The Ottawa Fury freight train rolled into Indianapolis on Saturday evening and squashed the Eleven like a nickel left out on the track, easily extracting three points on their way to a 4-1 victory. It was only Ottawa’s second away victory of 2015, and extended the Fury’s win streak to five matches and their unbeaten run to 12.
The Fury continued its “goals by committee” system as Siniša Ubiparipović, Andrew Wiedeman and Mauro Eustaquio opened their 2015 goal accounts. Wiedemann had two goals 10 minutes apart and Eustaquio’s goal was the young Canadian’s first in NASL. Tom Heinemann turned provider with two assists in an excellent showing for the Fury’s target man.
With the New York Cosmos earning a come from behind 3-3 draw in Fort Lauderdale, scoreboard watchers got a preview of how difficult they will be to beat in their highly anticipated clash with the Fury on August 26th. The Cosmos result, combined with the Fury win, allowed Ottawa to climb back into first place in the race to the Woosnam Cup, the trophy awarded to the top team in the Combined table. The Cosmos have one game in hand.
The Fury’s four-goal output marked the fourth time they achieved the feat, this being the third time they do it against Indy. Ladies and gentlemen, the Fury have a welcome mat on which to stomp! Sadly for Ottawa, the Fury do not face the Eleven again this year.
The Fury embark on season-defining three-match homestand starting with a rare Saturday evening match at Lansdowne Park Stadium against Minnesota United FC. The following week sees the aforementioned New York Cosmos come to town in a top of the league super clash. Finally, the third place (Combined table) Tampa Bay Rowdies blow through Ottawa. That’s three weeks with the three clubs trailing the Fury coming to Lansdowne Park Stadium. If Ottawa does well in these coming tests, it suddenly becomes more difficult to miss the playoffs than to make them. This Fury team has never faced such pressure, and how they cope will tell us whether the players truly are the “warriors” as labelled by head coach Marc Dos Santos. The way they’re going now, it would be folly to bet against them.
Man of the Match: Mauro Eustaquio. A player who comes through the academy and performs at that level is a delight for supporters. Congrats on the first goal, Mauro!
Next match: Ottawa Fury FC takes on Minnesota United FC at Lansdowne Park Stadium Saturday night at 19:00. Indy Eleven will try to pick up the pieces as they host Thomas Rongen’s Tampa Bay Rowdies.
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