| Final Score: Valour FC 3-3 Atlético Ottawa Goalscorers: Twardek 2', Antonoglou 71', Pop 90+3'; Tabla 41', 88', Salter 56' Game of the 2025 season: 103 CPL Match: 698 |
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Match in a minute or less
On a wet and windy afternoon in Winnipeg, Valour and Atlético Ottawa battled to a wild 3-3 draw.
The hosts took the lead with one of the first kicks of the match in the second minute through Kris Twardek, and then equalized with one of the last as Erik Pop scored his first career goal in second-half stoppage time.
After falling behind early, but equalizing through Ballou Tabla before half-time, Atlético Ottawa twice took the lead in the second half. First, it was through Sam Salter's 19th of the season, before Tabla again scored on the rebound of his own penalty in the 88th minute.
With Forge dropping points in a draw against Vancouver FC earlier in the weekend, Sunday could have seen Atleti draw level of points with the CPL's top team. Instead, a two-point gap remains heading into the final two matchweeks of the CPL season.
Three Observations
Atlético Ottawa blow another huge opportunity in the CPL Shield race
Atlético Ottawa came within minutes of a massive result in Winnipeg on Sunday, a win that would have put all the pressure on league leaders Forge heading into the final two weeks of the season.
When Ballou Tabla put in a tremendous second effort to score the rebound of his own saved penalty in the 88th minute while sitting on the turf, it should have been a monumental moment in the CPL Shield race. Instead, its impact was erased minutes later when Atleti allowed Valour's Erik Pop to tap home a rebound of his own in stoppage time.
With a 3-3 draw, the capital club are no closer to their Hamilton rivals and remain behind them in second place for a tenth straight matchweek. They might not get a better chance to close the two-point gap between them and the Hamilton club.
What is equal parts disappointing and concerning from an Atlético Ottawa perspective is that this wasn't an isolated occurrence. A few weeks ago, after Forge had lost to this same Valour team in Winnipeg, Atléti went out a few days later and blew a pair of leads in a 2-2 draw with York United. They then allowed Forge themselves to equalize late the following weekend in a 1-1 draw.
After dropping just two points from winning positions through their first 22 matches of the season. Atlético Ottawa have now dropped six in their past four matches.
On Sunday afternoon, however, manager Diego Mejía said that he felt like his side were lucky to have even earned a single point, let alone three. That his team felt like a victory was a formality, and as a result, they did not play with the brand of intensity which has earned Atleti a spot in this CPL Shield race to begin with.
"To be honest, we deserved to lose this game," said Mejía. "We played the worst match of this year. You cannot think you will win something playing in this way. So I think that we had a lot of luck to [even] try to get this point."
Now, Forge need just four points from their final two matches to wrap up a back-to-back regular season title, regardless of what Atleti manage over the last two match weeks. The race isn't over, but given a chance to keep pace with the leaders, they stumbled at what could be a critical juncture.
Valour show incredible fight to earn dramatic point, as Pop pots his first
Valour FC may be eliminated from playoff contention, but they clearly still have a big part to play in the 2025 CPL season.
A month ago, they beat top-of-the-table Forge 2-1 in Winnipeg, a result that allowed Atleti to move a point closer in the CPL Shield race. Then on Sunday, they dealt arguably an even bigger blow to Atleti's Shield hopes by holding them to a point in Winnipeg.
It could, and perhaps should, have been even more on the day for the Winnipeggers, who, after taking the lead in the second minute, had several outstanding opportunities to go up 2-0, particularly through Jordan Faria, who saw an outstanding opportunity blocked on the line by Noah Abatneh.
Still, playing for nothing but pride and professionalism at this stage in the season, the passion they showed to twice fight back from going down a goal was commendable. It will certainly earn them some plaudits in Hamilton.
Even after conceding what seemed a sure match-winner in the 88th minute, Valour dug deep and earned a deserved point through a late equalizer. It was Erik Pop's first as a professional mere moments after he stepped on the pitch, a special moment for the 19-year-old. In his 16th appearance of the season, all but one coming off the bench, Pop has been working toward this moment all season -- as Valour FC manager Phil Dos Santos called him his most improved player this campaign.
Hosting Halifax next week at home, Valour could still play a part in the race for third place as well. What is clear is that they still have plenty of fight left in them.
"I told the guys that we have to play to the end," said Valour FC manager Phil Dos Santos. "And we have to honour our fans and our badge and play with pride for ourselves, but also understand that we have to compete until the end. And I felt that the guys did that today."
Atlético Ottawa set the CPL single-season goals record, Rodríguez ties assist record
Undoubtedly, the biggest entry Atlético Ottawa would have loved to have made in the CPL history books on Sunday was simply a victory over Valour.
However, as a testament to the attacking brilliance they have shown all season, Atleti's three goals on the day brought them to 53 on the season. That broke a league record for most in a single season, eclipsing the total of 51 scored by Cavalry FC back in 2019.
The team's dazzling attacking play has been central to their success this season, averaging over two goals per match this campaign.
"We've had three guys up front that are absolutely killing it, it's good to see," said Atleti's Manny Aparicio after the match. "I mean it's kudos to the whole team because the way we play, just I [wish] today we would have scored three and conceded two at least."
Samuel Salter added his 19th of the season on Sunday, having long surpassed the previous single-season record of 14 set by João Morelli.
By setting up Tabla's opening goal, David Rodríguez recorded his ninth assist of the season, tying a CPL single-season record with Sean Rea, who also had nine in 2022 while playing for Valour. Meanwhile, with a brace, Tabla now has 11 goals on the season, to go with four assists.
There are a lot of question marks around the Atleti team right now, but the quality of their attack is certainly not one of them.
What They Said
"I felt like the guys were engaged, were committed, wanted the result. Maybe disappointing because we couldn't win, knowing the game could have been there for us. But once you go down and you're able to get an equalizer against such a good team, you have to take it and go through the week on a positive note." — Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos
"You need to remain humble, you need to put the focus in the moment, in the present. And that's it. You can't win a match just by stepping on the pitch. So I think we didn't play the way the team has played all season." — Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Ballou Tabla, Atlético Ottawa
With two goals and an assist, the Canadian Premier League's Player of the Month for September has picked up where he left off. He now has 11 goals and four assists on the season, his best CPL season and moved into a tie for second in goals in the Canadian Premier League.
What’s next?
Valour play their final home match of the 2025 season on Saturday, October 11, when they host the Halifax Wanderers (2 p.m. CT).
Atlético Ottawa, meanwhile, return to the nation's capital where they host Vancouver FC on Sunday, October 12 (3 p.m. ET).
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