2024 CCSG Player Rankings: Matchday 4 vs. Valour FC
It may not have been as exciting as the events of May 1st, but Atlético Ottawa saw out another professional performance on Sunday, claiming their 3rd victory of the season and elevating themselves to the top of the Canadian Premier League table. The first half saw some exciting forays into the Valour box but given the fixture congestion on the horizon for the home side, taking their foot off the gas in the second half seems a reasonable decision with a tough Pacific side coming to TD Place on Wednesday. The first XI also seems to be rounding out, even with a bit of rotation due to the aforementioned fixture congestion, as Ollie Bassett started the match on the substitute’s bench. Being able to be confident in all 18 players selected for the matchday squad is a necessity in the Canadian Premier League. More and more, Carlos Gonzalez’s team selection is reflecting that, and the performances do as well.
#19 Ruben Del Campo
(7): Having not scored at all last season, Ruben Del Campo’s place on this team was in question. How silly do I look now. 4 goals in his last 3 appearances for Atlético Ottawa have him cemented as the number one option at the head of the starting XI. While they may not have been the most picturesque finishes, all that matters is the confidence Ruben is building by getting the ball in the back of the net. That confidence is beginning to manifest in other areas of play. I’ve always been complementary of Ruben’s ability in the air, but the totality of his build-up play has shone through in the last couple of games. Whether that’s a symptom of playing against Valour or just the real player beginning to emerge, we can’t be sure until we see him against another CPL side. As pointed out by Kristian Jack, this was the first time under Carlos Gonzalez that the starting striker had scored in back-to-back league appearances. That fact is emblematic of the issues that have plagued this team in past years with regard to goal scoring, and may be a sign that times are changing.
#9 Samuel Salter
(6.6): For now, Sam Salter has lost his starting spot for Atlético Ottawa. This is not to say that he can’t earn in back, nor that he won’t be starting in the coming fixtures, as rotation is vital given the wear and tear brought by multiple games a week in consecutive weeks. He did not look himself through the first two games of the season, and at times in his last two appearances the ability has started to shine through once more. On Wednesday, he shifted to the right side and looked confident cutting in. On Sunday, he held the ball up better and nearly got on the end of an Ollie Bassett free kick in the 71st minute. He will still get chances to prove he can be the striker we thought he would be after purchasing him from Halifax, but he must make the most of them if his fellow attackers are going to keep putting the ball in the back of the net.
#11 Gabriel Antinoro
(7.7): At the start of the season, I lamented that the player I thought would be most limited by the influx of talent in the Atlético Ottawa midfield would be Gabriel Antinoro. I figured he would get playing time to help meet the u21 minute requirements, but his ability to make an impact might be reduced to allow the big-name signings the time on the pitch that they deserved. That he got the start on Sunday made me happy, but it was the performance that made me grin from ear to ear. Every element of his game that I had praised last season, the tenacity, the quickness, the creativity, were all on display in spades. His ability to work with Matteo de Brienne down the left wing was astounding. That he didn’t really lose any of that when he was shifted from the left to the right in the second half is incredibly encouraging. The goal was just the cherry on top of the exact type of performance I was hoping to see from Gabi, and all of this is replicable. He can do this against any other CPL team, and he should be afforded every opportunity.
#13 Ballou Tabla
(6.2): Given the level at which everyone else was performing, it was easy to spot what was most likely Ballou Tabla’s worst game in an Atlético Ottawa uniform. Through the first month of the season, he has not looked up to pace, and while he has been able to find moments of inspiration in the games prior to this one, being substituted prior to the 60th minute is indicative of a lack of fitness alongside his lack of impact on the game state. The couple of times he had opportunities to make a difference offensively, he drifted offside or lost possession. Only 17 touches for a player that is supposed to be driving play in the attacking third is a far cry from the player we expect Ballou Tabla to be. Low impact was not a descriptor of Ballou Tabla in 2022, and luckily there are plenty of high-impact players surrounding Ballou to make up for him needing to work back into the season. That said, when the going gets tough, Ballou will need to step up because that’s what he is here to do.
#8 Dani Morer
(NR): Dani Morer's two cameo appearances had him all over the pitch. That said, I was impressed with his ability to win the ball back in the attacking third. He’s got good pace and should serve as a capable piece along the right side to fill in for Kris Twardek when he eventually accumulates a yellow card suspension.
#2 Zachary Roy
(NR): Making his second appearance already this season, Zach Roy isn’t quite up to the standard I would want him to be. He’s certainly capable of fulfilling these last-minute changes to supplement the u21 minutes requirement, but there’s something missing that would make me feel confident giving him more than just these token appearances in the final minutes of games that are already decided.
#34 Manny Aparicio
(7.3): The biggest difference between this year and last year is Manny Aparicio. The difference he makes at every level of the pitch. Looking at his heat map is kind of confusing at first because he is literally everywhere in the middle third. When asked to drift wide, he still provides the same level of intensity in his pressing and his ability to make key challenges when coming back in defense. That he also got out of this game without earning a yellow card despite three fouls is great to see, given his history with suspensions. Sure, he may not have lost more duels than he won in this game, but he still managed 2 tackles, a key interception and was superb in his distribution with a 90% success rate on his passes. This isn’t a case of a player just kicking it around the back either, as he made several progressive moves working with Gabriel Antinoro and Matteo de Brienne down the left through the first half. The icing on the cake for Manny was the moment late in the first half when he won the ball from Dante Campbell on the right side and jumped with a quick “HA” right in his face. Manny is having fun with this team, and his teammates are rewarding him by stepping up to his level.
#33 Abou Sissoko
(6.6): The lasting image for Abou Sissoko so far this season being him holding his hands up in the air as Ruben Del Campo’s goal in this game dribbled into the bottom left corner of the goal isn’t one that evokes a world-beater in any stretch. Don’t get me wrong, Sissoko has been effective through his first month with Atletico Ottawa, but the areas in which he is the most successful are not flashy. Of course, you need those types of players to be able to win consistently, but that level isn’t always at the heights that a Zapater or an Aparicio get to. On the ball, he’s still a tad clunky, missing his one-shot attempt, not being able to complete his dribbles, and registering an average 79% pass accuracy. Off the ball, however, he shone in this game, picking up 7 defensive actions and crucially winning 3 of his 4 tackles. This is an encouraging sign as when the time comes for Zapater to be rotated, as it was in our previous league match against Halifax, Sissoko can be relied upon to fulfill the defensive duties of a number 6 until such time as Liberman Torres can be brought to the team. The question is whether he can be as progressive as Zapater has shown he can be in the single pivot role while still fulfilling the defensive responsibilities. I have faith that Sissoko can be that player when called upon, he just needs to go out and do it.
#10 Ollie Bassett
(6.9): It was weird to see Ollie Bassett come off the bench. It was even weirder to see him play on the left wing for a decent period when he did enter play. It’s not that he was ineffective in those spaces, but he began to have a more impactful presence on the game when the next changes were made, and he was shifted back into the middle of the park. Given the attitude the team was taking to conserve energy with a comfortable lead and a solid defensive posture, it makes sense that Ollie didn’t do what he did on Wednesday in breaking down the Valour defense repeatedly. He still completed 30 passes in that short time, with a couple of defensive actions as well. The issue of him not winning his duels popped up once more, but given the low impact of these challenges, it’s not the biggest issue. His only having 30 or so minutes on the pitch is probably a good thing, given we can’t throw out the same XI in every game. Being able to be comfortable without our MVP on the pitch is a luxury we couldn’t afford last year, and that showed in the results.
#21 Alberto Zapater
(7.2): Alberto Zapater is back to being himself, and not having to worry about making up for the players around him, is a great sign for fans of Atletico Ottawa. Staunch in defense, not picking up a yellow card, and having just a little bit of impact going forward to make opposing defenses worry about him in their defensive schemes. 7 passes made into the final third from defensive midfield with 3 accurate long balls paints the picture of a maestro in that space. Though my favourite single stat was that Zapater managed to win 2 free kicks and not concede one. This might not be possible against a more active midfield from another CPL side, but it’s always fun to see your defensive midfielder be able to impact the game defensively without contributing negatively. I’ve been adding the caveat to essentially every rating that, yes, this is against Valour, but if you can’t take positives away from a positive result, what are you really doing?
#22 Matteo de Brienne
(7.1): The fact that Matteo de Brienne has not yet turned 22 and already plays with the veteran poise of the others who came with him to Ottawa this past offseason should terrify every other CPL team. His flexibility down the left wing gives Carlos Gonzalez the liberty to play around with the lineup down the left. The ability for Matteo to be defensively responsible while still being a threat in crossing the ball into the box is an asset we really haven’t had at left-back. I’ll get into this in Maxim Tissot’s rating, but I think having Matteo has made him more comfortable as well in not needing to push himself forward. A 50% duel win rate is fine, but 6 defensive actions makes that number even less impactful than it otherwise would be. The lack of accurate crosses and only 2/7 on long balls is made up for with 8 passes into the final third, mostly from left back. He’s unflappable and contributes to every aspect of the game. It’s a massive step up down the flank of the pitch that we were very concerned about last season. Matteo is a star, no questions asked.
#5 Luke Singh
(7): After a weak start to the season, Luke Singh looked comfortable for the first time in his defensive responsibilities. He didn’t commit a single foul, and had 4 defensive actions with 4 recoveries from a statistical perspective is certainly positive, but the comfort I mentioned is more important to me for the long term. Not the type of comfort where he’s making silly decisions on the ball like he had in the first couple of games this season, but the type that shows confidence in one-on-one situations when the opponent has the ball. The type of confidence to play the long balls that were key to the attack last season. The type to be able to do what he needs to do off the ball and not wilt when the pressure comes. His passing stats will always be slightly inflated with the amount he passes around in the defense when Atlético Ottawa are in possession, and the long balls need to be a little bit more accurate, but if Luke is confident defensively and not lax when in possession, this team can count on him as the second centre-back.
#55 Amer Didic
(7.4): Amer Didic marshals a defence like no one else in the Canadian Premier League. 13 defensive actions in this game against Valour, with 6 of those being headed clearances, is magic. He is always in the right spot when opposing goal kicks are taken, and it snuffs out any attempt by the opposition to retain possession. That he supplemented a superior defensive performance with 67% accuracy on long balls and 94% pass accuracy with 84 total passes should make everyone at ease whenever the opposition has the ball. As great as the defensive system has been at times the past two seasons, and as great as Diego Espejo was in the middle of a defensive three despite being in his early twenties, Didic brings a different presence to the back line. With his fullbacks bombing forward into the attack, he’s got added responsibility to ensure nothing gets through. Yes, again, it’s Valour, but they were never getting near the goal for good reason.
#23 Kris Twardek
(6.8): Despite a lovely cross to register the assist on the second goal on Sunday, I’m docking Kris Twardek a lot of points for picking up his 4th yellow card in four league games. Yes, most of these were not his fault, and you can question the official in at least a couple of those instances for sure, but it’s still a concern that we’re already having to worry about a possible suspension and further possible suspensions for the rest of the season. Offensively, Twardek got into several dangerous positions, and even unleashed a venomous shot off his weak foot right at Viscosi. He may not have had the most impactful game defensively, as he lost more duels than he won, and only had 2 defensive actions otherwise. Twardek has shown the ability to get things done in every facet of the game, now he just needs to make sure he can stay on the pitch.
#15 Maxim Tissot
(6.8): I have a renewed sense of confidence in Maxim Tissot this season. Most of that comes down to him not being asked to shoulder too much down the left wing. As I mentioned previously, I think Matteo de Brienne’s presence down the left gives Max the ability to be comfortable staying in less advanced positions as a left-back. While the game state he came into on Sunday did not need him to be bombing down the left wing, he has shown a propensity to do so in moments that don’t necessarily require it. It’s allowing him to be more focused defensively, where he won both his ground duels and won both his tackles in the 19 minutes of action he saw. This Maxim Tissot is the Tissot I want to see from here on out, a veteran being able to put in a shift and someone I don’t have to worry about drifting out of position.
#29 Nathan Ingham
(6.8): Returning to the goal mouth following two starts from Rayane Yesli, Nathan Ingham wasn’t asked to do much on Sunday, but was confident and capable when he was called upon. His two saves were relatively simple efforts, but it speaks to his positioning that shots from outside the box had no threat of going in, whatsoever. That he was also confident in claiming, something that led to the first goal ATO conceded this season, is a good sign as it showed an ability to calmly retake possession when met with crosses into his area. Was there some issue in how he moved the ball, yes, with one clearance in the second half standing out. It’s a part of his game that won’t seemingly be resolved but given the other parts have rounded out to where they need to be, it’s something I can live with.
With these two games against Valour finally in the rearview, we look ahead to a Pacific side that has not conceded to CPL competition yet this season. It’s a difficult task to try and break down a team that has been as solid defensively as Pacific through 4 games, 4 games against the exact same teams we’ve played and have managed equal results. Given the history between these two sides, it’s ironic that the method of obtaining results has seemingly flipped on its head. For that reason, though, I’m confident that Carlos Gonzalez can come up with a plan to break down the sturdy Pacific backline. Ndom and Meilleur-Giguère is a formidable centre-back pairing, and if what I’m thinking occurs, it’ll be difficult for a rotated side to manage against them. I don’t think there’s much to do spending time looking at Valour, it’s all about looking ahead.
About Patrick
Having joined CCSG in 2022, Patrick started his footie career playing at the age of 4 and began watching the pros around the same time. While the first pro team he supported was Manchester United, as soon as Atlético Ottawa came to town, he was immediately on board. His wealth of footie knowledge has been a constant asset, along with his role as caretaker for Atléti Wikipedia pages.
