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Early Goal Lifts Toronto Past Fury FC

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 07/18/18, 9:34PM EDT

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Ottawa’s pressure unable to find equalizer in first leg of Canadian Championship Semifinal


Photo courtesy Steve Kingsman / Freestyle Photography / Ottawa Fury FC

OTTAWA – An early goal by Canadian international Jonathan Osorio lifted Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC to a 1-0 victory against the USL’s Ottawa Fury FC before a crowd of 6,057 at TD Place in the first leg of the Semifinals of the 2018 Canadian Championship on Wednesday night.

Toronto struck in just the fifth minute as the visitors held possession inside the attacking third, which allowed Ryan Telfer to find Osorio near the top-left corner of the penalty area. Osorio cut inside and fired a low shot that Fury FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau got a hand to but was unable to keep out of the left corner of the net.

Fury FC’s first good look on goal came via a free kick in the 16th minute when Kevin Oliveira looked to shoot to the top-right corner from just outside the top-left corner of the penalty area, but just missed the target with his effort. Oliveira almost found the net again seven minutes before halftime on a free kick from wider on the left, but the ball bounced through the penalty area and just missed the right corner as no Fury FC player was able to get on the end of the delivery.

Ottawa received a minor let-off early inside the opening minute of the second half when Toronto’s Ayo Akinola stole possession on the left but fired into the side-netting from a tight angle as he looked to double the visitor’s lead. Oliveira then again threatened for the hosts with a low free kick in the 54th minute from the right that was smothered at the near post by Toronto goalkeeper Clint Irwin, but from there Fury FC's chances were limited by a solid defensive effort by Toronto’s back line.

Steevan Dos Santos had a tight-angle chance for Ottawa with 10 minutes to go as he headed wide off a cross by Daniel Haber, and the Cape Verde forward produced a better effort five minutes later that forced a low save by Irwin off Onua Obasi’s cross from the left. Fury FC was unable to find an equalizer despite plenty of late pressure, however, leaving the side an uphill climb in the second leg next Wednesday night at BMO Field.

Scoring
5’ – TOR – Jonathan Osorio (Ryan Telfer)

Ottawa Fury FC: GK Maxime Crepeau; D Eddie Edward, Nana Attakora, Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, Onua Obasi; M Kevin Oliveira, Chris Manella (Daniel Haber 62’), Jamar Dixon; F Tony Taylor, Steevan Dos Santos, Adonijah Reid (Cristian Portilla 62’)

Substitutes not used: GK David Monsalve, Monti Mohsen, Jimmy-Shammar Sanon, Sergio Manesio, Gabriel Wiethaeuper-Balbinotti

Toronto FC: GK Clint Irwin; D Nicolas Hasler, Eriq Zavaleta (Justin Morrow 76’), Nick Hagglund, Ashtone Morgan; M Ryan Telfer, Liam Fraser, Jonathan Osorio; F Malik Johnson (Marco Delgado 67’), Jay Chapman, Ayo Akinola (Jordan Hamilton 87’)

Substitutes not used: GK Alex Bono, Justin Morrow, Kyle Bjornethun, Marco Delgado, Aidan Daniels, Tosaint Ricketts

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