For a second consecutive year, Atlético Ottawa are headed to the Canadian Premier League Final, after they beat Forge FC 3-2 on Saturday afternoon at Hamilton Stadium, beating them 5-4 on aggregate in an outrageously dramatic semifinal.
Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau scored the first hat-trick in CPL playoff history, finding the net in three different ways — including in the 13th minute of stoppage time, responding just moments after a Forge equalizer appeared to send it to extra time.
So, the defending North Star Cup champions will go to the Final on Nov. 21 in Calgary, where they will attempt to lift it once again in a matchup with Cavalry FC.
Forge were the more aggressive side out of the gate, pressing high with their attackers to pin Atleti into their own half for much of the first 20 minutes.
Ottawa withstood the pressure, though, fending off a few early set-piece opportunities from the Hamiltonians and shaking off early nerves.
After that opening stretch, Atleti finally started finding some openings in the opposite end. Their incisive, aggressive passing ultimately allowed them to find the first breakthrough thanks to one of their most frequent heroes this season.
Kamron Habibullah and Ballou Tabla played a quick give-and-go sequence from the left touchline, setting Habibullah up to slip a pass to a pocket at the top of the box where Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau was unmarked.
Fleuriau Chateau spun quickly toward goal and wrapped his left foot around a well-placed shot, which flew below Dimitry Bertaud's arm and into the bottom corner.
The Hammers wouldn't go down that easily, of course.
Forge kept driving at the Atleti net, generating chances and — crucially — corner kicks. After scoring two set-pieces in the first leg, they knew they could threaten from those chances again, and at last they found success just moments before halftime.
With their seventh corner of the opening half, Forge equalized with a familiar routine. Marko Jevremović spun it in from the flag and Aghilas Sadek, running at the front post, flicked a header across goal. It trickled toward the corner, but Hoce Massunda got a final touch on it to make sure as the Hammers drew level at 1-1 (and 3-3 on aggregate).
The weather shifted at halftime, and when the teams returned they found a rain-slicked pitch that dramatically altered the pace of play.
With the ball sliding quickly along the turf, and defenders having to be more sure of their footing, the game opened up and both sides sought to play more aggressively and vertically.
That raised tempo was perhaps more in line with what Ottawa wanted from the game, and they seemed to grow in confidence around the hour mark. They thought they'd found the net again in the 68th, with a Fleuriau Chateau attempt that Maxime Bourgeois cleared off the goal line — which required an FVS review to confirm.
With less than 10 minutes to play, Roni Mbomio floated an ambitious ball from way outside the box toward the penalty spot, and Fleuriau Chateau soared through the air to get his head to it, placing the header past Bertaud to give Ottawa a stunning late lead.
That wasn't by any means the final dramatic moment to come in this one, though.
With just seconds left in the six originally prescribed added minutes of stoppage time, Forge found a lifeline: Fleuriau Chateau, trying to clear a ball from his own box, got to it late, clashing feet with a Forge attacker. The referee went to the screen for an FVS check, and awarded the penalty — which Dan Nimick smashed into the right side of the net.
Just as it looked like this game was destined for extra time, though, Fleuriau Chateau had one more rabbit to pull out of the hat.
He took it upon himself to win it, pouncing on a ball into the box that defender Manjrekar James wasn't able to clear.
Fleuriau Chateau carried it from near the penalty spot out to the left, this time beating Bertaud through his legs from a tight angle to send the travelling Atleti fans into delirium.
"We all dream of these moments, right?" said a euphoric Fleuriau Chateau in his postmatch press conference.
"As a team, we don't have any quit. The guys make it easy for me. Even from the first time, the first day I got to Ottawa, they've embraced me and allowed me to trust myself as a footballer. We're a possession-based team, I'm a very direct player, so maybe on paper doesn't fit exactly the mold, but we found a way to make everything fit."
After an unforgettable, spectacular semifinal triumph, Atlético Ottawa are now set to return to the CPL's marquee match for a second straight year.
They will try to defend their North Star Cup title in Calgary on Nov. 21.
After Cavalry beat FC Supra to secure their own spot in the final, Ottawa also learned that they have officially secured a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Forge, meanwhile, see their season come to an end before the Final for a second straight year.
Head coach Bobby Smyrniotis was, obviously, disappointed, particularly with how they conceded just after equalizing in stoppage time. However, he remains proud of his team's campaign — reminding reporters that they won the Canadian Championship just a few weeks ago.
"This is a team that does so much, that has done so much, continues to do a lot," he said. "It's a hard way to end the season for what they put into the season, how successful it's been.
More to come.
Box Score
Starting XIs
Forge FC: Bertaud; Rama, Nimick, James, Jevremović; Batisse, Aromatario; Bourgeois (Ampomah 68'), Jensen (Borges 78'), Massunda; Sadek (Oketokoun 78')
Atlético Ottawa: Kalongo; Arnaud (Mbomio 46'), Dunn, Kozlovskiy, Coulanges; Aparicio, Gutiérrez; García (Antinoro 61'), Tabla, Habibullah; Fleuriau Chateau
Goals
25' - Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (Atlético Ottawa)
45+5' - Hoce Massunda (Forge FC)
84' - Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (Atlético Ottawa)
90+11' - Dan Nimick (Penalty) (Forge FC)
90+13' - Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (Atlético Ottawa)
Discipline
29' - Yellow: Anthony Aromatario (Forge FC)
71' - Yellow: Nana Ampomah (Forge FC)
CPLSoccer.com Player of the Match
Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, Atlético Ottawa
The Ottawa native was a superstar for Atleti on Saturday, scoring three exceptional goals to lift them into the CPL Final.
What's Next?
Atlético Ottawa will now advance to the 2026 CPL Final against Cavalry FC, which will be played Saturday, Nov. 21.
