It’s been a crazy week for the Ottawa Fury, and the team now gets to leave the madness behind as they undertake a 10-day, three-match road trip where they will get to focus on matters on the field instead of having to deal with issues off it.
Nothing, save for Fury President John Pugh announcing, say, that the Fury wasn’t going to survive in this market, could rock the Fury world as hard as what was announced Tuesday Morning. When word got out that a media advisory had been issued by the club for a press conference with only Pugh and Head Coach Marc Dos Santos, most assumed it would be to announce a contract extension. Those that suggested that it would be to announce Dos Santos’ departure were deemed alarmist, because who would voluntarily announce such a negative, earth-shattering bit of news in the middle of a playoff run?
Well, earth-shattering it was and it leaves the franchise in the lurch as it attempts to continue with its expectation-defying second season while speculation chases it everywhere from now until Dos Santos leaves the building. Thankfully for the Fury, Dos Santos wasn’t bluffing when he spoke of building a team full of character players. As the tsunami following the Fury announcement grew in strength, the players and staff carried on with the business at hand.
Fury Supporters will have to follow the players’ lead and snap their attention back to the remaining eight matches and the race to the playoffs as rival teams tightened their grip around the top four over the past week. While Ottawa was mired in “where and why will he go?” drama, Minnesota United and Fort Lauderdale, like anacondas slowly tightening themselves around their victim’s neck, were quietly picking up wins this week. The results left the Fury suddenly feeling the squeeze in both the Combined and Fall tables.
The next three matches are absolutely crucial to the Fury’s playoff aspirations. In Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, the Fury will look to throw a bucket of ice water on a club that’s won four of its past five matches. The Fury then travel to league-leading New York to face the Cosmos on Tuesday night. A meeting in Carolina the following Saturday puts a wrap on the trip. That’s three matches in eight days for team that’s already starting to feel the strain of a long season.
Central defensive pairing Colin Falvey and Rafael Alves were both used gingerly this week in training as they nurse some bumps and bruises. Julian De Guzman, Uğur Albayrak and Drew Beckie are all boarding the plane to Florida after spending the last few weeks sidelined by injuries, but how much they contribute is a question yet to be answered, with the German the most likely out of that group to play a part Saturday night.
The Fury and Strikers played to a 0-0 draw last Saturday in a match that saw both teams squander a handful of clear goalscoring opportunities. Those opportunities may not be there in the return match as both teams will have been drilled on preventing the kinds of lapses that led to those head-in-hands moments. If the law of averages imposes itself, however, expect a goal or two to be enough to squeak out a victory for either side.
All things considered, a long road trip may be just what’s needed for the club to buckle down and focus on the results on the field. The Fury front office got to pick its moment for the announcement of Dos Santos’ eventual departure, and the extended period away from Ottawa was likely a factor. It’s easy to forget that the Fury have lost only once in their last 15 matches and lead the league in most defensive categories, but in the face of a franchise about to lose its talisman, such comforts can be fleeting.
Marc Dos Santos believes his legacy in Ottawa will be felt well beyond this season. He may be right, but Fury supporters will be judging him largely on how the rest of this season unfolds. The Fury will be eager to prove on Saturday night that they are focused on the rest of this season, and in doing so helping to secure Dos Santos’ legacy in a positive light. Should the season run off the rails from here on out, fans of the team may not be as generous in their assessment of his time in Ottawa as is warranted.
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