Atlético Ottawa ended a fantastic 2025 regular season with a 1-0 victory over the Halifax Wanderers in Halifax.
However, with Forge FC defeating York United 3-0 in Hamilton, they finished two points behind the Hamilton club in the CPL Shield race. They now travel to Hamilton next weekend for the Championship semifinal -- the winner of which willl advance to and host the 2025 CPL Final.
Halifax, meanwhile, will now host York United in the midweek knockout match to begin the 2025 post-season.
The Halifax Wanderers came incredibly close to opening the scoring in the 14th minute. Tiago Coimbra, making his first start since September 1 after recovering from injury, burst into the box with a heavy touch. He slid and lifted it over Ingham, but the ball rolled agonizingly across the six-yard box before Loïc Cloutier could clear it.
Just a few minutes later, Sean Rea forced a good save from Nate Ingham as he unleashed a strike from outside the box. Coimbra thought he had found himself behind again moments later, but was judged to be offside.
Atlético Ottawa controlled the ball for most of the first half hour, probing at the Halifax Wanderers' backline. But the Wanderers held firm, and didn't even allow the capital club to get a touch in the box until the 38th minute.
The visitors, however, showed they don't need much of an opening to create dangerous opportunities, however. In the 38th minute, an attempted clearance from Lorenzo Callegari was picked off by David Rodríguez, who dragged a half volley just wide of the target.
The sides went into the half-time break with nine shots between them, but none of them of real consequence as the score remained 0-0.
In the 50th minute, Halifax looked to have earned a good early opportunity as Rea was wrestled to the ground just outside of the box, earning a free kick out wide. Callegari got his delivery all wrong, however, and sent it out play.
Ballou Tabla had a great chance in the 56th minute to test Rayane Yesli, as Rodríguez created space with some fancy feet in the box, but Tabla curled his shot over the net.
The match started to open up, with both sides knowing a draw meant little to them. Rea picked out Coimbra in the 58th minute at the top of the box, but he too got under his strike and sent it over the net.
In the 74th minute, recognizing that the Shield was no longer in reach based on the score in Hamilton, Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía elected to remove star man David Rodríguez from the match and hand Ennin his CPL debut.
Halifax, meanwhile, pressed for a late winner, knowing that it could see them move up into third spot based on how the match was playing out in Langley.
But it would be Ennin who scored the winner on his debut in the 88th minute. A lovely cross from Gabriel Antinoro was tipped into his path by Manuel Aparicio. The debutant turned on the ball and sent a rocket over Yesli and into the top of the net.
The match ended with emotions boiling over after some ugly tackles flew in and stoppage time, prompting a shoving match between the teams. A red card was shown to the Atlético Ottawa bench in the aftermath, although it was not immediately clear which member of the staff was sent off.
Cooler heads eventually prevailed, however, and the two sides now turn their attentions to the playoffs, even if neither will be content with how their regular season concluded.
BOX SCORE
Lineups
Halifax Wanderers: Yesli; Alphonse, Meilleur-Giguère, Mekideche; Pearlman (Timoteo 83'), Johnston, Callegari, Sow (Gagnon-Laparé 87'); Rea, Baï (Telfer 62'), Coimbra (Biello 83')
Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Mbombio (Walker 66'), Abatneh, Cloutier; Antinoro, Castro (Sissoko 74'), Aparicio, Dos Santos; Tabla (Ortega 80'), Rodríguez (Ennin 74'), Salter (Zapater 80')
Goals
89' -- Richie Ennin (Atlético Ottawa)
Discipline
40' — Yellow: Yohan Baï (Halifax Wanderers)
60' -- Yellow: Isaiah Johnston (Halifax Wanderers)
90+5' -- Yellow: Manuel Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa)