Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will once again be back at Highmark Stadium this weekend battling Ottawa Fury FC at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 14. Last season, the Hounds faced Ottawa twice, going 1-0-1 including drawing 1-1 in the 2017 finale at Highmark Stadium.
Ottawa Fury FC has had a rough start to the season losing its first two games by at least three goals, including a 5-nil defeat at Tampa Bay last weekend. Prior to facing the Rowdies, Fury FC hadn’t seen the pitch for three weeks in between matches due to a postponement against Toronto. Allowing a combined nine goals so far this year, the winless record places Ottawa currently last in the Eastern Conference and one of only three teams in the league with zero points.
Michael Salazar currently has Ottawa’s only assist and leads the club with three chances created on the season. The forward also was drafted in the second round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft by the Montreal Impact and notched five tallies while with the MLS side. The Hounds will need to account for his scoring prowess come Saturday.
Strengths
Passing accuracy: Ottawa leads the Eastern Conference with an 84 percent passing accuracy. Fury FC has done well in its own half with a passing accuracy of 91 percent. Chris Mannella and Colin Falvey lead the team with more than 100 passes and over an 85 percent passing accuracy.
Weaknesses
Defense: Ottawa’s defense has easily broken down, letting in an average of 4.5 goals per game. Fury FC managed to hold Tampa Bay scoreless for more than 60 minutes, but allowed five goals in the final stages of the game.
Finalizing on opportunities: With one goal through two matches, Fury FC’s attack has yet to get rolling. The club has totaled 11 shots and only three shots on goal.
