CCSG Player Ratings: Matchday 1 vs. HFX Wanderers (5/4/25)
Miserable. Perhaps that’s a bit of an understatement to describe the cold and wet conditions that accompanied the opening of the 2025 CPL season in Ottawa. Equally, it describes the feeling of Atlético Ottawa supporters through the first 55 minutes of the match. The team came out flat, disjointed, and altogether uninspiring with a lineup that caused a fair bit of confusion among the Rojiblanco faithful. However, those feelings quickly turned as bright as the sun we all wished was shining in the sky as changes were made, and a first-ever home opener loss was turned into a satisfying 2-2 draw. This is made even more satisfying knowing that over 200 u21 minutes were accrued to get there.
The optimism that has accompanied the hiring of Diego Mejía was further bolstered by the changes he made through the second half. Each player that was introduced had at least one moment of brilliance that looked to wrest control of the game from Halifax until the boys finally did. It is definitely refreshing to have a manager willing to make those decisive decisions and adapt in order to truly change the game. Not only that, but he also employs a dynamic style of play that can change, when necessary, with a roster willing to put everything on the line to do so. Even with the positive outlook though, there’s things that need to be addressed if this team is to reach its full potential.
The Backline
In the words of Arsène Wenger: “You pay for the education of young players with points.” In no position is this more so the case than at centre-back. That the oldest of the three centre-backs who started for Atlético Ottawa in this game turns 22 in October should render their collective performance unsurprising. With fewer than 60 professional matches between the three of them, Loïc Cloutier, Noah Abatneh, and Tyr Walker all looked their age throughout their time on the pitch. As a unit there was a clear lack of communication and leadership that was fairly noticeable even from the concourse. This lack of cohesion played into a lack of connectivity with the rest of the team and manifested in a series of long balls that were consistently cut out by the Halifax midfield. Through the first half, most of Halifax’s chances came as a result of these poor attempts at building out quickly from the back and directly resulted in the Wanderers' first goal.
I would say that Tyr had the weakest individual game of the three, with the red card of course sticking out like a sore thumb, but also in that he didn’t quite assert himself in individual battles as he has been able to in the past, losing seven of the 11 duels he contested and giving away three fouls. It wasn’t all negative though, a foray forward from the 21-year-old did provide the cross that eventually found the feet of Abou Sissoko for Atlético Ottawa’s second goal.
Even the most casual of observers will note that Amer Didíc was not thrust into action in this game, and, as such, this particular combination of defenders does not figure to be the regular back 3 going forward. It remains to be seen how long Didíc will be unavailable – I certainly hope that he is back sooner than later, as any team would be hard-pressed to replace a player of Amer’s calibre. Had he been healthy, I would assume that Loïc would not have started the match, though with the suspension to Tyr for the next match, the 20-year-old may end up featuring once again on the left of the back three. Regardless, a healthy Didíc will hopefully transform this backline into the best version of itself and allow these young players the opportunity to grow without costing us too many points.
The Wingbacks
The disjointed nature of the back three made it very difficult for the wingbacks to integrate themselves in the game. On one side, Kevin dos Santos, playing away from his natural position, had a poor game. He was thrust into a lot of duels, which he was largely unable to win with only a 22% success rate, and he found himself unable to truly assert himself in the attacking third as well. Further, in his defensive duties, he could not deal with the Giorgio Probo cross that found the foot of Sean Rea, and, subsequently the back of the ATO net for Halifax’s second of the afternoon. There were moments where the best of him came forth, working in the attacking spaces down the right wing, but it was too infrequent to justify continuing to have him on the pitch for much longer than he ended up playing.
On the other side, Brett Levis had a difficult time dealing with the pace of Jason Bahamboula down the left flank. Time after time in the first half, the new signing for Halifax found himself with plenty of space and Atlético Ottawa were fortunate that he was unable to find his teammates with any of the four crosses he attempted. The lack of connection with the backline was most noticeable in how Levis looked to attack. On a number of occasions in the first half, Levis made runs down the left wing in plenty of space only for the centre-backs to overlook him for other, “safer” passes down the right. When Levis shifted to left centre back following the introduction of Joaquim Coulanges, he settled into that role nicely, not having to deal with the pace of Halifax’s right winger and made at least one valiant block with his face late, as Atleti looked to secure the draw. That he managed to win seven of ten duels is a great sign even in the face of him being outpaced for much of the afternoon.
The Midfield
The other stunning omission from the first starting lineup of the season was Manny Aparicio. To a lesser extent, I was also concerned to see that Abou Sissoko was also starting the match on the bench. Hearing that they may have not been at 100% fitness heading into the match, it makes sense that Diego Mejía was ensuring that these issues would not be further aggravated, but it did result in Halifax dominating the midfield for the first 55 minutes of the game.
Noah Verhoeven continued to show the same issues from 2023 with his timidity and lack of forward progression to make up for defensive deficiencies. Once such instance was following the first ATO corner. When faced one-on-one with a Halifax attacker, Verhoeven’s challenge on the ball was incredibly weak, which resulted in Halifax sending a player through on goal. Fortunately, the attacker’s first touch was heavy and corralled safely by Nathan Ingham.
Alongside him, unfortunately, Alberto Zapater showed his age. He was behind the pace that was being set by a far more aggressive Halifax midfield. The time he takes on the ball, while often evoking a methodical and considered approach, was not what was necessary to ensure success on Saturday. Yes, he did manage to play a peach of an outside of the foot ball to kickstart an early chance for the Atléti attack, but it was one moment in 67 minutes. These bursts of inspiration are still present, which suggests a role similar to the end of last year where he featured primarily as a substitute would be ideal to get the most from him.
The Substitutes
For all the consternation I’ve given to the starters, the performance warranted it. However, the game changed when substitutions were made. First, Gabriel Antinoro and Manny Aparicio were introduced in place of Kevin dos Santos and Noah Verhoeven. Both made immediate impacts on the game. Manny was his usual aggressive self, and when taking the ball from Halifax, he made it a point to carry it forward and find the progressive ball to move along from midfield to attack. The entire team seemed to liven up once he was placed in the middle of the park. For Gabi Antinoro, the switch to the right of the pitch, as he featured on the left for essentially every appearance last year, came with a new attitude that saw him be far more confident on the ball. With one run immediately following the first ATO goal standing out as a moment for him, as he dribbled from the right wing essentially to the middle of the 18-yard box, weaving through defenders and playing intricate one-twos with his teammates. The stats may not reflect Gabi’s performance as positively as I do now, but what I saw with my own two eyes was a player with a new attitude determined to prove his doubters wrong.
Then came Abou Sissoko, Monty Patterson, and Joaquim Coulanges. Sissoko was his usual steady self, taking over for Alberto Zapater alongside Aparicio. That level saw him get into the box a couple of times and his patience rewarded him with the second goal of the game. Monty Patterson, while not offered a ton of time to show his offensive prowess, gave a tremendous effort in working back while ATO defended the draw with ten men. Joaquim Coulanges impressed me mightily with his confidence and willingness to attack defenders, particularly as an 18-year-old playing in his first professional match. I think Joaquim is best positioned to serve as a vital substitute option going forward, as his pace and dribbling ability, exemplified with his nutmeg of Adam Pearlman in the dying moments of the game, are just the right combination to attack tired defenders.
The Talisman
With all of what I just said on the table, if I had to take away one thing from this game, it’s that Atlético Ottawa may just have its new centrepiece. In the previous five seasons, we have not witnessed a player impact a game on the attacking front quite like David Rodríguez did on Saturday. Perhaps the Alberto Soto performance in Edmonton, or a Ballou Tabla game in 2022 could come close, but to me (and perhaps recency bias is creeping in here) they don’t come close. Every single offensive move involved the 22-year-old in some fashion. His positioning early allowed for Kevin dos Santos to find space down the right. His run in behind created the first real Atléti chance of the match. In the end, he managed to make five key passes, by far the most in the game, as well as creating two big chances. This is without even mentioning his goal, which was supplied beautifully by a dink from Sam Salter, who seems to have not received credit for an assist, which is a travesty, where he expertly took the ball down, rounded the keeper, and tapped home a debut goal worthy of the man of the match performance he delivered.
To expect that high a level every week is certainly too much in the way of expectation for the young man, but I don’t believe that this is his ceiling. David Rodríguez embodies the philosophy of Diego Mejía and the way Atlético Ottawa supporters have been craving to see their team play. There is an exuberance to the way he carries the ball when dribbling or when looking for the pass, something almost felt drained out of our players the last couple of years. I’m so excited to see what this young man can do in this system that certainly plays to all of his strengths. The added benefit of David living up to the hype that was surrounding him, is that it makes the hype about our other Mexican signings feel justified. Without Juan Castro, Iker Moreno, or Kevin Ortega available for selection, this team was able to steal a point. With those three in the lineup, it feels like the sky’s the limit if they can match what their compatriot from San Luis brought to the table.
For regular readers of this column, you’ll notice a drastic format change, with the ratings only now appearing. This is going to be the format going forward, with me writing about the things I really noticed in the match rather than trying to force myself to talk about every single player in some detail. It’s an attempt at a new beginning, much like what has been promised from this new regime in Atlético Ottawa. Perhaps it is a tad self-centred to compare myself to the club in this way, but this is all in an attempt to present something that’s more indicative of the way the team played in a match, rather than isolating the individuals and getting too into the nitty-gritty statistically.
With that out of the way, I truly believe that there is plenty to be excited about from this first game. Would I have felt this way had the boys not regrouped and found a way to capture a point, probably not. However, the tenacity and ambition that was on display in those final 33 minutes captured me in a way that this team has never done before. Extending that over ninety minutes, and an entire season, will make the poorer results as palatable as possible. At least, until we get blown out by Forge and my mental health gets dunk-tanked. Still, I think there’s going to be more good days than bad days if the second half of this match is any indication. Here’s to another summer watching the greatest sport on earth, hopefully the weather will be a lot better going forward.
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.
