If you were to place a wager on a meeting between Cavalry FC and Atlético Ottawa, the safest bet wouldn’t be on the formation or the final score, but the sky falling in.
Months after these two sides clashed in the 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) final, where Ottawa were crowned champions in a blizzard, they returned to ATCO Field for the Cavs’ 2026 home opener.
This time, the snow was replaced by a gloomy, biting sleet, and the script was flipped as Cavalry FC systematically dismantled the reigning kings of the CPL, securing a 3-1 home victory.
Tommy Wheeldon Jr.’s side began the afternoon with a point to prove.
From the opening whistle, the trio of Harry Paton, Tobias Warschewski, and captain Sergio Camargo dictated the rhythm as they moved the ball with a verticality that left the defending champions chasing shadows in the mist.
And the breakthrough for the hosts came in the 17th minute when Daan Klomp, the defensive ‘hammer’ of this squad, proved his lethality in the opposing box.
When Warschewski whipped a dangerous, dipping cross into the area, Klomp rose with his characteristic timing, snapping a header past Ottawa keeper Tristan Crampton to open the home scoring account for 2026.
Midfield maestro and the high press
Cavalry’s dominance today was about the total suffocation of Ottawa’s tactical plan.
As Atlético wingback Tyr Walker occasionally threatened down the right flank, Goteh Ntignee’s lightning-fast transitions forced some desperate defending.
However, the Cavs’ hunger was superior. They pounced on loose balls like cheetahs on unsuspecting prey, rarely allowing the title holders a moment of peace.
That relentless pressure bore fruit again in the 22nd minute when Warschewski, a constant thorn in Ottawa’s side, won a gritty midfield battle and drove toward the goal.
Loading ...He found Camargo, whose delicate, weighted touch into the box allowed Paton to arrive at full tilt. The marquee signing didn’t hesitate and buried a one-time shot to make it 2-0.
It was Paton’s second goal in as many matches, signaling the arrival of a new talisman in the middle of the park.
“I think from the first couple of moments, we already noticed that we’re going to be on top in this game,” Klomp reflected after the match. “I think the second goal that we scored was very beautiful.”
Klomp was particularly glowing about his teammate Paton’s impact. “His energy has been something special, and I think his goal threat as well. I think two goals in two games for a midfielder is impressive. So I hope he can set that trend forward and keep his form.”
A pathway forward amid a difficult defense
The second half saw a desperate Atlético Ottawa attempt to find a foothold.
Coming off an opening-weekend loss to Forge FC, the champions looked under-confident as their attempts at goal lacked the conviction needed to beat Nate Ingham.
Ingham, facing his former club, spent portions of the match so untroubled that he was spotted strolling near the halfway line just to stay warm in the freezing sleet.
The contest then effectively ended in the 67th minute.
Bradley Kamdem Fewo unleashed a thunderous strike from the left that Crampton could only parry into the path of a lurking Ntignee, who tapped the ball in to make it 3-0.
The goal reflected a gulf in class on the day between the hosts and a champion side still searching for its 2026 identity.
“I think today we showed how good we can play,” said Klomp. “We know Ottawa is a great footballing team. However, I think we dealt well with their threats. It’s a regular season game, and we’ll probably meet them again in playoffs.”
For Ottawa head coach Diego Mejia, the 3-1 result, which was softened slightly by a late 88th-minute deflected goal from Kamron Habibullah, is part of a larger rebuilding process.
“I think that we are in a pathway. I am looking for a new model that the players start to feel more comfortable,” he said in the post-match press conference.
“It’s normal, this start, because finally we changed half of the roster, so it’s normal. I am pretty happy for the way that my team competes. And that’s it. I think that we need to work more and we need to win time with the new players to try to create something special.”
While the champions look for time to integrate their new-look roster, Cavalry looks like a team that has already found its championship gear.
And as the sleet continued to fall on ATCO Field, the message that the path to the 2026 title may very well run through Calgary was loud and clear throughout the stands.
The Cavs next play Forge FC on Saturday, April 18, in Hamilton, Ontario.
