2021 at a glance

The CPL’s youngest club heads into its second-ever season looking to improve on a reasonably impressive — given the circumstances — maiden voyage. Atlético Ottawa has yet to play a game in their home city, let alone in front of their fans, and they’ll have to wait a little longer for that with the 2021 CPL season beginning with ‘The Kickoff’ in Winnipeg this month.

Under head coach Mista and club CEO Fernando López, Ottawa has rebuilt their squad significantly this year, with a very strong cast of incoming talent. The team has been bolstered by some top-notch Canadian veterans, some of whom have had success at the CPL level before, as well as a handful of young internationals who could add some dynamism. They’ll also enter 2021 with the notable advantage of having a two-month pre-season camp in Spain, at the facilities of parent club Atlético Madrid, under their belts.

Can the league’s first expansion side improve in its sophomore year, and perhaps bank a few points in Winnipeg before making a triumphant return to the nation’s capital?

• 2020 CPL record (W-D-L): 2-2-3 (7th overall)
• Goals scored: 7
• Goals against: 12
• Goal difference: -5
• Top scorer: Francisco Acuña, Malcolm Shaw (2)

 What happened in 2020?

Last year was the first in Atlético Ottawa’s history, and what a way it was to begin their history. Just over a month after the expansion side was announced — with the backing of Atlético Madrid — the COVID-19 pandemic hit in full force, shuttering their preparations for an inaugural season.

Ottawa built out much of its squad in a few weeks prior to the Island Games, meaning they weren’t exactly the deepest team in the league. Still, they did much better than most expected — a draw in their first-ever game against York9 FC put them on the map, as did a shock 2-0 win over the previous year’s CPL finalists Cavalry FC.

They struggled somewhat with closing out games, having to settle for draws with both York and FC Edmonton despite leading 2-0 in both contests. Still, those two points, combined with the win over Cavalry and a dramatic victory over Pacific FC (thanks to a 90th-minute winner by Viti Martínez) kept Ottawa alive heading into the final day of the first round.

A 2-0 defeat to eventual finalists HFX Wanderers eliminated Ottawa in their last outing, but it was overall quite a positive first season for the newcomers. Some flair from the likes of Francisco Acuña and Ben Fisk made them entertaining to watch, and they were by no means pushovers (even in an early loss to Valour FC, which got out of hand late and ended 4-0).

How have they changed?

PLAYERS IN: Teodor Obadal, Dylon Powley, Miguel Acosta, Drew Beckie, Keesean Ferdinand, Chris Mannella, Zachary Verhoven, Rafael Núñez, Shawn-Claud Lawson, Jordan Webb, Ryan Telfer, Brian Wright

PLAYERS OUT: Ricky Gomes, Nacho Zabal, Horace Sobze, Gianfranco Facchineri, Jarred Phillips, Michel Djaozandry, Matteo de Brienne, Ben Fisk, Maksym Kowal, Francisco Acuña, Ajay Khabra, Mo Kourouma, Malyk Hamilton

Well, they’ve changed a lot. Twelve new players have come in so far, replacing the 13 that have departed.

Ottawa’s core has changed fundamentally; expect Drew Beckie, Chris Mannella, and Ryan Telfer to form the spine of the lineup. Beckie, formerly an Ottawa Fury stalwart, returns to the capital after a strong sting in the United States, while Mannella and Telfer arrive in Ottawa after playing last year for York. Telfer, the first goalscorer in CPL history, is likely to be the key to this reformed attack that also includes fellow Canadians Shawn-Claud Lawson, Jordan Webb, and Brian Wright.

Dylon Powley and Zach Verhoven also arrive from other CPL sides — FC Edmonton and Pacific, respectively — while Atlético Madrid academy products Miguel Acosta and Rafael Núñez have come in as reinforcements (Núñez, just 19 years old, is on loan from the parent club).

The biggest departure is surely Francisco Acuña, the experienced Mexican midfielder who was one of the league’s top players at the Island Games. Also departing is inaugural club captain Ben Fisk, who moved on from Ottawa after 2020.

Projected Starting XI

Dylon Powley; Vashon Neufville, Drew Beckie, Brandon John, Miguel Acosta; Ben McKendry, Chris Mannella, Viti Martínez; Zachary Verhoven, Malcolm Shaw, Ryan Telfer

With two new goalkeepers in the squad, either Powley or Teodor Obadal could get the nod. Due to his experience in the CPL, though, Powley might get the first crack at the starter’s job. In front of him is probably the stable defensive pairing of Beckie and Brandon John, the latter of which returns from the inaugural squad. Another returnee, Vashon Neufville, surely lines up at left fullback, while young Spaniard Miguel Acosta takes the other side. On the bench, teenage CF Montreal loanee Keesean Ferdinand could also be called upon, and experienced centre-back Milovan Kapor may compete with John for a spot in the lineup.

A double-pivot of McKendry and Mannella should be formidable in midfield, with McKendry returning after a solid Island Games. Mannella didn’t quite get into as much game action as he would’ve hoped with York last year, but as a former Ottawa Fury star he’ll be looking forward to his return. Expect Martínez to be the main central creative force, pushed further upfield after Acuña’s departure. He played some solid minutes on loan with CD Alavés B over the winter, so he might be a touch sharper than the competition.

In reserve, Ottawa has some unknown quantities in Osah Bernardinho and Tevin Shaw, both of whom missed out on last season due to travel restrictions. Either could play their way into the lineup, but it’s hard to gauge exactly what their level might be. Antoine Coupland is a bit of a wild card; the 17-year-old is one of the most highly-touted prospects in the league, so he may get eased into the squad and given more and more opportunities as the season progresses.

Ottawa’s attack is hardest to predict; Telfer is an almost guaranteed starter, but there’s room for competition in who lines up beside him. Verhoven has been one of the most dynamic wingers in the CPL the past two years while at Pacific, and a more consistent role might be enough to put him over the top. In the middle, Shaw seems like the perfect target man for this lineup; he was good in 2020, with a couple of excellent goals, and he offers a different skillset to the rest of his teammates.

That said, any of Jordan Webb, Shawn-Claud Lawson, or Brian Wright could well also be among the first-choice group. They all have good experience in some extremely varied situations, so any of that domestic trio could be involved. Rafael Núñez, as well, might be an x-factor; the Atlético Madrid loanee is an exciting young winger, but it’s unclear just how ready he might be for professional minutes.

Coach’s profile: Mista

As a player, Mista’s name was reasonably well-known in both Canada and Spain. He finished his playing days with nine games for Toronto FC, after a long and successful career in Spain — he won two La Liga titles and the UEFA Cup with Valencia, for whom he played 144 times, and he had a solid stint at Atlético Madrid as well. A native of Murcia and a product of the Real Madrid academy, Mista played for the Spanish senior national team twice in 2005.

Atlético Ottawa is Mista’s first professional head coaching job, having started out his managerial career as a youth coach for Spanish sides Valencia and Rayo Vallecano. He was named the first manager in Ottawa’s club history when the expansion side was revealed in early 2020.

Mista has had his side working hard over the past few months in their pre-season training camp in Spain, which should have helped them build up some tactical proficiency and chemistry. Now that he’s had some more time to build out his squad, this season could be a fairer test of Mista’s coaching capabilities. Given the circumstances in 2020, his side did very well, and they were quite a well-organized team, but expect improvement in the second year.

What they’re saying

“These players now feel that connection much deeper. Last year we only had a couple of weeks to train to learn our philosophy. This year is completely different – they know. They have more responsibility. Alternatively, we know the CPL more deeply and we’re more prepared.” — Mista