The Forward Press: Familiar Foes, New Stakes in Pacific FC Clash
If I had a dollar for every time we played Pacific, I would be at Kettleman’s. Atlético Ottawa welcomes back old foes Pacific FC for the third time at TD Place and the sixth time overall in the season. Pacific has been a difficult team to pin down this season, having spent most of the season in the league doldrums. But who could forget the smothering, claustrophobic football James Merriman’s side frustrated Atleti with in the Canadian Championship back in May? Since the start of the season, Atleti have shared spoils across matches with Pacific at two wins apiece and a draw. Despite back-to-back results of 3-0 wins in an undefeated September, pulling Pacific into fifth in the league, the Lanford club will be cognisant of the light work Atleti made of the side last time out at Starlight. Rubén Del Campo scored in that match and will be looking to extend his lead atop the scoring charts on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, an appearance for Ollie Bassett will see him become the all-time appearance leader for Atleti against his former club. Looking across the league, only a win will satisfy if González and his squad want to keep gaining ground on Forge FC and poll-position. A win for Atleti and a loss for Vancouver would guarantee post-season football for Atlético Ottawa, but it’s the fight for first that González values above all else. Here’s what we learned from him in the pre-match presser:
The Quotes: Carlos González
On a familiar opponent: “Pacific, we had a lot of head-to-head. But I think this is going to be a completely new game. I think that they've evolved, they've brought new players, we bring new players, we've evolved. So probably it will be a completely new game. I don't expect many different things that they have been doing in the last games. I think that they've increased the competitive level in the last three games, and it's going to be a tough game. I'm sure they are fighting for a playoff spot. We're fighting for the title race, so it's going to be a good party over here.”
On the importance of a full roster: “I think that part of the competitive image that we're showing at the moment is because we have more tools. We've recovered a lot of players that have had long-term injuries…and also a couple of short injuries…I'm very happy to have all the tools so that I can select. I think that we're in the most important moment of the season, and it's important that everybody is on the same page with the correct mentality.”
On opening the North Stand: “Since the beginning, the fan base has been great. And it's true that now in the last few months, mainly this last season, we have a consistent crowd here at the TD play. So I'm very pleased and very proud…I also see a lot of young people, kids in the stands, and this is really good news for the future of soccer in the country.
On set piece vs. open play goals: “I think that the values are the same. The goal is a goal. I can say that now we're in a moment of the season that, of course, teams defend better. Of course, teams know you better, so they know how to neutralize you a little bit more. But although we are in the last month, we are not scoring on open play as much, I can say that we are creating so much. So that's the part that I am focusing on.”
On setting up defensively after scoring against Cavalry: “Well, I don't agree with that. I don't agree that we went back to defend. I agree that we play against a good team, and usually when you score, the other team also reacts and puts its best on the field. I think that we had 15 minutes in which they controlled us a little bit better. But after that, we tweaked some things that were not working, and the team went on again to control the game in the last 25 minutes of the first half. I think that it's not a matter of scoring and getting to defend the goal. I think our mentality always is to score and score again and win the games. But sometimes, of course, you play against an opponent that also has good players, has good coaches, and they put difficult things to you.”
On clinching a playoff berth: “Well, I think that it will be very important for the team, for the club, for the city. Secure a spot in the playoff always is important, but we will move on. This was one of the targets at the beginning of the season to be a playoff team. But at the end of the day, what we want to try is to fight to be as high as possible in the standings...We are in the right position to play for a title. So this is what we're going to fight for.”
The Big Takeaway: Tactical Innovation Means Clean Slate at TD Place
As González noted, the past five meetings between these two teams really do nothing to indicate the outcome on the pitch come Sunday afternoon. In fact, the similarities between the two clubs in the recent month are intriguing.
Atleti and Pacific are the only teams in the league to be undefeated in the last three matches and both runs of form coincide with changes to their respective systems. Atleti has looked a much more balanced side since reverting to a back three which seems to have quelled several issues, most notably adding a man in defense to shore-up what was at one point in the season a leaky area.
Pacific’s change has had an effect on the opposite side of the pitch, in the shape of a 4-3-1-2 formation. While not completely untested during the season, it has generated the best out of an attacking trident consisting of Andrei Tîrcoveanu sitting behind Moses Dyer and Dario Zanatta. The three have contributed to six of Pacific's eight goals in the last three.
Both sides have also been buoyed by new players as well. Moses Dyer has adopted the left-side of a twin striker setup, with two goals in three since making the position his own, and Ilias Iliadis has provided a more intangible contribution since returning to Ottawa, though two Olympicos and valuable positional proficiency has been a major indicator of his worth.
Meanwhile, González also noted the boost from having a full toolkit to choose from for the first time since the first weeks of the season. “I think that part of the competitive image that we're showing at the moment is because we have more tools,” he noted. To approach this match as simply “second vs fifth” would be a detriment to the form and changes made by both teams over the past month. It’s a clean slate, and one Atleti needs to win to keep first place (viewed by many in the preseason as a minimum achievement, and one that was at one point almost wrapped up) firmly in its sights.
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.
