Atlético Ottawa defender Maxim Tissot is eager to build on his successful return to the nation’s capital as the taste of defeat in the final still lingers.
Gatineau-born Tissot joined Atleti ahead of the club’s title-winning campaign in 2022 and, having had his option exercised to stay for another year, explained that there is already some unfinished business for him and his teammates.
“We had a very good season and accomplished some great stuff,” said Tissot. “This year we will have the same objectives but, this time, we hope to go one step further.”
A cornerstone of head coach Carlos González’s set-up, the left-back was his most used player last season (alongside Ballou Tabla and Ollie Bassett) as Atleti completed their storybook ‘worst to first’ campaign, boasting one of the best defences in the league. Tissot has battled for uninterrupted time on the field since suffering a major injury in 2018, but stars seemed to align on his return to Ottawa.
“It feels amazing to have been able to play such a big part in so many games last year,” the 30-year-old revealed. “Just to be that healthy and fit has done a world of good for me and I’m looking forward to building on that form, not just next season but for a few more years until I retire.”
Defensively, the Gatineau-local was instrumental in a hybrid role which required him to shift position throughout the match depending on the game state, as he led the team in interceptions whilst standing out across other categories such as tackles and clearances. Although his defensive stats weren’t as impressive as Miguel Acosta on the other flank, Tissot’s slightly differing role allowed him to flourish at the other end of the pitch registering five-goal contributions.
Champagne football from @atletiOttawa 🥂
Some incredible buildup play and it is 2-0 for the hosts!
📺: @onesoccer
— Canadian Premier League (@CPLsoccer) August 18, 2022
The season wasn’t just a success on the field as, according to Tissot, seeing his home region pull in a record 15,000 fans for the Canadian Premier League final was just as important.
“At the end of the day, it’s all about encouraging the kids, and to be role models too,” Tissot said. “Seeing the craze that has surrounded this team, especially during the final games of the season and the playoffs shows people were paying attention to us. I can’t describe how good that feeling was for me.
“We saw the way that soccer has grown in the region, even just over the course of the last year, and I hope that we will be able to keep building on that in the seasons to come. As a team, we had an incredible camapign full of positives but at the end of the day we lost the final game and I haven’t got the taste of that defeat out of my mouth just yet.”
Tissot and the rest of the squad will get pre-season training underway in the new year, chomping at the chance to get their hands on another trophy.
Full squad list (as of December 2022):
GK: Nathan Ingham (CAN), Sean Melvin (CAN)
Defenders: Miguel Acosta (ESP), Maxim Tissot (CAN), Niba Macdonald (CAN), Zach Roy (CAN)
Midfielders: Zach Verhoven (CAN), Carl Haworth (CAN), Zakaria Bahous (CAN), Ollie Bassett (NI), Junior Agyekum (CAN)
Forwards: Malcolm Shaw (CAN), Ballou Tabla (CAN), Mohamed Bouziki (CAN)