FC Edmonton 2020 Season Preview

Arrivals and Departures

Sure, the Eddies were pretty shit last year, but did you ever get a chance to see them under Colin Miller? Last season’s team played like Barcelona compared to the last few NASL years. The Eddies’ 2019 lineup was a bit of a strange one - mostly a mix of local talent from U of A and the club’s own academy, a smattering of internationals, and some throwbacks to the 2017 Eddies. A third-place finish in the spring season was followed by a disappointing seventh in the fall, and it was clear some changes were needed.

The most significant departures included central midfielder Ajay Khabra to Ottawa, who, along with the departures of experienced but ineffective James Marcellin and Tony Tchani, and Canadian Phil Lincourt-Joseph, left a gap in the centre of the park. In comes two highly-rated local lads who had been with the Whitecaps Residency program: Chance Carter and Antony Caceres, along with Swede Erik Zetterberg - the son of former Swedish international midfielder (and former Anderlecht assistant manager), Par Zetterberg.

Up front, the Eddies’ much-maligned but still second-leading goalscorer Oumar Diouck (he of Julian de Guzman’s subtle chirp before the Fury’s demise) left without much fanfare, and has surfaced in the northern Iceland community of Fjallabyggð with their third tier side (4 goals so far). Canadians Ajeej Sarkaria and Randy Edwini-Bonsu (one of the league’s most disappointing signings but a hell of a hard seltzer promoter) are also gone, as is versatile Bruno Zebie - off to rivals Cavalry.

Expected to fill the gaps are two familiar names for Canadian soccer fans: Keven Alemán from Sacramento of the USL, and former Eddies 1.0 starlet Hanson Boakai, from Inter Turku in Finland. Both offer some much needed flair in the offensive third. The Eddies have also shored up their defence with the additions of leftback/centreback Duran Lee from Halifax, highly rated leftback Terique Mohammed on loan from Toronto FC II, and depth centreback Sam Gardner. Rounding out the additions is third keeper Chris Ezoua. Peruvian winger Raúl Tito would also have joined the club if not for COVID.

Perhaps the Eddies’ biggest offseason move, though, was more of a non-move: the retention of star centreback Amer Đidić after an unsuccessful trial with the Whitecaps (one of the few times we’ve question Marc dos Santos’ judgement). Combined, this all leaves the Eddies with a pretty decent starting lineup, if lacking in depth.

Projected Lineup

We expect Jeff Paulus’ squad to operate a 4-3-3 with top scorer Easton Ongaro leading the way offensively. It’ll be interesting to see if he can match his goals/90 rate from last season, especially with some more talented service in the form of Alemán and Boakai, who are both likely to start inverted and narrow on either side of Ongaro. Needless to say, this should lead to a bit more of an offensive style in PEI.

In midfield, newcomer Zetterberg figures to sit behind Ramón Soria and long throw specialist Son Yong-Chan, though Chance Carter in particular will likely see a decent amount of playing time. Either Alemán or Boakai could also drop into midfield should Paulus want to switch to a 4-4-2 with Tomi Ameobi joining Ongaro up front.

With the late addition of Mohammed, the Eddies back line is actually one of the best in the league. Him and rightback Jeannot Esua are both the type of marauding fullbacks that can run the length of the pitch, allowing Alemán and Boakai to tuck in more centrally as needed. Đidić is right up with Zator as the best defenders in the league, and Mélé Temguia was an impressive surprise last season (even popping up with a couple goals). Newcomer Duran Lee offers another starting-quality rotation option, crucial in a short tournament like this, and the remaining Zebie, Allan, and Kareem Moses add to possibly the deepest defense corps in the league.

In net, Edmonton has probably the best duo in the league, with local products Connor James and Dylon Powley both starter quality. In fact, we’re surprised Powley didn’t make an offseason move for a starting opportunity (hello Valour, Ottawa, Forge!). Expect James to get 4-5 starts, and Powley to handle the rest.

The Big Questions

How’s the centre mid going to hold up?

Certainly not saying that Tchani and Marcellin are any huge loss talent-wise (Khabra on the other hand...), but compared to other CanPL squads, Edmonton’s roster lacks some depth in the centre of the park. Soria offers the most experience, with Son having played a chunk of last season at fullback (classic Eddies…). A lot will depend on how Zetterberg works out - from what we’ve seen, he’s a talented ball-winner and distributor who usually sits just in front of the backline (think Samuel Piette with more flair and less bite) - and his football upbringing in Belgium likely added a bit of technique to the classic Scandinavian style. It’ll also be interesting to see how Paulus uses youngsters Carter and Caceres.

How will Alemán and Boakai fit in?

As much as anyone, we wonder what Boakai could have been if it wasn’t for Miller (#MillerOut), and it’s tough to say what exactly he is all these years later. He didn’t see much time for Inter Turku last season after a great year with Ekenäs in 2018, but the CanPL power ranking hype machine is certainly excited for him. On the other hand, Alemán was a regular presence for Sacramento, and is a relative coup for the Eddies. If these two can quickly mesh with their new teammates, the Eddies could be in for a long stay in PEI.

What if something happens to Ongaro?

Like last year, the Eddies’ offence will revolve around Ongaro. But behind him is 31-year-old Tomi Ameobi - not exactly a prolific scorer - and youngsters Marcus Velado-Tsegaye, David Doe and Prince Amanda (more of a winger). If Ongaro, for one reason or another, isn’t able to start most of the games in Charlottetown, the Eddies lack the depth up front to make much noise.

The Main Lads

Easton Ongaro

Ahh, what could have been for the Cavs! At least we’ve got Gabriel Bitar…. In all seriousness, Ongaro was one of the few bright spots on the Eddies last year, showing a unique mix of an aerial threat and technical skill to end up with 10 goals. Keep in mind he didn’t step into a starting role until August and that number is insane. Less of an unknown commodity this year, it’ll be interesting to see how teams try to contain him, but we’re predicting at least 4 goals in the round robin.

Jeannot Esua

Widely heralded as one of the top fullbacks in the league last year, and with good reason - he's a key part of the Eddies' offence. Esua bombed forward on the right side on a regular basis - only problem was there was rarely someone in the box to get on the end of his crosses. Ongaro will still be the main target for Esua’s crosses, but having Alemán and Boakai lurking around the box for knock-downs should increase the team’s output. Expect Esua to start the majority of the games in PEI, with experienced Kareem Moses brought on late to shut things down.

Amer Đidić

The first CanPL player to score for Canada (against Barbados in January), Đidić is an interesting mix of aerial presence and offensive threat. He tied with Soria for most assists on the Eddies last year with 3, often being a target from set pieces to knock the ball down to teammates. He’s no slouch defensively either, with the Eddies conceding the third-fewest goals in the league last season.

X-factor

Erik Zetterberg

The Swede could be the surprise of Edmonton’s big additions this year as he looks to fill the gap left by Ajay Khabra’s departure. Between his range of passing and his ball-winning skills, Zetterberg should help improve the Eddies’ possession stats compared to last year, and he’s likely to chip in with a goal or two as well.

Disgruntled Thought

At least they don’t have to play at Clarke this year….

Prediction

We’ll always have a soft spot for the Eddies as we’ve had some good times at Clarke (and even Commonwealth - that Saiko sending off was brutal!) over the last decade, and we’d like to see them live up to their potential. This year’s squad certainly offers more than last year, but depth is still an issue unless youngsters like Velado-Tsegaye and Amanda are able to step up. We see an improvement, but finishing just outside the top four.

Round-robin prediction: 5th