Final Score: Atlético Ottawa 1-4 Pacific FC
Goalscorers: Bassett 52′; Young 6′, Heard 9′, Sellouf 34′, Didić 69′
Game of the 2023 season: 15
CPL match: 382

Match in a minute or less

Pacific FC scored early and often during a club-record away victory, 4-1 over Atlético Ottawa at TD Place Stadium on Saturday night.

It was the most dominant performance by a team in the 2023 CPL regular season to date. Sean Young and Josh Heard both scored inside the first nine minutes, while Ayman Sellouf and Amer Didić added further goals on either side of the half. Ollie Bassett had the lone goal for Atlético Ottawa, who have been limited to a single goal or less in all four of their CPL matches so far this season.

The match was also the first time a CPL side has won 4-1 away from home. For Atlético Ottawa, however, it meant a much more disappointing piece of history as they have now gone winless in their first four matches to start a season for the first time in club history.

Three Observations

Decisive counterattack ignites dominant first-half from Pacific FC

Heading into Saturday evening everything about Pacific’s attack had been on point in 2023 with the exception of the final act. They led the league in expected goals, chances created and shots attempts. They had scored just twice in three matches.

It took just nine minutes for that to course correct in Ottawa, with Pacific delivering one of the best halves of football the league has seen in some time. They were 2-0 up before the match was even ten minutes old and added a third before halftime.

They had 1.52 expected goals in the first half alone, while maintaining 55.6 per cent possession and 60.4 per cent of the duels won. In a word, dominant.

The real game-breaker for Pacific in the first half, however, was their counterattack. Be it solo runs or decisive combination play, Pacific was lethal each and every time they forced Ottawa to turn the ball over.

The Tridents strike again, as captain @Jheard_11 makes it 2-0 for @Pacificfccpl inside ten minutes at TD Place 🔱#CanPL I 📺 @onesoccer pic.twitter.com/jVYtFjUcYS

— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) May 6, 2023

“The most important thing for us was to be a little bit looser, and play a little bit freer and take chances and dribble, take one-v-ones, go to goal, combine, and have a bit more joy in the way that we attack,” said Pacific FC head coach James Merriman. “Because we have been strong in the buildup but then too tight in front of goal. Go and enjoy it, especially with the players that we have and we saw that. I’m really happy for the team.”

In his return to the starting lineup, it took Manny Aparicio just six minutes to show why Pacific has such a sterling record with him on the field. He took the ball off Miguel Acosta, in the Ottawa half, before running behind the backline and setting up Young with a perfect low cross.

Djenairo Daniels, meanwhile, who has been deployed as a wide attacker this season with Easton Ongaro preferred centrally, was fantastic leading the line. He played an important role in the first three Pacific goals, kicking off the press and winning the ball back on the first, assisting the second, and rushing Sean Melvin’s intercepted goal kick on the third. He should have had a goal of his own, but skied a shot over the ball from close range in the 32nd minute.

Young scored his first of the season, Heard added another and could have had multiple assists and Ayman Sellouf’s marvellous performance deserves a full section below. Just about everyone in the Pacific attack was at their best in Saturday’s opening half.

“That was our breakout game this season, it was a fantastic performance, up 3-0 at half is obviously where you want to be and it is a perfect game to build off for us,” said opening goalscorer Young.

Electric Ayman Sellouf adds x-factor to Pacific attack

When it was announced in mid-January that Marco Bustos was leaving the Island to join Swedish side Värnamo, there were understandably questions about how the Tridents could replace one of the most dynamic attacking players in the Canadian Premier League.

Four weeks into the season, 21-year-old Dutch attacker Ayman Sellouf announced himself as the heir apparent with a statement performance that is sure to put him in the spotlight, both within the league and beyond. Sellouf scored one of the goals of the season, with a stunning individual effort where he picked off a Melvin goal kick and then skipped past multiple Ottawa defenders before beating the keeper.

It was the highlight of an outstanding overall performance, in which Sellouf also had an assist, created two chances and had a stunning six successful dribbles, slicing through one of the league’s best defensive teams time and time again.

Canada, this is Ayman Sellouf. Alongside Canadians such as Manny Aparicio, Sean Young & Josh Heard he has just helped Pacific into a 3-0 lead at HT. It’s the best 45 mins from any team in the CPL for a long time. Atletico Ottawa? 👀 A lot of work to do. pic.twitter.com/CEMBTh9X4D

— Kristian Jack (@KristianJack) May 6, 2023

“He’s a difference maker for us, but it’s not speed and power, it is technique, it is intelligence, it is his one-v-ones, his ability,” said James Merriman. “He plays off the defender and he is an exciting player and very young, ambitious, hungry and he has been excellent, in the team, in the locker room. He’s very humble, so I think it could be a very bright season if he continues the way he is going.”

If his ability on the ball wasn’t enough, Sellouf’s work rate was also excellent throughout the 9o minutes. He won eight of his 11 duels and won possession a match leading 11 times.

Saturday night felt like a genuine ‘star is born’ moment in the Canadian Premier League.

Concern at an all-time high for Ottawa after a disastrous defensive performance

Coming into Saturday night’s match the one thing Ottawa could pride themselves on so far this season was their defensive performance.

Other than Pacific, they had allowed the fewest expected goals in the league so far with just 2.1 through three matches. The Tridents more than doubled that over 90 minutes, with 2.69, not to mention the four actual goals they scored.

It stemmed from a number of uncharacteristic mistakes, as Ottawa’s usually solid corp of defenders turned over the ball in dangerous positions, lost runners in transition and were beaten in one-on-one situations far too often.

Equally concerning, for the fifth time this season in all competitions, Ottawa allowed their opponent to score first. The team has spent the entire season chasing, and as a result, points are quickly getting away from them.

“We were decent for 15 minutes in the second half, but that has kind of been the story of our season in most of the games,” said Bassett. “We come out when we are one, two or three goals down and feel like we should start playing. The game is 90 minutes long not 15 minutes long.”

That makes it eight straight matches without a win at TD Place stadium, and while Atleti fans could be heard cheering their team on til the bitter end, the frustration has to be growing week after week.

“I feel sorry for them, really, really I do,” said Atleti manager Carlos González. “They are shouting 90 minutes, they are pushing us 90 minutes and I think they are deserving more at the moment so we hope that we can give them more as soon as possible.”

CanPL.ca Player of the Match

Ayman Sellouf, Pacific FC

Perhaps one of the best individual performances of the season in the best team performance of the year so far. Ayman Sellouf announced himself as a player to watch in the Canadian Premier League this season.

What’s next?

Both sides have big midweek matches in the Canadian Championship coming up. Atleti head to Hamilton for a rematch of the 2022 CPL final against Forge, this time in the CanChamp quarter-finals on Tuesday, May 9 (7:00 p.m. ET). Then it’s out west at the weekend for a first-ever meeting with Vancouver FC on Saturday, May 13 (9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT). For Pacific, meanwhile, they return home for a pair of matches, starting with League1 BC’s TSS Rovers on Wednesday, May 10 (7:30 p.m. PT) in the Canadian Championship. On Sunday, May 14, they host York United at Starlight Stadium at 3:00 p.m. PT/6:00 p.m. ET.

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