Match Preview: Pacific FC vs. Atlético Ottawa

August 12, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Atletico Ottawa News Release

Another game with huge playoff implications closes out the Saturday afternoon slate in the Canadian Premier League this week, at Atlético Ottawa take their first trip of the season – and second ever – to Vancouver Island for a clash with Pacific FC.

The two sides enter this match in almost identical places in the standings – both teams have 32 points, with matching 9-5-4 records. The only thing separating them at the moment is Pacific’s slightly better goal differential of +3, which puts them in second place ahead of Ottawa with +1.

Pacific come to this match well-rested, with their last match being 11 days prior on Tuesday, August 2. Head coach James Merriman will certainly hope that the time off hasn’t taken away any of his side’s momentum, since that contest was their 6-0 Concacaf League victory over Jamaican side Waterhouse FC. Last time they played a CPL game, Pacific went to Winnipeg and beat Valour FC 2-1 thanks to a pair of Alejandro Díaz goals within two minutes in the second half.

The Tridents have now won their last five games in all competitions, dating back to July 9 when they beat FC Edmonton 3-2. In that stretch, they’ve scored 18 goals and conceded just five, as their attack seems to have found a rhythm.

That said, they’ll have to adapt quickly up front. Star striker Díaz – the CPL’s golden boot leader with 13 goals this year – has just completed a transfer to Sogndal in Norway, which means Pacific have to rely on their attacking depth to replace him. Plus, they’re further shorthanded by the departure of Matthew Baldisimo on loan to York United, with new addition Cédric Toussaint not yet available to play.

Ottawa, on the other hand, find themselves in an up-and-down stretch of their season. They won last weekend, defeating FC Edmonton 2-1 thanks to a brace from Ballou Tabla, but the week before that they fell 4-0 at home to Forge FC. That said, they’ve won their last three away games and haven’t conceded a goal in any of them, so coach Carlos González will be confident heading into his first trip to Vancouver Island.

“I think it’s motivating to play every single game at the moment,” González told reporters Friday. “We can see now, in 10 games the regular season will finish. We have the possibility to get into the playoffs, so I don’t think it makes a big difference the team you’re playing. It’s true that the other games with them were tight games, it’s…