It's a top-of-the-table clash on national TV to kick off matchweek 8 in the CPL, as the Halifax Wanderers welcome league leaders Atlético Ottawa to Nova Scotia on Saturday.
Halifax return to the Wanderers Grounds with intentions of rebuilding the fortress, having lost 3-0 to Cavalry two weeks ago in their most recent home match. Fortunately for the hosts, they come into this game with a healthy dose of confidence, after defeating Vancouver FC in a gritty 2-0 away win last weekend.
That victory, the Wanderers' third road triumph of 2025 so far, kept them right in the thick of things at the top of the table. Halifax's 4-2-1 record to begin the year has them in second place, after hitting the quarter mark of the season. They were never higher than sixth last season, so Patrice Gheisar and co. will certainly be happier with this year's start.
Now, they have a chance to climb into the top spot for the first time in club history, which they would do with a win on Saturday.
That's much easier said than done, though, because nobody has yet managed to beat Atlético Ottawa this year. They sit happily in first place with a 5-2-0 record, three points ahead of the Wanderers.
Atleti will be particularly well-rested this weekend, having not played a game since Tuesday, May 13, giving them 10 full days between matchdays. The last we saw of Ottawa, they drew 2-2 with Forge in the School Day Match in Hamilton, where the visitors took the lead twice but didn't manage to hold on for the win.
Still, it's been a relatively smooth start to the season for an Ottawa team that's filling the net regularly. They've scored twice as many goals as any other CPL team this year, with a whopping 22 through seven games, and they have never scored fewer than two in a match this year.
Fortunately for the Wanderers, they're one of the few teams to take points off Atleti in 2025. Halifax played in Ottawa on opening day, and took a 2-0 lead at TD Place, before the Rojiblancos stormed back to claim a point in a 2-2 draw.
For Atlético coach Diego Mejía, this game presents a new challenge for him in his first year in charge of the club, because it'll be his first time playing a CPL opponent he's already encountered. That means there are no more surprises; Gheisar and Halifax will be well prepared for the high-octane attacking style Mejía has instilled in his team.
This time, it'll be in front of a jam-packed Wanderers Grounds, where the atmosphere might give the home side some extra strength as they look to hand Atleti their first loss of 2025, and take over first place.
Although both sides are largely healthy for this game, Ottawa's major concern will be the absence of Mexican forward David Rodríguez, who misses out due to suspension. Rodríguez was sent off in Hamilton in the club's last game, so they'll have to do without his attacking prowess in Halifax. Atleti boss Mejía also mentioned that Iker Moreno and Noah Verhoeven are sidelined while dealing with knocks, along with defender Amer Didić who is out for the season with his leg injury. Halifax seem to be largely healthy, with Julian Dunn and Nassim Mekideche still working their way toward match fitness.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
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Ottawa need creative solution without Rodríguez: Atlético Ottawa have certainly scored a lot of goals this year, but only one of them has come without David Rodríguez on the pitch. The young winger on loan from Atlético San Luis has provided four goals and four assists, and has been somehow involved in most of the remaining 22 CPL goals for Atleti this season. Now, they'll need to find a way to put the ball in the net without him. Much of the creative workload may fall to Ballou Tabla, who can drive forward with pace in a similar fashion. Ottawa will also need striker Sam Salter to remain as clinical as he has been. He's scored five goals in his last two matches, but Rodríguez set up a few of those; still, if Salter can remain confident and bury his chances, Atleti will still be formidable.
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Halifax defence primed for challenge: The Wanderers have one of the strongest defences in the CPL so far this year, which has helped them grind out results on a number of occasions -- including last week's win in Vancouver. Thomas Meilleur-Giguère has made a huge difference with his leadership and ability to win the ball on the ground and in the air, but one player going under the radar a little is Kareem Sow. He has been steady on the ball and helps maintain an organized backline, which has helped provide more license for left-back Wesley Timoteo to push higher up the pitch, safe in the knowledge that Sow can cover the left side. The Wanderers have kept a clean sheet in three of their last four CPL matches, but just one of those was at home. They'll be keen to deliver a flawless defensive performance on home soil this weekend.
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Goalkeeping battle as Yesli takes on former side: Wanderers keeper Rayane Yesli takes on his former club Ottawa for a second time this season, and he'll go head-to-head against his ex-teammate Nathan Ingham. Both keepers have been among the best in the CPL so far this year; Yesli leads the league in saves with 27 and has a 78.1 per cent save percentage. His three clean sheets this year is tied with only Forge's Jassem Koleilat for the most, and Yesli was named the CPL's Goalkeeper of the Month in April, as well as being named to the Gatorade Team of the Week last Tuesday. Ingham, meanwhile, has been in outstanding form lately, and got the nod to the Gatorade Team of the Week three consecutive times. He has come up huge on plenty of occasions this year, showing off his reflexes and one-on-one shot-stopping ability to keep the ball out of the Ottawa net.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Halifax Wanderers: Yesli; Pearlman, Meilleur-Giguère, Sow, Timoteo; Callegari, Johnston; Bahamboula, Probo, Rea; Telfer
Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Cloutier, Abatneh, Kozlovskiy; Antinoro, Castro, Aparicio, Levis; Dos Santos, Salter, Tabla
ALL-TIME SERIES
Halifax wins: 6 || Ottawa wins: 8 || Draws: 7
Last meeting:
Apr. 5, 2025 — Atlético Ottawa 2-2 Halifax Wanderers
KEY QUOTES
"The biggest one is our resilience and our character. We have sometimes been uncomfortable not having the ball, and we've ended up pressing the wrong cues or triggers, and that's had a domino effect of getting the ball and they get in and score a goal. Just hte overall discipline of the group, the resilience and character, the belief that no matter where we are -- at Vancouver or at home, seven hours away, 3,000 kilometres or in our backyard, that we can beat anyone." -- Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar
"I don't call them defenders. I have 11 attackers when I have the ball, and I have 11 defenders when I don't have the ball. For me, the behaviour that the players have on the ball is amazing; for sure, they need to learn a lot of things on the ball and off the ball, but right now I think the defensive line is amazing. I am very happy with the players, with the behaviour of the young players. I think as a league we need to be proud because we have three or four players in Atlético Ottawa that will be the future of Canadian soccer." -- Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía
