Atlético Ottawa Ends Three-Game Winless Streak

August 31, 2024 – Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release

Atlético Ottawa snapped a three-game winless run at home on Saturday, defeating Vancouver FC 1-0 at TD Place to pick up their first home win since late-June.

Thanks to that, they kept pace in a tightly contested CPL title race, sticking within two points of league leaders Forge after this win.

As for Vancouver, they remain in the fifth and final playoff spot in the CPL despite this loss, although they missed a key opportunity to gain some ground ahead of sixth-place Valour and seventh-place Pacific, who both dropped points this weekend.

It didn’t take long for Atlético Ottawa to open the scoring in this game, and it came off an early corner. There, Ilias Iliadis did well to whip in a dangerous cross, curling it towards the near post, sneaking the ball in past Callum Irving for a special Olimpico goal – the second time in the past three games in which he’s achieved such a feat.

Ottawa then almost added to that lead in the 10th minute, as Sam Salter turned and fired a shot from inside of the box with his right foot after a nice slip pass from Dani Morer, skimming his attempt just past the far post.

At the other end, Vancouver had their first big chance in the 19th minute, as Vasco Fry played Alejandro Díaz in behind the Ottawa defence, but Díaz would be unable to get a shot off after a great defensive intervention from Iliadis.

From there, however, the game settled down, as both teams settled into a rhythm. As a result, the next big chance didn’t come until the second half, when Ottawa were rewarded for a nice period of pressure.

Through that, they managed to win a penalty thanks to Aboubacar Sissoko, who was taken down in the box by Vasco Fry to win Ottawa a 55th minute spot-kick. Despite that, however, they’d be unable to capitalize on the opportunity to take a two-goal lead, as Ollie Bassett’s penalty attempt would be denied by Vancouver’s Callum Irving, who got down quickly to save the attempt with a commanding save.

Then, right after that, Sissoko had a great look of his own in the 58th minute, as he snuck in behind Vancouver’s defence for a breakaway, but Irving would stand tall to his attempt, continuing a strong sequence from the Vancouver goalkeeper.

Despite that, the Ottawa pressure mounted from there, and they had another glorious chance in the 62nd minute, as Manny Aparicio was denied by a goal line block from Rocco Romeo. Then, on the subsequent corner, Iliadis nearly…