FC Edmonton 2021 Season Preview

After an embarrassing showing at the Island Games in 2020, the Eddies made the significant move of replacing manager Jeff Paulus with the experienced Alan Koch as coach, most recently with Colorado Springs of the USL Championship, but with a short stint in MLS prior to that (along with more distinguished USL spells). Koch and new general manager Eric Newendorp have quickly put their own stamp on the roster, while keeping the team’s solid core intact. Will the CPL’s only off-season manager change pay dividends?

Key Arrivals

Shamit Shome, CM (2020: Montreal Impact, MLS)

A homecoming for the former Eddie, after 4 seasons in MLS with varying degrees of success, if Shome can recapture his form from 2019 he could be one of the top central midfielders in the league. With Tomi Ameobi retired and Hanson Boakai’s future unknown, he joins Allan Zebie and fellow returnee Kyle Porter as the only Eddies to have been around back in the NASL days.

Fraser Aird, W (2020: Valour)

Aird will suit up in Winnipeg for the first time this week, despite spending 2020 with Valour. His arrival from the Manitoban club didn’t generate as much excitement as it would have in years past, owing largely to a stalled career in the Scottish lower leagues, and a sub-par performance in PEI last year. With that said, Aird’s talent is undeniable; it just appears to be – as it always has been – commitment and consistency that are the issues. Still only 26, if Koch can get Aird firing things could start looking up at Clarke Stadium.

Paris Gee, D (2020: Saint Louis FC, USL Championship)

A relatively unheralded signing in terms of media attention, the Canadian joins up with the Eddies after 4 seasons and more than 80 matches in USL, as well as a previous stint in Croatia straight out of university. Able to play on either side of the defense as well as in midfield, Gee’s versatility will come in handy in a league with such small rosters. Expect him to be a regular on the team sheet.

Other arivals: Kyle Porter, M (York, CPL); Sharly Mabussi, D (Bergerac Foot, French Championnat National 2); Darlington Murasiranwa, G (Guelph, USports); Tobias Warschewski, F (Phönix Lübeck, German Regionalliga Nord); Thomas Gardner, M (UBC, USports); Hunter Gorskie, D (San Antonio, USL); Saah T-Boy Fayia, D (FCE Academy); Tomas Giraldo, M (Montreal, MLS) – loan; Roberto Avila, F (Austin Bold, USL)

Key Departures

Keven Alemán, M (Valour)

Essentially moving east in a straight swap for Fraser Aird after a season in which both disappointed, Alemán nonetheless showed flashes of his skill in PEI, finishing tied for second on the team in scoring (with 1). It never quite worked out for him last year, but he does leave a gap in the Eddies’ offense.

Tomi Ameobi, F (retired)

Strictly performance-wise, the long-time Eddie’s retirement will have little effect on the team’s performance, as even last year it was apparent that Ameobi’s days as a CPL-level striker appeared to be over. With that said, he’s been ever-present with the club for much of its existence, and his contributions in the community haven’t gone unnoticed. It’ll also be interesting to see how Edmonton’s very young group of strikers fares without Ameobi’s influence.

Raúl Tito, W (contract terminated due to Covid immigration complications)

Not a departure in the traditional sense, but a loss nonetheless as it appeared until recently that Edmonton expected the 23-year-old Peruvian winger to join the club. Of course, the pandemic got in the way of that, and the parties cut ties. As with many of these international U23 signings, it’s hard to judge the impact Tito would have had, but his last-minute removal from the roster will no doubt leave a hole as the team kicks off in Winnipeg.

Other departures: Dylon Powley, G (Ottawa); Edem Mortotsi, M (Young Africans, Tanzania); Kareem Moses, D (VPS, Finland); Duran Lee, D (Pacific); Erik Zetterberg, M (Lindome, Sweden); David Doe, F (South Bend, USL League Two); Chance Carter, M (retired); Son Yong-chan, M (free agent); Sam Gardner, D (free agent); Terique Mohammed, D (end of loan); Prince Amanda, W (???); Hanson Boakai, M (???)*

*sidenote: the lack of information on some players' status is an incredible frustration with this league (not just FCE)

Predicted lineup

G

In net, Connor James retains the starting spot and with Dylon Powley departed, expect the former U of A keeper to see an even greater share of starts, with backup Darlington Murasiranwa likely to see limited minutes.

D

For the third year running, Edmonton retains one of the most solid centreback pairings in the league with Amer Đidić and Mele Temguia. On the right, Jeannot Esua will hope to rebound from a subpar Island Games, but still remains one of the best rightbacks in the league. On the left, the Eddies have some options between versatile Allan Zebie, newcomer Sharly Mabussi, and Paris Gee who played several games at leftback for Saint Louis last season. We expect Gee to start off here, with rotation throughout the year.

M

In the 4-5-1-ish system we’re expecting, we’re looking for young loanee Tomas Giraldo to start on the left, and Fraser Aird to slot in on the right, but sliding forward as well. Kyle Porter should see his fair share of time on one of the wings as well. In the centre of the park, experienced Ramón Soria will likely sit in front of the backline, with Shome the catalyst in a more box-to-box role, and this year’s 1st overall draft pick Thomas Gardner alongside him.

F

Up front, all roads lead to local star Easton Ongaro, whose 13 league goals have him tied for the all-time lead (and we wouldn’t be surprised to see him at the top of the league this year as well). He’s also had the benefit of being active over the winter with Danish second tier side Vendsyssel, where he scored 2 goals in 7 appearances. He’ll be deputized by German Tobias Warschewshi, a 21st Club signing who’s scored 6 goals in 4 years in the German fourth tier. Safe to say Ongaro’s starting spot isn’t in danger…

Keep an eye on: Tomas Giraldo – he comes highly rated from Montreal, and given the Eddies’ roster changes, he won’t be short on opportunities to impress.

Big Question: Can the supporting cast push the core to the next level?

Football managers often talk about the importance of the spine of a team, and the Eddies have theirs sorted out – with James in net, Amer Đidić and Temguia in front of him, Soria and Shome in the centre of the park, and Ongaro up top, the Eddies have a spine of the team that would compete with any team in the league. But their issue thus far has been the supporting cast. Additions like Aird, Gee, Giraldo and Mabussi look promising, and with a new man at the helm the Eddies have the potential to make a playoff push Would we put money on it? Not quite yet.