Welcome to CPL5x5. In preparation for the 2023 Canadian Premier League season — the fifth since the league’s inception in 2019 — CanPL.ca will provide full, in-depth preview coverage for each of the eight clubs.
In this series, we’ll break down all you need to know about each team within five sections: Five stats, five key players, five fixtures to circle, five storylines to watch, and five quotes.
To check out the rest of CanPL.ca’s 2023 season preview coverage, click here. To see the other seven clubs’ CPL5x5 breakdowns, click here.
The 2022 campaign was a historic one for Atlético Ottawa, but in 2023 they want to achieve even greater things. The club went from last place in 2021 to the 2022 regular season champions, with Player of the Year Ollie Bassett and Coach of the Year Carlos González at the forefront of what was truly a “massive” season.
Their quest to lift the North Star Shield fell at the final hurdle – losing the CPL final to Forge FC in front of an incredible 15,000 fans at TD Place. This year they’ll be looking to do one better, as well as compete for the regular season title and the Concacaf Champions League berth that comes along with that.
5 STATS
23 more points:
Atlético Ottawa finishing as the regular season champions last season is a great achievement in its own right, but made even more impressive considering the club finished dead last the season prior. After a busy off-season in which the club made a dozen new signings, they improved from a 6-8-14 record to 13-10-5 – a gain of 23 points, nearly double the 26 total points they had in 2021.
They became much stronger defensively in particular, and were difficult to break down all season long. They used the counter-attack to their advantage, often catching teams in transition and making them pay for mistakes.
18 goals that need to be replaced:
Two of Ottawa’s top three goalscorers left the club this winter, as Brian Wright and Ballou Tabla left for pastures new. Wright, who signed for York United, and Tabla, who was sold to Manisa FK in Turkey, scored seven goals apiece in all competitions, one behind Ollie Bassett’s eight for the team lead.
Keven Alemán (2 goals), Vladimir Moragrega (1) and Iván Pérez (1) have also left the club, so Ottawa have a total of 18 goals that need to be replaced in 2023.
They’ve brought in a few new recruits in Samuel Salter and Gianni Dos Santos, who scored twelve and three goals for the Halifax Wanderers and Pacific FC, respectively, in 2022. They will need Bassett to be at his brilliant best once again, and the returning Malcolm Shaw (who had five goals last season, down from 10 the year prior) to be more productive if they are to have another big season.
307 votes:
Last season the Canadian Premier League gave out a Players’ Player of the Year award for the first time, and it was won by Atlético Ottawa’s Ollie Bassett, who also won the Player of the Year award as voted by the media. 180 CPL players cast their votes, selecting their top three. They were not allowed to vote for anyone on their own team, and five points were awarded to their number one choice, three points for their second, and one point for their third.
Bassett received 307 points total, ahead of teammate Ballou Tabla who was second with 269 points, saying afterwards that “it means a lot to be voted by players that you play against week in and week out.”
75 saves:
Last year, in his first season with Atlético Ottawa after moving across the province from York United, goalkeeper Nathan Ingham made a league-leading (including the playoffs) 75 saves, starting nearly every single match for the club.
He also finished tied for third in clean sheets with nine, two back of Triston Henry’s league-leading eleven, and was nominated for the Golden Glove award. Sean Melvin is a more-than-capable backup for Ottawa, but Ingham will again be Carlos González’s first choice netminder in 2023.
97 shots on target:
Atlético Ottawa had the fewest number of shots on target in the 2022 regular season, with just 97. They did well with those limited opportunities, however, scoring 36 times, good for fourth in the league. Creating more chances and playing a bit more on the front foot should be something Ottawa prioritize in 2023. While they were impressive defensively, and that often made up for a lack of goals being scored, relying on that is a dangerous game.
As mentioned, the club has brought in Sam Salter and Gianni Dos Santos this offseason, who both finished in the top 11 in terms of individual shots on target. The challenge now will be getting the ball to those players in promising positions – and making the most of those opportunities.
5 KEY PLAYERS
Ollie Bassett
This one goes without saying. Atlético Ottawa’s most important player is back for another season, and will be relied on again to be a difference maker for his side. Bassett was the league’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year last season, leading Ottawa in goals with eight, and finishing second on the team with three assists.
He also led the team in minutes played, missing just one game all season for yellow card accumulation. He is absolutely crucial to this team, and having spoken previously about his desire to use the club as a stepping stone to a higher level, he could have another successful year in 2023.
Diego Espejo
In his first season in Canada, Atlético Madrid B loanee Diego Espejo was a rock at the back for Ottawa in 2022. Perhaps unlucky not to be a nominee for Defender of the Year, Espejo’s composure under pressure was impressive for such a young player (he turned 20 in August), and it was a rare sight to see him put a foot wrong.
His loan has been extended for another season, and after going on trial with Major League Soccer club Inter Miami during their preseason, his talent is clearly catching the eye of teams. Espejo was a big reason for Ottawa’s defensive stability last year, and will be an important piece of the puzzle once again.
Nathan Ingham
As mentioned, Nathan Ingham was not only Ottawa’s clear number one goalkeeper last season, but reminded everyone that he is one of the best in the entire league. Nominated for the Golden Glove award for the second time in his CPL career, Ingham started nearly every match, led the league in saves, and kept nine clean sheets.
He was rewarded for his good performances, alongside teammate Ollie Bassett, with an opportunity to train with Liga MX side Atlético San Luis, another club under the Atlético Madrid umbrella. Like Bassett, Ingham spoke after the training stint about how being in that environment will push him to be even better in 2023 than he was in 2022, which if he’s able to achieve will put him right back in that Goalkeeper of the Year conversation once again.
Maxim Tissot
In his first season with the club after joining from Forge FC, Maxim Tissot was one of the league’s best left-backs in 2022. Whether playing on the left side of a back four or higher up the pitch as a wingback when Ottawa transitioned to a back three, Tissot was incredibly effective on both sides of the ball. If he can stay healthy again, there’s every chance that he can replicate that success again and be a key difference maker.
Malcolm Shaw
In 2021, on a poorly-performing Atlético Ottawa team, Malcolm Shaw scored 10 goals in CPL action, good enough for a top-five spot in the Golden Boot race. Last year, however, he didn’t play as many minutes and his production took a hit as well. Shaw missed eight matches across August and September, and scored just three regular season goals. He did show up when his team needed him most – scoring a big goal in the CPL semifinal against Pacific FC to ensure Ottawa’s spot in the final.
He can still be a major part of this team’s success, and will likely be Carlos González’s first-choice striker. They’ll be hoping that he can recapture that 2021 form on what is a much better team than it was at that time.
5 FIXTURES TO CIRCLE
April 15: Atlético Ottawa vs. Halifax Wanderers
The 2023 Canadian Premier League season will begin in the same place last season ended – at TD Place in Ottawa. Atleti will host the Halifax Wanderers for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff, just a few days before they meet each other again in the Canadian Championship – with that second game being played at a neutral site, York Lions Stadium.
Ottawa will be hoping that it’s the first match in another successful season for the reigning regular season champions, while the Wanderers will want to start on a high note after a disappointing 2022 campaign.
May 6: Atlético Ottawa vs. Pacific FC
After an exciting two-legged playoff meeting last season, both Ottawa and Pacific FC will have this one circled on their calendars – the first meeting between the two since. Both sides have lost key players this off-season, but made exciting new signings as well, so it will be interesting to see how they stack up again this year.
May 13: Vancouver FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
The capital city club will visit the West Coast for their first match against Vancouver FC on May 13. The first ever CPL match between two expansion clubs, Atlético Ottawa will be the second team to visit Willoughby Community Park at the Langley Events Centre, after Cavalry FC take part in VFC’s home opener six days earlier. Ottleti will then head to Alberta to take on the Cavs in the second part of a two-game western road trip.
July 12: Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
Cavalry FC have historically been a very good team at home, but last season Ottawa visited twice and came away with a pair of big victories – a 3-0 win in late August, and a 3-1 win about a month later. The two clubs will meet for the second time in 2023 on July 12 at ATCO Field. With games under their belt to start the new season, the rust will have worn off and we can expect another exciting midseason clash between the two sides.
October 7: Forge FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
The regular season will mean so much more in 2023 than it has in past seasons, after the CPL’s announcement of the new season format in March. Whoever finishes top of the table will automatically earn a spot in the 2024 Concacaf Champions League, and will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs, so there is a lot on the line.
The regular season title could go down to the wire, so what better way to celebrate the final weekend of the regular season than a rematch of the previous year’s final and a battle between two of the teams that will be expecting to challenge for the title? That’s what we’ll get on Oct. 7, when Ottawa head across Ontario to take on Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field.
5 STORYLINES TO WATCH
Can Atlético Ottawa go one step further than they did in 2022?
After finishing last in 2021, Atlético did the unthinkable and went from worst to first after a coaching change and adding more quality to their squad, winning the regular season title. They then defeated the reigning North Star Shield winners Pacific FC in the playoffs, and hosted the final at TD Place in front of an incredible 15,000 fans.
They lost that final, 2-0 to Forge FC, but the mood after that match was that the club had unfinished business. They nearly pulled off the fairytale season, but fell just short. The question now going into 2023 is whether or not they can repeat their regular season success and go one step further, winning their first North Star Shield.
Will Ottawa focus more on attacking football?
A lot of Ottawa’s success last season came as a result of some brilliant defending. There’s a strong case to be made that a back three of Diego Espejo, Drew Beckie, and Sergio Camus was the best in the Canadian Premier League down the stretch, especially when you add in Miguel Acosta and Maxim Tissot on either flank as well at fullback.
They had some success in attack from counter-attacking plays, and set pieces played a role as well thanks to dead ball specialist Ollie Bassett’s magic at times, but overall many of their attacks were reactive instead of proactive.
They had the fewest number of shots on target in the regular season last year, so the challenge for Carlos Gonzalez this season is trying to help this team grow even more tactically, in order to create more shots on target. If they can do that and keep their defensive stability, they could be in for another brilliant season.
How much of a role will Jean-Aniel Assi play?
Now with a year of professional soccer under his belt on loan at Cavalry FC, young Canadian winger Jean-Aniel Assi could have a big sophomore season in the Canadian Premier League. Joining Ottleti on loan from Major League Soccer club CF Montréal for the 2023 season, Assi has the talent to be a starter in the CPL.
Still just 18 years old, Assi already has 19 CPL appearances, starting nine times for Cavalry last year and playing 10 more times off the bench. He contributed two assists, operating primarily as a right winger.
With Ballou Tabla leaving the club in the off-season, Ottawa needed an explosive winger, and Assi could be their guy. Assi will be hoping to make the most of his second CPL campaign the same way fellow CF Montreal loanee Sean Rea did at Valour FC last season – where he had a breakout season, winning the U-21 Canadian Player of the Year award and earning himself a spot on Montreal’s MLS roster. It’s unfair to expect that of Assi, but that’s something comparable for him to aspire to.
Also, importantly, Assi will eat up a lot of under-21 minutes for Ottawa – an area they were lacking in at times last season, only reaching the 2,000 minute quota on the final day of the season. As a loanee, a maximum of 1,000 minutes will count toward that quota, but if he plays as well as he can, expect him to play a lot more than that.
Ollie Bassett is the reigning POTY, but wants to achieve more
Being named the Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year is about as good of a season as you can have as an individual in the Canadian Premier League, but the reigning winner of both titles, Atlético Ottawa midfielder Ollie Bassett, wants to achieve even greater things.
Bassett told CanPL.ca in December that bringing the North Star Shield – which he won in 2021 with Pacific FC – to Ottawa is his priority, but individually he believes he can reach another level as well.
He has made no secret of the fact that he believes he can play at a higher level, so with this one year left on his contract (Ottawa are expected to exercise their option to extend it by a further year), he will be motivated to push himself again to both individual and team success to attract potential suitors.
How much of a hole will be left by the departures of key players?
A handful of Atlético Ottawa’s most important players left the club this offseason, leaving Ottawa with some holes to fill, but they have made several signings that they hope will be strong replacements.
Captain Drew Beckie retired in the offseason, joining the club’s front office, opening up a spot for Ottawa to recruit veteran Canadian international defender Karl Ouimette. Luke Singh has also come in on loan from Toronto FC, hoping to build on a season in Edmonton that was frustrating at times, but in which he showed signs of being an impressive young centre-back.
Abdoul Sissoko wasn’t a midfielder who grabbed the headlines, but was quietly a crucial cog in Atlético Ottawa’s midfield. The former French youth international played all but three of the club’s matches, making 25 starts and three more appearances off the bench between the regular season and the playoffs. Noah Verhoeven has been Ottawa’s top recruit in midfield thus far, with the former York United and Pacific FC midfielder looking to build on a couple of seasons in which he was regarded in a similar way – not the flashiest player on the park, but an incredibly solid midfield option.
The departure of Ballou Tabla has already been discussed, with a lot of pressure on the aforementioned Jean-Aniel Assi to step into a bigger role than he had last year with Cavalry, and Sam Salter and Gianni Dos Santos have been brought in to try and replace the outgoing Brian Wright and Keven Alemán.
5 QUOTES
“I’ve said a couple of times that I do have aspirations and goals to play at a higher level, so I’m hoping that I can prove myself again next season and continue the same form that I had this year going into next year. Maybe hit double figures for goals, which will be nice. Ultimately, it’s just about staying consistent and working hard day in and day out and keep performing at the highest level I can, and then hopefully opportunities come to take my game to the next level somewhere else in the world.”
— Midfielder Ollie Bassett on his personal aspirations in 2023
“We are losing an important player but, on the other hand, the club has to be very proud of what we have accomplished. We aim to help players develop and take positive steps in their careers and, with Ballou, we can be proud of helping him achieve that. I wish him all the best in his new chapter.”
— Head coach Carlos Gonzalez on replacing Ballou Tabla
“It is the first time where I’ve honestly felt like I could step into a higher level, whether that’s in Mexico or in MLS and immediately help a team. I think for a long time I maybe could have been a backup or a third-string but you need to get games under your belt, you need to learn a lot, you need to go through the ups and downs of being a starter.”
— Goalkeeper Nathan Ingham on his preseason training stint with Atlético San Luis
“We’re here to make the development of Canadian players better and bring an opportunity to Canadian players that wasn’t there before, and then to help the national team get better.”
— Former captain, and now team manager, Drew Beckie on the role of the CPL
“We have to learn, because it is true that maybe we have players with a little bit less experience in these situations, so it is a thing that we have to acknowledge, to learn and to improve for the next season. Because the next season we are going to be back I am sure.”
— Head coach Carlos Gonzalez on developing young players
