Sinisa Ubiparipovic Scores His First Of Two Goals
Soccer News: Ottawa Fury FC are postseason bound. The second-year North American Soccer League (NASL) side clinched their first-ever postseason berth with a 2-0 win over FC Edmonton at TD Place in front of boisterous crowd of 6,050 marking the fifth straight home match that attendance has eclipsed the 6,000 mark.
Veteran midfielder Sinisa Ubiparipovic continued his strong play of recent netting a goal in each half which proved to be more than enough offence for Ottawa’s sound defensive game who helped Romuald Peiser collect his thirteenth shutout of the season tying an NASL single-season record (Richard Martin – Puerto Rico Islanders, 2012).
Ottawa Fury FC (11W-4D-1L) have 37 points keeping them atop the Fall Season standings by five points over Minnesota United FC with four matches remaining. Ottawa also maintain their two-point edge over the Loons for top spot in the NASL Combined table.
“This is not something you accomplish alone,” said Fury FC head coach Marc Dos Santos after the playoff-clinching win. “In April when we had a very bad start and lost three in a row. People stuck with us. People believed in this team. People knew what we were able to do.”
“I just want to thank everybody because mission one was accomplished. Now we have to be ambitious, now we have to try to win the Fall [Season],” he added.
Both sides came into the Canadian derby holding impressive records as of late. The league-leading Ottawa Fury FC were undefeated in seven straight and were coming off an impressive road trip, which saw the club collect all nine points in three straight victories. The Eddies, on the other hand, won three in a row themselves and were unbeaten in their last four overall.
Ottawa came out pressing early, controlling the majority of possession through the open twelve minutes and continuously looking to make space in the Edmonton end. Ottawa’s dangerous offence, led by forwards Paulo Junior and Tom Heinemann, combined for a few chances in the opening stages of the match.
Fury goalkeeper Peiser, sporting a pink shirt in support of Women’s Cancer, made a punching save on FC Edmonton midfielder Dustin Corea‘s free kick from about 35 yards out in the 17th minute to keep the score level.
In the 23rd minute, Ottawa’s offence went back to work as Junior came rushing down the left side of the field with pace before finding midfielder Ubiparipovic in the box, who skipped the ball behind Eddies goalkeeper Matt VanOekel and into the net to give Ottawa the 1-0 lead.
Peiser made another brilliant diving save off a free kick attempt from 27 yards out by FC Edmonton midfielder Lance Laing in the 36th minute to help Ottawa carry its 1-0 lead into half.
The game was much more balanced in the early stages of the second half as both sides traded possession.
Ottawa would double its lead in the 72nd minute when Ubiparipovic grabbed his own rebound and blasted the ball into the top corner to give Ottawa a 2-0 and send the crowd into sweet elation.
In the 82nd minute, the Eddies would come close as midfielder Thiago de Freitas would blast a long-range shot from the right side of the pitch that would ring off the post. That would be as close as FC Edmonton would get as Ottawa held on for the victory to clinch the postseason berth.
The win is Ottawa’s fourth in a row that see’s the club unbeaten in their last 8 (5W-3D-0L).
Ottawa Fury FC head out on the road with their 9-game road unbeaten streak in tow to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies at 7:30pm on Saturday at Al Lang Stadium. Tickets are available online.
MATCH REPORT:
Starting XI:
FC Edmonton (4-5-1): VanOekel, Zebie, Watson, Roberts, Smith, Laing, Jones, Edward, Cruz (Nyassi – 60′), Corea (de Freitas – 76′), Fordyce (Ameobi – 66′)
Ottawa Fury FC (4-3-3): Peiser, Trafford, Falvey, Alves, Richter, Ubiparipovic, Ryan (De Guzman – 77′), Beckie, Paulo Junior (Oliver – 76′), Heinemann (Albayrak – 85′), Wiedeman
Scoring Summary:
23′ – OTT: Ubiparipovic (Paulo Junior)
72′ – OTT: Ubiparipovic
LISTEN: TSN 1200 audio of both goals
Caution Summary:
79′ – OTT: Richter
80′ – OTT: Ubiparipovic
Attendance: 6,050
