OTTAWA, Ontario (October 12, 2019) – Right from today’s opening kick Bethlehem Steel FC had a fight on their hands as they took on Ottawa Fury FC at TD Place Stadium that went 4-1-1 in their last six matches and had already secured their place in the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs heading into today’s matchup. It was a brutally physical matchup that saw both backlines step up to the challenge, with each only allowing one goal in the match. Some quick link-up play and some heavy work against the goalkeeper in the box led Steel FC to a 1-1 draw on the road in their third match in eight days. The draw showed shades of 2018, as the Steel have now taken a point on the road at Ottawa in consecutive years.
It was back and forth in the first half, as both the Steel and Fury traded possession in the midfield frequently. Not much troubled either keeper until just before the break when Fury FC captain Carl Haworth struck for the match’s first goal in the 40th minute. Despite the late first-half goal, Steel FC never quit on the match and pressed the issue right out of the break. After constant pressure and increasing attacking presence, the Steel were able to snag the equalizer with a 71st-minute tally. Some quick flicks from James Chambers and Axel Picazo gave Faris the ball in Ottawa’s box. The Cameroonian forward had work left to do as the ball bounced high and Fury goalkeeper Callum Irving came charging off his line. Faris lifted the ball over Irving’s shoulder and ripped one across into the lower corner for his 10th mark of 2019 and to secure the 1-1 draw for the Steel.
Faris’ tally put him in rare Steel FC company, as he now joins Seku Conneh as the only players to hit double digit goals in a single season for the Steel since the club’s modern-era founding. Conneh buried 10 in 2017. Philadelphia Union Academy midfielder Axel Picazo had another strong game in distribution, providing his second helper of the season and second in as many matches. The 18-year-old midfielder provided the assist on Selmir Miscic’s 77th-minute goal in the club’s last match at Atlanta United 2 (October 9).
The Steel hit the road one more time for a showdown with Charleston Battery this Saturday, October 19 in the club’s final match of the 2019 USL Championship regular season (7:30 p.m. ET | MUSC Health Stadium | Charleston, S.C. | ESPN +).
RECAP:
Bethlehem Steel FC 1 – Ottawa Fury FC 1
TD Place Stadium (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Saturday, October 12, 2019
TODAY’S MATCH INFO:
Venue: TD Place Stadium, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Referee: Myriam Marcotte
Assistant Referees: Lyes Arfa; Andre Pickler
Fourth Official: Pierre-Luc Lauziere
Weather: 57 degrees and cloudy
Attendance: 5,539
GOALS/ASSISTS
OTT – Carl Haworth (Mour Samb) 40’
BST – Faris (Axel Picazo) 71’
DISCIPLINARY SUMMARY
BST – Steve Kingue (caution) 43’
BST – Zach Zandi (caution) 78’
OTT – Charlie Ward (caution) 90+7’
LINEUP
Bethlehem Steel FC: Todd Morton; Walter Cortés, Steve Kingue (Dante Huckaby 77’), Cole Turner, Nathan Harriel; Zach Zandi, James Chambers ©; Axel Picazo, Selmir Miscic (Danny Flores 64’); Faris (Saed Díaz 90+2’), Shanyder Borgelin
Substitutes not used: Ben Martino
Ottawa Fury FC: Callum Irving; Onua Obasi, Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Nana Attakora, Jamar Dixon (Kevin Oliveira 60’); Thiago, Charlie Ward, Wal Fall (Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare 60’); Hadji Barry, Mour Samb, Carl Haworth ©
Substitutes not used: David Monsalve; Dakota Barnathan, Aidan Daniels, Chris Mannella, Maxim Tissot
TEAM NOTES
Bethlehem Steel FC forward Faris scored his 10th goal of the 2019 regular season in tonight’s match and became just the second player to score 10 goals in a single season for the club since the modern-era founding. Seku Conneh is the only other player to have achieved this for the club, scoring 10 goals in the 2017 season.
Faris has now been involved in 11 tallies this season and notched his 13th goal all-time for the Steel. He is the club’s leading goalscorer in 2019 heading in to next weekend’s 2019 USL Championship regular season finale.
Midfielder Selmir Miscic made his first professional start in today’s match against Ottawa Fury FC. Miscic played 64 minutes, made one tackle and completed 17 passes.
Philadelphia Union Academy midfielder Axel Picazo provided his second assist of the 2019 USL Championship regular season and his second in as many matches. The 18-year-old midfielder provided the helper on Selmir Miscic’s 77th-minute goal in the club’s last match at Atlanta United 2 (October 9).
Bethlehem Steel FC goalkeeper Todd Morton made four saves against Ottawa Fury FC. His four stops raise his 2019 total to 43 on the year and increases his lead over Tomás Romero as the club’s top shot stopper this season.
The Steel hit the road one more time for a showdown with Charleston Battery this Saturday, October 19 in the club’s final match of the 2019 USL Championship regular season (7:30 p.m. ET | MUSC Health Stadium | Charleston, S.C. | ESPN +).
