The Fury FC equalized in the 54th minute in what may go down as Ottawa’s goal of the year, with a sumptuous left-footed free kick right outside the penalty area from DM Richie Ryan that found the top right corner sending the Fury supporters into a frenzy. The second half was marked by a number of headed chances for Ottawa from Heinemann, as well as good chances for Minnesota, with the ball hitting the crossbar on 3 separate occasions during the half. Minnesota delivered the killer blow after a counter-attack down their right flank led to an Ibarra-Ramirez connection, which has defeated numerous NASL defenses this season.
There were a number of fine performances from Fury FC players on the weekend, with Ryan getting the plaudits that he has deserved all season but has not been given in his usual calm play in the middle, as well as consistent play from Ubiparipovic and Heinemann, and a surprisingly effective performance from Mayard. However, the Fury defense was tested severely by the strongest offense in the league, and they could not contain Minnesota this past weekend in what had to be the biggest game of the year.
Starting Lineup
The starting lineup remained unchanged from the week before, a rare treat for an expansion side, with a 4-3-3 formation consisting of: (from left to right) Peiser; Soria, Trafford, Beckie, Richter; Ubiparipovic, Ryan ©, Donatelli; Mayard, Heinemann, and Oliver.
If anything, the surprise of the matchday squad was how deep the bench looked, with a number of players who have started a significant amount of games for the Fury this season who is fighting for a spot in the starting XI after missing games through injury and/or suspensions.
While the competition for the GK spot between Peiser and Gorrick have been oft-discussed over the fall season, Omar Jarun, Nicki Paterson, Phil Davies, Carl Haworth, and Vini Dantas all started the game on the bench, with all the players with numerous starts between them this season, and the players surely eager to prove themselves at training and on the pitch.
GK and Defense
Peiser had a decent game, with two excellent saves in the 2nd half, but when a team concedes 3 goals, one cannot expect the keeper to be happy with his performance after the game. The 1st goal was probably the most saveable of the three, but Peiser has had other excellent games and has remained one of the best players for the club this fall.
Richter had the best game among the Fury FC defenders on Sunday, showcasing calm play with the ball on the right flank and keeping the game moving. It is a bit hard to believe that OFFC and TFC were attempting to convert him to CB at the beginning of fall, considering the mighty struggles he had in that position in the 2-3 games he played CB for Ottawa during the summer. Soria was his usual solid self, with no obvious mistakes, but also getting beat on pace time to time, with the one that hurt the most the footrace to the ball at the 89th minute that led to Ibarra’s assist for Ramirez.
Trafford had an interesting game, as some fans will surely point towards his sliding interception in the 2nd half that robbed Ramirez of a sure goal as an indication of his importance to the team. The sliding interception was a fantastic piece of defending, as well as a great tackle on Ibarra in the 1st half, but the sliding interception only became necessary due to the fact that he was the slowest among all the players running into the box on the cross, when he should have tracked back faster as soon as Minnesota played the ball into a dangerous position on the left flank. This has been a trend that has occurred throughout the season, as he has sometimes been guilty of ball-watching when the ball is played out onto the flanks.
On the other hand, Beckie, who has been the most consistent defender for the Fury FC this year, had surely his poorest game of the season. He was found all over the penalty area, making some crucial interceptions and clearances, attributable to his efforts and hustle. However, he had made at least 1, if not 2, crucial misplays on attempted clearances that came to haunt the Fury in the 1st half. He apologized to the fans after the game on Twitter, as he did not live up to his own high standards for the day.
Midfield
Ryan was captain fantastic for Ottawa, with the hashtag #RyanHeart a very suitable description for his performance for Sunday. In addition to his usual calm collected technique and distribution from the middle of the pitch, he stroked in a delightful curler of a free kick, and will surely be recognized for NASL goal of the week. His 40-yard diagonal balls to the wingers were working very well during the game as well.
Ubiparipovic had another fine performance, as it’s been noted week after week that he is the main attacking thrust for Ottawa all year. He won the PK after a great little run from his LCM position to get on the end of a nice through ball. The only negative was him holding on to the ball longer than needed and getting crowded out in midfield on a couple occasions.
Donatelli had a very quiet game by his usual standards, and did not make an impression on the game at all, as he may have been specifically pinpointed by Minnesota manager Manny Lagos as a danger man for Ottawa. Paterson came in for Donatelli and contributed more to the attack than Donatelli did for the last 20 minutes of the game, but his advanced position meant that he was unable to track the Minnesota midfielder who sprang free Ibarra for his game-winning assist to Ramirez.
Offense
Heinemann has gotten better and better over the last few weeks, with some fantastic performances recently, and he had another one against Minnesota. He won more headers than ever before, but he also showed nifty touches to take the ball past defenders, which we had not seen before. His confidence at PKs is will appreciated for the club, and once his headers start finding the corner of the goals instead of the keeper, Heinemann could score a large number of goals before this season ends.
Mayard had his best performance of the season, showcasing his strengths on the left flank. While his technique still remains a bit to be desired, he can link up with the players around him, and also produce an extra burst of pace to whip in a dangerous cross from the left flank when in position.
In contrast, Oliver witnessed a dip in form this weekend, after going on a fantastic goal-scoring spree this month. The vast number of his crosses from the right flank was blocked by the first or second defender, which simply was not good enough to win against the best team in the league, though credit must go to the Minnesota defense. Haworth came on and produced his usual energetic display, while Dantas came on for the last 5 minutes but was not given enough time to provide his incredible last-minute displays.
Next Match Preview
Ottawa plays its first mid-week game in some time, welcoming Atlanta on Wednesday at 7:00pm EDT (Rogers TV, NASLLive.com) after defeating them 0-3 away just 10 days ago. Since that match, Atlanta suffered another loss at home to San Antonio by a scoreline of 0-1.
This is the first time that Atlanta makes its way to Ottawa, with the two previous fixtures between the two sides both occurring in the state of Georgia, with both teams splitting one wins apiece. Mayard, Oliver and Haworth got on the scoresheet in the 0-3 away win for Ottawa, with Heinemann playing particularly well during the match in his ST role.
Atlanta has slipped below Ottawa in the yearly standings, as it has collected 21 points from its 21 matches, with Ottawa having 22 points from the same number of games. Atlanta, meanwhile, props up the rest of the league for the Fall Season, and has made a new signing this week to bolster its frontline, adding ST Shaka Bangura, while Brazillian AM Kerlon, known internationally as “the Seal”, is training with the club.
The Silverbacks lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in their home loss to Ottawa 10 days ago, but came out in a 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation for their last match vs. San Antonio, as manager Jason Smith looks to shake things up. CM Kwadwo Poku and winger Alex Harlley looked particularly dangerous against Ottawa in their previous match-up, though both players came off the bench in their match against San Antonio.
CSN OFFC MotM
DM Richie Ryan for his excellent goal, as well as his usual steady play in midfield, with honourable mention to ST Tom Heinemann
Lineups and Stats
Ottawa (4-3-3) – Peiser; Soria, Trafford, Beckie, Richter; Ubiparipovic, Ryan ©, Donatelli; Mayard, Heinemann, Oliver
Minnesota (4-1-4-1) – VanOekel; Davis, Dias, Calvano, Venegas; Pitchkolan ©, Vicentini, Jordan (Burgos 67′), Mendes (Daley 79′), Ibarra; Ramirez
Ottawa Subs – Paterson (Donatelli 68′), Haworth (Oliver 76′), Dantas (Heinemann 84′)
Ottawa Goals: Heinemann (15′), Ryan (51′); Assists: Ubiparipovic (15′), Heinemann (51′)
Minnesota Goals: Ibarra (20′), Mendes (23′), Ramirez (88′)
Ottawa Injuries and Suspensions: None
Ottawa Stats Leaders: Shots – Heinemann (4); Challenges Won – Heinemann (12)
You can follow Namu Yoon on Twitter at @BBSC_SeoulBro, and his blog on Ottawa Fury FC at OFFCReview.wordpress.com, and at @OFFCReview.