RECAP + HIGHLIGHTS: Valour FC vs. Atlético Ottawa | Oct. 5, 2025

Atlético Ottawa missed a massive opportunity to gain ground on Forge FC at the top of the CPL table in a thrilling back-and-forth 3-3 draw with Valour FC in Winnipeg on Sunday.

With a chance to go level on points with the Hamilton club, who drew 1-1 with Vancouver FC on Saturday, Atleti instead suffered a late Erik Pop equalizer that maintained their two-point gap from the top spot.

Just under two minutes into the match, former Atlético Ottawa attacker Kris Twardek bundled a Themi Antonoglou corner kick over the line to give Valour a surprise early lead.

Atleti nearly equalized immediately as Kevin Dos Santos sent a threatening low cross into the box that Sam Salter redirected, but couldn't get enough power on it to beat Eleias Himaras.

Salter had another great opportunity in the 20th minute during a chaotic sequence that saw the ball drop to him in the box after Valour defenders Gianfranco Facchineri and Roberto Alarcón collided. He shot, however, was right at Himaras.

The Atleti striker had a third great chance just before the half-hour after Tabla picked him out in the box, but Roberto Alarcón came across to block the shot. It looked as though the strike did hit his arm as he came across, but no penalty was awarded.

Valour then had an outstanding chance in the 35th minute, as Myles Morgan cut through the middle. He played a pass to his left into the box, which Diogo Ressurreição dummied before it reached Jordan Faria. Still, it was a tremendous bit of football from the hosts, who played with great freedom in the opening 45 minutes.

Faria came even closer in the 38th minute, again open in the box, he sat down goalkeeper Nate Ingham before sending a strike toward what appeared to be a wide-open goal. But Noah Abatneh got down brilliantly and somehow blocked the ball on the line to keep the score 1-0.

That moment proved significant just minutes later, when Atleti equalized. David Rodríguez shifted the ball out wide to Tabla, who took a touch and cleverly struck the ball near post for his 10th goal of the season.

The visitors had one more chance right before half-time on a free kick from just outside the box, but Manny Aparicio's strike was fairly comfortably caught by Himaras.

Just over a minute into the second half, Rodríguez again picked out Tabla in the box, this time from close range, but he scuffed his shot and sent it trickling harmlessly into Himaras's arms.

In the 56th minute, Atleti took a deserved lead. Aparicio slipped the ball through the Valour line to Tabla, who spun and sent a pass across to Salter. The Atleti striker tapped in his 19th of the season to make it 2-1.

Valour weren't done yet, however. In the 72nd minute, a lofted cross from Faria picked out Antonoglou at the back post. The Valour full-back volleyed it out of the air, cutting across the ball to send a low, swerving strike into the bottom right corner to equalize 2-2.

The hosts thought they had taken the lead in the 80th minute, but Faria was judged to have fouled Atleti substitute Joaquim Coulanges at the back post while a dangerous cross from Antonoglou hung in the air.

Atleti went desperately searching to take the lead again, knowing how vital a winner could prove in their CPL title aspirations. Tabla had a great chance in the 85th minute, but saw his opportunity blocked.

In the 86th minute, Joaquim Coulanges cut into the box and was brought down, earning a penalty. Tabla stepped up and saw his first effort denied by Himaras. But from the ground he somehow got enough power to place the rebound into the opposite corner and gave Atleti a 3-2 lead.

With one of the final kicks of the match, however, Valour landed a significant blow to Atleti's title hopes. Captain Raphael Ohin sent a strike across goal that Ingham couldn't get a hold of through traffic. The rebound spilled to substitute Erik Pop, who tapped home his first CPL goal to equalize at 3-3.

BOX SCORE

Lineups

Valour FC: Himaras; Alarcón (Figueiredo 70'), Konicks, Facchineri, Antonoglou; Ohin; Twardek, Froese (Venâncio 70'), Ressurreição, Faria; Morgan (Pop 90+2')

Atlético Ottawa: Ingham; Kozlovskiy, Abatneh, Cloutier; Antinoro (Assi 86'), Castro (Zapater 77'), Aparicio, Dos Santos (Coulanges 77'); Rodríguez (Ortego 90'), Tabla (Mbombio 90'), Salter

Goals

2' — Kris Twardek (Valour FC)
41' -- Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
56' -- Sam Salter (Atlético Ottawa)
72' -- Themi Antonoglou (Valour FC)
88' -- Ballou Tabla (Atlético Ottawa)
90+4' -- Erik Pop (Valour FC)

Discipline

42' — Yellow: Diogo Ressurreição (Valour FC)
42' -- Yellow: Diego Konicks (Valour FC)
89' -- Yellow: Gianfranco Facchineri (Valour FC)
90+3' -- Yellow: Loïc Clouthier (Atlético Ottawa)