Unbeaten start to the season

Atlético Ottawa currently sit top in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) with two wins and a tie from their first three games.

They started the season with a 2-2 tie at home with Wanderers; following a disappointing start to the game, going 2-0 down after 47 minutes, they fought back with goals with David Rodríguez and Aboubacar Sissoko, and held on despite going down to 10-men with Tyr Walker’s red card. 

Their second game of the season saw them travel to Vancouver where they came away as 4-1 winners thanks to another goal from David Rodríguez, along with Kévin dos Santos, Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, and Monty Patterson.

The goals continued into their match against York United, where a stoppage time goal from Noah Abatneh helped them to a 3-2 win, in which they once again came back from behind to take the three points.

What happened last year? 

Atlético had an impressive 2024 season, finishing third in the CPL table for the second time, behind Cavalry and Forge. The Ottawa side racked up 44 points, only finishing six points off the top of the table, before losing their playoff semifinal to Forge - the same team that defeated them in the playoff final in 2022. 

In terms of the TELUS Canadian Championship, this is their first fixture against a side from outside the CPL. They suffered first-round exits in 2021 and 2022, losing to Valour and York United respectively, and quarterfinal defeats in 2023 and 2024 to Forge and Pacific. 

Last season’s loss to Pacific was over two legs, with a 0-0 draw at home followed up by a 2-1 defeat on the road.

Players to watch

Atlético’s 2024 top scorer Rubén del Campo left the club at the end of the season to join UCAM Murcia, and their top assister Daniel Morer Cabrera’s loan ended, but they still have plenty of talent on show in 2025. 

David Rodríguez started the season with a bang, providing two goals and an assist in his first two games from midfield. The 22-year-old is currently on loan at the club from Liga MX club Atlético San Luis. 

Much of Atlético’s play last season was dependent on midfielder Manuel Aparicio, who led their tackle tally in 2024 with 88. The Argentinian contributed five goals and two assists in last season’s campaign, and got off the mark against York this season. He also has plenty of CPL experience.

Furthermore, central defender Amer Didić completed 1740 passes in their 28 matches last season, and leading the way this year is another defender – Noah Abatneh. He was part of Lazio and Roma’s academies and could be a player to watch, especially after his late winner last time out.