Supra got a much-needed boost in the standings with an impressive 2-0 victory in Ottawa.
Sean Rea opened the scoring with an opportunistic finish on the rebound after a fine save from Chris Kalongo, while Loïc Kwemi sealed the victory after some outstanding work by Diyaeddine Abzi down the left.
“Today, we won in a very professional manner from start to finish. I really liked everyone’s effort today and I’m very happy,” said Supra head coach Nick Razzaghi after the match.
“We were responsible with our play in terms of the tactics we were given. We followed the instructions and things went well,” said Supra defender Diyaeddine Abzi.
For Ottawa, a lack of efficiency at key moments in the match ultimately tipped the balance the wrong way.
“Today, Supra wanted this victory more than we did. We need to think about what we want as a team. I know what we want as a club, but as a group, I think we need to improve our behaviours a lot to achieve our objectives. We cannot lose games like today,” lamented Atlético head coach Gustavo Leal.
Supra made the difference in the second half, but generally controlled the match from start to finish.
Supra dominated the opening 45 minutes, thanks to Loïc Kwemi’s constant activity, Ibrahim Condé’s strong presence in the box and significant attacking contributions from Zachary Brault-Guillard and Diyaeddine Abzi.
However, Supra’s 10 first-half attempts were either off target or stopped by a vigilant Chris Kalongo in Ottawa’s goal.
The Ottawa goalkeeper was particularly impressive on a long-range cross-shot from Diyaeddine Abzi, making a fine fingertip save.
The best chance of the first half, however, fell to Atlético Ottawa and forward Emiliano Garcia. His double effort just seconds before halftime allowed Joakim Milli to make his mark in the Supra goal, after enjoying a relatively quiet first half.
Goals in the second half
The Quebec goalkeeper had a significant impact on Supra’s victory, making the saves his team needed at crucial moments.
Shortly after the restart, he thwarted an excellent move initiated by Diego Gutierrez. The Ottawa midfielder’s through ball split the defence and found Joachim Coulanges in stride, but Milli came off his line brilliantly to clear the danger.
Supra opened the scoring three minutes later.
Despite falling behind, Atlético Ottawa never seemed to fully find a solution against a well-organized Supra defence.
Fleuriau-Chateau sent a shiver through the stands with a volley on the turn, but his effort went wide and ultimately illustrated his team’s struggles.
Supra’s second goal with 15 minutes remaining put an end to the suspense.
Aside from a Jean-Aniel Assi shot that went wide, the final noteworthy moments of the match were the introductions of Amaury Escoto for Ottawa and Jack McInerney for Supra.
The result gives FC Supra its first victory after two consecutive defeats and brings the Quebec side back into the playoff race. Supra is now six points behind fourth-place Vancouver FC, with a game in hand.
“The playoffs are far from being decided,” emphasized Nick Razzaghi. “It’s going to go down to the final day. There’s a lot of football left to play and we knew that, but being able to win, I think it gives us a bit of momentum in a positive direction.”
For Atlético, the impact on the standings is not yet significant, but consistency remains an issue for the team.
“We need to think about the areas we need to improve and work hard during the week to improve them for the next match,” said Gustavo Leal.
Atlético remains in third place, but now has just a three-point lead over Vancouver FC.
Box scores
Starting XI
Atlético Ottawa: Kalongo; Coulanges, Kozlovskiy, Mbomio (Assi, 77th), Cloutier; Arnaud (Khoury, 66th), Gutiérrez (Castro, 77th), Antinoro (Escoto, 77th), Ballou-Tabla, Garcia (Habibullah, 66th); Fleuriau-Chateau
FC Supra: Milli; Brault-Guillard, Auguste, Chrétien, Abzi (Fernandez, 90+3); Sissoko, Biello; Rea (Elkalkouli, 90+3), Santos (Choinière, 70th), Kwemi (Mlah, 80th), Condé (McInerney, 90+3)
Goals
Rea (FC Supra) – 56th
Kwemi (FC Supra) – 75th
Cards
Ballou-Tabla (Atlético Ottawa) – 11th
Biello (FC Supra) – 48th
Rea (FC Supra) – 90th
Player of the Match — CPLSoccer.com
Loïc Kwemi – FC Supra
Once again a constant threat, this time on the right wing, the league’s top scorer netted his 11th goal of the season. He also played a key role in several of his team’s best moves throughout the match.
Next Match
Atlético Ottawa travel to Halifax on Saturday, September 26 at 4 p.m. ET.
FC Supra travel to Cavalry on Friday, September 25 at 9 p.m. ET.