On a damp late afternoon in front of 6,327 at Lansdowne Park Stadium, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers could do no better than settle for a 0-0 draw against a Fury squad that is making a habit of stifling high-powered offenses.
The Strikers came to the Canadian capital after netting seven goals last week against Indy Eleven, but what’s becoming clear with every passing week is that no other club in the NASL has a Romuald Peiser. The Fury keeper posted his 11th clean sheet of 2015 in spectacular fashion as he made several acrobatic stops to keep the Strikers off the scoresheet. Forget hyperbole; the French keeper stole two points from the Floridians on Saturday. The likes of Stefano Pinho and Gabriel were flustered time and again as they struck balls they were sure would put their team in front, only for Peiser’s hand or leg to flash out, not unlike a video game character, to steer the effort away from danger. And to think that some (including yours truly) criticized the move to pick him up in the middle of the 2014 season (that’s why I write the words, and Marc Dos Santos manages the squad).
Tommy Heinemann created a lot of space for himself in the first half, but failed to find the final ball that would put his team ahead. His best chance came in the 8th minute off a Siniša Ubiparipović corner. The ball was first headed down to Paulo Jr.’s foot, who redirected the ball to Heinemann who was standing 3 yards from the goal line in front of a gaping net. As they say, this one was easier to score on than to miss. The ball flew off the big number nine’s foot and off the crossbar, to the gasps of the hometown crowd. In the 24th minute, he would once again be served a beautiful ball in the box, this time by Ubiparipović. As Fort Lauderdale defenders Jason Graye and Jonathan Borrajo were closing down on him, Heinemann was forced into a half-volley with his weaker left foot and pulled the shot just wide. Although these chances should have been put away, it’s a credit to Heinemann’s overall game that his performance shouldn’t be considered a disappointment. The former Columbus Crew man was in good form, creating space for himself and pressing the Strikers defence into mistakes.
Each team felt they had a penalty shout that went unheard by referee Mathieu Bourdeau. For the Fury, that claim came in the 26th minute when Graye pulled Heinemann down in the box, hanging on to him for what felt like five seconds until the big man finally went down. For the Strikers, NASL Golden Boot leader Stefano Pinho was in on goal in the 54th minute after a bad giveaway by Colin Falvey, but went down after contact with Alves. Once again, Bourdeau was uninterested.
The Fury had a scare in the 41st minute when, after a clash of heads with a Strikers forward, defender Colin Falvey went down in a heap just outside his 18-yard box. Falvey has played every minute of every match this season for the Fury, and forms a central defensive partnership with Raphael Alves which has started being referred to amongst media and fans as “Falves”. The duo is touted by head coach Marc Dos Santos as the best in the league. It was with relief to fans, then, when Falvey shook off the knock and resumed his position in the back line.
The Strikers were given large swaths of the field with which to play, which is uncharacteristic of the 2015 Fury. Gaps appeared between the Fury’s defensive blocks, with an experiment seeing Mauro Eustaquio playing further up the pitch the likely culprit. The young Canadian has been stellar in filling in during Julian de Guzman’s absences, but he seemed out of sorts when trying to link up with winger Paulo Jr. If this role is what Dos Santos has in mind to keep Eustaquio in the starting XI once de Guzman returns, some more drilling on the practice pitch will be in order.
The draw keeps fifth place Fort Lauderdale eight points behind Ottawa, but the Fury now have company in second place in the combined table as Minnesota United FC were able to beat the Carolina Railhawks 3-1. As expected, the New York Cosmos defeated the Jacksonville Armada 1-0 to remain six points ahead at the top of the table. The Fury remain in first place in the Fall table, three points ahead of Minnesota. The Spring and Fall season champions secure a berth in the playoffs, along with the next best two clubs in the Combined table, and the Fury continue to acquire the necessary points to ensure their place in the post-season.
Man of the Match: Romuald Peiser. Fury fans will hope that the man from Phalsbourg, France, has the juice left in his 36-year old legs to continue well beyond this season. It’s impossible to accurately judge the number of points Peiser has won the with his acrobatics this season, but it’s safe to say the Fury would not be riding as high in the standings without him.
Next Game: The Fury undertake a 10-day road trip which will take them to Fort Lauderdale, New York and Cary, North Carolina. The Strikers now head back home where they hope to get more from next Saturday’s match against the Fury than they did in this one.
Adendum: Stony Monday Riot and Bytown Boys, the two Ottawa Fury supporters groups, were able to raise $850 for Matthew House, a local charity that helps refugees. Well done top everyone who participated!
