Atlético Ottawa manager Diego Mejía has never really been one for buses.
It is against his nature to see his team park one during a match, nor is he likely to throw them under it following a bad loss.
So on Tuesday night in Nashville, despite a difficult 5-0 loss (7-0 on aggregate) to Nashville SC that ended his club's first Concacaf Champions Cup experience, Mejía remained optimistic about his team's 2026 outlook, despite its difficult start to the year.
"We know the difference that exists, I always talk about I'm never gonna make excuses," Mejía told the media after the match, "I think that it's a good learning for us. My players gave us this opportunity to live this experience as a staff, as a club. It's our first match outside Canada. So it's incredible to have the opportunity to compete in these kinds of tournaments."
That opportunity certainly exposed some of the challenges Atleti have in the campaign ahead as they look to defend their CPL crown. Losing CPL record goalscorer Sam Salter, the talismanic David Rodríguez and goalkeeper Nate Ingham -- there was always going to be an adjustment period, especially in attack.
Officially registering just one shot on target over the two legs. It was the first time since Diego Mejía joined the team ahead of the 2025 season that they were held scoreless in back-to-back matches. A lot of the side's newer players, four of whom made their full debuts over the two matches, looked disconnected, particularly in the final third.
"We need to still create a good environment for them," said Mejía. "We need to put the players in the best position possible. We lost some players since the past season, so we have a new profile. Maybe I need to move something in the model."
With that being said, don't expect the team to shift too far away from the attacking principles that came to define them during a record-breaking 2025 CPL season. Mejía made it clear once again that the way the club plays remains central to the legacy they are building in the nation's capital.
One key pillar of the club's objectives that was undoubtedly accomplished during these two matches was raising the level of its young talent. With young Canadian players like Loïc Cloutier, Joaquim Coulanges, Ralph Khoury, Noah Abatneh, Gabriel Antinoro and Sergei Kozlovskiy all getting to experience continental football for the first time, these two matches will be invaluable in their respective developments.
"I think that in my team, there's like three or four young players, they show that they [can] play at the highest level," said Mejía. "So it's one of our goals as a team, and I feel really proud about them.
"I still think that I have the best young players in all of Canada," he added.
Despite his side winning rather comfortably in the end, Nashville SC head coach B.J. Callahan was quick to heap praise on what he saw from his opponents over the two legs, especially considering where they are in their pre-season preparations.
"The way that Ottawa plays, how clear of an identity they have, they create uncertainty in your group," said Callahan. "You saw that for long periods of time, it was difficult, especially in the first half.
"I expect Ottawa will have a very successful season...that's very good team in my opinion."
Never lacking confidence in his group, Mejía went a step further on Tuesday night. As his side shifts focus from continental to domestic competition, the Atleti coach remains bullish on this team's outlook.
"Guys, we're gonna win the next CPL season," he said. "Don't have any doubts about that. We're gonna train to try to achieve this level, but we're gonna win the next CPL season."
Their title defence begins on April 4, when they travel to Hamilton to take on CPL Shield winners Forge FC in the 2026 season opener. They won't have to wait too long for another crack at an MLS opponent, either. On May 5, they meet Toronto FC at BMO Field in the TELUS Canadian Championship. That will be the perfect opportunity to put the lessons of the past two weeks into practice.
