The Forward Press: Slow Start at Valour Punishes Atleti

Atlético Ottawa will avoid defeat against Valour FC this season, and yet two of the four games since Ottawa defeated Valour 7-0 in April may come back to haunt the title-hunting Atleti. An early Shaan Hundal goal had Atleti on the back foot from minute ten, and the Rougiblancos wouldn’t grow into the game until almost halftime. Second-half changes and some positional  tweaks had Atleti asking more of the questions, and a burst from halftime-substitution Sam Salter would prove the defining moment of the second half, earning a controversial penalty which was cooly slotted away by Rubén Del Campo. The expanses of IG Field meant the game opened up considerably at 1-1, with Ballou Tabla picking up the ball deep and propelling Atleti downfield frequently. But Carlos González and his side will have to settle for a draw which was certainly two points dropped rather than a point gained. The result sees Ottawa remain in second, though the Forge win on the weekend now puts Atlético Ottawa a win and a draw behind Forge and first place, with the title now out of ATO hands. Carlos González joined the post match presser along with Amer Didić. Here are all the details:

The Quotes: Carlos González

On two points dropped: “In the moment that we are of the season, I think that every point that you add, you have to take it. It's true that we came here to win three points, but we didn't start with the gear that we should. After that, we did many things pretty good to win the game, but it wasn't enough. We have to take it, we have to move on and think on the next game against Cavalry.”

On halftime adjustments: “We were feeling that the last 20 minutes of the first half were quite good. We put that gear that the game needed. But we were getting there and we weren't having enough presence on the box. We were lacking numbers. We tweak a little bit the system, putting some on the field. I think that we had chances in the second half to win the game, but maybe in certain moments, we lack a little bit of precision and decision-making in the last meters. This was the main reason of why we don't have the three points today.”

On Iliadis at wingback: “We brought him because he was a profile of versatile player that could give us plenty of positions…We use him there, and I think that we can be pretty happy with the game that he did also as a wingback. At the moment, he's given what we thought that he could give us. That's why we bring him to Ottawa.”

The Quotes: Amer Didić

On halftime adjustments: “Yeah, we made some changes at the half. We came into the locker room, made some changes, and came out and adjusted a few things tactically. Obviously, overall, a little better second half than the first half. It was just small, minor adjustments in the way we pressed and the way we defended was the main thing in that second half.”

On striving for three points: “At this time of the season, points matter. So we'll take a point. Obviously, we're pushing for three points. We know how close it is at the top, and coming into every game of the season here in this stretch, three points is the ultimate goal. And again, the goal today was to do that. And going down early was not ideal for us. And it took us a while to get going, especially at the beginning of the game, those first 10, 15 minutes. We suffered there.”

The Big Takeaway: Tactical Shifts Save Atleti

If you’d have told any member of the CCSG last year that Sam Salter would be one of Atlético Ottawa’s most dynamic influences playing off the flanks, they probably would have choked on their GCP 50-cent wings. Well, unless you were talking to Christien Chubak, head of the Sam Salter Supports Group.

Trailing 1-0 after an uninspired first half of action, Carlos González made the decision to turn to his bench early, a maneuver usually reserved as a wake up call for suffering sides. González sacrificed Gabriel Antinoro, who struggled to find his way through the first 45 minutes, bringing on Sam Salter in his place.

Standing at 6 '2 and known around the league as an aerial threat and a capable finisher, Salters revitalization as a winger has been a surprise to many. He doesn’t appear blessed with heaps of pace, so his darts to the byline caught Themi Antonoglu and Dante Campbell off guard… though it wouldn’t have been nearly as bewildering to them as the penalty given when a Sam Salter cross cannoned off Campbell’s tucked-in arm. While controversial, ATO took what was given and capitalised. Salter also had chances to convert in the final moments of the match – once with a header deflected wide and once up contesting a dangerous Iliadis free kick.

But Salters introduction wasn’t just for his own benefit. Ollie Bassett unsurprisingly looked so much better as he slid more central, allowing Salter a spot high on the right. Of the change, González noted “we were getting there and we weren't having enough presence in the box. We were lacking numbers. So we tweak a little bit the system, putting some [attackers] on the field.”

Giving Salter room to play ‘on his own terms’ has brought new life to the former Halifax man, with his last two performances as such garnering high returns of 7.2 and 7 respectively in Patrick Gibson’s Player Rankings (which you should check out after this). Playing up top against Vancouver meanwhile, Salter only managed a 6.6, getting the hook for Rubén Del Campo after only 60 minutes.

With RDC still scoring goals and KDS coming back into the fold, you’d have to imagine SS will find himself spending more time on the bench from now till season end as the unnatural winger. But he is still doing enough to show that he can be in González’s plans when needed.

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.