A wounded animal is a dangerous creature. Likewise, taking on a hurting soccer club can be just as wrought with peril. On Saturday night, such an opponent rolls into Lansdowne Park Stadium.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies, who currently sit in in fourth place in the combined standings, are a team in turmoil. Despite their current position in a playoff spot, the Rowdies have only garnered 7 points in their last nine matches and cleaned house by firing their general manager and head coach last week. When you consider that the head coach in question is bowtie-wearing, documentary subject and MLS Cup winner Thomas Rongen, plus the fact that the owner who did the firing, Bill Edwards, is currently embroiled in a high-profile Florida lawsuit involving shady mortgage dealings, you begin to understand the depth of despair felt by the Rowdies faithful.
Edwards claimed a philosophical difference in making his decision, saying “They had a five-year plan; I have a one-year plan.” Okay, then. (For what it’s worth, Rongen completely dismissed this claim on Thursday night’s edition of The Total NASL Show).
If Edwards was hoping to see a boost in his team’s performance following his decisive action, the desired effect was left wanting. In their first match under new head coach Stuart Campbell, the Rowdies fell to Minnesota United 3-1 on Saturday. That left the team swirling in its downward spiral, and the Fury will be looking to keep stirring that water in a clockwise order.
The Fury are facing a bit of adversity of their own (although several levels lighter than Tampa’s) in this three-match homestand. This string of matches was seen as a measuring stick against teams that are direct competitors for one of the three remaining playoff spots (the New York Cosmos have already qualified by means of winning the Spring season). With a loss to Minnesota, and now a draw against the Cosmos, a pessimist could view this as having dropped five of a crucial six points at home. A win on Saturday against this reeling Rowdies team could keep the naysayers at bay for a few more weeks.
In their history, the Rowdies and Fury have split their matches equally, with one win and two draws each, with no goal difference separating them. To boot, neither team has ever lost on the road to the other, meaning Ottawa will have to buck that trend if it hopes to take all three points Saturday night.
The Fury boasts the best defence in all of NASL, having allowed only 16 goals all year. It’s a defence they’ve had to rely on for their success as they sit dead last in goals scored with 22, tied with Atlanta. That offence might be getting a boost, though, as new addition Uğur Albayrak was electric in his first appearance as a substitute on Wednesday night against the Cosmos. He joins an attack consisting of top Fury goalscorers Tom Heinemann (four), Richie Ryan (three) and Rafael Alves (three).
Followers of MLS might recognize former Toronto FC front man Maicon Santos, who leads the Rowdies this season with seven goals. The goals output then drops to three with Martin Núñez. Ottawa fans might catch a glimpse of former USA phenom Freddy Adu, who recently joined the Tampa outfit from Finnish side Kuopion Palloseura. The last time Adu was in Ottawa was a joyous occasion, as his USA team defeated Brazil in the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Whether Adu makes an appearance depends on how quickly he has recovered from an achilles injury.
Head coach Marc Dos Santos indicated in his post-match scrum on Wednesday that Julian De Guzman and Siniša Ubiparipović could be available from the bench on Saturday against the Rowdies. De Guzman has only played in three matches since returning from Canada duty at the Gold Cup in July, having struggled with a leg injury. Fan favourite Ubiparipović also missed the last match with a leg injury. Their return will be crucial to the Fury’s run down the stretch.
Saturday’s match marks the end of a homestand that could go a long way in determining how we look back on this season. In the event of a win Saturday night, Fury fans could take comfort in the fact they took four points off three difficult opponents. A loss, and the feeling might be that the Fury aren’t quite ready to play with the big boys.
Ottawa will be hoping the wounded animal doesn’t have any fight left.
