After three matches, FC Edmonton have a perfect 3-0-0 record, having scored ten times, and conceded once. And if hadn't been for a late Mateo Espinosa strike on the mountain, their victories would have been flawless. At least as far as the score sheet is concerned.
There is so much more that goes into a match that doesn't appear on the score sheet. There are last gasp tackles, there are dangerous dead balls situations, and there are chances.
But on Wednesday night at Panther Field, the score line reflected the efforts on the field. Daryl Fordyce put the rabbits ahead in just the third minute. Edem Mortotsi doubled the lead in the 22nd minute, and Eddie Edward made it 3-0.
Neil Hlavaty celebrates with Eddie Edward after the Canadian defender made it 3-0.
With sustained pressure and territorial dominance that reflected the talents of the respective clubs, Edmonton manager Colin Miller's half time talk must have been a short one.
"The first half is a perfect example of how we want to play," said FC Edmonton's assistant coach Jeff Paulus. "Quick movement, players moving off the ball and moving into space."
As they have done in the previous two friendlies, the Rabbits made a number of changes over the match and an entirely new line up by the final whistle.
When pitted against the younger line up that featured in the second half, Fraser Valley found more space and tried to bring the possession back to a more reasonable place.
The weather also played a factor, as the rain began to pour. But this should not have been a surprise to the Albertans. According to one member of the club, they have yet to see a single day of sunshine on this trip through the warmer climes of the Lower Mainland.
English Trialist Tomi Ameobi is looking set to earn a contract, having scored twice, and come close to adding to that tally on a number of occasions. And he's done that while only spending around 120 minutes on the pitch.
"It was a very pleasing 90 minutes," said Miller. "There were lots of positives in the football that was played. The team is in a good frame of mind heading into the final two games. But overall, I'm very pleased with the performance."
Next the Rabbits head to the University Endowment Lands for a pair of matches at Thunderbird Stadium. First, they take UBC on March 29th at 12:00 PM and then Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the April 1st at 2:00 PM. Click here to open our fullscreen slideshow.
