Atlético Ottawa ended its three-game losing streak on Sunday with a 2-0 win over Cavalry FC, powered by goals from Malcolm Shaw and Antoine Coupland.
Ottawa previously lost on July 7 to Pacific FC by a score of 1-0.
July 7: 1-0 loss to Pacific FC
A highlight-reel goal from Josh Heard was all the offence Pacific FC needed to hand Atlético Ottawa the club’s third straight loss.
It was a familiar story to what Ottawa has experienced so far this season—a lack of offence. They were only able to generate a single shot on target throughout the entire match.
“We don’t feel comfortable with the ball … and we suffer a lot when they recuperate the second ball because they won everything,” said Ottawa coach Miguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez, who goes by Mista.
Mista said Pacific’s speed was partly to blame for the loss.
“We’re suffering on the counterattack because they have a very fast team and really good guys up top,” Mista said. “The most important [thing] tonight was that we’re not very great and Pacific was better than us.”
Pacific midfielder Marco Bustos was the star of the night, creating a game-high three chances and assisting on the game’s only goal.
On that goal, which came in the 62nd minute, Bustos picked up the ball in midfield before getting by both of Ottawa’s centre-backs and playing a ball through the legs of Miguel Acosta on a pass to Heard.
Heard didn’t miss his chance, firing the ball into the far corner of the net.
“I think this was the best performance that we’ve had so far,” Pacific coach Pa-Modou Kah said. “I think we dominated from start to end.”
Ottawa expected to have 20-year-old Alberto Soto available for the match, but issues with paperwork for his international transfer certificate prevented the Atlético Madrid loanee from making his debut.
“Soto is a young talent that can definitely help us. We don’t have too many options on the bench,” Ottawa defender Drew Beckie said. “We definitely look forward to having Soto in there to help bring some creativity, getting the ball in dangerous spaces, kind of like Bustos does [for Pacific].”
Dylon Powley was solid in net for Ottawa, stopping four of Pacific’s five shots on target. Ben McKendry had a game-high four tackles for Ottawa.
Pacific held the advantage in total shots, shots on goal, duels won, passing accuracy and possession.
July 11: 2-0 win against Cavalry FC
Malcolm Shaw scored in the 75th minute and Antoine Coupland added his first professional goal as insurance, helping Atlético Ottawa capture a 2-0 victory against Cavalry FC and ending their three-game slide.
“I think my players did a great job tonight. They gave everything [they had] inside,” Mista said. “I’m very happy not only for the result but because tonight we are back to being Atlético Ottawa.”
Despite a heavy disadvantage in possession against Cavalry, who was resting many of their starters to open the match, Ottawa grabbed a late lead with Shaw’s first goal of the season.
On that goal, Milovan Kapor played a deep ball over the top of the Cavalry backline, which landed at the feet of Zach Verhoven. Verhoven played the ball to Shaw in front of goal who dispatched it into the bottom corner.
Cavalry had a goal of their own in the 93rd minute when Anthony Novak redirected a low cross into the back of the net, but it was waived off after he was deemed to be offside.
Antoine Coupland, 17, scored his first Canadian Premier League (CPL) goal in the 97th minute to seal the victory for Ottawa. Coupland, from Chelsea, Que., made his pro soccer debut in 2019 with the Ottawa Fury FC at age 15.
“Antoine is like my child, like my baby because he’s the baby of the team,” Mista said. “We care a lot for him and it’s excellent Antoine could get a goal tonight.”
Soto remained unavailable for Ottawa due to issues surrounding his international transfer certificate. Ottawa attacker Ryan Telfer remains on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Ottawa’s next match will take place Thursday at 5 p.m. against Valour FC.
Featured image provided by the Canadian Premier League.
