The Fort Lauderdale Strikers come to Lansdowne Park Stadium Saturday afternoon in what will be a tug of war for three points that are equally valuable to both them and hosts Ottawa Fury. It is also the first of a home and away tilt between these two clubs, as Ottawa travels to South Florida next weekend in the reverse tie.
The Strikers arrive in Ottawa on top form, having won their past three matches, the last of which was a 7-1 thrashing of Indy Eleven. Current Golden Boot leader Stefano Pinho found the back of the net three times in that one, adding to the four goals he had already scored against Indy this year. It might be easy to dismiss Pinho’s achievements this year due to the fact that seven of his twelve goals came against a weak opponent, but to do so would be foolish. Pinho clearly has a nose for goal and must be considered the Strikers most dangerous weapon.
Fort Lauderdale find themselves in fifth position and appear to be peaking at the right time. They currently sit three points behind Tampa, a team that is quickly playing themselves out of that final playoff position. The Strikers have turned their season around since re-appointing head coach Günter Kronsteiner, whom new ownership had cast aside upon taking over in the offseason despite his leading them to the 2014 Soccer Bowl final. Two Ottawa Fury players, Ali Hassan and Rafael Alves, played under Kronsteiner in that Soccer Bowl. Hassan, who has spent most of his time since signing with the Fury coming off the bench as a substitute, isn’t likely to be a starter despite his history with the Strikers. When asked about it, head coach Marc Dos Santos was clear about who his top striker is at this point in the season: “Ali can play an important role, but our #9 is Tommy Heinemann; he’s the one who has produced results.”
The Fury are coming off a road victory in San Antonio in which they exhibited some of that “champions’ DNA” Dos Santos keeps touting. In difficult conditions against a team in its defensive shell, the Fury ground out a 1-0 win in the type of match through which playoff-bound teams must suffer.
Fury fan-favourites Colin Falvey and Oliver Minatel were chosen in the NASL’s Team of the Week for their effort in San Antonio. Falvey wasn’t about to let it go to his head however, calling the award “garbage”, adding “I wonder sometimes who actually chooses these things because I’ve watched some players get in where I’ve watched the game and it puzzles me.” The Irishman was in a talkative mood following Thursday’s practice, giving an honest assessment of the aforementioned Pinho: “He’s a little more direct than a few of the other (forwards). He can be lazy at times, but that’s not a bad thing for a forward, to be honest, because it can be difficult to pick up when a player is a little bit erratic with his runs – sometimes he goes, sometimes he doesn’t. You forget about him sometimes.”
Fury head coach Marc Dos Santos has been stressing the importance of picking up points going forward, whether it be getting the full three points for wins or one point for draws. Against Fort Lauderdale specifically, Dos Santos was honest with his desire to lock a playoff spot as soon as possible: “Today we’re eight points in front of Fort Lauderdale – if we tie, we keep an eight point advantage, but we know if we win, we get out of there and really put ourselves in a position to be two wins away from a playoff position. But if we lose, they’re only five points behind. At the end of the day, you won’t make the playoffs only with wins, you’re going to make it with the accumulation of every point.”
The trainer’s table was in use this week as Drew Beckie, Julian de Guzman and Uğur Albayrak continue to mend their injuries. None of them are expecting to contribute on Saturday, although Dos Santos anticipates them to be able to make the 10-day road trip that follows. Rafael Alves was used sparingly in practice throughout the week as he nurses a bruised foot, which shouldn’t keep him from starting on Saturday.
The squad looked loose this week in practice ahead of this important clash, and the spirit in the team appears to be top notch. They seem to sense their proximity to securing a playoff spot for a club in only its second year of play in the NASL, a significant achievement if they pull it off. Crowds continue to grow with each match, and a fourth consecutive crowd of over 6,000 is anticipated on Saturday. Following this match, Fury fans will have to wait until October 4th to see their team in action again at Lansdowne Park Stadium.
Worth noting: Stony Monday Riot and the Bytown Boys, the two supporters groups for the Ottawa Fury, have teamed up to support Matthew House, a local charity that specializes in refugee services. The groups are encouraging all fans to donate the equal value of their tickets and money spent at the stadium on Saturday. The effort is a great example of what socially-conscious supporters groups can bring to a community, beyond simply providing an excellent atmosphere on game days.
