Photo Credit: M. Williams / Penn FC
Ottawa Fury FC gets their first win of the season in USL on the road against Penn FC this past Monday, May 7th in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At FNB Field, a baseball diamond converted into a soccer pitch for Penn FC home games, Fury FC dominated the share of chances and got the winning goal from Colin Falvey in the 87th minute. The match ended in a 1-0 win for Fury FC, a second consecutive clean sheet for Nikola Popovic’s men.
On a baseball diamond in Harrisburg
Fury FC travelled to Harrisburg to face Penn FC on a converted baseball diamond, which is home to the Harrisburg Senators, a Double-A affiliate baseball team, as well as Penn FC. Not ideal conditions to play soccer as the field is considerably condensed compared to a typical soccer field.
Both teams were coming into the fixture off positive results. Penn FC defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies 3-0 on the previous Friday and Fury FC got an impressive 0-0 draw against a high-flying New York Red Bulls II team in midweek. Two teams on the bottom of the standings, Penn FC and Fury FC both were looking to get the three points on Monday.
The match was closely contested throughout, but Fury FC made more clear chances on goal. Penn FC failed to convert a shot on goal, while Fury FC had five shots on goal for the entire game. Penn FC goalkeeper Sean Lewis was forced into an impressive save when substitute Jimmy-Shammar Sanon dribbled past two Penn FC defenders and took a shot on net from inside the box in the 85th minute.
From the subsequent corner-kick, Fury FC got their third goal of the season and winning goal on the day. Lewis’ attempt to punch the ball out of the penalty-area was meek and insufficient and, thankfully for Fury FC, Falvey was ready to sweep the ball into the net from the top of the six-yard box
The goal came in the 87th minute and with little time left on the clock, the Fury FC players understood that they were on the precipice of their team’s first victory of the season, evident from the way the players on the field celebrated the goal.
Penn FC players shouted for a foul as they believed Lewis was impeded as he went to punch the ball. But, on the replay, there is little evidence of a foul. Penn FC’s Head Coach, Raoul Voss, was dismissed from the sideline after his complaints crossed the line.
Head Coach Nikola Popovic dedicated the win fury FC General Manager Julian de Guzman.
“I would like to dedicate this victory to Julian de Guzman. He’s doing fantastic work rebuilding this team, this club, and he deserves full credit for what he’s doing.”
Adonijah Reid showing class early in the season
Adonijah Reid has been a constant bright spot for Fury FC this season since he was selected for the starting lineup against North Carolina FC in Fury FC’s home opener.
This is Reid’s second season with Fury FC on loan from MLS side FC Dallas. He made 12 appearances for Fury FC last season at the tender age of seventeen and now a year later, he is showing himself to be one of Fury FC’s most dynamic, entertaining and skillful players.
On Monday he was substituted in the 66th minute, but before that, he was influential in creating two clear chances for Steevan Dos Santos in the first-half and Carl Haworth in the second-half.
Reid was the first Canadian Generation Adidas Player to be drafted in the MLS SuperDraft back in 2015 and if he continues to grow as a player, he can make an impact in the MLS for his parent club and on the international stage with the Canadian Men’s National Team in the future.
What’s Next
After Fury FC’s win, they rise to second last place in the Eastern Conference standings, one spot below their opponents this upcoming weekend at TD Place—Atlanta United 2. Fury FC has another opportunity to acquire points against a struggling team and will go into this Saturday, May 12th game at 2:00 PM with confidence from their first win of the season and second clean sheet of the season.