Atlético Ottawa Host Decisive Semi-Final in TELUS Canadian Championship against Vancouver FC on September 18 at 7pm
CPL Atletico Ottawa

Atlético Ottawa Host Decisive Semi-Final in TELUS Canadian Championship against Vancouver FC on September 18 at 7pm

Published on August 14, 2025 under Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release


OTTAWA, ON - Atlético Ottawa will host the decisive return leg of the TELUS Canadian Championship semi-final at TD Place on Thursday, September 18 (KO 7pm ET, live on OneSoccer) against Canadian Premier League (CPL) opponents Vancouver FC.

Atlético Ottawa, despite a strong performance, slipped to a 3-1 defeat in the first leg of the semi-final away to Vancouver FC on Wednesday, August 13, at Willoughby Park, Langley, BC. Attacking duo Samuel Salter and David Rodríguez combined again for Atleti, but a clinical Vancouver took advantage of their opportunities to establish a two-goal lead heading into the decisive second leg.

"No one said this would be easy, and we conceded three easy goals," said Diego Mejia, Head Coach, Atlético Ottawa. "But I think this match will be anecdotal in the future. The first thing I heard when I entered the locker room was the confidence of the players that we will come back. We have to learn our lessons from tonight. Our fans will be behind us at TD Place."

"Everyone in the country knows we have the most firepower," said Nathan Ingham, Goalkeeper and Captain, Atlético Ottawa. "We can put five past them, which we've done before. It won't be easy, but we have the ability. We're going to try and get the first one and then chip away until they have nothing left in them. Once you get the first one, it's going to get stressful. It'll get loud at TD Place, and let's see if they can handle that."

The winner on aggregate (the combined score from the first and second legs) will progress to the final, which will be hosted by the winner of MLS's Vancouver Whitecaps v CPL's Forge FC (current aggregate score: 2-2). The away goal rule is not in effect in the TELUS Canadian Championship.

Atlético Ottawa's TELUS Canadian Championship semi-finals:

Atlético Ottawa v Vancouver FC | TELUS Canadian Championship | Semi-finals

Thursday, September 18 (KO 7pm ET) | TD Place, Ottawa, ON

Atlético progressed to the semi-finals stage of the competition for the first time in club history, defeating York United 6-4 on aggregate across two legs in June and July. Ottawa won both matches, with a 2-1 victory at TD Place courtesy of goals from Ballou Tabla and David Rodríguez before a seven-goal thriller in the return leg at York Lions Stadium this past Tuesday (final score: 4-3).

Vancouver FC defeated Cavalry FC following a penalty shoot-out after the two teams could not be separated in aggregate over two legs.

The final will take place in October, with the winner of the TELUS Canadian Championship earning a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The champions automatically qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Check out the Atletico Ottawa Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Canadian Premier League Stories from August 14, 2025


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central