The Forward Press for Matchday 16 vs PFC: Record-Breakers and Transfer News
In July’s final matchday last Saturday, Atlético Ottawa faced down Pacific FC in their 150th ever match played, and came out with a comprehensive 2-0 win against the Island Boys. Joining this week's media scrums were Diego Mejía on Friday, as well as Sam Salter and Diego Campos after the match — they had a lot to say about preparation, as well as the two record-breaking cameos this week. Included was also a tidbit about the upcoming transfer movement, so take your fill of the Forward Press this week for all that and more.
One of the first questions asked of Diego Mejía in the pre-match conference was on the subject of ATO’s last match, a 2-0 home win against Halifax, posed by Alex Gangué-Ruzic for CanPl.ca. Mejía was effusive in his reiteration with the way the team has been playing, not just against HFX but also throughout the season:
“We had a goal as a team when the season started to try to arrive (at) this part of the season with a balanced team, we (have) found that balance . . . I am very happy with the players, I think all the players in this team understand the model . . . we are creating a lot of opportunities to score, so I think that we are playing in the most comfortable way for us, because we are dominant on the ball . . . and we need to be focused to not concede a lot of counter attacks.”
Next up on the docket was a bevvy of questions relating to the preparation going into this match. In particular, Nicolas St-Pierre of Unique FM floated the idea that perhaps the upcoming game against Pacific was a trap game, given their lowly position in the standings. Mejía was firm in his response, mentioning that ATO aim to play the same way against all teams, regardless of league position, and that for Ottawa to prove they are the best team in the country, they need to show that quality in every match.
Gangué-Ruzic also had a few questions pertaining to the tactical approaches to a game like this, the first of which was to Mejía, again at the initial presser. The coach had a very insightful answer about his style of play and the attitude of the players:
“The most (important) tactical thing in this sport is (to score a) goal, if you score first you can manage the times of the matches, so I think that I have a very young team but I think that they play as mature players . . . they train every day like it’s their last training in their life, so we have a very clear objective . . . and we need to work every day like (it’s our last), to try to get that goal.”
Gangué-Ruzic asked the same of ATO’s assistant manager Diego Campos, filling in for a suspended Diego Mejía at the post-match conference, specifically with regards to ATO’s play after their loss to Halifax in late May, where they have since gone ten games undefeated:
“...at the end of the day we know that anything can lose one match, two or three matches, but the most important thing for us is the consistency, playing the model, training, and living in the same way that we try to play no matter the results . . . we trust a lot in the players and we know what they are capable of doing on the pitch, so we are thinking only of consistency, knowing that at some point any result can come.”
Continuing in the post-match vein, Sam Salter joined the media after his record-breaking goal (we’ll get to that) proved the winner. In response to two separate questions pertaining to the team’s performance, Salter praised the maturity of the team (a theme throughout the two conferences), and was full of compliments for the team’s defensive prowess:
“. . . [defence] was something we needed to work on the first half of the season, we scored a lot of goals, but we were conceding a lot of goals too, so I feel like having that balance of still scoring goals and being balanced in defence is going to help us in the long run, if we want to keep performing . . . I thought that's what helped us today, we were really solid in the back, and overall it was a good team win.”
Both Sam Salter and Diego Campos were asked what Rodríguez’s goal meant for him in terms of breaking his drought, but also what it meant for the team. Sam Salter was first up and began by praising the run and finish itself, and then went on to say how happy he was for him. Campos had more to say on how important Rodríguez was for the team when asked by Gangué-Ruzic:
“It’s always good individually for the attackers, for the offensive players to score, but we know the importance that David (Rodríguez) has even if he doesn’t score, he is very important for us, as (are) all the players, but I am happy because this gives him more confidence, more than he already has …”
Campos went on to praise the maturity of the team and reflect on how the team’s run of clean sheets was indicative of the team’s hard work. In response to another question of the same sort, he would say that the team is constantly improving in their understanding of the model on both sides of the ball, and having good performances because of it.
Not only did Ottawa come away from British Columbia with three points (their 200th all-time CPL point, for that matter), but in the process, Salter broke the club’s all-time goal scoring mark set by Ollie Bassett (he now has 27), and Nathan Ingham is now the all-time appearance holder, with 93 in all competitions. Thomas Stocking, ATO’s Media Relations, was on hand to ask both Salter and Campos about these achievements. Salter was asked, in French, about his reaction to his record-breaking tally:
“Obviously, I feel good, I’m very happy to learn about that, we miss Ollie (Bassett), he’s my guy, and we keep in contact, it makes me happy to have accolades like that, but the most important thing is the team, we played a big big game today, on the road it isn’t easy, and I’m very happy with the win.”
He went on to add, during his response to the question in English, that he has the fans, his friends, and his family to thank for his performances. Campos was then asked the same question, and about what it meant for the team:
“. . . we are very happy (with) his performances this season, the most important thing . . . is the support that he is getting from his teammates . . . at the end . . . this goal, will give him a lot of confidence …”
He went on to joke that perhaps Sam shouldn’t be told about his record, if it would keep him scoring at such a prodigious rate! Alas, Campos didn’t realize that Salter had already been informed about it, and a long goal drought is surely on the horizon. Nathan Ingham also achieved a record of his own, and Campos was pressed by Stockting for his comments about it. He would go on to emphasise Ingham’s importance to the club, and pointed to his captaincy as visual proof. Of course, he also offered his congratulations to the skipper and netminder, while again reiterating his integralness to the team, club, and organization, as a whole.
With that wrapped up, onto some transfer news and injury updates. During the pre-match conference, Mejía was asked about Duhaney-Walker's substitution against Halifax last week, and confirmed Campos’ answer from that match’s conference about the change being merely precautionary. He would add that Brett Levis would not travel due to a muscle problem, but did not give a timeline for his return. Amer Didić, Monty Patterson, and Jonathan Grant continue to be out, so one hopes Levis’s issue is not long-term. There is some promising news on the horizon, however, as Mejía mentioned that the club is close to bringing in two new players, a Centre Back and a Central Attacking Midfield, so keep your eyes and ears open for that!
Finally, Gareth Wheeler was on hand during the pre-match presser to helpfully remind the ATO boss about Forge’s undefeated season, something I’m sure nobody has been made aware of this year, and he asked Mejía to compare his team with the Hamilton side.
“I respect Forge a lot, their history tells me that they are the winningest team in this league, (but) in terms of tactics, we play differently . . . I like the ball and they (Forge) feel confidence without it, they like to rest and then try to attack faster . . . I try to control the matches with the ball and try to maintain possession, trying to . . . find the right moment to attack . . . ATO and Forge are the best teams in the league right now, and with different styles, I enjoy a lot this type of competition with this type of behaviour in the other teams.”
Mejía was very confident in his own team and their ability to raise a fight against what some must believe is a rival to 2011 Barcelona, and he was also firm in his statement that his side are one of “the favourites to win everything this year.” ATO next rises to the challenge this Sunday, August 3, at 4 PM, against York United at TD Place. This will also coincide with Ottawa’s Pride match, and CCSG will be organizing a march from the Glebe Central Pub to TD Place, leaving at 3 PM. See you there, and vamos!
About Alexander:
When he isn't busy playing or watching sports (or going to school at uOttawa), Alexander is busy managing his Atlético Ottawa database, which he started in 2020, and tracks everything you can think of about the club and its players. He also runs a BlueSky account dedicated to analyzing and rating CPL and NSL players using statistics, CPL by the Numbers.
