RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Atlético Ottawa vs. Valour FC (May 10, 2025)

Top of the table, Atlético Ottawa scored five goals in their fifth straight CPL victory on Saturday, this time 5-2 over Valour in the nation's capital.

Atleti striker Sam Salter made CPL history in the match, becoming the first player in the league to score four goals in a match during a dominant performance. David Rodríguez also scored for Ottawa.

Kelsey Egwu and Shaan Hundal, meanwhile, responded for the visitors who are still winless through five matches this season despite doubling their goal tally on the year.

Atlético Ottawa threatened to get in behind the Valour line quickly, as Salter tried a shot that went just wide inside the opening two minutes.

On their first foray forward, however, Valour found the opener. A good bit of direct play from the Winnipeg club saw Diogo Ressurreição thread a ball through to Hundal. The Valour striker cut in from the left and sent a lovely no-look strike that beat Nathan Ingham in the Ottawa net to make it 1-0 for the visitors.

Atlético Ottawa possessed most of the ball in the opening stages, looking to pick apart a compact Valour 4-4-2, with the Winnipeg club looking to play between the lines quickly when they won the ball back. On one such occasion in the 20th minute, Jordan Faria had a great chance to add a second, but Ingham got down well to save his shot.

Valour's strong start, however, was undone by more magic from David Rodriguez in the 28th minute. After a poor giveaway from Valour in midfield, Rodríguez picked up the ball down the left flank and powered past several players before squaring for Salter. The Atleti striker had the inside track on his man and slid the ball past Jonathan Viscosi to equalize the match.

The Winnipegers really should have taken the lead in the 38th minute. Jordan Faria cut down the right flank and played a lovely cross that a wide-open Myles Morgan headed wide of the target.

Valour came close again in the 41st minute, as some lovely one-touch football saw Hundal played into the box. The Valour striker tried a cheeky backheel but didn't get all of it, and Morgan also couldn't put the rebound on frame.

Ingham collected and launched the ball forward into the path of Salter, who beat Valour's Kelsey Egwu in the air before running into the box and unleashing a lovely left-footed finish past Viscosi to give Atleti the lead 2-1.

In first half stoppage time, Atleti added a third. A pinpoint switch of play from young Sergei Kozlovskiy found Rodríguez, who played a one-two into the box with Gabriel Antinoro before smashing home his fourth of the season. The goal meant that, despite conceding first, Ottawa headed into the half up 3-1.

Salter and Atlético Ottawa picked up where they left off to begin the second half. Just a matter of seconds after the restart, Alberto Zapater played a ball over the top into the path of Salter. The Atleti striker had a brilliant first touch to take down the bouncing ball out of the air, before calmly sliding it past Viscosi for his hat-trick and to make it 4-1 for the hosts.

But Valour weren't ready to go down without a fight. On a set piece in the 49th minute, Themi Antonoglou sent an outstanding cross into the box that Egwu headed in for his first CPL goal in the 49th minute.

In the 56th minute, Valour made a triple substitution looking to further claw their way back into the match, bringing in Raphael Ohin, Kian Williams and Xavier Venâncio. Atleti responded by adding Aboubacar Sissoko.

But this was Salter's day, and in the 58th minute, he made CPL history, becoming the first player to score four goals in a single match. This time, Manuel Aparicio slipped the ball through to the Ottawa striker, who cut down the left flank before slicing the ball across goal and into the bottom right corner.

In the 69th minute, Salter was substituted out of the match in favour of Ralph Khoury, who, having just turned 18 on Friday, made his CPL debut.

That goal seemed to finally weaken Valour's resolve, as they looked defeated and frustrated through the final 20 minutes of the match, picking up several bookings and fouls.

Saturday was the five straight match that Atlético Ottawa have scored three or more goals, scoring five for the first time in CPL action since 2023. They have now scored a stunning 20 goals in just six matches this season.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Kozlovskiy, Abatneh, Cloutier; Dos Santos (Sissoko 56'), Castro (Verhoeven 78'), Zapater, Aparicio (Ortega 69'), Antinoro; Rodríguez (Levis 78'), Salter (Khoury 69')

Valour FC: Viscosi; Alarcón, Romeo, Egwu, Antonoglou (Wandje 84'); Faria (Venâncio 56'), Mlah (Ohin 56'), Figueiredo, Ressurreição; Morgan (Williams 57'), Hundal (Pop 68')

Goals

5' -- Shaan Hundal (Valour FC)
28' -- Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
42' -- Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
45+3' -- David Rodríguez (Atlético Ottawa)
46' -- Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
49' -- Kelsey Egwu (Valour FC)
58' -- Samuel Salter (Atlético Ottawa)

Discipline

22' -- Yellow: Themi Antonoglou (Valour FC)
26' -- Yellow: Juan Castro (Atlético Ottawa)
70' -- Yellow: Bruno Figueiredo (Valour FC)
86' -- Yellow: Xavier Venâncio (Valour FC)
90' -- Yellow: Kian Williams (Valour FC)