OTTAWA HAS OPPORTUNITY TO ALL BUT SEAL FALL SEASON TITLE ON SUNDAY

Minnesota loss opens the door for Ottawa in Fall Season title race

For at least a few hours on Saturday, Ottawa Fury FC players, coaches, and supporters were Indy Eleven fans.

The Boys in Blue played host to Minnesota United FC, which is the club chasing Ottawa in the NASL Fall Season title race, and the result they were able to come up with against the Loons was something Ottawa may want to thank them for later.  

With three precious points going to Indy as opposed to Minnesota following a 3-1 result on Saturday night, Ottawa has a real opportunity to all but seal the NASL Fall Season title tomorrow afternoon when it welcomes the San Antonio Scorpions to TD Place. Fury FC currently leads the Loons by three points in the Fall Season Standings, meaning a win over San Antonio would put them six points clear with two games to play.

With a midweek game coming up in Jacksonville on Wednesday, Ottawa could clinch the Fall Season title before the Loons even suit up for their next game. All of this, of course, hinges on the Canadian side getting a victory over San Antonio tomorrow.

“This should be a very good match between two teams that have a lot to fight for,” said Ottawa head coach Marc Dos Santos about Sunday’s clash with the Scorpions.

Ottawa already has a place in The Championship, the league’s four-team postseason tournament. So why should they be so concerned about clinching the Fall Season title?

Seeding. The Championship’s top two seeds – and semifinal hosting rights – go to the NASL’s Spring Season winner and Fall Season winner. A strong performance against San Antonio tomorrow could all but guarantee that Ottawa’s loyal fans will be able to see their team in the postseason at home, and according to forward Andrew Wiedeman, that’s vitally important.

“The fans have been the difference.”

The visiting Scorpions still need a lot of help in the postseason race, but they’re not down and out just yet. An upset win in Ottawa tomorrow would give the Scorpions an outside shot at the No. 4 seed in The Championship, and for those that are doubting head coach Alen Marcina’s side, just look at what they did at the end of the Fall Season last year.

The Scorpions captured the 2014 Fall Season title on virtually the last kick of their final regular season game, earning the right to host a semifinal that they would go on to win over the New York Cosmos. A week later, they raised the Soccer Bowl trophy, topping the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in The Championship Final at Toyota Field.

“We are in a moment of the season where every team is battling for something important,” Dos Santos said. “San Antonio knows that only the win will give them a chance to reach the postseason, while we also know that only the win will put us in an even better position to win the fall season.”

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET at TD Place on Sunday, and fans can watch the game live in the U.S. on ESPN3 and in Canada on OttawaFuryFC.com.