The Canadian Premier League’s fall season is underway and it couldn’t be a better time for FC Edmonton to enjoy a fresh start as the team continues its red-hot play from late in the spring season.
The Eddies defeated Forge FC 2-1 in Hamilton over the weekend in their first game of the fall season after finishing in third place with a 4-4-2 record in the spring season.
The team won three straight matches to finish off the spring season before Saturday’s victory in Hamilton.
READ MORE: FC Edmonton tops HFX Wanderers 2-0 for 3rd straight win
Watch below: Some videos from Global News’ coverage of FC Edmonton in 2019.
After winning their season opener in early May, FC Edmonton went winless for several games and struggled to put balls in the net. The team’s coach indicated he’s glad the team has moved past its troubles lately.
“You question yourself as a manager when it’s not going the way you want,” Jeff Paulus said earlier this week.
“That was the biggest test for me was just really getting out of my own head and just sticking with what we believe here.”
READ MORE: FC Edmonton seeks strong finish to spring season
The Eddies’ next match is against York9 FC in Ontario on Sunday. That side lost their first game of the fall season after finishing in sixth place in the spring season with a 2-3-5 record.
Paulus said his side has seen success despite a less-than-ideal schedule.
“It’s a bit frustrating for me, the way they’ve scheduled it, because we have so many games this year that you play Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, and this week we play Saturday, Saturday, but we’re playing both games in Ontario,” he said. “This could have been the week that you go Saturday, Wednesday and stay in Ontario, so there’s no logic behind that.”
FC Edmonton goalkeeper Connor James also suggested that going back and forth between Alberta and Ontario between matches may not be ideal for the players.
“We’ve had four or five trips already out to Toronto, whether it’s to play against York or to play against Hamilton, and it’s something that you normally don’t think about so much,” James said. “You think, ‘Oh, a little bit of travel is no problem,’ but it takes a little bit of a toll on the body.”
READ MORE: FC Edmonton has big hopes for goalkeeper Connor James
Watch below: (From May 10, 2019) As FC Edmonton gets set to play its home opener at Clarke Field on Sunday, Kevin Karius takes a closer look at Connor James, the team’s goalkeeper who impressed in their match in Winnipeg last weekend.
To make up for that, James said the players need to ensure they are taking care of their bodies and that they have good “recovery sessions” once they return back to Edmonton.
Kickoff between FC Edmonton and York9 FC is set for 1:30 p.m. MT on Sunday at York Lions Stadium.