One shot on goal is all it took for the Ottawa Fury to defeat the San Antonio Scorpions on Saturday night deep in the heart of Texas. Oliver Minatel scored his second goal in as many games as the Fury secured all three points against an opponent they had never conquered.
Both teams were clearly affected by the stifling heat, as the pace of the match continued to slow as it developed. One is tempted to blame the heat for the red card incurred by Scorpions midfielder Zourab Tsiskaridze, a result of a second yellow card for diving in studs up on the Fury’s Mauro Eustaquio. As Scorpions head coach Alen Marcina admitted after the match, “Tsiskaridze lost his head there.” From that point on, the Scorpions bunkered and appeared to hope for a draw.
The breakthrough for the Fury came in the 50th minute when Paulo Jr. used what little time and space he was given at the top of the 18-yard box to send a telegraphed ball onto Oliver’s head. The Brazilian striker made no mistake in picking up his third goal of 2015 and putting the Fury up 1-0. It was a lead that would never truly come under threat until Eric Hassli was brought into the match in the 80th minute. Hassli brought some much needed energy to the Scorpion attack, but in fairness Fury keeper Romuald Peiser was never truly made uncomfortable in picking up his league-leading 10th clean sheet of 2015.
The match’s main flashpoint turned out not to be the tackle on Eustaquio, but an injury picked up by Peiser late in the match. In an indication that Peiser’s been paying close attention to CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, the Fury shot-stopper has become something of an artist in stretching moments of inaction in matches in which the Fury lead. This seemed to set off the Scorpions players, who were at that time beginning to show signs of life.
That was nothing, however, compared to the way Scorpions head coach Alen Marcina went off after the final whistle. As Fury head coach Marc Dos Santos walked the field congratulating his players, Marcina hounded him, clearly outraged by Peiser’s antics. To his credit, Dos Santos brushed him off and continued on his way. The heat, the result, and probably the realization that with this loss the Scorpions’ playoff hopes continue their slide into the realm of fantasy contributed to Marcina’s meltdown.
Man of the Match: Oliver Minatel. The striker continues to show signs of regaining the form he displayed last season before being plagued by injuries and, umm, events, in 2015.
Next Match: The Fury return home for one of their three remaining matches at Lansdowne Park Stadium this season to take on the surging Fort Lauderdale Strikers on Saturday afternoon. The Scorpions will try to keep their faint playoff hopes alive when they host the Carolina Railhawks on Wednesday night.
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