Ottawa Fury FC vs Vancouver Whitecaps | Canadian Championship Match Preview

MATCH DAY INFO:
OTTAWA FURY FC -vs- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
KICKOFF: JUNE 1, 2016 - 7:30PM (TD PLACE - OTTAWA, ON)
LIVE IN-GAME STATS: 

BROADCAST INFO:
TV: TSN1
LIVE STREAM: TSN GO
ENGLISH RADIO: TSN1200 / TSN1200.ca
FRENCH RADIO: 94,5 Unique FM / UniqueFM.ca
TWITTER: Follow @OTTAWAFURYFC for LIVE updates

MATCH PREVIEW:

Ottawa Fury FC will take to the pitch at TD Place on Wednesday night for the biggest match in club history as Paul Dalglish's side hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semi-final.

After advancing past the opening round for the first time by defeating rival NASL side FC Edmonton, Wednesday's match – against the defending Canadian champions, no less – will mark the first time Fury FC squares off against MLS competition.

Ottawa has shown good form in the past few weeks with several positive results and the club is getting closer to the high-intensity, offensive mentality that Daglish is looking for. He says his team is mentally and physically prepared for this important match.

“We’re confident,” said the coach. “We are in great form as we had some really good results leading in to the last game. And even though we lost the last one, we’ve grown in confidence from it because of the level of our performance. We’re going into this game with great confidence and great excitement to produce another quality display in front of our supporters.”

Fury FC saw their nine-game home unbeaten streak (4W-4D-0L) come to end in a 2-1 loss to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers last week, though Ottawa dominated every statistical category (possession, shots, passing, corner kicks) and came out of the game with heads held high.

Forward Carl Haworth gave his team a glimmer of hope in the 80th minute of the game when he scored his first goal of the NASL season on a late-game penalty kick. With the hard-fought loss, Haworth expects his side to be very motivated for Wednesday's showdown with the Whitecaps.

“The mood is good and everyone is confident,” said Haworth. “We didn’t get the result we wanted on Friday but the performance was there. We were creating chances and kept the ball most of the game so everyone is in full confidence going into this one. This competition means a lot to the club and to the city so we want to do well.”

During the game against the Strikers, Romuald Peiser once again saw his name go into the Fury FC record books as the Frenchman became Ottawa’s all-time minutes played leader (4890, postseason included), surpassing Mason Trafford’s mark (4808) . Peiser could surpass Trafford's all-time appearances mark on Wednesday (54). 

Peiser is proud of the record and is looking forward to the challenge of facing an MLS-side for the first time in the club’s history.

“It’s always nice because I work hard for it. It’s not luck but only hard work and I’m very proud to be part of the Ottawa Fury FC, “said Peiser. “We are very excited to face an MLS team for the first time, it’s a big step for this club and now we want to make sure we do well.”

Though Fury is facing a team from a level above on the North American soccer pyramid, especially a Whitecaps team that is currently the third-highest scoring side in MLS with 23 goals in 15 games, Dalglish wants to see his team approach this game like any other and keep improving.

“We have to keep getting better by playing the way we want,” said Dalglish. “We have to forget about the fact that they are the Vancouver Whitecaps and concentrate on ourselves and make sure we play our way. The most important thing for us is to get better each game and we will try to do that on Wednesday.”

The Whitecaps, meanwhile, have picked up only one point in their last two league games after reeling off three-straight victories to start the season. After a 4-2 loss to the Portland Timbers on May 22nd, Carl Robinson’s side most recently shared the points in a 1-1 draw against Houston Dynamo last weekend.

The upcoming two matches against Vancouver will also bring back memories for a few members of Ottawa’s coaching staff and players, particularly for assistant coach Martin Nash and goalkeeper coach Bruce Grobbelaar.  Nash won two league championships with the Vancouver Whitecaps (2006 and 2008), while Grobbelaar played for the Whitecaps in 1979-1980 before beginning his legendary career at Liverpool.

The return leg of the semi-final will be played at BC Place in Vancouver on June 8th. The winner on aggregate score will advance to the Amway Canadian Championship Final and will face the winner of the Montreal Impact/Toronto FC semi-final.

Single game tickets are available now by clicking here, calling 613-232-6767 x1 or in person at the TD Place Box Office. Interested in more than just single game tickets? Fans can buy their 2016 Fury FC season tickets here and become part of a growing legion of fans that has helped make TD Place a fortress. The complete 2016 Ottawa Fury FC schedule is available 

OTTAWA FURY FC vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
TD PLACE STADIUM, Ottawa, Ontario
Amway Canadian Championship semifinal, first leg
June 1, 7:30 pm ET (TSN1 in Canada, MLS LIVE in US)

The Vancouver Whitecaps will embark on the quest to defend their Amway Canadian Championship title beginning with their first-leg semifinal clash against NASL side Ottawa Fury on Wednesday. The first competitive meeting between the sides, Ottawa will seek the upset and make waves in Canadian soccer. Meanwhile, Vancouver will look to both give players minutes ahead of the MLS break during the Copa America Centenario group stage and do what it takes to advance to the final once again.

How they got here

VANCOUVER: Defending champions, the Whitecaps enter the Canadian Championship this year in the semifinal round, alongside fellow MLS sides Toronto FC and Montreal Impact.

OTTAWA: The Fury qualified for the semifinals for the first time in their history this year, as they defeated FC Edmonton 3-2 on aggregate to reach the final four.

The season so far

VANCOUVER: Currently third in the MLS Western Conference, the Whitecaps are coming off a1-1 draw at home against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

OTTAWA: The Fury lost 2-1 against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers at home on Friday, and are inninth place in the NASL's Spring Season table.

Series history

This is the first competitive meeting between the clubs. The Fury, which began play in 2014 and were championship finalists last year, are playing a non-NASL opponent in a competitive game for the first time in their history.