First Thoughts
Following a tough road trip which saw them drop matches in Edmonton and Atlanta, the Ottawa Fury returned to the friendly confines of Keith Harris Stadium in Carleton University this week. The club, dealing with continuous injury and fatigue stemming from their heavy schedule, will be looking to right the ship with a home result against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Fury and its supporters will slowly begin to follow the NASL standings, as the league is at the approximate half-way point in a nine-game spring season. Achieving results in individual matches will be vital for teams looking to climb up the rankings. With five games remaining in a highly competitive league, it will be important for the Fury to obtain a home result against Tampa Bay.

The Rowdies, coming off their first win of the season against the San Antonio Scorpions, currently sit two points ahead of the Fury in the league table. They will be looking to improve their offense, which has generated one goal in each of their four NASL games this year. Their defending, which has largely allowed them to remain competitive in matches, will be led by goal-keeper Matt Pickens, who boasts 156 appearances in MLS with the Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire.

Keep Thinking
Unfortunately for the Fury, the numerous injuries which currently plague the club remain a primary topic of discussion this week. Forward Tom Heinemann, who has yet to make a league appearance for Ottawa, will remain sidelined with an ankle sprain. Midfielder Nicki Paterson remains questionable after not seeing training time over the course of the week. For Paterson, who was originally slated to return this week, news of his continued lack of action will be a worrying sign with respect to his recovery time-line. Meanwhile, left-back Maykon and midfielder Tony Donatelli saw limited training time and will likely be game-time decisions for the club, while winger Oliver and captain Richie Ryan, who went down in the Fury’s pre-game warm-up against Atlanta, as well as winger Pierre-Rudolphe Mayard, who was substituted off in the same match after limping off the pitch, trained with the team on the pitch and will likely be in the match-day squad. Fortunately, there is much needed good news for the Fury, as Carl Haworth, Kenny Caceros, Drew Beckie, and goal-keeper Devala Gorrick seem to have recovered from their respective knocks incurred in last week’s game against Atlanta.

As a result of the continued injury situations, manager Marc Dos Santos will be forced to shuffle his line-up once again. Spanish left-back Ramon Soria will likely earn his second start of the season in place of Maykon. Drew Beckie and Mason Trafford, the only two outfield players who have played in all of the Fury’s 360 league minutes this season, will likely be joined by Omar Jarun in providing defensive duties. With Nicki Paterson remaining questionable for this match, Dos Santos will be looking to Sinisa Ubiparipovic to once again lead the midfield in the club’s favoured 4-3-3 formation, while Richie Ryan is expected to return to provide the solid anchor role he has shown throughout the early season. Vini Dantas will be expected to continue the bustling performance he showed versus Atlanta, while Oliver is expected to return to league action and replicate some of the magic shown in the 4-0 win against Carolina.

With such heavy focus on team fitness and conditioning, it’s quite simple for the Fury to overlook the importance of this match. The Tampa Bay Rowdies come to Ottawa following a start which has seen them earn two draws against currently winless clubs (FC Edmonton and Indy Eleven), a defeat to the Atlanta Silverbacks, and in their last match, an away victory over the San Antonio Scorpions. The Fury will be playing in front of their home crowd, facing a club which is only two points above them, and looking to continue its good form following a poor spell to begin the season. Earning three points allows the Fury to move past the Rowdies and into a competitive position within the league standings.

The Rowdies will look to frustrate Ottawa’s already-depleted midfield with a strong defensive showing. In addition to experienced MLS ‘keeper Matt Pickens, Tampa Bay’s solid defensive core includes veterans Frankie Sanfilippo, J.P. Rodrigues, and Takuya Yamada, all of whom have been with the club since 2011, a stint that includes winning the NASL championship in 2012. Left-back Blake Wagner, who has started in all four matches for Tampa Bay this season, will not be available after picking up a red card in the club’s last match. The Rowdies’ struggling offense will be in tough as it looks to generate more than one goal in an NASL match for the first time this season. Their midfield is led by former Toronto FC player Darel Russel, former Portland Timber Keith Savage, and Shane Hill, who featured on the most recent NASL team of the week. Their forwards will have to contend with a solid, and relatively healthy, Fury back-four who will be tasked with silencing the already quiet offense.

Final Thoughts
Despite having to continually deal with an influx of injuries, Ottawa Fury FC will be looking for a solid performance against the Rowdies. It will be important for the Fury to secure a result in a home match against a club which is just two points ahead of them in the lower half of the league standings. Ottawa’s midfield and forward players will be tasked with unlocking a secure Tampa Bay defensive unit, while the Rowdies’ struggling offense will be looking to create opportunities. Control of the midfield will be an important aspect to the game, as the club which gains it will likely be allowed to dictate the match.

Prediction
Ottawa Fury FC 2 – 0 Tampa Bay Rowdies