April 19, 2025...Match Analysis: Abatneh the hero for Atletico Ottawa in instant classic against former side York United
(from canpl.ca)
MATCH ANALYSIS: Abatneh the hero for Atlético Ottawa in instant classic against former side York United
2025-04-19
by Benedict Rhodes, CanPL.ca Contributor (@BTFR17)
Final Score: Atlético Ottawa 3-2 York United FC
Goalscorers: Salter 51', Aparicio 56', Abatneh 90+5'; Altobelli 11', Ferrazzo 83'
Game of the 2025 season: 9
CPL match: 605
Match in a minute or less
A stoppage time goal from Noah Abatneh won an instant CPL classic for Atlético Ottawa over his former club York United
on Saturday afternoon, in a chaotic, back-and-forth thriller at TD Place.
Julian Altobelli opened the scoring for York eleven minutes in, diving to head home a cross from Max Ferrari and
give the Nine Stripes an early lead on the road. Altobelli and the York attackers nearly scored again later
in the half as they fired away several shots in a row but could not find a second in the opening 45 minutes.
It didn’t take long for Ottawa to find the back of the net when play resumed, though, scoring twice in quick
succession to take the lead out of nowhere. First, Sam Salter scooped a shot over the York goalkeeper from close
range after it pinballed around the penalty area, before Manny Aparicio fired a long-distance rocket into the top
corner following a well-worked set piece.
Riley Ferrazzo thought he rescued a point late for York when his attempted cross soared into the back of the net,
but Noah Abatneh was the hero for Ottawa when his late strike deep into stoppage time saw them pick up a dramatic
3-2 victory to move to the top of the table.
Three Observations
York squander another halftime lead, then dealt crushing late blow after equalizing
After letting a halftime lead slip last weekend at home against Halifax, York United came into this match speaking
about the need to string together a complete 90 minutes, and hold on to leads when they get them.
Like last week’s game, they scored first, with Julian Altobelli heading home a cross into the box from Max Ferrari
eleven minutes in. The Nine Stripes took that one-goal advantage into the break, and the question immediately became
whether or not they can do what they were preaching for three big points on the road. The answer to that question turned
out to again be no, with Sam Salter and former club captain Manny Aparicio both scoring within the first eleven minutes
of play resuming.
York head coach Mauro Eustáquio commented ahead of the match about his team’s mentality and the need to come out for
the second half with the same intensity that they were going to have in the first, but that was again an issue on Saturday.
They were stunned a bit by the first goal, and then the second came five minutes later as they tried to compose themselves
and get back into the game.
To York’s credit, they were able to limit the damage from there as Ottawa sent waves of attacks at them following their
goals. It was that resilience that kept them in the game long enough for Riley Ferrazzo to tie the game with an errant
cross that found itself striking the inside of the far post and ending up in the back of the net. They likely would have
been content but not happy with a single point had they held on, but in the fifth minute of stoppage time it was another
former player who came back to bite them.
After Ferrazzo committed a foul along the sideline, a cross was hoisted into the penalty area and fell to Noah Abatneh,
who stepped up and fired the ball into the bottom corner to win the game for the hosts with one of the last kicks of the
match. Moments before that Shola Jimoh almost found the top corner of the Ottawa net, which would have also surely been
the game-winner.
It won’t get any easier for York from here, as they get set to host high-flying Forge FC next weekend. They have been
starting matches well, but Forge is another ruthless team that will punish them if they get the chance. The challenge
for York is to again start the game well, and then maintain it over the full 90 minutes.
Ottawa getting goals from different sources as attacking overhaul continues
A lot has been made of Atlético Ottawa’s fresh attack-minded identity under new head coach Diego Mejía, and while
it wasn’t as free-flowing as it looked against Vancouver FC in the club’s previous match, they still managed to find
the back of the net three times to improve to a 2-1-0 record on the season.
Against the Wanderers in week one, David Rodriguez and Aboubacar Sissoko scored in a comeback draw to start the season,
before Rodriguez led the charge last weekend in Vancouver, scoring again alongside Kevin Dos Santos, Ballou Tabla
and Monty Patterson. This time it was Sam Salter, Manny Aparicio and Noah Abatneh finding the scoresheet.
That’s nine goals in total already, the most in the league, from eight different players and scored in a variety of ways.
Rodriguez has shown an ability to dribble through an entire team to set up a goal for himself or a teammate, Abatneh
scored in the second phase of a set piece, Aparicio scored a long range screamer, and Salter pounced on a loose ball
in the penalty area, among others.
That versatility, combined with the mental strength shown so far this season to compete from the first whistle to the
last, will give them the ability to pick up results in any match they play. With the way they are attacking at the
moment, they have a chance to cement themselves among the very best teams in the CPL, which was a target and expectation
coming into 2025.
Cleaning up the defensive side of things a bit is the next step for them, although the second goal they conceded was
something of a fluke for York. This has the makings of a CPL Shield contending team, even if the three goals per game
will be impossible to maintain over 28 matches.
Altobelli stays hot with brilliant diving header
Julian Altobelli’s Canadian Premier League debut could not have gone much better in York’s opening match of the season,
with the forward scoring twice off the bench in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver FC and being named the CPL Player of the Week.
While he was limited to half an hour off the bench again last weekend in a losing effort against the Halifax Wanderers,
Altobelli was in from the start for Saturday’s match in Ottawa, and made another immediate impact.
In the 11th minute, against the run of play, Altobelli scored his third goal of the season, diving to head a cross from
Max Ferrari past Nathan Ingham to give his side an early lead. It was the kind of goal that a confident striker would
convert, or even attempt, and confidence is something that the York striker has exuded so far this season since
re-joining York.
Another thing worth noting is that Altobelli’s three goals this season have all come in different ways. His first goal
was a reactionary turn and fire into the roof of the net from close range after being in the right place at the right
time. The second was picking up the ball and carrying it toward goal before curling it to the back post and in, and the
third was a diving header after a great run into the box to avoid the defenders.
That creativity will serve any striker well, particularly a player like Altobelli looking to seal his place
in Mauro Eustáquio’s starting lineup and have a big season after moving clubs. He is off to a flying start to begin 2025,
and will look to continue his strong start to the season next weekend when the Nine Stripes host Forge FC and arguably
the league’s best backline at York Lions Stadium.
What They Said
“Obviously we have the firepower going forward, I think we need to work on some things defensively because we are
conceding goals. That comes with with more games, gelling as a team. We’re confident going forward and obviously
we’re pushing for the title. That’s what we’re here to do.” — Atlético Ottawa defender Noah Abatneh
“I think again we gotta look at ourselves. I think, once again, we showed up in the first half, do what we have to,
do what we plan, and then I feel like there’s an emotional disconnection to the game in the second half and they
were able to change the game around.” — York United head coach Mauro Eustáquio
CanPL.ca Player of the Match
Manny Aparicio, Atlético Ottawa
Ottawa’s midfield dictated play all afternoon, with Manny Aparicio in particular key to their comeback in the
second half, and scoring a brilliant goal from distance to give the hosts their initial lead.
What’s next?
Atlético Ottawa visit Cavalry FC on Saturday, April 26 (7 p.m. MT / 5 p.m. ET), while York United return home
to host Forge FC in the first 905 Derby of the season on Sunday, April 27 (2 p.m. ET).
Watch all CPL matches live on OneSoccer. In addition to its website and app, OneSoccer is now available on TELUS
channel 980 and on Fubo TV. Call your local cable provider to ask for OneSoccer today.
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