Atlético Ottawa pulled off a thrilling victory on their return to TD Place on Sunday, beating defending CPL champions Pacific FC 2-1. Head Coach Carlos González was full of praise for his team following a win that he believes “sends a message” not only to the other teams in the league but also to everyone within the Atleti squad.
“Our biggest strength is the team,” González said speaking after the game. “At the end of the day the work we are doing, the work the guys have been doing for the past three months is paying off.” Sunday’s victory means that, for the first time in franchise history, Atlético Ottawa have won three consecutive matches as Zach Verhoven came off the bench to score the winner for the second time in four days.
In a viral social media video, González highlighted the key behind Verhoven’s recent success, emphasizing that “work pays” as the 23-year-old was lifted in the air by his teammates.
The ability to rely on players coming off the bench to influence the game has played a key part this season as Atleti remain dangerous well into the final minutes of each encounter (with five of the 11 league goals scored after the 80th-minute). “It’s a key point [having depth], to keep the squad motivated, with a good dynamic so that they can give to the team in any way, whether it’s in the starting XI or coming off the bench,” explained González. “We knew that after we played in Winnipeg it was going to be very important to manage these loads, to have fresh players from the start and have players that can impact the game off the bench. It’s all about the strategy of managing a long week and trying to bring out the best of the team in every single moment.”
June 5, 2022
PHOTO: Matt Zambonin/Freestyle Photography/CPL
Following on from the roaring success of our “Catalina Wine Mixer” event this past weekend, get ready to celebrate Father’s Day with Atlético Ottawa when we face York United under the lights at TD Place on Tuesday, June 14th. Get your tickets HERE.
