For the first time in their history, Atletico Ottawa was crowned champion of the North Star Cup in the Canadian Football League final, after a four-hour match amidst a violent snowstorm, which ended with a 2-1 victory over Cavalry FC, the defending champion.
The team needed additional time to resolve the confrontation, as David Rodriguez scored the winning goal, his second in the match, when he skillfully played the ball over goalkeeper Marco Carducci in the 106th minute, giving Ottawa a historic victory and a long-awaited title.
The home factor had a strong influence in favor of Atletico Ottawa, which is ranked second this season (15 wins, 2 draws, and 11 losses), as the team has not lost at home since August 3, 2024, when it fell to Cavalry FC, which is ranked third this season (11 wins, 8 draws, and 9 defeats).
But this time, the scene looked completely different, as a thick layer of snow covered TD Place Stadium, turning the match into a confrontation with a distinctly Canadian character, combining physical strength and fighting in harsh weather conditions.
Although Atletico Ottawa is usually known for its style of moving the ball and building organized play under coach Diego Mejia, the team adapted brilliantly to the difficult weather, relying on speed across the flanks to create opportunities.
As for the visitors, Cavalry FC, they maintained their usual defensive solidity, as they entered the match as one of the strongest defense lines in the knockout stages of the Canadian Premier League, after conceding only one goal in two matches before the final.
The tie was broken when Ottawa midfielder Kevin Dos Santos committed a violent tackle inside the penalty area, earning Cavalry a penalty kick after a successful offensive breakthrough through the home side’s defence.
In the 33rd minute, defender Fraser Aird took the kick with confidence, hitting the ball accurately into the bottom right corner, giving his team a 1-0 lead.
As the intense rivalry between the two teams reflects, the Cavalry players’ celebrations were greeted with a barrage of snowballs thrown by Atletico fans from the stands, amidst a blizzard-filled atmosphere.
But the response came quickly after only six minutes, when midfielder Gabriel Antonaro sent a high ball into the penalty area, which slid between the players amid falling snow, reaching David Rodriguez, who executed a stunning scissor kick that hit the crossbar, then entered the goal, scoring the equalizer for Atletico in one of the most beautiful moments of the match.
Chances were very rare in the second half, as an increasing layer of snow covered the pitch; This made players constantly lose their balance, and made it difficult for them to control the ball or move stably.
After the end of normal time, the match was stopped for more than an hour to allow maintenance workers to remove the accumulated snow from the field, using special equipment, in order to prepare the ground and make it fit for play again, so that extra time could begin in better conditions. This restored speed and rhythm to the match after the players had suffered throughout the original time.
In the 106th minute, the decisive moment came when David Rodriguez sprinted past defender Fraser Aird, the scorer of Cavalry’s first goal, to go one-on-one with goalkeeper Marco Carducci and shoot the ball over him with a smart touch, scoring the winning goal for Atletico Ottawa.
Despite Cavalry’s desperate attempts in the final minutes of extra time to equalize, Atletico held on until the end, officially winning the North Star Cup for the first time in its history, on a snowy night that will remain immortal in the memory of the fans of the Canadian capital.
The Atletico Ottawa team achieved a double historic achievement, as it not only won the first title in its history in the Canadian Premier League, but also secured its qualification to the CONCACAF Champions League.
This achievement comes after an exceptional season, in which the team scored a record number of goals (54 goals) during the regular season, and also outperformed Cavalry in all of their previous matches this year, achieving three wins and one draw in four matches.
