ATLÉTICO OTTAWA (2-1-0) vs VALOUR FC (0-0-3)
When: Sunday, May 5th, 1 p.m. CT
Where: The Stadium at TD Place, Ottawa, ON.
How to watch: OneSoccer is broadcasting all Canadian Premier League games live https://onesoccer.ca/
Supporters group viewing party: Elephant & Castle, 350 St. Mary Ave.
MATCH PREVIEW:
Early season gut-check/character-check time for Valour FC after Wednesday’s crushing 7-nil loss to Atlético Ottawa in the Canadian Championship Preliminary Round. The result was shocking in itself as the second-worst loss in franchise history and the most-lopsided decision in Canadian Championship history, but also because the team had played so valiantly the weekend previous in a 2-1 defeat against four-time CPL champion Forge FC.
Valour fell behind early on a penalty goal by Ollie Bassett, trailed 4-nil at halftime and was rolled over further in the second half. In addition to Bassett’s penalty, Valour surrendered two goals off corners and its defensive marking throughout was spotty.
The two sides meet again today in league play and Valour needs to get back to flashing the progress they had shown from the season-opening loss to Vancouver to the defeat in Hamilton – small steps, but steps forward, nonetheless.
Both midfielder Raphael Ohin and centre back Tass Mourdoukoutas made the trip east with the team and were available Wednesday and may see their first minutes of the season in the rematch.
Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos, courtesy CPL.ca:
“We’re going to start separating the adults from the kids. For me, it’s going to come down to how we react on the field. I come out, I protect my players, I defend them, but when we go back and we review the match, if our mindset is the same, the outcome is going to be the same. Not taking away credit from Ottawa, but when I go back to the game, we played scared. We froze in too many moments. We forgot to do what’s important, which is to put up a fight.”
THE OTHER GUYS:
3 Facts about Atlético Ottawa:
-Atléti got two goals each from Bassett, Alberto Zapater and Ruben del Campo in the win on Wednesday while former Valour players Rayane Yesli – clean sheet – and midfielder Matteo de Brienne also played key roles.
-Canadian Championship goals don’t count in league play and Ottawa’s lineup also features veteran midfielder Manny Aparacio, who is tied for the CPL lead in goals with two heading into the weekend’s action.
-Ottawa’s other keeper is veteran Nathan Ingham, who has started two matches this year and has backstopped the team to a win and a draw.
VALOUR FC SPOTLIGHT:
#17: Jordan Faria, midfielder: The 23-year-old Brampton, Ont. product – a former member of Toronto FC – is emerging as a force for Valour in the midfield. He has one of Valour’s two goals in three matches this season (Jordi Swibel has the other) and it came in a stroke of genius in the loss to Forge. Valour desperately needs more of that creativity up front going forward.
CRITICAL NUMBER
21
Valour has held the league for only 21 minutes this season, including the three losses in league play and last Wednesday’s defeat in the Canadian Championship. That lead came in the opener, when Jordi Swibel scored in the 24th minute. Former Valour striker Moses Dyer tied the game just before halftime in what was ultimately a 4-1 Vancouver FC victory.
All-Time: Valour FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
Overall: (win-draw-loss): 6–3–5
Last meeting: May 1st, 2024 (Canadian Championship Preliminary Round): Atlético Ottawa 7 Valour FC 0