Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry FC shared the points on Saturday evening in one of the most compelling matches of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) season, a 2-2 draw at TD Place that showcased both Ali Musse’s brilliance and Ottawa’s resilience.
The visitors looked set for a landmark victory in the capital after Musse struck twice in the first half, continuing a run of form that has put him firmly in Player of the Month contention.
But Ottawa clawed back in the second half through Sam Salter and David Rodriguez, earning a result that felt like both a relief and a missed opportunity depending on which bench you asked.
“Coming here, it’s always a tough place to come,” said Cavalry head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. “We created chances but you’ve got to stay switched on. Ottawa, fair play to them, they came out in the second half with the wind in their sails. It’s a good game and a draw’s probably an even and fair result.”
Musse’s magic puts Cavalry in control
Cavalry entered the game with a chance to cut the gap to second-place Ottawa to seven points, and for 45 minutes they looked ready to seize it. Musse was at the heart of everything, scoring twice in a devastating spell that quieted the home crowd.
His first, in the 23rd minute, capped off a flowing move.
Tobias Warschewski’s incisive pass released Mihail Gherasimencov down the left, and the Moldovan’s deft chip to the back post found Musse charging in. The winger bundled it across the line, colliding painfully with the upright in the process but still celebrating with teammates.
Twelve minutes later, he doubled the lead with a free kick that deflected cruelly off the Ottawa wall, sending goalkeeper Nathan Ingham the wrong way.
It was Musse’s fourth career brace and his second this season, a feat that further cements his reputation as Cavalry’s attacking talisman.
Behind him, goalkeeper and skipper Marco Carducci produced a string of saves to preserve the advantage. He twice denied Rodriguez and thwarted Manny Aparicio from distance as Ottawa searched for a breakthrough.
By halftime, the hosts had dominated possession (64%) but found themselves two goals down against a clinical Cavalry side.
Ottawa’s rapid response sparks late drama
If the first half belonged to Musse and Carducci, the second was all about Ottawa’s determination. Diego Mejia’s side came out with renewed urgency, and within a few minutes midway through the half the match had turned on its head.
First, Aparicio unleashed a thunderous strike from distance that forced Carducci into a fingertip save onto the post. Salter, the league’s top scorer, was quickest to react, sliding in to score his 13th goal of the campaign and breathe life into Ottawa.
Moments later, Rodriguez found space at the edge of the box and fired goalward. His effort deflected off Cavalry midfielder Diego Gutierrez and trickled past the helpless Carducci to level the match at 2-2. From despair to delirium, Ottawa had their foothold back.
The hosts pressed for a winner, with Ballou Tabla and Rodriguez both testing Carducci again, but Cavalry remained dangerous on the counter.
The decisive moment nearly arrived in the 90th minute. Second-half substitute Caniggia Elva rose to meet Fraser Aird’s cross with a thumping header that looked destined for the net, only for Ingham to claw it onto the bar in what may prove one of the saves of the season.
Deep into stoppage time, Eryk Kobza blazed over from close range as Cavalry’s chance slipped away. When the final whistle blew, both sides were left reflecting on what could have been.
“There’s a lot of decisions that didn’t go the way it should have, I feel like, and it cost us the game,” said Musse in the post-match press conference. “So, yeah, very, very disappointed, but it is what it is. You have to keep moving forward.”
Cavalry will now welcome Forge FC to ATCO Field next weekend in a clash with significant implications at the top of the table. Ottawa, meanwhile, can take heart from their fighting spirit as they continue to set the pace just behind league leaders Forge.
