Atlético Ottawa VS FC Supra du Québec
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There is often a derby-like atmosphere when Atlético Ottawa and FC Supra face each other, and their matches are often spectacular. In five meetings across all competitions, the two teams have scored 22 goals. While Supra had the satisfaction of eliminating its Ottawa rival in the Canadian Championship, the story has been different in the CPL, where Ottawa has taken all the points with three wins in as many matches.
Once close to its opponent in the standings, Supra now sits 12 points behind Atlético, and the two teams understandably have different objectives.
With 34 points, Atlético is firmly in a playoff position, although the possibility of challenging the two teams at the top of the table is virtually nonexistent. Cavalry, the league leaders, have 49 points, while second-place Forge FC have 45.
The objective is therefore to consolidate third place, as fourth-place Vancouver FC are only four points behind. The standings remain important, as the team at the top of the table and winner of the CPL Shield will face the fourth-place team, while the second-place team will face the third-place team. The semifinals will be played over two legs, with the higher-ranked team hosting the second leg.
Atlético Ottawa will need to find more consistency to maintain a high pace. Over their last five matches, Atlético have recorded two wins, two losses and one draw.
For Supra, the objective is to try to break out of its negative run and get back into the playoff race. In sixth place with 22 points, eight points out of a playoff spot but with one more match to play than Vancouver, Supra needs a run of positive results to keep its hopes alive.
It will not be easy, as results have not been forthcoming. In addition to being eliminated in the Canadian Championship semifinal, FC Supra have suffered two losses against their two main playoff rivals, Vancouver and Halifax. Supra have won just one match across all competitions in their last 10 games. It is therefore a major challenge for the Québec side.
Strikers in the spotlight
The match could continue the tradition of high-scoring encounters, as the attacking players have been effective on both sides.
Loïc Kwemi remains the league's leading scorer, even though he has not scored in FC Supra's last two matches. He has, however, continued to be decisive, as his recent goals helped his team earn three points against Forge and one point against Inter Toronto.
This attacking firepower will now be bolstered by FC Supra’s latest signing, Jack McInerney, the forward who has played for the Montreal Impact, Los Angeles Galaxy, Portland Timbers and Philadelphia Union.
In Ottawa, supporters have only one name on their lips: Nicolas Fleuriau-Chateau. Having joined the team midway through the season, he has enjoyed great success on the banks of the Ottawa River. He has scored five goals in nine matches since his arrival, in addition to providing two assists.
That success adds to that of Ballou-Tabla, who is chasing the top spot in the scoring charts. The league's second-leading scorer behind Kwemi with nine goals, he will nevertheless need to rediscover his scoring touch, having scored just once in his last six matches.
Fleuriau-Chateau's success has reduced Emiliano Garcia's influence and playing time, but he remains a player to watch, as he is the club's second-leading scorer with six goals.
This attacking success coincides with much more permissive defences. Atlético Ottawa have never managed to keep consecutive clean sheets this season, while FC Supra have kept just one clean sheet all season.
NEWS & NOTES
- Atlético Ottawa announced earlier this week the signing of Mexican striker Amaury Escoto, who has signed a guaranteed contract through the end of the 2026 season, with an option for 2027. The 33-year-old has made 145 career appearances in Liga MX.
- Reinaldo Abraham signed an “exceptional young talent” contract with Atlético Ottawa this week.
- FC Supra du Québec announced two days before the match the signing of striker Jack McInerney for the remainder of the 2026 season.
- Defender Roni Mbomio has been called up to the Equatorial Guinea national team for the upcoming FIFA international window, with matches against the Democratic Republic of the Congo on September 24 and Sierra Leone on September 28.
- Alexander Makarova (FC Supra) has been called up to the Canada U-17 national team for the UEFA Friendly Cup, which will be held in Switzerland from September 24 to October 3.
Probable XIs
Atlético Ottawa: Kalongo, Coulanges, Cloutierz, Kozlovskiy, Mbomio; Gutiérrez, Aparico, Castro, Antinoro; Ballou-Tabla, Fleuriau-Chateau
FC Supra: Milli; Lebeuf, Chrétien, Ferdinand, Brault-Guillard; Biello, Mlah, Rea; Kwemi, Bey, Condé
Key quotes
Nick Razzaghi (FC Supra head coach): “It's an important match to play. After a day off, we found our peace with the recent results and the fact that CF Montréal won [in the Canadian Championship]. It's a double punishment not to be able to play them in the final, but that's life. We know there are things we could have done better and there was a little bit of bad luck. That's sport, we have to move forward. It's an important match to play. The guys have trained well. The mentality of this group is always positive, in the sense that we always come back to training ready to fight for the next challenge.”
Jack McInerney (new FC Supra player): “I'm ready to play. I've been working for a while, and I feel good. I played a few games with CS Saint-Laurent, so Supra realized that I'm at a level where I can go out on the field.”