One year ago, a match between Ottawa Fury FC and Indy Eleven was far from an event that fans around the NASL would get excited for. Neither club enjoyed much consistency in their respective 2014 debuts in the league, and both finished on 27 points, missing out on playoff soccer by thirteen points.
Fast forward to this season, however, and Sunday afternoon’s meeting between the two, slated for 3 p.m. at Ottawa’s beautiful TD Place Stadium, is necessary viewing for anybody affiliated with the NASL. Unbeaten in their last seven (2W/5D), the hosts have catapulted themselves to within veritable grasp of a playoff spot, while Indy has been even more impressive in its current five-game unbeaten run (3W/2D/0L).
“We’re trying to be (a playoff threat),” said Ottawa manager Marc Dos Santos after his side’s training session on Thursday. “We’re headed in the right direction, but now we’re being respected more by the league and the games are going to continue to get more challenging.”
With Ottawa trailing Indy by two, and final current NASL playoff-seed Minnesota by three points entering the weekend, the importance of Sunday’s home match is clear for all to see.
“I told the guys today just how important the game against Indy is,” explained Dos Santos, “beating Indy would put us in first place in the Fall Season, something the club has never done before, and put us in a playoff spot, something Fury FC has never been in before.”
Of course it’s hardly going to be a walk in the park for Ottawa, who will be facing arguably the most in-form club in the NASL.
Since the appointment of former MLS defender Tim Regan as interim manager on June 2nd, Indy has blitzed their way to an undefeated 3-2-0 record. Impressive results during the ongoing run include a 3-nil drubbing of FC Edmonton to end the Spring Season, and a 1-1 draw away to the powerhouse New York Cosmos.
Personnel-wise, centerback Erick Norales forms the crux of the Eleven’s defensive backbone, and is equally adept at attacking and defending from set pieces. Homegrown midfielder Dylan Mares, currently tied for second in the NASL in assists, has been the shiniest jewel developed out of the club’s mining project for NCAA talent. Finally, Polish frontman Wojciech Wojcik has rounded into form after an unnervingly slow start in an Indy uniform, bagging a goal in each of the Eleven’s first two Fall Season games.
“They’ve got some different variations up top,” explained Dos Santos, “(Charlie) Rugg is also that type of (big, physical) player, and (Brian) Brown is more of a fast, counter player.”
“They’re a team that’s probably going to try and wait for our mistake,” continued the former Montreal Impact boss. “It’s two very even teams, and I’m expecting a tight, tactical game.”
Fury FC’s date on Sunday with Indy is also a part of the Purolator Tackle Hunger campaign, and fans are asked to bring non-perishable goods to the game. In addition, the club is offering field-level seats from $15 as part of a special offer.
One year ago, it was hard to fathom an NASL universe in which a meeting between Indy and Ottawa would be watched closely by the rest of the league, yet here we are, with the definition of a six-pointer staring us in the face. The winner of Sunday’s match will, at the very least, maintain pace with the NASL’s best, while the loser could very well slip as low as 10th in the 11-team circuit.
Big game is an understatement.
Main Photo courtesy of Ottawa Fury FC
