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Match Preview – Pacific FC v Atlético Ottawa: First away day provides new test for Tridents

Pacific FC is on the road for the first time in 2023. After spending the month of April in the friendly confines of Starlight Stadium, the Tridents are off to the nation’s capital to play Atlético Ottawa on Saturday.

There were a couple highs as well as a couple frustrating results during the opening stretch of the season, but now the rhythm of a full campaign starts to set in. This season it begins with an important test against last year’s regular season champs.

Looking for revenge after how last season ended in this same city, Pacific will be incredibly motivated for all three points on Saturday.

Trends and Stats

A trend across the entire league is the amount of draws taking place over the first three matchweeks. Seven of the 12 matches played so far have ended with the scoreline level.

Additionally, only one of the 12 matches played has had a margin of victory of more than one. Valour FC’s 2-0 victory over York United FC is the only match with a two-goal difference; the other victories have been 1-0 or 2-1.

Ottawa played out two 1-1 draws to start the season before losing to York last weekend, with Pacific recording a 1-1 draw with Cavalry FC in Matchweek 2. Ottawa currently sit in last place but are only one win away from being top due to the extremely tight and tense nature of the early stages of this season.

History

The recent history is painful, after the Tridents were knocked out in the semi-finals by Ottawa last season. But overall it’s been a very evenly-contested fixture. Only twice in the 10 total meetings have the teams been separated by more than one goal at the end, with one of those being Ottawa’s 2-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final.

Pacific won the regular season series in 2022 with two wins and a draw in four meetings. Overall, the head-to-head stands at four wins for Pacific, three for Ottawa, and three draws.

Quote

“We played them very well last season. Obviously, it didn’t go our way, so we still have that in us. The last couple of matches we feel quite good about the way that we attacked the games, the way that we played, the way that we executed what we wanted to do, other than the final third.” – Pacific FC head coach James Merriman (h/t Canpl.ca)

Players to Watch

Pacific FC – Easton Ongaro, Atlético Ottawa – Sam Salter

These are two seasoned Canadian Premier League strikers who find themselves in new surroundings this season.

Both Ongaro and Salter joined their new team during this past offseason as Pacific and Ottawa looked to add a clinical centre-forward to their team. In Ongaro’s case, the Tridents were looking for an Alejandro Diaz replacement after the Mexican joined Norwegian club Sogndal Fotball last August. What a replacement they found as Pacific swapped out the no. 2 all-time top-scorer in CPL history for no. 3. Ongaro’s size is the first thing you notice, but his silky touch and instinctive finishing ability are what set him apart from other big strikers. With one goal to his name in PFC colours through four games, Ongaro has shown flashes of what makes him special, but a dominant performance is still just around the corner and could very well come on Saturday.

Lining up through the middle for Atlético Ottawa is Salter, the answer to the trivia question: who was the first inter-league transfer in CPL history? Formerly of HFX Wanderers FC, Salter moved to Ottawa in February for an undisclosed fee as Ottleti looked to replace the attacking contributions of Ballou Tabla. Like Ongaro, Salter is a tall, lanky centre-forward with good holdup play and movement. Still without a goal to his name, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s any extra weight on his shoulders given both the man he’s being asked to replace and the new title he holds.

Keys to Victory

Given the three-at-the-back system Ottawa deploys most often, how Pacific FC uses the full-backs to attack the space outside of them could be the most important element in breaking down the home side on Saturday. The dynamism of Kunle Dada-Luke and Georges Mukumbilwa could very well give the Tridents a crucial edge in that area of the pitch.

Offensively, another key will be to sharpen up inside the opponent’s box and be more decisive in the final moments. On the other side of the ball, it will be on the midfield three to neutralize the familiar faces such as Ollie Bassett and Noah Verhoeven to cut off the supply lines going forward and keep Ottawa’s backline from progressing the ball up the pitch.

Match Facts to Know

  • There are many familiar faces on this Atlético Ottawa team. Ollie Bassett, Gianni Dos Santos, Noah Verhoeven, and Zach Verhoven all suited up for Pacific FC in the past, and Sean Melvin is a born-and-raised Victoria lad.
  • Pacific FC drew the second leg 1-1 in Ottawa last season, but after losing 2-0 in the first leg it wasn’t enough to advance to the 2023 Canadian Premier League Final. So while the last appearance here wasn’t a bad result itself, the feelings afterwards don’t feel like it.
  • After this away match, the team is back on the Island for two straight games. First TSS FC Rovers come to the Island on Wednesday, May 10. Then York United is in town on Mother’s Day – Sunday May 14. You can grab your tickets in advance of those games here.