Toronto FC II return home to host the Ottawa Fury on Saturday night in their 2018 Home Opener! To get you set here is everything you need to know about the Fury:
2017 Season
The Fury did not have the debut season they were looking for in the USL in 2017. Ottawa finished with a record of 8-10-14 and finished outside the playoffs with 38 points. The team made a coaching switch in August as former Canadian International Julian de Guzman took over for Paul Dalglish.
Player wise, the Fury got a strong season from Steevan Dos Santos. The Cape Verdean forward scored a team-high 12 goals. Canadian International Jamar Dixon had a great season playing in 32 matches scoring twice and Canadian keeper Callum Irving started every game for the Fury.
All-time Record
The two rivals split the inaugural season series each winning a game and drawing once. They opened their rivalry in Ottawa in April and played to a 0-0 draw.
TFC II was victorious at the Ontario Soccer Centre in July. Luca Uccello scored a goal of the season candidate as the Reds held on for a 1-0 victory. The Fury won the final game of the season with a 2-0 win at Lansdowne.
Current Form
The Fury were defeated 4-1 at the hands of the Charlotte Independence in their season opener. Ottawa was off this past weekend and should be eager to go come Saturday.
Key Players
The Fury trotted out in a 4-3-3 formation in their season opener. Irish defender Colin Falvey lead the team in attempted passes with 93. The central defender will be relied upon to distribute out of the Ottawa back.
In the midfield, Dixon and former TFC player Chris Mannella will each play an important role in orchestrating the Fury attack.
The previously mentioned Dos Santos will yet again be relied upon up top for the Fury this year. The forward will look to improve on his 12 goals last season. American Sito Seoane scored the lone goal for the Fury in their opener coming on as a substitute.
Canadian Content
Naturally, the Ottawa Fury have 15 Canadians on their 2018 roster. Here is a list of them by position:
Goalkeeper: Callum Irving, David Monsalve, Maxime Crepeau
Defender: Eddie Edward, Nana Attakora, Maxim Tissot, Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Monti Mohsen
Midfielder: Chris Mannella, Jamar Dixon, Shamit Shome, Kyle Porter
Forward: Carl Haworth, Adonijah Reid, Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti
Of note, Mannella, Attakora, and Monsalve were all with Toronto FC at some point. Attakora made 56 first team appearances from 2007-2011.
Irving, Attakora, Mannella, Haworth, Monsalve, Tissot, Crepeau, Dixon, and Porter have all earned a call-up from the Canadian National Team.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM on Saturday. A reminder that all Toronto FC season ticket members can redeem their TFC II tickets by checking their email.
