A second-half Bradley Kamdem-Fewo own goal followed by goals from Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla and Joaquim Coulanges helped table-toppers Atlético Ottawa outclass defending Canadian Premier League champions Cavalry FC 3-1 at the ATCO Field in Calgary Saturday.
The win helped Atlético stay unbeaten in the league and cement their place at the top of the Canadian Premier League (CPL) table. It also means that Cavalry are yet to see a win this season and are still the only team in the league who have yet to open the scoring in a match.
Loading ...“I think we’ve got to do some mental healing and become a team again. We’ve got to start keeping a few more shutouts and got to start scoring more goals,” said Cavalry FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. on his team’s performance.
“I think it’s a battle of the boxes, and early in the season you need a bit of luck. Sometimes you need things to go your way; right now, it’s not going our way. But for me, I always believe that character is shown in the tough times, not in the good times.”
Cavalry fail to score despite a flying start
Cavalry, who have only won once in seven attempts at home against Ottawa, started the match off in solid fashion by defying Atlético’s early advances and creating a flurry of chances of their own.
Inspired by some superb plays on the right flank, the Cavs got their first big chance to score in the 16th minute when fullback Fraser Aird combined with Tobias Warschewski to find Sergio Camargo unmarked in the box, only for the midfielder’s shot to be blocked.
Cavalry FC lose 3-1 to Atlético Ottawa in Canadian Premier League action at ATCO Field in Calgary Saturday, April 26, 2025. Photo: Salman Bhanji/Total Soccer News
The defending champions came close once again just before halftime when Camargo won the ball in the midfield and created a great chance for Ali Musse. However, the Somalian’s shot from a tough angle was saved brilliantly by Atlético goalkeeper Nathan Ingham.
Ingham – the man of the match for his match-winning performance – made another gut-wrenching save at the beginning of the second half when he saved a shot from Camargo, who received the ball in the box after some spectacular work from Warschewski.
Kamdem-Fewo sees red as Atlético steamroll past Cavalry
Atlético Ottawa broke the deadlock in the 59th minute when midfielder Gabriel Antinoro received the ball on the edge of the Cavalry box and curled one past goalkeeper Marco Carducci, who went the wrong way because the ball clipped fullback Kamdem-Fewo.
The Cavs, playing this match having made two changes to the team that faced Vancouver FC last week in their home opener, were then reduced to ten men in the 63rd minute when Kamdem-Fewo received a straight red card for hitting Sergei Kozlovskiy with an elbow.
Things went from bad to worse for the Calgary team soon after as Ottawa capitalised on the extra man advantage and scored a second goal. Tabla received the ball in the box and took a first-time shot to beat Carducci, leaving the Cavs defense in total shambles.
Atlético then added a third in the 81st minute after second half substitute Coulanges found immense space on the left flank and made a fantastic solo run. The 18-year-old took advantage of confusion between Cavalry’s Nicolas Wahling and debutant defender Levi Laing to score his first professional goal for the club.
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The Cavs managed to get some respite when they scored a consolation goal courtesy Caniggia Elva in the 87th minute. Musse won the ball in midfield and sent a defence-splitting pass to find Elva who made no mistake to slot the ball past Ingham.
However, it was a little too late for the home team to stage any comebacks at this point. The capital city club held on until the final whistle, giving new head coach Diego Mejia another win.
“This is very important. We played against a great team, the champions in the Canadian Premier League. They have amazing players, they have a good coach, so it’s very important for our process,” said Mejia.
“In reality, the season starts now. It’s early to talk about other things, but I am very happy with the process, with my players; they understand the model really well.”
Both teams will now be in Canadian Championship action next week with Atlético Ottawa facing League1 Ontario champions Scrosoppi FC and Cavalry FC battling League1 Alberta champions Edmonton Scottish Tuesday.
