CCSG Player Ratings: Matchday 23 @ Cavalry FC
I didn’t think it was possible to feel this much malaise about your football team when they’ve gone five games unbeaten. Yet, losing out on multiple leads in this game certainly doesn’t inspire confidence even if this result in a vacuum wasn’t all that bad. Certain players were able to shine above the collective (as has been the case for most of the season) to eke out a couple of goals and escape ATCO Field with a point. Getting a goal from open play, given the recent drought in that specific area, would in most cases be a cause for optimism, but the rest of the play in possession continued to look slow rather than methodical and uninventive rather than stoic. These are important distinctions to make, as the same pace at which this team often plays in possession can be effective tools to break down a defence, but this was not one of those games.
The defensive work also felt just as shaky as it did against Vancouver two weeks ago, with Cavalry operating well in the space between midfield and defence, let down only by their attackers’ inability to get the ball out of their feet in the Ottawa 18-yard box. And yet, neither of their goals felt all the way earned. Musse’s strike in the first half was patently ridiculous and likely couldn’t be replicated, and the Klomp header came after a foul that is objectively incorrect per IFAB guidelines. But these are the swings and roundabouts of a league campaign. Last week we were beneficiaries of a terrible decision, and this time we were on the receiving end. It’s up to the manager and the players to find ways to overcome this type of adversity, and frankly, Cavalry were the better side after that second goal. This was a missed opportunity but also, not a total waste of an away trip, it just doesn’t help that we’ve dropped so many points in the run up to this vital fixture.
#19 Rubén Del Campo
(7.3): I’ve stressed process over result for the two years writing these columns, to the point where it’s assuredly excruciating to the reader, but there’s something to be said for having the golden boot favourite leading the line for your team. Rubén’s 11th goal in the league this season wasn’t anything special, a deflection off the foot of Fraser Aird to take it past Marco Carducci, but it is indicative of a mentality you want your starting striker to have: “I’m going to take the shot when I’m in the box because I’m going to score”. With five games remaining in the season, and a two-goal cushion on his nearest competitor who is set to miss more games in the stretch run, Rubén is the favourite to claim a second consecutive golden boot for Atlético Ottawa. As long as he continues to contribute goals, the rest of his game is gravy. It’s nice when your striker is able to win more of his duels than he loses and wins a couple of free kicks when he isn’t scoring. When that comes with the most goals any player has ever scored for the club in a season, you can’t ask for much more.
#34 Manny Aparicio
(7.6): Most of the time I spend describing how our individuals are able to succeed despite a lack of a tactical gameplan can be boiled down to the contributions from Manny Aparicio in a given game. Within five minutes of kick-off, Manny found the back of the net for the first time since late May. Given his up and down performances since, much of how I’ve been judging Manny has been in his ability to contribute defensively, so to be able to praise his attacking play once more is bringing me joy. He was able to ping long balls while also providing the usual pressure he delivers to opposing teams in their own half. Manny played this way while also fulfilling a different role than he’s been asked to for much of the season, essentially playing in the spot Ollie Bassett had traditionally played on the left. Manny’s willingness to play in more interior channels also gave the attack a better shape through the first half, allowing Matteo de Brienne to get wide and not run into his fellow left sided player, even if Matteo never really took advantage. Sure, Manny’s numbers don’t reflect spectacularly on defense, and a two-of-eight success rate on ground duels is quite poor, but the impact he had on the game made it possible for Atléti to be in it. He’s the piece that’s MacGyvering this entire operation together at this point, and with his successes come ours.
#13 Ballou Tabla
(7.5): We might have the Ballou of old back. Unfortunately, that also includes his propensity to send at least one good chance sailing towards Neptune. It still baffles me that he took two touches and still managed to get that ball up as high as he did, but that’s really the worst of it. The rest of the game from Ballou was much closer to what was advertised when his return was announced in January. An assist on the Rubén Del Campo goal, three successful dribbles, four of six ground duels won, and most importantly, five chances created in 81 minutes of work. All of these stats are wonderful to see on the page, but the eye test matches them every step of the way. Much like his substitute appearances the last couple of weeks, Ballou was eager on the ball and willing to take on defenders, especially in transition. My biggest complaint about him through this season has been his unwillingness to push the ball in counter attacking situations, something that was not an issue on Sunday. That he was able to extend that level over the course of a start and not just in limited minutes is a great sign down the stretch. Sure, there’s still a few irksome things about him, the missed shots being top of the list, but he’s back to a place where I’m not rueing every time he gets the ball, and that’s significant progress from just a month ago.
#9 Samuel Salter
(6.4): Sam Salter just quite couldn’t get into the game this week. Despite his propensity for turning substitute minutes into productive performances in recent weeks, this week he fell short of those expectations. Only completing two of seven passes is far from ideal, as is contesting five ground duels and only winning two, especially in such a short time on the pitch. Some of that comes down to a lack of team cohesion when the substitutes entered the match, but some of it has to lie at Sam’s feet. It’s just one week though, and recent form suggests he can provide far more than this.
#7 Kévin dos Santos
(NR): Kévin’s second game back from injury was, unfortunately, not quite as promising as the first. It certainly looked like a player who hadn’t fully integrated himself into the team, as his positioning was wayward for the 15 or so minutes he was on the pitch. He was dribbled past a couple of times, and he couldn’t quite put together a cross in after he beat his opposite number on the dribble. Ultimately, it’s not the end of the world, but given where we are in the season, we can’t have players trying to get accustomed to their surroundings.
#33 Abou Sissoko
(6.6): Despite Abou Sissoko not having a game to write home about statistically, I think this game shows how important having him in the lineup is to the overall health of this team, pecifically with respect to how the midfield functions. Perhaps it was because who replaced him, but the middle of the park looked far more open when Manny Aparicio was dropped back next to Liberman Torres when Sissoko came off in the 73rd minute. Manny’s aggressive nature necessitates two midfielders behind him, not necessarily as pivots, but as more controlled, stable pieces for the rest of the side to flow through and serve as the calm to Manny’s more chaotic style. Without Sissoko, far more space opened up as Manny tried to make plays across the pitch in the final minutes of the game, and everything just felt like a giant panic, whether that was trying to win the ball back in Cavalry’s half or trying to clear the ball in our own. Sissoko’s presence has evolved throughout this season, even if he doesn’t have the stats that our best players do. He rarely plays poorly, so it’s hard to say this team ebbs and flows based on his presence, but role on the team is vital tactically. Hopefully Carlos González continues to see that.
#6 Liberman Torres
(7): A rare start for the Ecuadorian saw him put together arguably his most complete performance of the season. Operating as the single pivot for most of the game, Torres asserted himself on the game in both attacking and defensive phases. Going forward, he created two chances from deep in midfield and was successful on 87% of his passes. In defence, he was able to make two tackles and register an interception. While his performance was nowhere near faultless, as he lost more duels than he won and gave away two free kicks, it was nice to see him seem so calm in the middle of the park. I’ve been wary about Liberman getting minutes given he’s been a bit panicky on the ball, but today didn’t seem like that whatsoever. Even him coming in to defend Dani Morer after Bradley Kamdem Judo threw him into the advertising board showed me something. Our depth in midfield has always been something I’ve praised, and that’s what Liberman needs to be for us, capable depth - especially given Alberto Zapater has been left out of the 18 the last two games.
#22 Matteo de Brienne
(6.2): Ali Musse has been a thorn in Atlético Ottawa’s side this season, with the last four goals Cavalry have scored against us have had him contribute in some way. As such, it’s difficult to look past his opposite number when evaluating how much Musse is able to affect the game. The first goal was a ridiculous strike from an unfathomable angle, and the assist he delivered was from a spot kick. I’ll focus specifically on the second one, as the foul that occurred was as a result of Matteo diving in for a tackle further up the pitch, forcing Iliadis to go to ground and commit the “foul” that resulted in Cavalry’s second goal. Forcing is a key word for what I thought Matteo was doing throughout this game. He tried desperately to find himself up the pitch and the shots he took were maybe not ill-advised but certainly not the best option in those situations. He still did manage to make three interceptions, but he did lose more duels than he won and seemed a little out of sorts having to mark Ali Musse. It was a rough week for Matteo, here’s hoping he can bounce back.
#96 Ilias Iliadis
(6.7): By the end of the game, Ilias Iliadis looked beat. I’m still not convinced by him at left back, and with Maxim Tissot coming back into the fold, I don’t think his presence is going to be necessary out wide. Inside however, he’s still a solid hand. Five clearances, three interceptions, and three tackles seem to stand out, but also speak to the idea that Ilias might also be trying to do a bit too much. Of course, that idea is reasonable given that Ilias is not a natural centre back, and he has a drive to get up the field and impact the game as many phases as he can. His corners were still threatening, even though the team didn’t generate anything from them, which is good in as much as we can provide inswinging deliveries from both corner flags without issue. The elephant in the room was of course the handball that, as explicitly stated in the guidelines from IFAB, isn’t a handball and led to the second Cavalry goal. He didn’t do anything wrong, and the yellow he got for dissent is nothing more than a referee doubling down on their mistake.
#55 Amer Didic
(6.6): With a goal conceded on a header from a set piece, it’s difficult to heap the mountains of praise I’ve had for Amer Didic in recent weeks, as normally he’s there to handle those issues. Further, Didic had a number of wayward passes from the back that not only didn’t hit their target but seemed wholly ill-advised from the start, which has happened on occasion this year but not as many times in the same game as it seemed to happen on Sunday. This is showcased statistically by Didic only completing two of six long balls, and the way that the team played on Sunday necessitated something better from Amer. Most shocking of all, though, was that Didic lost out on two aerial duels. I have no concern that this will develop into a trend, but his dependability in those situations is fundamental to our ability to deal with attacks from the wing. This game may have been a slight dip for Didic, but that’s all it was, a slight dip. He’ll be back to where he needs to be by next week.
#4 Tyr Walker
(6.4): I’m still not quite sure how the pass Tyr made early in the second half found its way to Ballou Tabla’s feet, which of course led to the goal from Rubén del Campo. It’s the only moment that really stuck out about Tyr’s performance on Sunday, which is definitely a downgrade from his recent showings. Statistically, he only managed to have four defensive actions, with one foul and only one ground duel won out of four. With only 336 minutes left to reach the u21 minutes threshold, Tyr’s name is going to be written in pen in the starting XI barring any mitigating circumstances. It is our best option at the moment to accumulate those minutes, and any time Tyr can spend on the pitch will help his growth as a young player. He didn’t really put a stamp on this game, and any game where he doesn’t commit a calamitous error is a real boon. It’s good to see that even in a poor overall performance Tyr doesn’t look out of place among his peers.
#8 Dani Morer
(6.8): It feels a little weird to see that seven assists is the record for a club in a single season, but given the short history of Atlético Ottawa and the limited opportunities for goals, it’s reality. Morer’s delivery on the corner is why people have been crying out for him to take right footed inswingers even when Ollie Bassett is on the pitch: venomous at the near post, getting over the first defender, with the runs to support it in the box. It also needs to be said that he somehow did not draw a red card despite getting judo thrown by Bradley Kamdem in the 55th minute. This is just a segue to once again highlight the physicality difference between Morer and most of the players he matches up against. Once again, he was poor in duels, winning only 25% of those he contested, and he didn’t make up for it in other defensive areas as he only had one defensive action, which was a foul. Still, his ability on the ball more than makes up for it. and as long as he can deliver set pieces like he has there’s no real issue with him.
#15 Maxim Tissot
(NR): After last week saw Kris Twardek and Kévin dos Santos return from injury, this week saw club captain Max Tissot do the same. The boy from Gatineau was only on the pitch for injury time. but given how severe the injury looked when it occurred at Starlight in May, it’s lovely to see him back in the rotation. What his role will be going forward, with Iliadis and de Brienne staking claims to minutes at left wing back, is still to be seen. Regardless, veteran leadership is going to be crucial to any success at the end of the season.
#3 Jesús del Amo
(6.6): The final signing of Atlético Ottawa’s season has finally made his first appearance. Jesús del Amo stepped into the role we assumed he would as the left centre back in our back three, and didn’t really have much to deal with, as Cavalry focused their final efforts down our right side. He completed all eight of his passes and made one clearance. It remains to be seen what we have in the 25-year-old, and if there will be rotation that sees Ilias Iliadis moved back into one of his more natural positions.
#23 Kris Twardek
(6.5): Much like del Amo, Kris Twardek’s appearance on Sunday didn’t provide anything to evaluate. Maybe a slight criticism can be made of his one cross when matched up one on one with Kamdem, but otherwise he wasn’t overly involved, as you would expect from fewer than 20 minutes on the pitch. The question for the end of the year is if Twardek regains his position in the starting XI once he’s back to full match fitness, or is Morer locked into the right wing back role for good.
#29 Nathan Ingham
(6.3): Most of me wants to just chalk down Ali Musse’s goal to being a moment of brilliance, but a tiny part of me wants to criticize Nathan Ingham for not getting a hand to it given how far inside the post the ball ended up being. Between that and the missed challenge on a Daan Klomp header that went harmlessly wide, it wasn’t a shining afternoon for the Atletico Ottawa keeper. He can still claim three saves, and a better-than-average game with his long ball distribution, but it’s far from the apex of his abilities.
There are five games left in the regular season, and there are three points separating Atlético Ottawa from both first place and fourth place. Despite Forge losing 3-0 to the then bottom of the table Halifax, they are still favourites to claim the regular season title, and it’s imperative that ATO finish second to maximize their chances of qualifying for continental competition next season. I’ll beat this drum until the end of the year, at which point we’ll see if we’ve ended up with the honour of competing against the rest of North America’s best, and some mediocre MLS and LigaMX sides. Given how poor the rest of the league looks, it’s certainly still doable, but the performances have to improve. That collective effort was mediocre at best, and it’s a shock that we’re unbeaten in five.
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.
