RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa (April 26, 2025)

Atlético Ottawa were emphatic victors against the reigning champions on Saturday at ATCO Field, as they beat Cavalry FC 3-1 in Calgary to remain undefeated to begin the 2025 Canadian Premier League campaign.

Cavalry came into the match keen on a better showing than last week's home opener against Vancouver FC, so Tommy Wheeldon Jr. opted to make two changes. Michael Baldisimo came in for his first start with the club, while Maël Henry slotted in at right wing, as the Cavs started with the same team they began the second half with last Friday. Meanwhile, Ottawa's lineup offered a surprise in the omission of Noah Abatneh, who picked up a leg injury midweek; so, 16-year-old Sergei Kozlovskiy returned to the XI in the back three.

Both sides showed plenty of attacking intent in the early stages, in an evenly-matched back-and-forth opening where they each found a couple of dangerous paths into the attacking third. The two teams generated seven shots between them in the opening 20 minutes, although the defences remained firm. Ottawa defender Amer Didić was required in the 15th minute to intervene on Sergio Camargo's ball through the six-yard box, sliding to clear it from near the goal line and keeping things scoreless.

Cavalry again came close to opening the scoring, just minutes before halftime, when Camargo fed it into the box for Ali Musse, but the winger's shot from a tough angle drew an excellent palm save by Nathan Ingham and the clubs went into the dressing rooms knotted at zeros.

Ingham was the hero yet again less than two minutes after the break, as Tobias Warschewski fed a good pass across the box and Camargo seemed certain to score, were Ingham not able to kick away the first-touch shot.

Shortly before the hour mark, the visitors at last broke the deadlock. Ballou Tabla collected at the top of the box and opted to recycle it toward the flank, where Gabriel Antinoro received the ball and looked goalward at the side of the penalty area. Antinoro's strike took a major deflection off the back of Cavalry's Bradley Kamdem-Fewo, sending it into the net beyond Marco Carducci's reach. The tally ultimately went down as an own goal for Kamdem-Fewo, whose afternoon got even more frustrating less than five minutes later.

As Cavalry lined up for a free kick just outside Ottawa's penalty area, Kamdem-Fewo hit Kozlovskiy in the abdomen with his arm aggressively, and referee Carly Shaw-MacLaren sent him off with little hesitation.

The reigning champions' nightmare second half continued to get worse; two minutes after the sending-off, David Rodríguez danced down the left flank on the counter-attack and found an unmarked Tabla in the box, and the forward made no mistake with the finish for his third career goal against Cavalry.

After both sides made a litany of changes, the young visitors continued their onslaught. A miscommunication between Cavalry's defenders in the box left the ball loose for Joaquim Coulanges. The 18-year-old placed it coolly past Carducci from a point-blank position, and Atleti took a 3-0 lead.

Cavalry's lone silver lining arrived with just a few minutes left, as Caniggia Elva found himself played through one-on-one with Ingham. He finished the chance to score his first Cavalry goal, but it would be only a consolation as the Cavs still await their first win of the season.

Meanwhile, Atleti recorded another resounding win to stay unbeaten in 2025 and return to the top of the table.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Cavalry FC: Carducci; Aird (Wähling 70'), Field (Laing 70'), Montgomery, Kamdem-Fewo; Shome, Baldisimo (Elva 70'); Musse, Camargo (Herdman 78'), Henry (Gherasimencov 70'); Warschewski

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Kozlovskiy (Duhaney-Walker 67'), Didić, Cloutier; Dos Santos, Aparicio, Castro, Antinoro (Coulanges 77'); Rodríguez (Ortega 83'), Salter (Patterson 77'), Tabla (Zapater 77')

Goals

59' — Bradley Kamdem-Fewo (Cavalry FC) (Own Goal)
66' — Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
82' — Joaquim Coulanges (Atlético Ottawa)
87' — Caniggia Elva (Cavalry FC)

Discipline

22' — Yellow: Tom Field (Cavalry FC)
63' — Yellow: Sergei Kozlovskiy (Atlético Ottawa)
64' — Red: Bradley Kamdem-Fewo (Cavalry FC)
68' — Yellow: Maël Henry (Cavalry FC)
80' — Yellow: Juan Castro (Atlético Ottawa)
89' — Yellow: Levi Laing (Cavalry FC)