Gabriel Antinoro receives the ball in his own half.
He pivots and, as Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía has asked of his young midfielder-turned-wing-back all season, pushes forward along the touchline. Antinoro’s movement is quick and Forge FC’s press is slow, allowing the 21-year old easy entry into the Hammers’ final third. Reigning CPL Player of the Year Tristan Borges is the first to apply pressure, trying to trap Antinoro between himself and defender Rezart Rama, one of head coach Bobby Smyrniotis’ trusted hands. But Antinoro can’t be deterred, dribbling toward the box with intent now, and as Rama steps forward, the Brazilian-Canadian deftly slips the ball between his legs, clear from Forge’s backline and free as a bird.
His shot — a rocket from his right foot — blows past Forge goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat to tie the match and Antinoro is running still, pounding his chest all the way to the corner flag in a passionate display of what scoring in the CPL Playoffs means for a kid whose life is football. It is, Antinoro tells reporters after the match, the most important goal of his young career.
And it’s made all the more important given the stage: on the road in Hamilton, against Atlético Ottawa’s bitter rivals and in a semifinal. It’s also a goal that gave Mejía’s side life, propelling them onto a 2-1 victory that secured home pitch advantage for a CPL Final at TD Place in Ottawa. But the work isn’t done.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing, honestly, I dream to be able to play a final. I think we deserve it, I think the fans deserve it and it’s almost like a movie,” says Antinoro. “The game that really, really matters, we come and we win it but it’s not done. We’re very happy with the work we did today but we know we have to go back to Ottawa and take the trophy.”
It also feels emblematic, mirroring a season that saw several young players play key roles, that Antinoro should be a factor in his club’s playoff success. Although this year is his third in the nation’s capital, Mejía endeavoured to make the energetic Antinoro a more central figure, opting to shift him to a wing-back position — a role he had never played before.
“I remember the first talk with Gabby when I decided to put him in this spot. He was upset a little bit because he always played as a winger. The only thing I say to him is ‘Trust in me.’ Trust in me because I know that I can help you improve as a player,” says Mejía when asked about Antinoro’s development.
“We have a very young team and they need to grow in this kind of environment, in these kinds of matches.”
The statistics don’t lie: under Mejía, Antinoro hit a career high in matches played (29 between league play and playoffs), minutes (2,347), goals (4) and assists (3). He played only 720 minutes in 2024.
The eye test, of course, also reinforces Antinoro’s development in a season that began in Mexico, training with sister club Atlético de San Luis, before being thrust into a new system under a new head coach. Although a huge change, Antinoro credits Mejía and his staff for trusting young players and fostering their ambitions.
It’s one of the reasons, he says, that he has the confidence to take the ball in a playoff game and go for goal.
“We have a coaching staff and I have teammates that always give me trust. They want me to take 1-v-1s, they want me to try things and they give me that confidence. They allow me to make mistakes, the coach allows me to make mistakes,” explains Antinoro.
“He got us out of this hole [of believing] we have a limit. He doesn’t want us to limit ourselves, he wants us to dream big.
“He’s a guy that dreams a lot.”
Now, Antinoro and Atlético Ottawa will be taking those dreams back home having beat Forge for the first time this season. It couldn’t have come at a better time, given the importance of hosting the CPL Final and Ottawa’s historic home record this year. TD Place, in many ways, brings out the best of a squad which has always believed in themselves.
It remains to be seen which other club makes its way to the nation’s capital for Nov. 9. But you can be sure they’ll have their hands full with a group, led by a big dreamer, who is inspiring his young players to some of the best football of their lives.
“Im just very grateful I was able to score, especially a goal like this, the most important and best goal I’ve ever scored in my career. I’m very, very happy but I’m even more happy to be able to play the final at home,” says Antinoro.
“We’re more together, we feel more like a family and we know what we want.”
What they want is the North Star Cup. And thanks to a highlight reel goal, and trust from his coach, Antinoro will surely play a big part in Ottawa’s bid to get their hands on a trophy this year.
