How was the first season like? How did the team progress (or did it??)?
I'm curious because MDS was a good coach here.
So far so good.
Disappointing first season on the field without a doubt. The crew MDS assembled looked phenomenal on paper and underperformed in my opinion. We had (have) plenty of talent and I hope to see the likes of Peiser, Donatelli, Dantas and Jarun back in the lineup next year. Resigning Ryan for 2 more years was a great move; he's a player who has brought tremendous talent and leadership to the team and should be a franchise player for as long as he's able (he played in the English Premier League for goodness sake). Overall I've been very happy with Dos Santos' coaching style. Obviously he still has issues to iron out with his group but I'm confident with a few key signings he'll bring it together next year. It's easy to forget how much transition this team went through this year outside of actual games (all kinds of moving around, practices in weird spots, waiting for TD Place etc...). I have no doubt it takes away from the concentration of the players.
As for NASL, it's a great fun to watch league with good competition and tons of talent. Honestly some teams (Minnesota, San Antonio, New York) would easily be very competitive in the MLS and I think with further expansion of NASL next year to include Jacksonville (already 4000+ season ticket sales before even a single player was signed) and Virginia/Oklahoma the next, we are seeing much greater pressure on MLS. Hell New York Cosmos just signed one of the most well known players in the history of the game, Raul. This guy dominated both for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team and now he plays in the NASL, NOT MLS. Yes of course he's getting older, but him and Senna are huge names that really illustrate that NASL is no minor league by any stretch. Carolina Railhawks crushed LA Galaxy, Chivas USA and several other MLS teams in the U.S. Open Cup as another example of the competitiveness and growing quality of the league.
I had a phenomenal time this season with the Fury. I went to one game in September and was hooked attending 3 more before season's end. Great complement to the Ottawa pro sports landscape and I can't wait for next year already. Canada Cup games against MLS teams, international friendlies etc... will really add to TD Place's vibe.
