The Forward Press 2026 MD 6 - ATO vs. HFX: The Good, The Bad, and The Injured
Welcome to the Matchday 6 edition of The Forward Press! Fresh off a massive and historic 3-1 victory over MLS side Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship, Atlético Ottawa carried that momentum into their first meeting of the season against the HFX Wanderers, grinding out a gritty 1-0 win to secure all three points for the second time this campaign, with the result pushing ATO into fourth place in the table! With gaffer Diego Mejía suspended due to yellow card accumulation, assistant coach Diego Campos stepped in to lead the team and handle post-match media duties alongside goal scorer Jonantàn Villal, who netted his first goal in red-and-white stripes.
There were certainly positives to take away from Sunday’s match―Atlético Ottawa spent more time in the final third and recorded nine shots with two on target, a noticeable improvement from earlier matches this season. Defensively, the side also held firm, with Tristan Crampton recording his first clean sheet for the club. Villal praised the young goalkeeper in front of media, highlighting the hard work Crampton has put in and the way he has embraced his opportunity:
“Tristan’s been working very hard,” Villal said. “He got his opportunity and he’s been taking advantage of it. He’s been great.”
The victory continued a noticeable shift in momentum for Ottawa after a difficult opening stretch to the CPL campaign—Villal acknowledged the team’s growing confidence, calling the recent run of results a potential turning point:
“The results are coming in now, and I feel like this is the turning point for the season. We’re only going up from here”.
One undeniable bright spot from the afternoon―and a focus of Villal’s post-match conference―was his first goal for Atlético Ottawa. Speaking about the play, the midfielder credited Many Aparicio for the buildup. Villal saw space open up as Aparicio carried the ball forward. After taking a touch, Villal said he simply tried to “hit it as quickly as [he] could,” firing home his first in Ottawa colours.
He used this moment as leverage to encourage the team to aim for that second goal:
“I was talking to the team and I was like; we got to come on and get the second goal because we know how these types of teams can get. It could be tough in the second half”.
Campos also praised Villal’s overall performance, stating that “today was one of his best matches since he’s [been] here. But we know he can give us more and we trust that he’s going to do it again”.
Villal also took a moment to speak about his experience joining Altético Ottawa, sharing nothing but positive sentiments about his first season in the capital. “It’s been great,” he said. “All my teammates are very great and it’s been very fun”. In a later response, he added, “I feel like they’ve been helping me mature more in my game and in life in general as a person,” highlighting the positive environment surrounding the squad. Villal also spoke about embracing more of a leadership role on the field and admitted that while “it’s been different,” he is fully “up for the challenge”.
While these last two matches showed encouraging signs, it may be too early to declare that ATO has fully turned a corner. Halifax can be characterized as a historically weaker opponent than most top CPL teams, and despite creating chances, Ottawa still managed to net only a single goal. They also accrued a lower xG than Halifax despite out-passing their opponents almost two-to-one, and gave up almost as many shot attempts as they created. Let’s not forget a key clearance by Mbomio in the 86th minute and the post coming in clutch to prevent a Halifax equalizer in added time. ATO’s inability to create or bury multiple opportunities with more possession and consistently test the keeper doesn’t inspire full confidence quite yet, at least not from this author’s perspective.
A potential explanation for this continued struggle could be the ongoing wave of injuries that continue to plague the squad, perhaps limiting the team’s ability to fully live up to Mejía’s previous media comments about being the best side in the league. Even Villal admitted that the Wanderers made life difficult for Ottawa throughout the afternoon stating, “It was a very tough game for us, but I’m glad we got the win. It was very hard.”
These injuries have forced players out of their comfortable positions and led to some experimenting higher up the pitch. Diego Campos acknowledged Emiliano García’s recent performance and flexibility playing as a number nine. Campos explained that the coaching staff knew García could operate in multiple positions when they signed him, having previously seen him play as a forward at a younger age. He elaborated:
“We knew that [he could play as a nine] when we brought him here and right now we need him there . . . We know he can play there. He’s doing an excellent job. All the sacrifice of pressing, of holding the ball or of playing simple, attacking in the box, maybe he’s not the one who finishes the plays [but] he’s doing [the] job and we are very happy with him.”
These formation changes take time to adjust to and may require system changes. Erling Myklebust has just returned from injury, and on top of Richie Ennin’s season-ending ACL injury and Santiago Lopez’s continued absence, Sergei Kozlovskiy and Tyr Duhaney-Walker have also recently been added to the names on the medical table, which meant Daniel Aguilar also played out of position at CB against Halifax. However, ATO continues to commit to the specific identity and system so often referenced by the coach and echoed by Campos this presser.
“I think we have our identity,” Campos said. “Our identity is to play, have the ball, try to create chances, but some matches you can do it more than others.” He emphasized that Ottawa’s priority remains finding a second goal to pad their leads, and continuing to create opportunities rather than sitting back defensively.
Yet, with injuries mounting and results remaining inconsistent, it's fair to question whether this system is truly working in its current form or whether adjustments are needed to better suit the players currently available. These difficulties become apparent as the match wears on; Ottawa continued to struggle in the second half, especially when Halifax began pushing for an equalizer, a point acknowledged by Campos.
“We played a very good first half . . . in the second half, at the end this league is very competitive and the other team pushes because they are losing and they start creating some chances as well, but we [also] had our chances . . . We couldn’t score, so at the end the match starts feeling like it’s there on the edge and we end up winning.”
Campos later admitted that it “wasn’t our best performance,” adding that the squad still has improvements to make “in every phase of the game.” However, he believed the game plan in the opening half was executed well from his perspective. He also acknowledged that integrating several new players into Ottawa’s system will take time, and stressed that the team must improve in the finer details, particularly when it comes to capitalizing on scoring chances.
Luckily, it’s still early in the season, and there are plenty of opportunities for the team to build the necessary chemistry, refine the style of play, and turn these lessons into results. We also have the transfer window to look forward to, which should address some of the much-needed depth and deal with the growing list of injuries.
Finally, the afternoon also featured the club’s annual wiener dog race―congratulations to Turbo Tucker for taking home the crown―along with fan-favourite toonie hot dogs, which naturally led to the final and arguably most important question of the presser: “How many hot dogs do you think Diego [Mejía] ate?” Campos was tactical with his response, confidently stating “just two, but he wished he would have had more . . . but he respects the match . . . so maybe one each half”.
Riding the momentum of this win, Atlético Ottawa now turn their attention to the next challenge as Forge FC comes to TD Place on May 24th for a 2 PM kickoff. After falling 2-0 against Hamilton in the opening match of the season, ATO will be looking for a statement performance on home turf. With confidence steadily building and the crowd behind them, this is our chance to bring the energy, pack the Dub, and remind Forge that the Glebe is our house. Vamos Atléti!
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, supporting both Canada and the Netherlands.
