Fury facing tough contest, adapting to new coach
DON CAMPBELL
Ottawa Fury FC finally got in some practice time with interim head coach Julian de Guzman and that had to be a good thing.
In a week when Fury FC replaced head coach Paul Dalglish on Monday, flew to Florida on Tuesday and lost 3-0 to Orlando City B on Wednesday, players needed to see how de Guzman wanted things done as compared to the methods of the man he replaced.
The new coach held light training sessions with small groups of players Thursday and Friday at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus and will put the team on the field for a light workout Saturday morning before facing the Tampa Bay Rowdies in a United Soccer League contest that night.
The match at 70-year-old Al Lang Stadium marks Game 2 of a whirlwind road trip that concludes next Wednesday in Cincinnati.
There may be plenty of reasonable excuses if the trip isn’t productive, but, just the same, with just 11 games to go in the regular season and Fury FC looking up at nine teams in the USL’s Eastern Conference, they need some points. Getting them won’t be easy against fourth-place Tampa Bay (10-6-7) or seventh-place Cincinnati (8-8-7).
“It will be difficult and demanding,” de Guzman said. “The climate and quality Tampa Bay offers won’t make it easy for us, but we are well aware of that.
“We don’t doubt that the Rowdies have something important to prove to their home fans since they have been unstoppable at home. A goal for us will open up opportunities to get a good result.”
Fury FC failed to score in Orlando, despite outshooting their hosts 20-10. They suffered a 3-0 setback, their most lopsided loss of the USL season.
There was some good, starting with a season-high pass completion percentage (82.1 per cent on 408 passes), while also firing 13 of 20 shots from inside the box and forcing Orlando keeper Earl Edwards Jr. to make eight saves.
Hard-luck Carl Haworth led Fury FC with five shots, three of them on target, while wearing the captain’s armband for the first time with Lance Rozeboom sidelined by injury.
Over its past five games, Fury FC has generated 82 shots, including 27 on goal, while scoring seven goals for an average of 1.4 per match, a slight improvement on their season average of 1.29.
On the other side, the Rowdies had a five-game unbeaten stretch end with a 4-3 loss against Saint Louis FC, and they ranked second in the USL with 10 shutouts coming into this week’s play.
The Rowdies began the USL season with seven wins in the first 11 games (7-2-2), but then had an eight-game winless skid (0-4-4). Then came the five-game unbeaten streak.
“We see this game coming up as another opportunity to get three points,” Fury FC keeper Callum Irving said. “Every game from now until the end of the season is a chance for us to prove ourselves and put points on the board.
“We need to clean up our individual defensive mistakes and put away our chances. We’re working hard as a team and sticking together through these tough games, so I have faith we’ll come good on our hard work.” Special to the Citizen