May 29, 2018 USL Toronto FC II--Ottawa Fury vs Toronto FC II preview (from ottawafuryfc.com)

   
Match Preview | TFC2 at Fury FC
By Ottawa Fury FC, 05/29/18, 11:30AM EDT 

It will be a confident Ottawa Fury FC team that will head into this mid-week battle 
with Toronto FC II as with every passing game and with every gritty performance, 
the believers are stacking up for Fury FC. 

MATCH DAY INFO:
Ottawa Fury FC v Toronto FC II
Kickoff: Wednesday, May 30 – 7:00 p.m. – TD Place
USL Standings: Click Here
BROADCAST INFO:
LIVE STREAM:  OttawaFuryFC.com | USL Match Centre
RADIO: TSN 1200 (English) | 104,7FM Outaouais (Français)
TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates

Match Notes | OTTvTOR

THE MATCHUP

It will be a confident Ottawa Fury FC team that will head into this mid-week battle 
with Toronto FC II as with every passing game and with every gritty performance, 
the believers are stacking up for Fury FC.  After an early stumble, the Ottawa side 
is producing one determined performance after the other, helping fans buy into the 
vision of the team. While Fury FC Head Coach Nikola Popovic had preached for patience 
from the fans and to see this as a long-term project from the get-go, he will be happy 
with the results that the team is already delivering.

Fury FC will head into their 11th game of the season on a high. They have been unbeaten 
in their last five games, having won three of those. Their defensive organisation 
and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau have proved to be impenetrable with five consecutive 
clean sheets. The offence is also finding its teeth. In the last game, where they 
defeated then second-rank Bethlehem Steel FC 1-0, they had 14 shots on goal, which 
is the most they have had in a game this season. The team is functioning well as a unit 
with everyone eager to contribute: the five goals scored so far have come from five 
different players. In the last game it was the turn of Kevin Oliveira to put his name 
in the scoring charts. The midfielder did that in style by scoring just 44 seconds 
into the game. This marked the fastest league play goal in Fury FC history.

The game against Toronto FC II will be Fury FC’s second consecutive home game. They have 
lost just one game at TD Place this season and have been undefeated in the other four, 
having won two out of those encounters. They will be looking to add another W against 
their name this Wednesday. Their opponents are currently on a five-game losing streak 
and are currently the only team in the Eastern Conference, and one of the only two teams 
in the USL, to not have won a game so far this season.

Toronto FC II will be eager to start their recovery after an extremely sluggish start 
to the season. They have lost nine games and have conceded 24 goals so far. Their shaky 
defence let in 14 goals in the last five games. But they have also been able 
to score 10 goals and despite them being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference 
standings, Fury FC should be wary about such an opponent.

These two sides have met each other three times before in the USL with Fury FC having 
a 2W-0D-1L record in those games. The previous games have been low-scoring affairs but 
one suspects that this game could follow a different script.

This is the second of Fury FC’s three-game home stand after which they will be on the road 
for a lengthy five-game span. Club and fans alike will be looking to maximize their home 
field advantage and continue their unbeaten run. It all starts at 7 p.m. this Wednesday 
night, and tickets are available at OttawaFuryFC.com/tickets.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

Head Coach Nikola Popovic
“We have to focus on the performance. It wasn’t so bad when we were on the not so good run, 
but now it’s not perfect, we still have a lot of things to work on. It is encouraging that 
we are getting better and better. Now we have to be consistent to continue like this: this 
[undefeated] run will mean nothing if we go back to our old ways.”

Midfielder Kevin Oliveira
On his quick goal last match… “I’m happy! I had been trying in many games before and the ball 
would not go, and this one came fast! But I’m most happy about the three points.”

On his high number of minutes and role with the club… “I’m enjoying this, I’m here to give 
my best to the team. The team believes in me, the coach believes in me, so I’m just doing 
my best. Whatever they need me for I am there to fight until the end. I’m just happy we are 
getting more chances, we are getting points, we are winning and playing better, that’s 
what matters. We just have to keep going.”

Defender Eddie Edward
“Our trick: it’s an entire team effort. The guys on the field, the guys that come off the bench, 
the guys that train weekly and get us prepared… It’s just the whole team coming together, 
digging deep and embracing the system that we’re playing. We’re all working towards a common 
goal and that is to get the three points and keep it tight at the back.”

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