The Forward Press: González Calls League into Question, ATO Punished in Halifax
Atlético Ottawa looked destined for a much needed win against last place Halifax on Saturday afternoon. A well taken Sam Salter goal in the second minute of extra time had Atleti seemingly taking three points at Wanderers Ground from an otherwise quiet match. But it turned out to be the calm before the storm as the Wanderers, desperate for precious points to keep the glimmer of a playoff dream alive, lofted a hail-mary ball which eventually fell to at the feet of Massimo Ferrin. After appeals for offside against the winger, the ball would find the boot of Andre Rampersad, where Manny Aparicio caught the Trinidad and Tobago midfielder in the box. It was Dan Nimick who stepped up to dispatch the high-pressure penalty for Halifax, cementing more lost points for Atlético Ottawa. The result sees Atlético Ottawa in second, unable to capitalize on the draw a day earlier between Forge and York United which could have put the league lead back in the hands of Atleti with a more positive result. The drama on the field was matched by drama off it, as Carlos González joined the post-match presser following Sam Salter to share all of the feelings he has apparently been bottling up for the last month. Hold onto your hats folks, here are all the quotes from an explosive post-match press conference:
The Quotes: Sam Salter
On match conditions: “It was definitely super hot out there. I feel like second half, we had a good performance from the team. The team was solid defensively. We didn't concede any big chances. But then as the game opened up in the second half, each team was pushing for the win, and it opened up a bit more.”
On his goal: “I remember Ruben got the ball turning facing the defense. I was just sprinting the whole field to try to get in the box.…He played me a nice through ball. I think I cut on my right foot and just hit the target and luckily, it went in.”
On the equalizer: “I thought we were lucky enough to get our goal, I thought it was enough to get the three points. Not sure if Ferrin was offside, but it felt like offside to me when I was on the field, so I think I have to look at that. But definitely unlucky for us to walk away without three points.”
On travelling across the country: “Traveling this week is not easy. We played Pacific, and then we have to go all the way to Halifax. It's not easy. We knew we had to be compact. And I thought we did that for most of the game. For sure, at the end, they're going to push to equalize. It was a bit cagey, a lot of fouls, a lot of slipping, and I think we're just unlucky to not walk away with the three points.”
The Quotes: Carlos González
On effort from his side: “The performance today was great…We managed the game in the way that we wanted. We managed the game and we should have won. At the end of the day, today we lose because of a bad decision of the refereeing; a clear offside in the penalty action. I'm very disappointed because we fight so much, we work so hard, and it seems that it's not enough. It seems that when you have it in your fingers, somebody takes it from you. So I'm very disappointed because I think that today is a confirmation of what I've been feeling in the last few months. In the last few months, I've been feeling that somebody don't want us to win the league. And today, with the clear decision of the ref, the last action is a clear confirmation, not only on the field, but also off the field. I'm living and feeling weird things one month ago. And I'm very disappointed because I think that if we want to make everybody grow the league, everything has to grow. And this is not acceptable.”
Providing more examples: “The Calgary game, the two goals that Calgary scored to us come from two bad decisions of corners that are not from one team and from the other team. We've been…People from the league have been delaying our signing for two months. We cannot sign players. Many things and many situations that I think is the moment to put it on the table because what I'm seeing is that probably somebody doesn't want that we win the league.”
On the result: “I'm very proud of the work of the team. I think that we did a great game today in very tough conditions. I get a team that is playing for everything because it's one of the last chances. And I think that we deserved the win. I think that we had the chances, I think that we were winning the game and somebody take it from us in the last minute. So that's my conclusion of today.”
On if this could be a rallying call: “We're going to keep fighting. And now we know that we have to give always extra. It's not enough being better than the opponent. We have to be better than the opponent and take a big advantage so that somebody doesn't take the victory from your hands. So we have eight rounds to play. We're going to do our best every single day. But as I say, today is the day in which I am very disappointed, and it's the moment in which I share my opinion and I share my thoughts because I've been hiding them for one month, one month and a half, and I think that it's the moment to say everything.”
The Big Takeaway: What’s to Gain from CarGo’s Comments?
The fiery press conference which has been brewing for weeks has just occurred, as Carlos González took his time in the post match presser to throw shade on the transfer window and a number of refereeing decisions. It was a conference which has been a long time coming, but if one were to guess who would be at the heart of it, one would not have expected it to be the mild-mannered, calculated speech of Carlos González.
It’s not the first time that González has criticized the build of the league or refereeing decisions. But to see the Spaniard so fiery and willing to call out specific instances of the perceived malpractice is insight into how long González has been turning this over in his mind.
It will be fascinating to see where this leads. This is a far grander accusation than what we have seen from González, who even called the entire nature of the league itself when he said:
“I'm very disappointed because I think that if we want to make everybody grow the league, everything has to grow. And this is not acceptable.”
There will be a cost to González’s comments undoubtedly. But what mark will this leave on the pitch? It’s hard to slot this press conference into ‘rallying cry’ territory. After all, González commented that overarchingly he has been “very proud of the work of the team.” He is not commenting on the quality of his own team, rather the external factors the team has been feeling the force of for at least a month now.
Nevertheless, the narrative that the league is against Atlético Ottawa may provide the team with that little extra boost to triumph despite the extra obstacles. We will eagerly wait for the dust to settle to find out.
About the Author
Ben Ralph is a die-hard football fan and a journalism student at Carleton. He has been supporting Everton through the ups and downs (but mostly the downs) and could not believe his luck when he stumbled across Atlético Ottawa in 2021. Now part of the Atleti faithful, his dream has always been to write football stories, and he is excited to join other fans as writers for CCSG. His football journalist idols are Adam Hurrey, James Richardson, and Charlie Eccleshare from The Football Cliches Podcast.
