What’s a coach supposed to say to his team after losing 4-0 in the second game of the club’s existence?

That’s a question for Atlético Ottawa’s Mista to grapple with on Wednesday, following his side’s second-half deflation at the hands of Valour FC.

All four of Valour’s goals came in the aftermath of Milovan Kapor’s 65th-minute red card, meaning Ottawa technically has a +2 goal differential with 11 men on the field, having suffered a (similar defensive breakdown on Saturday against York9 FC).

Still, Atleti’s rookie coach was dismayed at the club’s effort through all 90 minutes vs. Valour, delivering some scathing words for the performance.

“I think our team didn’t have intensity whatsoever,” Mista said through a translator. “We lost one-on-one duels, we lost the second balls in midfield, we just lacked intensity tremendously. Then obviously we got the red card, but just in general some lack of character and intensity from some of our players.”

He added: “Just since the beginning, for us it wasn’t a good game whatsoever. We weren’t able to play our football, get comfortable whatsoever. I think in the first half they had eight corners, just to give you an idea of where we were playing the game.”

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Atlético Ottawa found themselves on the wrong side of the possession and duels stats, mustering just two shots in the first half before finding their feet a little in the second — and promptly losing that momentum thanks to the red card.

Certainly, they missed some pace on the left side without suspended fullback Vashon Neufville — they’ll have him back for Sunday’s game — which made the attack very lopsided. Ottawa was forced to send 50 per cent of their attacks down the rightmost third of the pitch, which Valour was able to contain fairly easily.

Wednesday should’ve been a moment of pride for Ottawa, as they donned the iconic red and white stripes of their parent club Atlético de Madrid for the first time. Unfortunately, though, the side’s limp performance took the shine off what should’ve been a great day for the club.

“We don’t think we represented properly, in this game, the red and white stripes,” Mista admitted. “Some players, or just in general the collective, maybe don’t understand what it is to represent that. It’s not only a badge, it’s not only red and white stripes, it’s a sentiment. It’s an attitude. It’s a way of being.”

After leaving Saturday’s first game against York9 FC with a mostly positive outlook, the winds seem to have shifted around Atlético Ottawa after game two. With just five games remaining at The Island Games, the pressure is on now — beginning with Sunday against FC Edmonton.

“We need to do better as a group,” said midfielder Antoine Coupland, who made his CPL debut at the age of just 16 on Wednesday.

“I think what we take from this is the way we bounce back. The next game we need to go out there and give it everything we’ve got.”

In closing, Mista offered up his message to a club, for whom he’s set the bar incredibly high, after a demoralizing 4-0 defeat.

“Soccer is just like life,” the Spaniard stated. “There’s some times you make mistakes; this was one of these moments. We made a mistake in the whole game, we lost. But I think from an attitude perspective we need to go our 120 per cent, win our duels, win our dead balls, our second balls also.

“If we don’t base ourselves off that, we’re not gonna win a game.”