MATCH Preview: Pacific FC vs. Atlético Ottawa – CPL Semifinals (Leg 1)
October 14, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Atletico Ottawa News Release
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The defending North Star Shield Champions Pacific FC will meet 2022 CPL regular season champions Atlético Ottawa at Starlight Stadium on Saturday to open their home-and-away semi-final tie.
After a season in which they set almost every club record, and a few league ones as well, the match will be Atlético Ottawa’s first-ever in the CPL playoffs.
“We are step-by-step making history here,” said Atleti coach Carlos González. “The club was made for these types of situations, and we are approaching them in the best way, focusing on [Saturday’s game], because I think we have a great opportunity to give satisfaction to Ottawa fans and to the city.”
The club has never won a knockout match in its history, losing both of its preliminary-round matchups in the Canadian Championship to date. They, however, come into the playoffs in excellent form, having not lost in their last nine league matches.
That remarkable consistency has been the hallmark of Ottawa’s 2022 season. They have lost just five matches in the CPL all year, and allowed less than two goals in 23 of their 28 matches played this season.
Atleti’s last loss came on August 13, at Starlight Stadium against Pacific FC. The Tridents are the only team who have beaten Ottawa more than once this season, and while they come into the playoffs as the fourth and final seed, with Ottawa in the top spot, only three points separated the two in the 2022 table showing how slim the margins were this year.
Pacific will also be making club history on Saturday as this will be their first home playoff game in club history. Starlight Stadium has seen some spectacular moments over the past few years, including a Canadian Championship win over provincial rivals Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer in 2021, and a stunning 6-0 victory over Jamaican side Waterhouse in their first-ever Concacaf home match.
“You are looking at two Island boys, this is our home,” said Pacific midfielder Josh Heard, motioning to head coach James Merriman during the pre-match press conference. “The fact that we get to pack it at home, and play big significant games, it is why we play the game.
They enter this year’s playoffs as the defending champions, having lifted the North Star Shield last year at Tim Hortons Field after a 1-0 victory over Forge FC. They allowed just a single goal during 210 plus minutes of action in last year’s postseason, which came against Cavalry in the semi-finals.
Pacific comes into the postseason in excellent form in this regard, having only allowed three goals and a single loss in their last six matches. They have only lost twice at Starlight Stadium in CPL action all year, making it the ideal place at which to start their title defence. As the fourth seed, this will be the only match that they play at home during these playoffs, making this match and preparation week of critical importance.
James Merriman will largely have a full complement of options at his disposal for this match. Djenairo Daniels and Gianni Dos Santos, both of whom missed the last two matches for Pacific, are considered day-to-day with minor injuries.
For Ottawa, both Miguel Acosta and Ollie Bassett will be back in the lineup after missing out on a season finale 2-2 draw against York United due to suspension. They will still be without MacDonald Niba and Iván Pérez for this match, although both are progressing in their respective injuries.
Make your match picks prior to kickoff at canpl.ca/predictor for a chance to win prizes, including the grand prize of a trip to the 2022 CPL Final! To learn more about ComeOn!, click here.
All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980. Tous les matchs de l’Atlético Ottawa sont aussi disponibles en français sur OneSoccer.
3 THINGS TO WATCH
Plenty of familiar faces on both sides: Any good rivalry has a dash of familiarity. That will undoubtedly be the case in this series as players on both sides have connections to their opposition. The prominent is Ottawa talisman Ollie Bassett, who lifted the North Star Shield with Pacific last season. Zach Verhoven also previously spent time on the Island. Atleti’s Max Tissot, meanwhile, will be out for revenge having lost last year’s final to Pacific as a member of Forge FC. On the Pacific side of things, Kunle Dada-Luke was one of Atlético Ottawa’s first-ever signings, but never ended up playing for the club. There are a host of Pacific players, meanwhile, who spent time with the now-defunct Ottawa Fury franchise, including Pacific captain Jamar Dixon, goalkeeper of the year nominee Callum Irving, and Thomas Meilleur-Giguère.
Pacific banking on Concacaf experience to help: It hasn’t always been an easy season for Pacific FC, as they went through two separate lengthy stretches without wins this season, including seven matches between May 20 and June 30. Part of that difficulty came doing to juggling multiple competitions for the first time in club history, as they balanced four matches in Concacaf League including away trips to Jamaica and Costa Rica. Those matches, however, make them the only side other than Forge in this year’s playoffs who are armed with recent experience on how to play and approach two-legged ties. This certainly gives them at least a preparatory advantage over a side like Atlético Ottawa who has never played in a home-and-away series. “[We know] how to approach two legs,” said Merriman, “and especially how important this first game is, especially playing it at home in front of our crowd, in our stadium. If we have a big performance, we know we can go there with confidence. It is really important for us to start right [on Saturday]”. It is worth noting that the away goal rule will not be in effect during the CPL playoffs. Should the sides remain tied after two legs, the series will be decided by a penalty shootout.
Atlético Ottawa enters most important road game in club history: Atlético Ottawa played 14 matches away from home this past season in the Canadian Premier League. They lost only twice. The 28 points they collected on the road this season was a new league record, while their eight wins tied a mark previously set by Cavalry FC. They have done this by maintaining a consistent identity, one which they are confident playing both home and away. It is worth noting, however, that none of those wins came at Starlight Stadium, where Ottawa is yet to pick up more than a single point in club victory. “Pacific is a tough one for us, but we have done well on the road all year,” said Atleti captain Drew Beckie. We take strength in that, and to be able to come home in the second leg, guys will be confident, we will be able to sleep in our own beds and prepare for a game that could take us to a final. We aren’t looking past this game tomorrow, but we are all confident in how we play.”
ALL-TIME SERIES
Pacific FC wins: 4 || Atlético Ottawa wins: 2 || Draws: 2
Previous match:
September 11, 2022 – Pacific 1-1 Atlético Ottawa
KEY QUOTES
“We are a team that can adapt to how Ottawa sets up to play us, and that is what we spoke about. We know that they like to play in transition, and we want to take that away from them, and look to control the match.” – Pacific FC head coach James Merriman
“On our day, there is not a team who can beat us in this league, when we are at our best. I think that should give us confidence, and we should bring that confidence into the playoffs, and that belief.” – Pacific FC attacker Josh Heard
“We know that they are great team, the defending champions. They have great individuals, they have a solid team, they have grown so much in the last few months and I’m sure that it is going to be a tight game.” – Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González
“It is very important that we keep doing what we are good at, we have had a good identity this year that we have created from day one. That is being solid defensively, and being lethal on the counter. We will continue to do that, we aren’t a team that has a lot of possession at this moment, but we know what we are good at.” – Atlético Ottawa defender Drew Beckie
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