Match Preview: Atlético Ottawa vs. York United FC – 1pm

April 11, 2024 – Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release

2024 CPL Regular Season – Match #1

Atlético Ottawa vs. York United

April 13, 2024 at 1 p.m. ET

TD Place in Ottawa, Ontario

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After 167 days of waiting, the Canadian Premier League is finally set to return on Saturday as the nation’s capital hosts the first match of the 2024 season, between home side Atlético Ottawa and Ontario foes York United FC.

Matchday one represents the beginning of a new era for these two clubs, both of which underwent serious change in the months that followed their previous appearance on a CPL pitch. With the start of a new season comes a wave of fresh optimism in both camps as the blank slate of the next seven months invites dreams of silverware, but hand-in-hand with that goes a pressure to hit the ground running.

All eyes have been on Ottawa throughout the off-season, as they’ve gone about collecting top-quality CPL veterans from almost every other team in the league. They’ve plucked the reigning Best Canadian U-21 Player Matteo de Brienne and Golden Glove nominee Rayane Yesli from Valour FC, and from Pacific FC they added two-time Player of the Year nominee Manny Aparicio and a 2022 Defender of the Year nominee in Amer Didić. Aboubacar Sissoko arrives as a two-time CPL champion from Forge FC, and Kevin Dos Santos has made up for burying Atleti’s playoff hopes last year by signing for the club from York United.

That’s even before getting to a name like Ballou Tabla, who returns to Ottawa after a year abroad in Turkey. Last time he was here, his seven goals and four assists led to a regular season title for Atleti and a Player of the Year nomination for himself.

Ottawa ended the 2023 campaign bitterly disappointed, finishing in sixth place and missing the playoffs despite sitting in the top five almost the whole year. A stunning 12 points dropped because of goals conceded after the 80th minute meant Atleti’s slide carried them out of the postseason just one year after winning the regular season.

Hoping to play the role of Ottawa’s bogeyman yet again this week are York United, who have only ever lost once to Atleti in 15 meetings. The Nine Stripes went 3-1-0 against Ottawa in 2023, and it was their 1-0 win in early October (courtesy of Dos Santos’ 90th-minute…