Pacific FC at least went down with boots blazing. Needing a two-goal victory at minimum, PFC threw everything but the Empress and Johnson Street Bridge at Atlético Ottawa in launching 27 shots in the second game of their two-legged Canadian Premier League playoff semifinal set Sunday.
The nine shots on goal were all dangerous but Atlético Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham got his hands to eight of them in a towering performance to keep it a 1-1 draw before 8,457 boisterous fans at TD Place Stadium in the nation’s capital. Atlético Ottawa, 2-0 victors the week before at Starlight Stadium in Langford with two stunning late against-the-grain late goals, won 3-1 on aggregate to advance to the CPL championship game next Sunday against Forge FC of Hamilton, Ont.
“It was all we can ask for. We wanted to give everything to the game and we did,” said PFC head coach James Merriman, following the season-ending contest in Ottawa.
“We wanted to open the game from minute one. We can’t fault the effort. We put three [players] front high from minute one and we put a lot of pressure on with 25-plus shots. We did everything other than finish.”
The defending CPL-champion Tridents were left to rue what might have been as the league sets to crown a new champion this week in Ottawa.
“We had more than enough chances to put the game away,” said PFC captain Jamar Dixon, the retiring three-time sa国际传媒-capped midfielder, who played his final game.
“We could have had two or three goals. It was there. But we didn’t score [enough] and they took their chance. It wasn’t our time. It was Ottawa’s time.”
Pacific FC made it tense with a goal headed in by defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère off a corner kick at 28 minutes. The game remained in the balance until Malcolm Shaw tied the contest for Ottawa from seemingly nowhere at 83 minutes with a fabulously-taken shot from just outside the box that froze the Tridents. It was only then Atletico could express a sigh of relief.
“It was a typical second-leg playoff with lots of emotions and lots of intensity,” said Atlético Ottawa’s Spanish head coach Carlos González.
“PFC did a great game today and came with intensity. Nate [Ingham] is a great goalkeeper who has grown through the season. In the important moments, he has been there. The main thing was to equalize and we did it bit by bit.”
Ottawa, owned by La Liga giant Atlético Madrid, will host the 2022 CPL championship game against Forge FC of Hamilton. Forge defeated Cavalry FC of Calgary 2-1 in their semifinal second leg Sunday at Tim Hortons Field to win 3-2 on aggregate and, like the dinner guest who never leaves, advanced to its fourth consecutive CPL championship game.
PFC, 1-0 winner over Forge FC in last year’s championship game in Hamilton, looked ahead to next season.
“Every team was up when coming in to play the champions this season and it wasn’t easy and has been a challenge,” said PFC bench boss Merriman.
“But we learned a lot and continue to grow as a club. Overall, we should be happy with what we continue to do. The core group is staying together and coming back. There continues to be a great spirit in this group and we showed that today.”
