HIGHLIGHTS: Atlético Ottawa win first North Star Cup, beat Cavalry in snow spectacle

In a quintessentially Canadian CPL final, David Rodríguez delivered winter wizardry in Ottawa snow to hand Atlético Ottawa its first North Star Cup in an extra-time epic.

Atleti outlasted 2-1 defending champions Cavalry during an unforgettable 120 minutes on the snowy tundra at TD Place that will be spoken about for years to come.

Rodríguez scored twice, including a spectacular first-half bicycle kick that instantly became one of the greatest goals scored in CPL history.

Within seconds of the opening whistle on a snow-covered TD Place pitch, Atlético Ottawa went on the attack, as Gabriel Antinoro cut down the left wing, igniting a roar from the crowd. He cut the ball back in the box to Ballou Tabla, who looked to have beaten his man, but his shot was off target.

Just over a minute later, they nearly opened the scoring. Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci slipped as he was attempting to clear, giving the ball to David Rodríguez. The Atleti attacker looked to chip Carducci, but the ball dropped just over the net.

In the tenth minute, both teams' star attackers showed their quality despite the conditions. Tobias Warschewski pushed the ball around Juan Castro and picked out Fraser Aird out wide. Aird's cross returned to Warschewski, who barely miscontrolled his attempted volley.

Atlético Ottawa then went the other way, springing Sam Salter for a partial breakaway. Salter broke into the box down the left, but sent his shot just wide.

In the 31st minute, Goteh Ntignee slalomed his way through the Atlético Ottawa backline and into the box. Before he could get off a shot or attempt a pass, Kevin Dos Santos brought him down in the box, winning a penalty. Fraser Aird stepped up to the spot, once the snow was cleared off of it, and sent Nathan Ingham the wrong way to give Cavalry a 1-0 lead.

The hosts, however, responded in the most spectacular way possible. In the 40th minute, Gabriel Antinoro sent a mishit volley into the box. After it deflected in the box, Rodríguez rose highest to score an unbelievable overhead kick, equalizing the match at 1-1. It was one of the greatest goals in CPL history, and demonstrated the incredible quality of Atlético Ottawa's #7.

The two teams retreated to the warm dressing rooms with the score even at 1-1.

Atleti looked to take over the lead early in the second half. Again, Rodríguez had an opportunity to chip Carducci after a scramble at the edge of the box, but again, he put it narrowly over the net.

Both sides kept pressing through the snow as it built up on the pitch. They created a few half-chances as they adapted to the conditions.

In the 73rd minute, a lovely one-two down the left flank from Atleti unlocked the best chance of the half to that point. Salter picked out Ballou Tabla in the box, and he forced a good stop from Carducci.

Six minutes later, Ingham matched his heroics and then some. On the second phase of a free kick, the ball dropped to Daan Klomp in the box. The Cavalry defender's volley was incredibly stopped by Ingham, who also stopped the rebound before Eryk Kobza's attempt was cleared off the line by Aboubacar Sissoko, before Warschewski put a subsequent effort over the net.

Rodríguez had the chance to be the hero again in the 90th minute, but sent his strike wide of target. Ntignee then had a great chance of his own, but slipped in the box at the vital moment.

With neither side able to solve the other in the second half, the match went into extra time. The snow plows were brought back onto the pitch, prompting a lengthy delay as they cleared off the mounting snow.

Within a minute of restart, Goteh Ntignee won a free kick just outside the Ottawa box on a vicious challenge from Noah Abatneh. The cross in danced dangerously across the box, before Sam Salter cleared it just narrowly wide of his own net.

The hosts buzzed around the Cavalry box for most of the first half of extra time, but couldn't get a clear look at goal as the Cavs did well to block everything they attempted to throw at Carducci's goal.

The teams immediately switched sides after the first 15 minutes of extra time, and went at it again.

Again, Atleti went on the attack. Rodríguez snuck in behind down the left and played the ball across goal, but just behind Sam Salter and Monty Patterson couldn't quite latch onto the rebound.

But this was Rodríguez's night. Not a minute later, Manuel Aparicio played a ball over the top down the right flank into his path. Latched onto the ball, he chipped Carducci, and this time measured correctly, as the ball nestled into the back of the net. Rodríguez slipped into the snowbank in celebration as pandemonium ensued at TD Place.

The defending champions, Cavalry FC, were never not going to go down swinging, however. They put the Atleti box under siege for the rest of the match, including four minutes of stoppage time. But Atleti froze out the Cavs, holding on for their first-ever North Star Cup.

Atlético Ottawa now book a place in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, their first-ever continental competition, perhaps to return to a snowy TD Place in February.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Mbomio, Abatneh, Cloutier; Antinoro (Walker 122'), Castro (Sissoko 68'), Aparicio (Ortega 122'), Dos Santos; Tabla (Patterson 86'), Rodríguez, Salter (Zapater 109')

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird, Klomp, Field (Gutiérrez 91'), Gherasimencov (Kamdem 64'); Shome (Baldisimo 106'), Kobza; Musse (Camargo 79'), Warschewski, Ntignee; Elva (Sellouf 106')

Goals

33' — Fraser Aird (Cavalry FC) (Penalty)
40' -- David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa)
107' -- David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

45+5' — Yellow: Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
50' -- Yellow: Mihail Gherasimencov (Cavalry FC)
75' -- Yellow: Aboubacar Sissoko (Atlético Ottawa)
82' -- Yellow: Shamit Shome (Cavalry FC)
91' -- Yellow: Noah Abatneh (Atlético Ottawa)
114' -- Yellow: Goteh Ntignee (Cavalry FC)
117' -- Yellow: Eryk Kobza (Cavalry FC)
121' - Yellow: Gabriel Antinoro (Atlético Ottawa)