In an intriguing move, Ottawa Fury FC announced earlier this week the signing of 25 year-old Brazilian forward Paulo Júnior.
The signing is the first of the off-season for the club, which has already indicated it will be making huge changes to the squad that finished a disappointing 8th-place in the NASL in 2014. While Marc Dos Santos‘ side were understandably inconsistent throughout the pitch in their debut campaign, it was a creative punch that the club lacked most afternoons. Aside from the enigmatic Sinisa Ubiparipovic and the injury-plagued Oliver, Fury FC had very little creativity and flair.
The signing of Paul Júnior is a massive move for Dos Santos’ side, one which will give Ottawa a second dimension to its attack – speed. Standing just 5’6, the Teresina, Brazil native presents Dos Santos with an option he didn’t really have in 2014. Both on the wing and even up top, Júnior could be a massive upgrade over what Fury FC currently has on its minuscule roster.
I say minuscule because, as of December 20th, the club has just seven players under contract. While I’m sure there are more players from the 2014 squad to be re-signed, Dos Santos indicated throughout the second half of the season that there would be a substantial amount of change in the off-season, and substantial change is what we’ll see with this many roster spots open.
Paulo Júnior joins Fury FC with four MLS goals to his name, along with twelve NASL goals (all while a member of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers).
A somewhat troubling note is that he hasn’t found the back of the net in a competitive match since 2012, having been held scoreless in 2013, while a member of the Strikers, and 2014 while with Brazilian club Náutico. At best, Dos Santos will be hoping the Ituano youth product will be able to recapture some of his former glory. At worst, Júnior will turn out to be another Maykon and leave the club quietly after struggling to cement a place in the starting eleven amidst much fanfare.
With the necessary pace to play on the wing in as physical a league as the NASL, Júnior could slide onto one of the flanks in Dos Santos’ preferred 4-3-3 formation.
Still, the signing of the Brazilian offers some hope for an improved performance in 2015. Hope for supporters and hope for the club itself, which will now have to prove its mettle in a demanding sports market. As the novelty of the club wears off, it will have to start winning if it wants to cement its place in the mind of the average sports fan and average more than a few thousand attendance-wise.
The signing of Júnior is one of a trio of exciting developments in Ottawa since the end of the club’s first season. The addition of former Chelsea academy deckhand Darko Buser is being touted as a coup for Fury FC’s academy program, while the club’s Under-15s were crowned continental champions on December 9th.
On paper this is a very good signing, and something which should drum up a decent amount of excitement. Júnior will be instantly one of the best footballers to grace the pitch in a Fury kit the minute the whistle blows in his first game. The question for this off-season remains: who will his teammates be?
Other NASL teams have been busy making changes to their squads this off-season as well. Most notably, FC Edmonton signed longtime Minnesota United goalkeeper Matt Van Oekel. The 28 year-old Oekel will have to compete with John Smits for a place in Colin Miller’s starting XI in 2015.
Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Rowdies hired Hollywood heartbreaker – erm, not quite – Thomas Rongen as manager. The Rowdies parted ways with English manager Ricky Hill after a disappointing 2014 campaign saw them finish well short of a play-off spot, and Rongen brings an interesting resume to Tampa. Most recently the academy director at Toronto FC, Rongen has managed multiple MLS sides along with football powerhouse American Samoa.
Jacksonville Armada FC’s preparations for their inaugural campaign are well underway, with seven players having put pen to paper on deals with the Armada – most notably, former Blackburn Rover Jemal Johnson.
Lastly, the league released the schedule for the spring portion of its 2015 season. Jacksonville’s home debut will come on opening weekend, when they’ll host FC Edmonton on April 4th.
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