The CPL Playoffs kicked off in style on Sunday in the capital, where Atlético Ottawa and Forge FC went blow-for-blow in a 2-2 draw to leave them all square after Leg 1 of this semifinal.
Now, it'll have to be settled next week in Hamilton, with both Ottawa and Forge aiming to return to the CPL Final.
The team sheets released before kickoff raised a few eyebrows. Forge manager Bobby Smyrniotis deployed a team with considerable muscle and ball-playing ability, as midfielder Ben Paton came in on the left wing to help serve striker Ismael Oketokoun — starting in place of the injured Lucas Cavallini.
Atleti coach Gustavo Leal set his team up to play a direct attacking style via Ballou Tabla and Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, while also adding bite to his midfield via Diego Gutiérrez, who returned from suspension for a red card he received against Forge just two weeks ago.
From the jump, the match had the physicality of a playoff game, but was far from cagey as some first legs can be. Instead, the first half was an instant classic, with the two sides trading powerful blows and scoring twice each.
The visitors opened the scoring just 15 minutes in after a series of dangerous attacks. Noah Jensen curled a well-aimed corner kick toward the front post, where Anthony Aromatario made contact with a good header across goal to make it 1-0.
Atleti responded instantly, peppering the Forge net with shots that required a couple of great saves from Dimitry Bertaud and two goal-line clearances from defenders. Soon enough though, the hosts broke through: the ball fell to Gutiérrez at the top of the box, and the Chilean-Canadian midfielder found the net from distance.
Forge needed just 12 minutes to score again, and this time it was from a very different kind of set-piece. They won a foul about 15 meters outside the penalty area, but the distance wasn't an issue for Marko Jevremović, who sent a rocket past Chris Kalongo to restore his side's lead — temporarily.
Just a few minutes before halftime, Ottawa drew level again, this time off the foot of Ballou Tabla. He received at the top of the box after a superb left-flank run by Joaquim Coulanges, and Tabla beat Bertaud with a well-placed shot to keep the score even at the break.
After some tactical adjustments from both managers in the dressing rooms, the pace of the game slowed considerably and became less transitional.
"In these games, whether it's Ottawa or somebody else, you have to always get rid of the micro transitions," Forge coach Smyrniotis explained postmatch. "That's a transition upon the transition. Today, there's about six moments in the first half where we've won the ball and we've given it right back, and those are the things that you have to avoid, one of the key principles of this game."
Although it wasn't quite the wide-open goalfest that the first half offered, the second half was still an interesting display of playoff soccer; the two familiar foes butted heads repeatedly in an encounter that remained physical throughout.
Neither team managed to find the net again, but they certainly left a mark on one another; both sides were charged with 16 fouls, with 50 tackles made between the two clubs.
Ottawa captain Manny Aparicio embraced the physicality of the affair in his postmatch comments.
"It's a playoff game," he said. "There's always a little bit extra you're fighting for. Yeah, it was chippy, it was coming back and forth. As a fan, it was quite an amazing game to watch."
In the end, Ottawa and Forge had to settle for a 2-2 draw, which sends them into the decisive second leg next week with nothing to separate them.
More to come.
Box Score
Starting XIs
Atlético Ottawa: Kalongo; Arnaud, Dunn, Kozlovskiy, Coulanges; Aparicio, Gutiérrez; García (Assi 78'), Tabla, Habibullah (Antinoro 65'); Fleuriau Chateau
Forge FC: Bertaud; Rama, Nimick, James, Jevremović; Batisse, Aromatario (Krutzen 78'); Bourgeois (Johnson 65'), Jensen (Borges 78'), Paton (Ampomah 85'); Oketokoun (Sadek 65')
Goals
15' - Anthony Aromatario (Forge FC)
23' - Diego Gutiérrez (Atlético Ottawa)
35' - Marko Jevremović (Forge FC)
43' - Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
Discipline
89' - Yellow: Nana Ampomah (Forge FC)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Ballou Tabla, Atlético Ottawa
The Atleti forward was electrifying on Sunday, scoring Ottawa's second goal and leading the attack throughout the contest. He created two chances and made three recoveries, and he successfully completed all nine of his attempted passes in the final third.
What's Next?
These two sides will meet again in Leg 2, scheduled for next Saturday, Nov. 7 in Hamilton (kickoff at 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT).
