The Carlos Gonzalez era in Ottawa began with a win on Saturday afternoon, as a Brian Wright penalty earned Atlético Ottawa a 1-0 victory over Cavalry FC at TD Place.
It was the home side who had the first good chance of the game, as two new signings fired shots at new Cavalry goalkeeper Julian Roloff, but were unable to find the back of the net. Keven Aleman’s shot from outside the box was turned away by the young German netminder, before the ball fell to Ballou Tabla, whose volley struck the crossbar.
That would be the best chance of the opening 45 minutes. Cavalry had a couple of chances at the other end of the pitch, but struggled throughout the match to get them on target. They made claims for a pair of penalties in the opening half, as Joe Mason was pushed over at the edge of the penalty area and Sergio Camargo went down in the box, but Mason was just outside the box, and Camargo would be booked for diving.
Joe Mason, Cavalry’s top scorer from a season ago, worried came close to breaking the deadlock just after the hour mark, receiving the ball in the box and aiming for the bottom left corner, but the English striker pulled his shot just wide of the post. A few minutes later he had another chance in the box, attempting to redirect a cross from Ali Musse on target from a tight angle, but it too went wide of the post.
As the pace picked up, the end-to-end action did too, and moments after Mason’s miss, Malcolm Shaw — who scored ten goals in 2021 — tested Roloff with his first shot on target of the season. After a cross into the box, Shaw dived to head the ball on target, but the Cavalry goalkeeper was equal to it.
A penalty would be awarded in the 81st minute, but it would be in favour of Atletico Ottawa after a Jose Escalante handball in the box. Brian Wright, who scored the winning goal in Ottawa’s 2021 home opener as well, stepped up and fired the ball into the back of the net for what would be the decider.
Ottawa captain Drew Beckie was sent off with about five minutes left in the match, after stomping on the foot of David Norman Jr., leaving Ottawa with 10 men for the final few moments of the match. Cavalry tried to push for an equalizer, but Ottawa were resilient and held on for a 1-0 victory.
They join HFX Wanderers at the top of the CPL table with two matches still to come on the opening weekend of the season, improving to 1-0-0 with a win in Carlos Gonzalez’s first match in charge.
