ATO Bring Home Three Points in 3-0 Victory over Vancouver FC

On July 12^th, Atlético Ottawa delivered a spectacular 3-0 victory over Vancouver FC at Willoughby Community Park in Langley, British Columbia. This decisive win not only thwarted Vancouver’s bid to leap into second place but maintained Ottawa’s lead at the top of the table. Coach Carlos González made strategic changes to his lineup following last week’s 1-0 shutout against Pacific FC, bringing in fresh faces to his starting 11 and adding over 100 minutes of U21 play. Despite a few challenging weeks, Ottawa’s dynamic performance was a testament to their resilience and depth, underscoring their dominance in the league.

Rubén Del Campo kicked off the match, and the team pressed immediately, spending the majority of the time in Vancouver’s final third. That said, the Eagles registered the first shot of the game in the 10^th minute when Allan Enyou took a long-range effort from outside the box. The play began with a corner kick initially cleared by Amer Didić, but Mikaël Cantave headed the ball back into the box, where Liberman Torres swiftly headed it away towards Enyou, who sent the ball soaring over the crossbar.

Vancouver continued to press but struggled to get past Nathan Ingham, who handled their next two attempts with ease. In the 13^th minute, a Vancouver defender sent a long ball into Ottawa’s box, and Ingham jogged to the top of his box to make a basket save, neutralizing any threats. Then in the 24^th minute, Gabriel Bitar passed up the left flank to James Cameron, who tracked back to evade Twardek before accelerating into the box. With Liberman Torres closely marking him, Cameron took a low shot aimed at the near post, but Ingham was perfectly positioned to collect the ball.

Ingham went on to make the Save of the Match shortly after on a Vancouver set piece situated dangerously close to the 18-yard line. Bitar took the free kick, sending it to the top of the 6-yard box, where Rocco Romeo headed it towards the center of the net. Ingham’s exceptional positioning and reaction time were on full display as he dove to his left, parrying the ball away and allowing Ollie Bassett to regain possession. Romeo had another chance following a free kick in the 49^th minute, but was called offside.

Atlético responded to Vancouver’s press with a near-miss in the 28^th minute. De Brienne surged into the box, evading Paris Gee, Enyou, and Bitar and aimed a shot towards the near post. Romeo slid in to block the shot, causing the ball to strike his arm and then deflect off Callum Irving’s leg, leaving it loose in front of the goal. With four Vancouver defenders crowding the area, Cameron cleared the ball inches from the line to keep the score level. Cameron’s clearance reached Cantave now on the attack, sprinting up field and into Ottawa’s box, but Walker intervened, tripping Cantave in the process, to prevent a shot from being taken. Both teams narrowly avoided conceding a penalty in these rapid sequences, and the match remained deadlocked at 0-0.

Walker was called on the offensive in the 35^th minute after Ottawa won a free kick near Vancouver’s box. Bassett took the kick and Walker ran centrally to meet it, but Vancouver defended it away. Manny Aparicio seized the rebound and fired the ball towards goal, but it was defended out for a corner. Bassett crossed the corner to the far post, finding Walker, whose shot towards the near post was comfortably gathered by Irving.

The half closed with several more close calls for both sides. In the 43^rd minute, Del Campo’s long-range shot sailed over the bar, while in the 45^th, a corner taken by Bassett was punched clear by Irving, narrowly missing Del Campo’s head as it curved towards goal. Then in the 46^th minute, Cantave switched the field of play to the left, where Alejandro Díaz sent the ball towards the frame, only for it to be headed out by Didić.

The game remained scoreless as the teams headed into the break having created many exciting chances, but failing to break through each other’s defenses. In the second half, Ottawa’s persistence paid off – they pressed hard, capitalizing on rebounds and finishing opportunities that had eluded them the previous week, netting 3 of their 4 shots on target.

The Eagles started on the attack and once again mounted another play up the right flank in the 56^th minute with a pass into the box intended for Cantave. He failed to make solid contact with the ball, resulting in a weak shot gathered by Ingham. A minute later, Atlético struck back with a dynamic play starting with Bassett passing up the right flank to Sissoko, who then played the ball centrally to Ballou Tabla. He took one touch while turning and then lost the ball to David Norman Jr. With perseverance, Tabla stuck to Norman Jr., who lost balance while running towards goal and went down. Tabla seized the opportunity to secure the ball and flick it up and over Irving to open the score at 1-0.

Ottawa continued with this momentum in the 68^th minute when Del Campo collected the ball near the touchline and passed it to Aparicio, who kept the ball in play at the byline and delivered a cross. Tabla controlled the ball and passed back to de Brienne, whose long-range shot forced Irving into a diving save. The ball fell loose near the 6-yard box, where Aparicio picked it up and got flagged for being offside, ending the play.

Undeterred, Ottawa went on to double their lead just a minute later with a spectacular goal by Del Campo. Tabla sprinted upfield and laid the ball to Del Campo, who unleashed a powerful shot that ricocheted off the near post. Del Campo quickly gathered the rebound, controlled it with one touch, and finished with precision into the back of the net making up for a weaker shot taken in the 71^st minute.

Vancouver, desperate to score, stole the next few chances. In the 74^th minute, Vancouver crossed the ball into the box that deflected off de Brienne. Sebastian Dzikowski tried to head it, but Twardek beat him with a back-header that ended up loose in the penalty area. Bitar volleyed the loose ball towards the frame, but Didić headed it clear. Then in the 86^th minute Bitar fed a short free kick to Crawford, who crossed it in – Didić headed it towards the side of the box, and Dzikowski chased it down. Twardek managed to clear it out for a throw before Dzikowski could make anything of it. Finally, in the 91^st minute, Crawford sent a long ball up to Dzikowski. He sprinted alongside Walker in Ottawa’s end, but the ball sailed over their heads, and Ingham dashed out of his box and booted it clear, safeguarding Ottawa’s clean sheet.

Substitute Samuel Salter then went on to seal Atléti’s 3-0 victory in the 91^st minute. The play began with Twardek intercepting a pass intended for Tyler Crawford and swiftly tapped it to Morer, who launched a counterattack towards Vancouver’s goal. Morer fed the ball forward to Salter, who controlled it with a few touches, faked a pass left, and shifted to his right foot. He then released a powerful strike that forced Irving to dive left – despite Irving getting a touch to the ball, the force behind Salter’s shot sent the ball driving into the back of the net.

There was no question that my player stand-out goes to Tyr Walker after his impactful presence on the field. Tyr delivered a stellar performance in his first full 90 of the season, showcasing remarkable skill, composure, and teamwork at the back with Didić and Ingham. With two shots on target, he was instrumental in both attack and defense, demonstrating precision with his passes and a flawless record in dribbling and tackling. Defensively, he made five clearances, eight defensive actions, and won numerous duels. He complimented Didić exceptionally well and I do hope we see more appearances of Tyr in the starting XI moving forward.

Join us on July 21^st at 2 PM as Atlético Ottawa faces seventh-place Valour FC at TD Place, a team Ottawa has defeated in every match this season. Unfortunately, key player Matteo de Brienne will miss this game due to yellow card accumulation – it will be interesting to see how Coach González adjusts his lineup to cover de Brienne’s absence, given his pivotal role in the starting 11. Further, with the transfer window now open, all eyes will be on the club as we await news on new or exciting players and how this may impact the squad’s line-up for the upcoming match.

About the Author

C.D. Girard (she/her/elle) discovered Atlético Ottawa during their 2023 season and has been a loyal fan ever since. A long-time admirer of the sport, she first began playing football at the age of seven and most looks forward to international competitions where she supports both Canada and the Netherlands.