CPL Atletico Ottawa

Preview: Valour FC vs. Atlético Ottawa - 2023 Match #7

April 21, 2023 - Canadian Premier League (CPL)
Atletico Ottawa News Release


Valour FC open the home portion of their 2023 Canadian Premier League schedule with a tough test, as the Winnipegers host 2022 regular season champions Atlético Ottawa at IG Field on Saturday.

The two sides last met in Valour's final home match of 2022, where Ottawa dealt a signifant blow to the Winnipeg side's playoff hopes. Valour defender Andrew Jean-Baptiste looked to have earned the side what would have been a critical three points at the time with a goal midway through the half. However, Ollie Bassett had other ideas, scoring a stunning Olimpico to equalize.

It was one of just ten goals that Valour allowed at IG Field last season, the fewest any CPL side conceded at home in 2022. They also lost just three times at home in 2022, tied for the second-fewest home losses in the league. Continuing that home form will be a key pillar of the club's success in 2023.

"We are in a market that when the team is doing well at home, it comes to life," said Valour head coach Phil Dos Santos. "So I want the guys to feel that responsibility."

Valour opened the season with a pair of matches on the road both in the league and Canadian Championship, with decidedly mixed results. They were full value for a 2-0 away win against York United to open the CPL season, but were on the wrong end of a storybook 'cupset' as they fell 3-1 to League1 BC side TSS Rovers in CanChamp action.

Atleti, meanwhile, comes into the match having played back-to-back against the Halifax Wanderers. They drew at home in the league, before winning 3-1 to advance in the Canadian Championship in a neutral-site match played at York Lions Stadium.

The availability of 2022 CPL Player of the Year Bassett will be a big talking point for Ottawa ahead of this match. According to González the hamstring injury that saw the midfielder leave Wednesday night's Canadian Championship match against Halifax is fairly minor. The club will decide on matchday whether or not Bassett is available - however, know that it is early in the year and will not take unnecessary risks with the player's long-term fitness.

Dos Santos said that Valour has 'taken a beating' on the injury front in the opening week of the season, and that the squad's depth will be tested over the next little while. In particular, key midfielder Raphael Ohin is still being evaluated after being subbed out against TSS Rovers on Wednesday.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980. Tous les matchs de l'Atlético Ottawa sont disponibles en français sur OneSoccer.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

Valour looking to put Wednesday night's CanChamp match behind them: Being on the wrong side of an upset is never an easy pill to swallow, but Valour will have to regroup and move forward after a difficult night at Swangard Stadium. Lessons can certainly be learned, but there is no point dwelling too much on a result that has no barring on what is now their primary focus, the CPL regular season, against a team who they will not play again this year. "The reality is it is a different competition, what matters is the game on Saturday," said Dos Santos. "That is the only important thing, and the only thing on our mind right now. We look at it with the motivation that if we get three points, we are 2-0 and we start the CPL season in a very strong form."

Pacifique Niyongabire proving to be a serious attacking weapon for Valour: Besides not being able to find the back of the net on a number of great chances he created, 23-year-old Burundi international Pacifique Niyongabire had an outstanding CPL debut last weekend againt Valour. He had an assist, and created six chances, while also attempting 10 dribbles, showing a real willingness to take players on. Dos Santos loves the variety of different ways that Niyongabire can be dangerous, whether that is through speed, attacking combinations, dribbling or his passing ability - making him unpredictable. "I don't want us to hype him too much because I want him to play without that pressure that he needs to be one of the best every day," said Dos Santos. "I think that's a natural instict that a player is going to have [but] I don't want him to feel that from our part. We are managing expectations too there, but we believe that he has a strong upside and if he is in a good place, and if the game is there for him you will see a lot more performances like the one against York."

Ottawa looking to extrapolate on historic road form last season: Last year, Atlético Ottawa was the best team in the Canadian Premier League away from home. In fact, they were the best team in Canadian Premier League history away from home, picking up 28 points in 14 matches. Building on that will be big for the club's success this season, and they will get their first opportunity in the league on Saturday against Valour. "We feel comfortable on the road, we started showing that last Wednesday against Halifax in the York stadium. So looking forward to continuing with the same identity, same idea and grabbing the same points as last season. We have to be a competitive team not only at home with our fans, also we have to be a competitive team outside if we want to fight for important things."

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Valour FC (4-3-3): Yesli; Baquero, Samaké, Pianelli, de Brienne; Campbell, Gutiérrez, Rendón; Niyongabire, Sánchez, Novak

Atlético Ottawa (4-4-2): Ingham; Acosta, Espejo, Singh, Tissot; Verhoeven, Bahous, Antinoro, Assi; Dos Santos, Salter

ALL-TIME SERIES

Valour FC wins: 4 || Atlético Ottawa wins: 2 || Draws: 2

Last meeting:

September 18, 2022 - Valour FC 1-1 Atlético Ottawa

KEY QUOTES

"There are still a lot of similarities in their approach. It is a team that is going to defend well, they stay together. Again you look at both games, they were okay with giving some of that territorial and ball control to the oppostion, allow Halifax to have the majority of the possession. It is a team that doesn't need much to punish you." " -Valour FC head coach Phil Dos Santos

"The last two games especially, two games quite different for them. One game in which they showed a very solid image of a team with very clear ideas, and with no doubts. The other game was totally the other way around. A team that showed a lot of doubts and didn't grab a good result against, well, a good opponent in TSS Rovers." -Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González

Check out the Atletico Ottawa Statistics



Canadian Premier League Stories from April 21, 2023


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