For forty-five minutes on Saturday night, Ottawa Fury FC looked like a USL Pro team on the pitch against an MLS powerhouse. Yet somehow, despite being dominated in the first half by a fluid New York Cosmos side, Ottawa miraculously trailed just 1-nil. For a separate forty-five minutes on Saturday night, Fury FC looked like a side capable of competing for an NASL championship, creating chances and making Gio Savarese’s Cosmos side look distinctly average. However as has become the team’s calling card in the early stages of the 2015 NASL season, Ottawa couldn’t find the necessary finish to get a result, dropping their fourth straight in a 1-0 decision.
Saturday evening’s match started essentially the way most NASL pundits expected it to, with the Cosmos dominating Ottawa from the opening whistle. Pre-match predictions had the game pegged for anything from a 2-0 to 4-1 New York victory, and the first half lived up to those guesstimates.
Gio Savarese’s side challenged Ottawa goalkeeper Romuald Peiser twice in the opening two minutes, with winger Walter Restrepo (pictured above) and striker Lucky Mkosana, an offseason acquisition from Tampa Bay, both looking dangerous.
Mkosana’s pace would inevitably result in the Cosmos’ lone goal, as he latched onto a beautiful 30-yard pass from winger Leo Fernandes before belting a half-volley past Peiser. The Zimbabwean gazelle then celebrated in equally smooth fashion, posing with the corner flag in a comedic ‘Elvis’ celebration.
New York dominated the first half from start to finish, and Ottawa were lucky to head into the break trailing by just the Mkosana marker.
The second half saw Ottawa come out of its defensive shell and actually press the Cosmos, as strikers Tom Heinemann and Andrew Wiedeman both squandered opportunities within Cosmos goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer’s box.
New York surged forward for their best chance in the second half in the 84th minute, as Raul and Walter Restrepo capitalized on an Ottawa defensive blunder. After Fury FC centrebacks Rafael Alves – who had put in an excellent performance until then – and Colin Falvey collided, Raul pounced, passing to a wide-open Restrepo who polished off into an empty net. Though the goal was called back for an offside, it was clear that Restrepo was well onside when Raul made the cross-goal pass.
Ottawa continued to press in the closing stages, but Dos Santos’ side lacked the finish needed to draw level.
All things considered, it was a valiant effort from an Ottawa side playing its fifth match in a brutal two-week period. However, moral victories don’t count for much in professional footy, and Fury FC’s four-game skid has seen them crash out of the domestic cup and plummet to the bottom of the NASL spring season standings. Saturday’s loss against the top-table Cosmos means Ottawa fall seven points off the pace with just five matches remaining, and I think it’s safe to say Fury FC’s bid for a spring championship is now dead.
Main Photo courtesy of nasl.com
