday night in Tampa Bay and next Wednesday in Cincinnati before returning to TD Place.

If the contest did accomplish something, it took the focus — at least temporality — away from the unexpected coaching change which all came down in a 36-hour period following last Saturday’s huge 3-1 win over the Charlotte Independence, generally viewed as Fury FC’s best game all year.

No sooner had the team started to celebrate the big win when incumbent Paul Dalglish informed team management that he would not be returning past the Fury FC’s final game.

That revelation didn’t sit well with Fury FC president John Pugh, who made the call from faraway Croatia that a change in leadership was necessary immediately.

By Monday morning Dalglish was out of a job and late Monday evening de Guzman was thrust into the dual role of head coach and general manager despite having only served as an assistant to Dalglish for half a season.