2024 CPL Regular Season — Match #87
Valour FC vs. Atlético Ottawa
September 9, 2024 at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET
Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba
Watch Live: OneSoccer.ca & TELUS Ch. 980 // Tickets available here

For the fifth time this year, Valour FC and Atlético Ottawa square off on Monday night, with both clubs desperate for points in heated playoff and title races.

The hosts Valour will be looking for their first win over Ottawa in 2024, knowing that a win in this fixture would give them a huge boost in their push toward the postseason. Ahead of their 22nd match, Valour sit seventh in the league table with a 6-3-12 record and 21 points, which puts them five back of Vancouver FC for the fifth and final playoff spot.

So, a victory over Ottawa would bring Valour back within touching distance, and allow them to leapfrog sixth-place Pacific FC. The Winnipeg side come into this one well rested after their previous match all the way back on Friday, Aug. 30 — a 2-2 draw with Cavalry where they fought back from 2-0 down to snatch a point at ATCO Field.

Atlético Ottawa will be far from pushovers, though. They’re up in second place thanks to their 10-6-5 record; Atleti are looking solid in their playoff spot, but they have their eye on the regular season title. Right now, Ottawa are five points behind Forge FC for the top spot, so they can’t get into first this weekend but they could put more pressure on the Hammers by pulling to within two.

The capital city club have been in good form recently, unbeaten in their last three. They beat Vancouver FC 1-0 at home on Saturday, thanks to another Olimpico goal from newfound specialist Ilias Iliadis.

Fixtures between these sides have largely swung Ottawa’s way this year. In their first three meetings of 2024 — including a Canadian Championship tie where Atleti won 7-0 — they outscored the Winnipeggers 11-0. Last time however, Valour managed to take a point from TD Place with a 2-2 draw.

Both sides will be missing at least one key figure for the clash due to suspension; both Valour’s Gianfranco Facchineri and Ottawa’s Matteo de Brienne are out with yellow card accumulation, meaning each coach will be forced to make a change in defence. Otherwise though, the teams are in good health; Valour got Juan Pablo Sánchez back from injury last match with a substitute appearance and Noah Verhoeven has also returned to fitness after a knock last week. Meanwhile, Atleti should have most of their regulars available, especially after Liberman Torres returned to the squad against Vancouver.

Three points are absolutely crucial for both of these sides on Monday, which should make for a playoff-style energy in Winnipeg.

All CPL and Canadian Championship matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer, available as a linear channel on Telus’ Optik TV (Channel 980) as well as online at OneSoccer.ca, through the OneSoccer app and on the fuboTV Canada platform.

3 THINGS TO WATCH

• Valour finding joy from set-pieces: After conceding twice from intricate set play routines against Cavalry, Valour fought back by scoring two of their own. Raphael Ohin and Abdul Binate both got their head on a well-delivered corner kick within a few minutes of each other to bring their side back level. Head coach Phil Dos Santos explained this week that his side has found more success from simpler corner routines. “We choose to be a little bit more pragmatic,” he said. “We know that we have very good delivery from Themi and Rob [Alarcón], and we have the ability to score with runners. We just choose to be a bit more pragmatic; it’s not that we don’t see the same value in the intricacies that a team like Cavalry has. It’s just that there’s seven days a week and 24 hours in a day, so you have to choose and prioritize.”

• How do Atleti replace De Brienne? With usual left-back Matteo De Brienne suspended, Atlético Ottawa will have to make a major change to their backline. They’ve recently been playing a back five since Ilias Iliadis joined the fold, but there isn’t a natural left-footed defender with experience out wide they could put in De Brienne’s slot. Liberman Torres’ return last weekend could give Carlos González an option, but it’ll be interesting to see whether he plugs somebody into the role or makes a broader change to his lineup to make up for the absence.

• Three points or nothing: The nature of the standings right now means that Valour’s 2-2 draw with Ottawa last time they played would not be met with as much satisfaction. Valour are five points out of the playoffs, and Atleti are five points back of first place, each with seven games left to play. That means they both have to start making up ground right now — and one point would not do much toward accomplishing that goal. For that reason, expect an aggressive approach from both teams as they look to score early and often — and if it’s tied late in the affair, neither side is likely to sit back for the draw.

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Mourdoukoutas, Chantzopoulos, Antonoglou; Faria, Mlah, Campbell, Ressurreição; Hundal, Swibel

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Morer, Walker, Didic, Ilias, Roy; Tabla, Zapater, Aparicio, Bassett; Del Campo

ALL-TIME SERIES

Valour wins: 6 || Atlético Ottawa wins: 7 || Draws: 4

Last meeting:

July 21, 2024 — Atlético Ottawa 2-2 Valour FC

KEY QUOTES

“When you feel that you’ve got to a comfort level with where the squad is, I think that allows you to bring continuity to the team. I think we’ve reached that point and there’s a lot for us to grow still. We’re never comfortable with where we’re at; I think there’s another gear for us, but that’s been key for players to finding there’s that security in understanding what they’re teammate is going to do or how they’re going to think in a specific moment of the game.” — Valour FC head coach Phillip Dos Santos

“We’ve tried to change things so the team was more competitive than in the month of July and August. I think we’ve touched the key and now we’re progressing in the right direction, and now we have been a really competitive team in the most important moment of the season.” — Atlético Ottawa head coach Carlos González