| Atlético Ottawa vs. Cavalry FC July 4 at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT TD Place in Ottawa, Ont. Watch Live: OneSoccer, CBC Gem Tickets available here |
|---|
Two of the Canadian Premier League's most in-form clubs meet in the capital on Saturday, as Atlético Ottawa take on Cavalry FC.
Hosts Ottawa come into this game with confidence, having returned from the World Cup break on Wednesday with a phenomenal 3-1 win in Halifax. Heading into Matchweek 12, Atleti are third in the league with a 5-2-4 record and 17 points.
They've built some temporary separation between themselves and the pack below, with the Halifax Wanderers now five points behind in fourth, but Ottawa have played two more games than Inter Toronto (12 points) and FC Supra (11). So, it's important for them to keep that gap intact as they enter a stretch of three straight league matches at home (broken up by an away leg in the Canadian Championship).
Leading the way recently for Ottawa has been reigning CPL Player of the Week Ballou Tabla. He had two goals and an assist against Halifax on Wednesday and has now scored in four consecutive games. Interim head coach Drew Beckie will hope that Tabla can remain in fine form in July.
"We depend on him, and he's stepped up," Beckie said on Friday. "He's been great for many years, of course, but he's taken on a great leadership role in the locker room and on the field; as you can see, he's making the difference in those moments that we need him to."
Cavalry, however, know full well what threats Tabla and the rest of Atleti can pose.
The Cavs currently sit in second place, five points clear of Ottawa and five back of Forge at the top — with a game in hand on both sides.
This will be the Calgary side's first game back after the break, with last Sunday's scheduled match against FC Supra being postponed due to inclement weather.
Last time we saw them, they routed Inter Toronto 5-1 at York Lions Stadium. The Cavs will have gone 23 days between matches, so it'll be a challenge for Tommy Wheeldon Jr. to ensure they come out of the time off in good form.
Thankfully for them, they've been remarkably consistent this year, with stars like Tobias Warschewski, Sergio Camargo and Goteh Ntignee making a huge impact.
Saturday's clash will be the first time these sides have met at TD Place since the 2025 CPL Final, where Atlético Ottawa famously triumphed in the snow.
The conditions will be the exact opposite this time around on a hot, sunny afternoon in Ottawa.
Atleti and Cavalry met once earlier this season in Alberta, but it was a one-sided affair as Cavalry galloped to a 3-1 win in their home opener.
Adding to the intrigue of this clash is the return of Nathan Ingham to the capital. The Cavs goalkeeper played the last four seasons in Ottawa, captaining them to the North Star Cup a year ago. Now, he returns in Cavalry colours.
Saturday's match at TD Place will kick off at 4 p.m. ET, with the start time moved an hour back to avoid an overlap with Canada's World Cup round of 16 match against Morocco. Atleti are hosting a watch party at TD Place for that game, included in the price of a match ticket.
NEWS & NOTES
- Atlético Ottawa made some roster moves recently, announcing the acquisition of defender Julian Dunn. Goalkeeper Garissone Innocent has left the club, and forward Santiago Lopez has returned to Pumas UNAM after the expiry of his loan.
- Ottawa continue to be led by interim head coach Drew Beckie, with the appointment of a permanent manager expected soon.
- Cavalry FC recently announced a mutual termination of Michael Harms's contract.
- Cavalry striker Tobias Warschewski suffered a knock in training on Thursday. He is expected to travel with the team but his status is being evaluated.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Atlético Ottawa: Kalongo; Kozlovskiy, Cloutier, Abatneh; Aguilar, Castro, Aparicio, Antinoro; Villal, Habibullah, Tabla
Cavalry FC: Ingham; Pearlman, Klomp, Didić, Kamdem Fewo; Paton, Kobza; Musse, Camargo, Ntignee; Warschewski
KEY QUOTES
"[Cavalry] have some very good threats. They're tall in the back, have a pretty good goalkeeper now. We're going to go out and compete just like we did on Wednesday, and I think we have the right answers to a lot of the ways that they play." - Atlético Ottawa interim head coach Drew Beckie
"The lads are now like caged animals. They're ready to compete. They see games kicking off, they see the World Cup, they just want to be out there as well." - Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr
