CCSG Player Ratings: Matchday 13 vs. Pacific FC
Sometimes you just can’t buy a goal. In a second half very reminiscent of a 1-0 loss to York at home last season, Atlético Ottawa found themselves on the wrong end of a close result at home for the second time this season. The chances the team generated were plentiful in the second half, with substitutes making a difference and generating the biggest opportunities, but they just couldn’t quite get the extra inch to avoid being kept off the scoresheet for the first time in the league this season. The first half felt like an exercise in futility, as the Pacific lineup was incredibly organized and disciplined defensively, and the attempts to break through their midfield and defensive lines fell flat, again and again. The second half, with the necessary urgency to try and claw themselves back into the game, was certainly more successful in that regard, but ultimately, with a chance to steal away a point, Ollie Bassett missed from the spot for only the second time in his CPL career. Much like refereeing decisions, luck doesn’t fall the same way every time. We’ve been fortunate for much of this season to claw out results when we haven’t played well. Sunday, we couldn’t do so despite having a pretty good second half. It’s a long season, here are the player ratings:
#19 Rubén Del Campo
(6.2): This was Rubén’s first real dud of the campaign. He was frequently out muscled by the Pacific defenders and found himself unable to create from decent positions. That said, he was unlucky to have his shot in the dying moments blocked and then saved, as well as being just a step away from chances in the second half on the rebound from Sam Salter’s header that found the crossbar, and the goalmouth scramble where the ball was mere millimetres from crossing the goal line. However, being a step behind is the reason these chances didn’t fall his way. Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe it’s just a bump in the road, regardless, Rubén’s performances this season have been better than what he showed on Sunday, and I’m confident he can get back there. Outside of the performance, I do want to commend him for standing up for Ollie when the Pacific players surrounded him after the penalty. These little moments show that leadership from within is filtering through the locker room to every player. It’s a yellow I’m happy to see him take in those circumstances.
#10 Ollie Bassett
(5.6): This is going to come off harsh, and I know I’ve mostly strayed away from being overly negative in almost every piece I’ve ever written, but I’ve told this to anyone who will listen, and so I’d be a bit of a hypocrite if I didn’t put this to paper. I’m done with Ollie Bassett. It’s not the penalty, he had only missed one in CPL play ever up to that point, and while it was Emil Gazdov that saved it in the final game against Pacific last year, I still would bet on him to score when he steps to the spot. It’s everything else.
Last week I mentioned how he feels like a ball stopper in transition, and while the team wasn’t operating in transition against the Pacific low block, Ollie also didn’t show the ability to operate effectively in between the lines. As the second striker, you need to be the link between midfield and attack, and with only one chance created, it’s clear he wasn’t offering what he needed to as a focal point in attack. Combine that with another day of mediocre crosses, going one for nine, and not providing any defensive support with zero defensive actions and losing all nine duels he contested. This poor performance may be the nadir, and yeah it may be easy to pick on the guy in this moment, but I can’t say that I haven’t been feeling some kind of way about him over the last season and a half. Mostly in that I don’t think he’s the type of player that we can consistently rely on in the midfield to drive play, especially when we have to chase the game.
In addition to all the on the field elements, the recent interview that came out where Ollie revealed that he had offers following the 2022 campaign, and the club rejected the bids for not meeting their valuation, has cast the last couple of years in a bit of a different light. It’s totally fair for a player of his age to feel slighted when the opportunity to move to a bigger challenge is denied, particularly after the success of his 2022 season. I just can’t help but feel he doesn’t want to be here anymore. His head doesn’t look in it, and he’s still able to shine through because he is a talented player. However, no matter the role he’s played this season, something’s felt off, even in the games where he has shone brighter than anyone else on the team. Let me be clear, I’m not questioning his effort this season. I may have suggested it at the end of 2023, but I don’t think that’s the case at all in 2024. It’s more that it feels like something is weighing on him, and not letting him play freely.
Call me spoiled all you want, as we’re still five points clear at the top of the table, but I do think this team needs a change, and I think Ollie needs a change just as much. That said, I don’t think it’s going to come, mostly due to his contract situation, as it doesn’t behove teams at this level to pay a fee for a player when he can come in for free in January. I just hope that the talent shines through for our club’s all time leading goal scorer in the interim, and more trophies follow.
#9 Samuel Salter
(7.2): For the second week in a row, Sam Salter proved himself as the most effective member of the attack. To put it lightly, the first 11 games of the season were frustrating, as evidenced by just about every word I wrote about the striker. However, his shift outside of the striker role has seen him transform in the best way possible. The main things I complained about when he was the lone striker were his hold up play and his positioning. This new role has given him the opportunity to showcase those two things to great success. He worked so well with Manny Aparicio in the middle of the park as he came in and made good runs into the box to create dangerous situations, four in total, the most on the team despite only playing 45 minutes. That he didn’t manage to direct the Ballou Tabla cross into the Pacific net is unfortunate, as his performance truly deserved a result.
#11 Gabriel Antinoro
(5.7): After having an effective game against Forge, Gabi was unable to generate much of anything against Pacific. The matchup against Mukumbilwa on the left wing went the defender’s way for the entire first half, with Gabi registering only one successful duel from eight attempts. Additionally, Gabi didn’t connect on either of his crosses, and failed to register a completed dribble. Given that ATO’s attacks more often come down the right wing means that the focus is generally going to be placed on that side of the pitch from the opposition. If they don’t need to feel uncomfortable down the left, the focus can continue on the right side and the gameplan for ATO becomes much easier to stifle. All that said, the biggest talking point for Gabi’s performance should be his role in the Pacific goal. In the lead up to Bahous’ strike, Gabi tried to jump a pass that Mukumbilwa never seemed to show he was going to make, allowing the right back 20 or so yards of space, to roam down the right before laying the ball off to Bahous. It’s a particularly egregious error given the time remaining in the half, knowing that a 0-0 draw where Pacific had not really had any chances would have been a perfectly fine way to go into the break. It’s a mistake a young player makes, and as much as this is a learning experience for Gabi, it’s still a mistake, and we can’t approach that kind of error with kid gloves.
#8 Dani Morer
(6.6): Dani Morer’s second start in the Canadian Premier League didn’t provide all that much in terms of dramatics. Morer’s season thus far has been defined by his ability to generate chances in important moments, but those moments felt fewer and far between in this game. Don’t get me wrong, I think most of his talents were on display in this game, it’s just nothing came from them. His spacing was immaculate as always, being able to find pockets in the Pacific defense to operate and to receive long balls. His defensive work was impressive as well, with five defensive actions and a 62.5% success rate in ground duels. On the other hand, he was unable to complete any of his five attempted crosses, and did not create any chances in his 70 minutes on the pitch despite multiple passes into the final third and multiple touches inside the Pacific box. Maybe he is best placed to finish games, rather than start, but Morer’s ability to affect the game isn’t just going to go away. It feels more like this was a stout defensive team being able to limit him rather than a sign that he can’t perform when placed in a starting role.
#13 Ballou Tabla
(6.5): Given the depth issues we’re already running into down the left wing, it was a good sign that Ballou Tabla’s injury last week proved to be nothing serious. His performance in the abbreviated run out was nothing spectacular, save for his lovely little run that nearly ended up with Sam Salter heading home his third goal of the season. The rest of the day saw him marked well by his opposite number Georges Mukumbilwa, who was frankly superb the entire match, sniffing out everything on Pacific’s right flank. Ballou’s still not Ballou, and the question is if he can return to that level before season’s end.
#21 Alberto Zapater
(7.2): Even in a game where the game state didn’t play to his strengths, Alberto Zapater showed once again the class that he embodies on the pitch. The standout moment from him in this game was his run from midfield and dribble into the Pacific penalty area before his final touch was a tad too heavy. It’s an element of his game that we haven’t seen a ton of in the year that he has been with Atlético Ottawa, but when it pops up it’s always a nice surprise. Given he also registered three key passes in this game, it’s great to see the ability Alberto has to affect the game offensively outside of his heading ability. Defensively, he was as solid as usual, winning more duels than he lost and registering three defensive actions without committing a foul. These types of performances are my expectation for Alberto at this point, which is potentially setting myself up for disappointment, but given how good he is, that’s a risk I’m willing to take.
#33 Abou Sissoko
(6.5): Given he was substituted at half time, it’s not surprising that Abou Sissoko had a fairly low activity game on Sunday. The standout element from a statistical perspective is the four defensive actions he accrued, but other than that, Sissoko’s performance was fairly pedestrian, especially given the possession in the first half was in favour of ATO. The ball was more often placed at the feet of Zapater or Ollie if it was making its way through the midfield, and as such Sissoko was only really afforded a couple of opportunities to make an impact offensively. There were a couple of intricate triangles played between Sissoko, Morer, and Twardek that looked to unlock the Pacific left side but didn’t quite manage to accomplish that feat. Ultimately, there will be games where a defensive midfielder won’t do anything particularly wrong, but nothing to elevate the game, especially given his goal last week. Sissoko is effective, and as I’ve said plenty of times before, sometimes that’s all we need.
#34 Manny Aparicio
(6.8): For the first time this season, Manny Aparicio found himself starting a match on the bench. The difference of not having Manny in the midfield was noticeable, given the general lack of aggression in trying to reclaim the ball in the Pacific third when the team had lost possession following attacking moves. In the second half, Manny managed to create two chances, and just generally added a necessary dynamic to the team as he looked to make incisive passes through the Pacific lines. His shot right at Gazdov off a Didic header was millimetres from crossing the goal line for Atlético Ottawa’s best chance from open play. He also managed four defensive actions with two successful tackles, but given the need for a goal, his offensive prowess was what needed to shine through, and while he wasn’t able to get the results, his impact on the game show just how important he is to the overall ability of the team in all facets of the game.
#6 Liberman Torres:
(NR): Coming into the game with only 11 minutes remaining, Liberman Torres wasn’t tasked with any real defensive duties as Pacific looked to soak up pressure and kill the game. As such, Torres was presented with the opportunities to try and demonstrate his ability to distribute as the lone pivot. With one chance created, he showed that there is a bit of an eye to his game, but as he’s not really been provided with the opportunity to showcase that over an entire match, it’s not something I’m going to make a decision about. Even if the back pass still plays on a loop in my mind.
#22 Matteo de Brienne
(7): Until Matteo starts to get consistent touches in the final third, I will be irritated. The current issues with injury on the left side of the pitch have forced him to play at left back, which has inherently limited his ability to be involved in the final third as much as many of us would like. Matteo’s ability on the ball has not been showcased to the extent that it had over the last couple of seasons. Part of that is the team around him does feature more talent than the Valour sides he was a part of, for sure, but also the role change has allowed him to showcase his defensive skill at the expense of his prowess in attack. That defensive skill was on display against Pacific, with five defensive actions, more duels won than lost, and five recoveries, with the most notable being a slide challenge on Ayman Sellouf that forced a handball and won ATO a free kick when Pacific looked to get in behind early in the second half. He also won us the penalty in the 91st minute, as dubious as it may have been. When the ball gets to Matteo’s feet, he can make magic happen, and I really want him to be able to showcase all of the facets of his game.
#5 Luke Singh
(6.3): From a statistical standpoint, Luke Singh had an incredible game against Pacific. He didn’t lose any of his five duels, won two free kicks, and had four defensive actions while also completing 87% of his passes. Look beyond the stats, and you’ll see things that stick out like a sore thumb. I can think of three distinct occasions where he gave the ball away in dangerous areas to Pacific. While none of these errors materialized for the opposition, it still continues to worry me when Luke is on the ball. This is something James Merriman noticed as well, as for much of the first half, Merriman assigned Dario Zannatta to essentially mark Amer Didic out of the game when ATO were recycling the ball, forcing one of the midfielders to drop or the ball to end up at Luke’s feet. If the opposition is comfortable with you on the ball, that should suggest something to those watching. This also doesn’t take into account what Luke was doing on the goal, where he afforded Zakaria Bahous acres of space to run into by jockeying rather than stepping up and trying to take away the space. It’s frustrating, because Luke has shown the ability to be a good partner to Amer Didic, but time and again, mistakes are made, and it becomes harder to trust him in the back four.
#55 Amer Didic
(6.3): Between a number of giveaways in trying to find passes between the lines and being marked out of the game at the end of the first half, Amer Didic did not showcase the best of his abilities against his former side. The biggest moment for him in the match, was the header he won off a corner that nearly gave Manny Aparicio his fourth goal of the season. His presence in the air on set pieces continues to be a significant factor in chance creation for this side. The stark difference in how dangerous our set pieces have felt from last season is attributable primarily to Didic being able to soar above any and all opponents. Other than that, it was a very pedestrian game for the defender that, I would argue, has been the best in the Canadian Premier League thus far in 2024. There’s not too much else to say about Didic’s game, as the second half featured so little action in the Atlético Ottawa end, bar a Cedric Toussaint shot that careened off the crossbar, and as such he wasn’t involved in too much.
#23 Kris Twardek
(6.5): I’m still waiting for another blow away performance from Kris Twardek. We saw it on matchday one, with more than just the goal that he scored, and since then he’s been a solid hand but has not really been able to put his stamp on a game quite like the opener against York. He has the ability to create from the wing, but only completing one cross on six attempts is not the way to demonstrate it. Only winning five of 13 duels is definitely not the best way to showcase it either. He still managed a team leading nine defensive actions, which, given the momentum of the game, is a lot, but it felt like just another performance from the 27-year-old. Of course, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as Kris has been a solid hand, not making mistakes or putting the team in jeopardy, aside from his own goal against Cavalry.
#99 Rayane Yesli
(6.3): Rayane Yesli didn’t have much to do in this game. With only two shots on target from Pacific, the stats will not look upon him favourably, as the strike from Bahous found the net. That said, it was very well taken and to place any blame on the keeper would be incorrect in that situation. There were some shakier moments with Yesli on the ball, nothing that led to any mistakes, but with Pacific putting pressure on him early, he was walking a tightrope with how casually he appeared to be playing the ball. If he had not built-up confidence in previous matches with his ability to distribute, I would be more worried, but I have a feeling this is more of a one off than you would expect.
With their second loss of the season on the books, ATO’s lead atop the Canadian Premier League has shrunk to five points, with York United sitting in second. It also sees a bit of a short week for the league leaders, as their next match takes place Friday night in Vancouver against a mercurial VFC side that will be without Vasco Fry due to the red card he picked up against Forge this week. In the previous matchup, Callum Irving had himself a day, making a few key stops in the first half, leading to a 1-1 draw between the two sides. With all of the missed chances in the second half of this game against Pacific, it is imperative that Atlético Ottawa put that out of their mind and capitalize when given the chances next week. If not, the dog days of summer might start to bear out some less than stellar results.
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 footy knowledge has been a constant asset, along with his role as caretaker for Atléti Wikipedia pages.
