Ottawa Fury soccer club plays 1st game at Lansdowne July 20
New team hosts New York after spring season at Carleton University
Ottawa’s new professional soccer team is set to play its first game at a redeveloped Lansdowne Park on July 20.
Ottawa Fury FC will host the defending champion New York Cosmos for their North American Soccer League fall season home opener, according to the league schedule released Thursday.
"The Cosmos are the most storied franchise in North American soccer history as the past home of internationally revered stars such as Pelé, Giorgio Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto and Franz Beckenbauer,” said Ottawa Fury FC president John Pugh in a news release.
“Their legendary star power is reflected in their current roster with former Spanish international Marcos Senna who featured in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and captured the European Championship in 2008."
The game will be held at the newly-named TD Place field a week after the Fury open their fall season in Edmonton July 13, which is the same day the FIFA World Cup ends in Brazil.
The fall season for the 10-team NASL, one level below Major League Soccer (MLS), runs until November. Ottawa's home games will be held on Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of a Wednesday night game Oct. 1.
It follows the nine-game spring season, when the Fury will play five games at Carleton University’s Keith Harris Stadium starting April 19.
The winners of the spring and fall seasons play for the Soccer Bowl title in November.
The Fury's news release on their schedule does include the advisory "the home schedule dates of Ottawa Fury FC are still to be confirmed and fans are reminded that all game dates and kickoff times are subject to change."
However, team officials said at this point they have no concerns about the readiness of TD Place, which is still under construction.
The Fury will be sharing the TD Place field with the CFL’s Ottawa RedBlacks, whose schedule has not yet been released.