CCSG Player Ratings: Matchday 17 vs. York United (8/3/25)
Familiarity. What ATO saw from York United on Sunday produced a terrible sense of nostalgia in the pit of my stomach, and likely all of yours as well. Seeing opposing teams employ the tactics that we were effectively implementing in 2022 is both encouraging and frustrating – encouraging as it brings to light the fear our attack has inspired in the seven other CPL sides, and frustrating as it means the open and entertaining games we have become accustomed to this season feel like they will be further and farther between. Sunday’s result marked only the third time all season ATO had been held scoreless, and the first time it happened at home. To add on to the sinking feeling, the draw now sees ATO drop one point behind Forge in the table to second place for the first time since the May 24th loss to Halifax. Still, the team remains unbeaten at home through ten games in all competitions, and this game marked the seventh clean sheet in the last eight league games for Nathan Ingham, matching his total from each of the last two years. The second half of the season is looking like it’ll be far different from the first, whether that is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
This Is What it Feels Like
The joy from misery that 2022 brought is going to be unleashed upon us for the remainder of the season. Three of our last four opponents have defaulted to low block, 5-4-1 shapes to try and withstand the pressure that our attacking shape brings. Their success at doing so was relative to their position in the table, with Forge and York holding us to a draw while Pacific conceded twice and lost at home. On Sunday, York put up the best defensive performance of the three, as they were the only team not to concede with this set-up, but they also allowed only ten shots, two of which were on goal, and none of which were big chances.
This wasn’t a case of Diego Urtiaga pulling a rabbit out of his hat, which could be argued Jassem Koleilat managed to do against us in July, but more so an organized defensive unit that the front five were unable to break through. The standouts were their wingbacks, as both Orlando Botello and Max Ferrari were able to keep Kevin dos Santos and Gabriel Antinoro under wraps their entire game. Yes, it hurts to praise York in any way, shape, or form, but their defensive gameplan on Sunday was executed superbly. They did not offer any real threat from open play on the attacking end, but if their goal was to come away with a point, that set-up is exactly how they were going to do it.
That said, it wasn’t a faultless system. The best chance of the day came from Ballou Tabla in the 65th minute, as he blasted a left foot shot that Urtiaga was able to get just enough of to push it onto the crossbar. The half spaces between Ferrari and Luke Singh were probably the most vulnerable places on the pitch for us to attack, and Tabla’s game reflected that, as he was consistently able to get the ball in the 18-yard box in that space. There were also a couple of dangerous crosses put in from the right on counter attacks when Botello was caught a little further up the pitch as well but none of our attackers could quite get on the end of them.
These moments were combined with a fluidity in attack that directly contrasted against the rigidity of the York system. Gabi Antinoro and David Rodríguez have at times, this season, moved around to create space down the right, but not as often as they did throughout the match on Sunday. Accompanying this swap was the forays of our wide centre backs further down the pitch to try and create overloads down the wing. Sergei Kozlovskiy had done this more frequently than anyone else in that position this year prior to Sunday, and he certainly kept trying to provide that additional offensive spark through ninety minutes. These small adjustments show how the team has evolved and the comfort with which they’re playing going forward, even if it doesn’t necessarily lead to success.
Everyone Plays a Role
Continued success over a 28 game season requires a team to be able to field more than just a consistent starting XI. I think I’ve been fairly consistent in reiterating this fact this year, especially given the injury problems that we’ve had to manage through the first four months. As such, I’d like to spend a little more time giving Joaquim Coulanges his flowers. The 18-year-old has been someone I’ve highlighted little by little at points this season, almost mirroring the types of contributions he’s been providing. Coulanges has featured in cameos at the end of matches that have grown in importance as games get tighter and tighter. Against Forge it was attacking the right side of their defence and earning the penalty, which leveled the game. Earlier in the season, against Cavalry, he scored his first professional goal to put the game away.
Those two examples focus on his attacking game, which has been the main focus of those discussing his contributions, but his impact was felt most of all on the defensive end on Sunday. His sliding challenge on Shola Jimoh, mere seconds after he came on the pitch, prevented a sure goal, as Nathan Ingham came out to challenge a lofted ball at the edge of the area and got caught in no man’s land. In addition to that, Joaquim also made a vital challenge on Max Ferrari as York looked to build in the second phase after a set piece, not just winning the ball from the York wingback, but doing so while maintaining possession and turning the ball back into attack without issue.
These short appearances, as a change of pace against tired defenders, are what make a team truly come together. The notion of “finishers” rather than “substitutes” to denote the contribution that a player can make in a short time on the pitch may appear patronizing on the surface, but get at what makes a full team a true title contender. What we’re seeing from Coulanges mirrors some of the contributions Zach Verhoven made to the team in 2022, not necessarily starting week-in week-out but finding ways to be impactful in short bursts. I do think he’s deserving of a more extended look at some point, as he’s only started two of his twelve appearances this year, but perhaps this role is what is best for his level at this time. We can’t be upset with what he’s given us even if that’s the case.
Sunday against Valour is a get right game ahead of what will be the two most important games of the season thus far, leg 1 of the Voyageur’s Cup semi-final against Vancouver FC, and a top of the table clash against Forge. This draw needs to be an anomaly if we’re going to reclaim our spot at the top of the table, even if it was against the only team, besides us and Forge, in a good run of form at the moment. Given our historical record against York, I’m perfectly content with having a 3-2-0 record against them this year. All I can hope is that those two draws in the league don’t come back to bite us with how Forge is still cranking out results. We still hold the keys to the league in our hands, with two games remaining against the Hamiltonians, but we’re about to get an ignition check in a couple of weeks, and we need to be ready for it. Oh, and for those wondering what I think about Oswaldo León, I’m looking to maintain a modicum of professionalism in these articles.
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 ATO's Wikipedia pages.
