Match Preview on the Road: Pacific FC vs. Atlético Ottawa

August 17, 2024 – Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release

Pacific FC and Atlético Ottawa will look to get their respective seasons back on track on Saturday, set for a crucial meeting on Vancouver Island at Starlight Stadium.

These two sides are coming off defeats to provincial rivals last time out – Pacific lost 1-0 to Vancouver FC at Willoughby Community Park on a goal from former Tridents star Alejandro Diaz, while Ottawa were handily beaten 3-0 by Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field. Both have lost three matches in a row, and are winless in four overall, so Saturday’s match presents an opportunity for a much-needed reset.

This match also comes at a crucial time for the playoff race, with Pacific looking to get back into the top five again and Ottawa looking to keep pace with the teams in the CPL Shield race after falling out of top spot for the first time since May last weekend. The season hasn’t quite reached desperate, must-win territory for playoff positioning just yet, but as certain teams near the top round into form ahead of the final battles for the regular season title, the chasing pack in the middle and bottom parts of the table will need to try and keep up in order to earn one of the other spot in the postseason.

Pacific and Ottawa have met twice in CPL action in 2024, once in Ottawa and once in Langford. On both occasions the away team won 1-0, with Rubén del Campo scoring the lone goal at Starlight Stadium on May 17 and Zakaria Bahous scoring the winner on July 7 in the capital. They also met in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship, drawing 0-0 in Ottawa in the first leg on May 8 before Pacific advanced with a 2-1 victory in the return leg.

Pacific were involved in blockbuster player swap on Friday, acquiring proven CPL forward Moses Dyer on a loan from Vancouver FC until the end of the season, with winger Ayman Sellouf going the other way as both look for a fresh start.

Ottawa are the club Dyer has had the most success against in his career, finding the back of the net five times in nine appearances against the capital city club. The Tridents will be hoping he can replicate some of that form on Saturday as they look to reignite their frontline and continue their playoff push after a dry spell in attack.

“We know Moses brings a very aggressive attacking mentality, he can play anywhere across the front three, he’s also played as a central midfielder, more of a number 10 position in behind the striker, or a second…