Atlético Ottawa continued their strong start the 2024 CPL campaign on Saturday, as they defeated the Halifax Wanderers 3-1 at Wanderers Grounds to remain undefeated through three games.

After picking up a win and a draw through their first two games at home, Atlético managed to leave from their first road match with all three points, giving them seven points on the year.

Meanwhile, for the Wanderers, it was more misery, as they lost their third straight game to start 2024, are yet to hold onto a lead, and suffered an early red card to Lorenzo Callegari that not only hurt them in this game, but could cost them in weeks to come depending on the supplementary discipline he might receive for his challenge.

Of course, it’s still early for both teams, but early points do matter, showing the importance of both teams respective starts, even if they’re on different ends of the spectrum.

Returning to this match, Massimo Ferrin nearly opened the scoring for the Wanderers in the seventh minute, as he stepped up to take a free kick that he won, but his curled shot flew right into the hands of Rayane Yesli, who was making his first Atlético Ottawa start in goal.

Soon after, however, Halifax ended up losing a player in the 19th minute, as Callegari caught Manny Aparicio with a high tackle, earning a straight red card and putting his team down to 10 players for the next 71+ minutes.

Despite going down a player, the Wanderers looked to still chase an opening goal, and came close to doing so in the 32nd minute, as Julian Dunn fired a dangerous header off a corner, forcing Yesli to make a save.

Starting to grow into the game as they used their numerical advantage, Atlético Ottawa would open the scoring in the 39th minute. There, Maxim Tissot found Matteo de Brienne with a cutback, and he’d tee up Rubén del Campo for a left-footed shot into the near post to make it 1-0.

Despite going down a goal, however, the Wanderers nearly tied the game back up right before half time. Coming off a corner, Wesley Timoteo found Dan Nimick with a perfect cross, one Nimick would meet perfectly with a thumping header, one that would hit the crossbar and stay out.

On the other side of the break, Ottawa came out strongly as they looked to add to their lead. They’d nearly do that in the 50th minute, too, as Ballou Tabla managed to sneak in behind the Wanderers defensive line for a breakaway, but he’d send his left-footed shot well wide of the mark.

While they missed that chance, however, they wouldn’t waste the next opportunity that came to them. That came in the 56th minute, as Kris Twardek found Manny Aparicio with a perfect lofted cross, one that Aparicio would do well to meet with an acrobatic volley, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner to double his team’s lead.

Eager to get back into the game, the Wanderers kept on pushing and were nearly rewarded for it in the 64th minute, as Ferrin fired a dangerous curling shot from the edge of the box, but his shot would hit the crossbar and stay out. Then, soon after, Giorgio Probo had a great look from a similar distance, curling one towards goal with his left foot, forcing a strong save out of Yesli.

Wanting to put the game out of reach after that flurry of Wanderers chances, Ottawa nearly added a third in the 67th minute, as Bassett found Tabla with a dangerous through ball, but Tabla’s attempt would be kept out by a strong save from Halifax’s Yann Fillion. Then, in the 71st minute, Tabla had another good look at Fillion’s goal from a tight angle, but would be once again denied by a save from the Wanderers goalkeeper.

Tabla’s hunt for a goal wouldn’t wait much longer, however, as he finally found his goal in the 73rd minute. After a great run and cross from Gabriel Antinoro, he set up a wide-open Tabla with a nice cutback, one Tabla would make no mistake in slotting home to make it 3-0.

Not done there, Ottawa continued to chase for a fourth, as Bassett nearly tested Fillion with a dangerous free kick in the 78th minute, before Tabla sliced one wide in the 80th minute as he searched for his brace.

Wanting to send their fans home with a goal, the Wanderers kept pushing for their opener late, and came close in the 83rd minute, as Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé found Christian Volesky with a dangerous cross, but Volesky’s header would be kept out by a strong save from Yesli.

Still chasing his brace, Tabla had a great look in the 88th minute, firing a dangerous half-volley from inside of the box in the 88th minute, sending his shot just over the crossbar from in-close.

At the other end, however, the Wanderers finally found their breakthrough in the 89th minute, as Riley Ferrazzo cut inside and curled a shot into the bottom corner of the goal, allowing his team to finally breach the net for the first time in 2024.

From there, however, a late Wanderers flurry wouldn’t yield any further goals, allowing Ottawa to leave the game with all three points on the day.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Halifax Wanderers FC: Fillion; Fernandez, Nimick, Dunn, Timoteo (Agunbiade 84′); Probo (Vasconcelos 74′), Callegari, Rampersad, Ferrin (Gagnon-Laparé 65′); Daniels (Ferrazzo 74′); Telfer (Volesky 74′)

Atlético Ottawa: Yesli; Twardek (Zapater 59′), Didić, Singh (Salter 72′), Tissot; Bassett (Roy 81′), Sissoko, Aparicio; Tabla, de Brienne (Walker 81′); del Campo (Antinoro 72′)

Goals

39′ — Rubén del Campo (Atlético Ottawa)

56′ — Manny Aparicio (Atlético Ottawa)

73′ — Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)

89′ — Riley Ferrazzo (Halifax Wanderers FC)

Discipline

19′ — Red: Lorenzo Callegari (Halifax Wanderers FC)

31′ — Yellow: Kris Twardek (Atlético Ottawa)

68′ — Yellow: Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)

78′ — Yellow: Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Halifax Wanderers FC)

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