ATLETICO OTTAWA POST-MATCH ANALYSIS – Atletico Ottawa hosted fellow Ontario side York United on April 29th. The match was played at TD Place Stadium and ended in a 1-0 defeat for Atletico Ottawa. The match marked Atletico’s second home game of the season.
FT: Molham Babouli is bringing the win home for @yorkutdfc over @atletiOttawa despite the pressure they applied in the second half to try and equalize the game.
RECAP: https://t.co/6dAdwzVMP9#CanPL | ✍️: @mitchelltierney pic.twitter.com/wEijKUaOrX
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) April 29, 2023
Three Atletico Ottawa Post-Match Talking Points
Atletico’s Start to the Game Cost Them the Match
Atletico Ottawa’s setup in the first half was focused on bunkering in on defense. The team soaked up pressure from York United and allowed for the visitors to retain majority possession of the ball. Despite the 58% possession from York United, they did not create loads of chances on target compared to Atletico Ottawa in the first half. With that said, York United needed just a single free-kick opportunity outside the box that Mo Babouli curled in beautifully.
GOAL🚨
It's #CanPL BANGERS only!🔥
A perfect free-kick from Mo Babouli has @yorkutdfc up 1-0 over Atlético Ottawa just before half time, as he scores his 1st of the CPL season in STYLE
🔴https://t.co/7JFAUhgRAE pic.twitter.com/zPmhGhri7e
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 29, 2023
With Atletico Ottawa sitting back, they had very little attempts of making it into the final third. In fact, York United had 15 more entries into the final third than Atletico Ottawa in the first half. Newcomer Samuel Salter ended up being fairly isolated up top and ultimately had little impact on the game. Salter showed visible frustration when subbed off in the second-half.
Worrying Theme of Leaving It Too Late for Atletico Ottawa
Atletico Ottawa has now conceded first in every match they have played this season, including the Canadian Championship. It is a worrying sign that Carlos Gonzalez will have to address should the team want to replicate last regular season’s success. Perhaps the root of the cause is Ottawa’s inability to start off the game with an attacking mindset. It has become quite clear the team are willing to let the other team control the game early on in the fixture.
What Atletico Ottawa have done so far is allow the opponent to retain the ball at the start of the game. From a spectator standpoint, it surely feels like Atletico Ottawa want to tire the other team out before hitting them with full force later in the game. While it worked out fine against HFX Wanderers and Valour FC, it bit them badly against York United. As the game went on, Atletico Ottawa had plenty of chances to capitalize. A well worked play by Abou Sacko down the left should have resulted in a goal from Jean-Aniel Assi but Niko Giantsopoulos got in the way to make the save. In the end, Ottawa could not find the back of the goal.
Home Woes Continue for Atletico Ottawa
Atletico Ottawa’s last home win came on August 17th against HFX Wanderers. Since then, they have failed to win in seven straight home games. Additionally, every other Canadian Premier League team’s most recent game at TD Place Stadium has been either a win or a draw. Despite the great and passionate crowds at home, Atletico Ottawa have recently struggled in their backyard. Conversely they have flourished on the road. Manager Carlos Gonzalez also spoke to the team’s appreciation of the support:
“As always, [we] thank their presence and their energy, in what they give us every game. I think it is very valuable today with the rainy game that they were there shouting and pushing the team in the second half”.
Atletico Ottawa’s next fixture takes place May 6th as they host Pacific FC at TD Place Stadium. The match will be live on OneSoccer and available on both FuboTV / Telus.
Photo Credit: Freestyle Photography / Tim Austen on April 29, 2023.
