Atlético Ottawa went winless during the second week of Canadian Premier League (CPL) action, falling 4-1 to Cavalry FC on Wednesday before being edged 2-0 by Valour FC on Saturday.
“We need to erase our [fear] of shooting,” said Ottawa coach Miguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez, who goes by Mista. His comment followed Saturday’s loss to Valour in which his squad struggled to generate shots on target.
The team also had a slow offensive showing on Wednesday where Ottawa didn’t register a shot on target in the second half.
“If I’m going to lose, I prefer to lose like [Saturday] because my team had personality, we did a great job, we had the possession [and] we created many chances,” Mista said.
2-0 loss to Valour FC on Saturday
Ottawa appeared to take an early lead in the 12th minute when 17-year-old defender Keesean Ferdinand tapped in a ball that bounced around the box after a corner kick. The goal was waved off when the referee deemed that Ottawa’s Milovan Kapor pushed his defender to the ground in the box.
Valour’s Raphael Ohin gave his team the 1-0 lead in the 45th minute, taking a pass from Stefan Cebara before turning and firing the ball into the goal. Ottawa goalkeeper Dylon Powley got a hand on the ball, but it wasn’t enough to keep it out of the net.
This marked the second game in a row in which Ottawa conceded a goal within two minutes of halftime. Despite being outshot 14-4, Ottawa did well to keep shape and prevent a second goal until late in the match.
“If you look from this match and last match, it’s night and day,” Ottawa midfielder Chris Mannella said. “We’re in the opponent’s half, in possession of the ball [and] we’re making them chase us. Then it just comes down to putting the ball in the back of the net and taking our chances.”
Mannella said the team isn’t worried about its slow start to the season.
“It’s game three,” Mannella said. “It’s not time to press a panic button. We’re there [and] we’re doing the right things. There’s lots of time and the goals will come.”
Valour was awarded a penalty kick in the 90th minute after Vashon Neufville pushed Jared Ulloa to the ground in the box. Moses Dyer converted the ensuing kick to double Valour’s lead.
The match also featured a CPL debut for former Carleton Ravens defender Tony Mikhael, who was Valour’s second-round pick in the 2021 U Sports draft.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the boy,” Valour coach Rob Gale said. “[I’m] so pleased for him to get a clean sheet stepping in there. I thought he didn’t miss a beat really, won his battles [and] he used the ball well as well.”
The win put Valour in first place in the CPL with a 3-0-0 record, while Ottawa sits sixth in the standings with a 1-0-2 record.
Ottawa will add reinforcements to their squad with 20-year-old Alberto Soto expected to join the team for Wednesday’s game against Pacific FC. The midfielder recently arrived on loan from Atlético Madrid, Ottawa’s parent club, and has played five matches for Spain’s U-20 international squad, scoring once.
4-1 loss to Cavalry FC on Wednesday
Ottawa dropped a one-sided affair 4-1 against Cavalry FC on Wednesday.
“They had a better feeling than us on the field tonight,” Mista said after the match. “We had many chances to reduce the score … We don’t have any excuses. We need to work to try to improve and be a better team.”
Cavalry took an early lead in the ninth minute when Ahinga Selemani shut down Ottawa goalkeeper Powley’s clearance attempt before slotting the ball into the net.
Ottawa found an equalizer 15 minutes later with defender Miguel Acosta. Acosta, playing a long give-and-go with Tevin Shaw down the right side, found himself on the end of Shaw’s cross which he dispatched into the bottom corner from six yards out.
Selemani scored another goal just before halftime to give Calvary the lead. The team added a pair of goals in the second half to widen the gap, starting with Victor Loturi’s first career CPL goal in the 75th minute. Elliot Simmons scored his first CPL goal just three minutes later, giving Cavalry its fourth goal of the game.
Atlético Ottawa returns to action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Pacific FC.
Featured image provided by the Canadian Premier League.
