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Match Preview: Ottawa vs Halifax Saturday at 1pm at TD Place 
April 14, 2023
Match Preview Pay What You Can

The Canadian Premier League is back, and Atlético Ottawa is all set to kick off the 2023 campaign as the defending Regular Season Champions. The season will begin at TD Place with the return of our popular ‘Pay What You Can’ Home Opener on Saturday, where Atlético Ottawa will host a new-look Halifax Wanderers team at 1pm. 

Last season, Atlético Ottawa hosted the Canadian Premier League Final at TD Place and set a record-breaking attendance of nearly 15,000 fans. This year, the popular “Pay Want You Can” Home Opener is back and will be supporting the CHEO Foundation and Lily Millett, with the match sponsored by the Sean Frost Real Estate Team.

The spine of last year’s title-winning squad has returned, including CPL ‘Player of the Season’ Ollie Bassett and ‘Coach of the Year’ Carlos González. Carl Haworth has been named club captain, with Maxim Tissot, Nathan Ingham, and Miguel Acosta being named as part of our leadership group following Drew Beckie’s retirement.

Atlético Ottawa has made eight new additions for the upcoming campaign, including Samuel Salter, who scored 11 goals last season and joined the club from Halifax Wanderers in the CPL’s first-ever inter-league transfer that involved a fee. Gianni dos Santos and Noah Verhoeven joined from league rivals Pacific FC and York United FC, respectively, and former-Canada international Karl Ouimette (18 caps) has bolstered the defence.

Halifax Wanderers has undergone many changes during the off-season, with League1 Ontario Coach of the Year Patrice Gheisar replacing Stephen Hart at the helm in Nova Scotia. Fifteen players left the club and were replaced with a mix of experienced players and young prospects.

Atlético Ottawa won all four meetings against Halifax Wanderers in 2022, and the head-to-head record stands at 5W-2D-4L, with 13 goals scored and 11 goals conceded.

Tickets are in high demand, and Atlético Ottawa and partner TD Place have decided to open up more seats to accommodate the demand. If the pressure of a packed house and the start of the title-defending season is being felt by the team, Head Coach Carlos González seems unfazed, stating that his side loves pressure and thrives in these situations: “Our focus is on the next game, and they will continue to work hard, little by little, and remain well-prepared for their next game.”

The first 500 fans at TD Place Saturday, will also receive a free copy of  the Match Day program with incredible art work done by AKARTS featuring the heroic and courageous Lily Millett on the cover.

 

So, come out to TD Place on Saturday and support Atlético Ottawa as we begin our journey towards another successful season.