First-Place Altético Ottawa Draw 2-2 with Last-Place Valour FC
July 21st at TD Place brought proof that one cannot predict the outcome of a soccer match, as league leaders Atlético Ottawa tied last place Valour FC 2-2. It was not Ottawa’s best performance and fans felt the absence of key player Matteo de Brienne, as he was suspended from the match due to yellow card accumulation. That said, Atléti picked up over 120 valuable U21 minutes, a necessity for the team if they plan to secure a spot in the playoffs later this season.
At the onset, home fans assumed the win was locked in after Valour conceded an own goal just 45 seconds into the match. However, the game saw frequent shifts in momentum, with both teams seizing opportunities, and Ottawa failing to maintain their early lead.
The opening goal came from a corner kick after Manny Aparicio’s pass to Rubén Del Campo was intercepted and cleared by Safwane Mlah. Ollie Bassett’s cross towards the top of the 6-yard line went past a leaping Tyr Walker to deflect off Themi Antonoglou into the net for an own goal. Despite the early breakthrough, Ottawa struggled to create additional chances, managing only two shots by halftime, neither of which were on target. In contrast, Valour had seven attempts with six shots on target, converting one to level the score.
After the early goal, Ottawa failed to generate meaningful opportunities until just before halftime, while Valour continued to press and create chances in Atlético’s end. In the 13th minute, Mlah switched play to Shaan Hundal on the opposite side of the box. Hundal attempted a cross that overshot those waiting in the box, allowing Nathan Ingham to secure the ball easily. Seconds later, Diogo Ressurreição intercepted Walker’s pass and opted to strike from the edge of the penalty arc, forcing Ingham to dive to his left to save the ball aimed towards the center of goal.
The Winnipeg side then sought to capitalize on a free kick awarded in a dangerous spot just a few yards outside the penalty box. Jordan Swibel took the set piece and tried to curl it around the outside of the four-man wall, but the ball didn’t bend as much as he intended. Ingham decided to dive left precautionarily and caught the ball just beyond the post.
The Moment of the Match unfolded in the 26th minute; initially favoring Ottawa due to Ingham’s remarkable goalkeeping, it was Valour fans who celebrated as their relentless pressure exposed a defensive lapse by Atléti, resulting in the equalizer. The play began with Ressurreição chipping the ball left into the box for Antonoglou, whose subsequent cross found Swibel at the 6-yard line, poised to head the ball into the net. However, Ingham was well-positioned to block Swibel’s attempt, sending the ball loose in the box where Hundal picked it up. Hundal’s ensuing strike lacked connection, allowing Ingham to quickly spring up from the ground and block the second shot with his knee. The ball rolled out of the goalie box, where an unmarked Mlah slotted it past Ingham and Walker crowded at the near post, finding the far corner of the net.
Ottawa had the next three opportunities after Valour sent a second throw-in of the match directly into Ingham’s hands in the 29th minute. Ballou Tabla advanced the ball into Winnipeg’s end and, just outside the box, passed left to Gabriel Antinoro, who quickly tapped it forward to Tabla again. Tabla drove towards the by-line and delivered a cross aimed for Del Campo, but Gianfranco Facchineri defended well effectively, denying the striker a chance before clearing the ball from Valour’s box.
With the first half drawing to a close, Ollie Bassett received the ball, carried it up the right flank, and laid it to Tabla. Tabla performed a couple of step-overs before returning the ball to Bassett on his right, who crossed low into the center for Del Campo. The striker was unable to position himself to receive the pass and Dani Morer, just behind, couldn’t get to it. Antinoro quickly retrieved the loose ball and struck after running up to the top of the box and sailed the shot over the crossbar in the 46th minute.
Valour had one last chance to take the lead in the 48th minute, when Raphael Ohin passed to Swibel, who broke away unmarked. This is where Ingham made the Save of the Match by rushing off his line towards Swibel, whose shot ricocheted off Ingham’s shin and flew high into the air. Ingham quickly got to his feet and caught the ball.
Ottawa performed better in the second half, recording 9 more shots with 4 on target. They also improved defensively, limiting Valour to 5 additional shots, with only 2 on target. Ottawa had the first chance of the half in the 48th minute, initiated by Kris Twardek’s throw-in down the line to Tabla. The midfielder then passed to Aparicio in the box, who quickly flicked it back, evading Mlah’s challenge. With four Valour players closing in, Tabla struck the ball low, but it went wide of the net. He also had an earlier opportunity in the first half, which was blocked by Tass Mourdoukoutas.
Play slowed down, with a couple of blunders from Ottawa including a long-range shot by Morer in the 50th minute and an overhit by Aparicio in the 63rd, both of which Viscosi collected comfortably. Their luck didn’t improve when handed a set piece about 40-yards from Valour’s goal. Bassett delivered the ball into the box for Amer Didić, but Jonathan Viscosi ran off his line and punched it out of play before Didić could head it. Bassett’s subsequent corner was played short to Tabla, who dribbled into the box and attempted a cross to Didić, but it was too heavy and landed near the touchline. Despite pressure from Ohin, Didić found Aparicio near the top of the box, who quickly laid the ball to Morer at the penalty arc. Morer went for goal, but unfortunately, skied the ball.
Having yet to create a significant chance in the second half, Valour’s patience was rewarded when they took the lead off a corner kick in the 66th minute. Antonoglou delivered the ball centrally to Facchineri at the top of the 6-yard box, where Twardek failed to fend him off. Facchineri managed to head the ball into the net, helping Valour come from behind to take a 2-1 lead.
Fresh substitutions injected new energy into Atlético’s lineup, and they dominated the last 20 minutes of play. Ottawa didn’t allow Valour to hold onto the lead for long as they equalized in the 73rd minute. Bassett started the play with a throw-in to Samuel Salter, who advanced to the byline and crossed low while holding off Antonoglou. Del Campo collected the pass 10-yards out and fired a first-touch shot without hesitation, nutmegging Mourdoukoutas to sneak the ball into the back of the net, despite Viscosi’s attempt to dive.
Having just scored, Ottawa was on the prowl to steal more points and came close in the 89th minute. Substitute Zachary Roy received a long-ball from Luke Singh at the edge of the penalty box. He passed up to Tabla, who fed the ball through two Valour players and back to Roy – he shot towards the near post at the 6-yard line where Viscosi made a crucial save with his hands. The ball now loose was picked up by Del Campo for the rebound, but this time Viscosi dove to deflect the shot and the ball was ultimately cleared.
Ottawa followed this play up with two more opportunities in added time. In the 92nd minute, Del Campo crossed from the touchline to Salter and Didić both in position to receive it in the box. A miscommunication in Valour’s defence saw Viscosi come out to catch the ball, while Campbell moved in to head it, resulting in the ball dropping in front of Didić. With Viscosi and Campbell both down, Didić attempted to flick the ball over his head towards goal but sent it into the top netting. Then in the 95th, Salter wrapped his leg around a pass from Liberman Torres, but didn’t get enough weight on the shot, and Viscosi dropped low to scoop the ball. Valour had a similar shot four minutes later, which also proved to be an easy save for Ingham.
Valour managed to exploit Ottawa’s weaknesses leading to a 2-2 draw and a match marred by errors from the home team such as poor passing and lackluster play, coupled with midfield turnovers that hindered Ottawa’s control of the game. Despite players playing out of position due to de Brienne’s absence and the lack of a suitable replacement with Maxim Tissot out on injury, by mid-season these errors that plagued early games should be resolved. Despite the outcome, I want to emphasize the chemistry I’ve grown to appreciate between Salter and Del Campo that has resulted in several goals this season. Their partnership on the field is becoming a highlight for me, and I look forward to seeing how Gonzalez will play them going forward.
Atlético Ottawa will face York United at York Lions Stadium on July 26th at 7 PM. In their previous encounter, York secured a 2-1 victory over Ottawa and the red-and-white stripes will be looking for redemption. Join the Capital City Supporters on the road as we travel to York to support the team. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at https://capitalcitysupporters.com/.
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.
