2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #52
Vancouver FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
July 12, 2024 at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET
Willoughby Community Park in Langley, B.C.
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

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The Canadian Premier League weekend begins with a top-of-the-table clash on the west coast between first-place Atlético Ottawa and third-place Vancouver FC on Friday in Langley, BC.

On their home field, where they have been very good this season, losing just once, Vancouver will be looking to narrow the six-point gap between them and the league leaders. This will be their final chance to do so at Willoughby Community Park, as having already played Atleti in Langley earlier in the season, the next two meetings will both be at TD Place.

Atlético Ottawa, meanwhile, have been top of the table for several weeks now. But after just two wins in their past six matches, the rest of the pack is starting to catch up — with second-place York United just five points behind them now. Still, for them, the focus is on themselves and not the chasing pack.

“I think that the most important thing is to grab a result to bounce back from a bad result,” said Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González. “At the moment, for me the advantage that we have against the second place or the other teams is not so so important. At the end of the day, what we have to fight for is to get into our best version again, because I think in the last few games we haven’t done games in which we were in our best version.”

The good news for them is that more often than not that best version has shown itself away from home this year. Atleti are the only team in the league who have not lost on the road this season, with three wins and two draws, and only three goals conceded in five CPL regular season games away from home. Nobody has managed to keep them off the scoresheet away from home yet either.

Vancouver FC are one of only two teams in the CPL this season who have held Atlético Ottawa on the road to just a single point, with a 1-1 draw in Langley back on May 12. A goal from Alejandro Díaz cancelled out the opener from Ruben del Campo on that occasion.

Díaz has made a habit of causing Atleti problems during his time in the CPL, as that aforementioned goal was his sixth in nine all-time meetings with the capital club. He has also added an assist. Having extended his loan with the BC club through June of next year, the Mexican forward has scored in back-to-back games and has a team-leading five on the season.

He will be counted upon in a big way again on Friday, because strike partner Moses Dyer remains day-to-day with an injury, and a final decision has not been made as to whether he will be in 18 for Vancouver. The same can be said for Fullback Kadin Chung, while Vasco Fry will miss the match through suspension after being sent off in Hamilton last time out against Forge FC.

Despite that dismissal, Vancouver FC were able to fight back to earn a 3-3 draw with Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field on Friday after Gaby Bitar scored a stoppage-time equalizer. It was the league-leading twelfth point that the Eagles have collected from losing positions this season.

Atlético Ottawa meanwhile, are crossing the country after a fairly short turnaround having played at home against Pacific FC this past Sunday. Their 1-0 loss was the first time all season they have been held without a goal in CPL action, so they will understandably be looking for a response in Langley.

All CPL matches are available to stream on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or on TELUS Optik TV Channel 980.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Vancouver FC begin an important home stand in Langley:  Friday’s match against Atlético Ottawa will kick off a critical stretch for Vancouver FC in their aspirations to be at the top end of the CPL table come the end of the season. Their next three games, and five of their next six dating all the way to August 18, will be played at home. The next two, in particular, for the Eagles will be big as they come against current top-of-the-table side Atlético Ottawa, before hosting current second-place team York United next weekend. “It’s super important, especially in this league with a lot of travelling and long distances between each team, I think getting the job done at home is a big part of any team that has a big season,” said Vancouver FC midfielder Mikaël Cantave. “So we’re obviously aware that we have a lot of home games coming up, but we’re mainly focused on the game against Ottawa.”

• Can Vancouver FC’s Gabriel Bitar build on Player of the Week performance?:  Vancouver FC’s rollercoaster 3-3 draw with Forge FC this past week came in a big way due to the outstanding performance of Gabriel Bitar. The Lebanese international stole the show with a goal-of-the-year candidate early in the first half, before scoring a second. Having not scored since the first match of the season, Bitar’s resurgence came as he played a number 10 role underneath Díaz. With Moses Dyer still expected to be out of the starting lineup, at minimum, perhaps this is a role that Bitar will reprise on Friday, and if he does it will once again be key to Vancouver’s success. “I think Gaby feels very comfortable playing underneath the striker, and I think he feels very comfortable to be the guy that is the glue and the connection between players,” said Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi. “He likes to have the ball at his feet, and when he has it, sometimes a lot of good things happen. “

•  Atlético Ottawa looking to avoid chasing games: Atlético Ottawa have shown they can win matches in different ways since the start of the season, a big reason why they currently sit top of the table. But playing the percentages alone, the fact that they have scored first just twice in their past seven matches in all competitions is a big reason why they have won just two of those games. González mentioned that especially during this stage of the season, when the heat can play such a factor, chasing games can really take a toll on a team physically and is something they are looking to avoid doing as much as possible. “Usually in these types of games the amount of energy when you are organized defensively is less than when you want to chase for a game and for a result,” said González. “I think that’s the main target for us, close our net and don’t think on chasing after results”. To be fair to Atleti, they have been much better at starting quickly away from home, scoring first in four of their five CPL road matches this season.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Vancouver FC: Irving; Bah, Enyou, Romeo, Gee; Cantave, Garcia, Powell, Fisk; Bitar, Díaz

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Twardek, Didić, Singh, de Brienne; Morer, Sissoko, Aparicio, Bassett; Tabla, del Campo

ALL-TIME SERIES

Vancouver FC wins: 1 || Atlético Ottawa wins: 3 || Draws: 1

Last meeting:

May 12, 2024 — Vancouver FC 1-1 Atlético Ottawa

KEY QUOTES

“I think it’s important to reduce the number of chances and goals that we take as a team, because I believe that we’re capable of scoring goals, and not just one, but in bunches.” — Vancouver FC head coach Afshin Ghotbi

“We’re always looking ahead right? We’re not looking back, we’re not looking at who can catch us. We’re looking at who we can catch and at this moment, it’s Ottawa at the top of the table. Any team always want to beat the first-place team.” — Vancouver FC midfielder Mikaël Cantave 

“That’s the main target for us, close our net and don’t think on chasing after results. I think that if we want to be fighting for good things and important things we have to be a solid team, very competitive team and we don’t have to be in the need of chasing games.” — Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González