Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Atletico Ottawa survived two York United FC comebacks to win via penalty shootout, 5-4, on Sunday and advance to the Canadian Premier League semifinal before an announced crowd of 4,630 at TD Place, its first-ever home playoff victory.
A stoppage-time goal by 16-year-old York substitute Shola Jimoh tied it at 1-1, forcing extra time. Ollie Bassett had put Ottawa ahead in the 47th minute, swinging in a corner for a highlight-reel “Olimpico.”
The teams traded goals in extra time with Ruben del Campo converting a penalty for Ottawa in the 92nd minute, after Sam Salter was taken down by Elijah Adekugbe. York captain Mo Babouli tied it two minutes later, heading home a Jimoh cross.
The ensuing penalty shootout was the first ever in a CPL playoff game.
Amer Didic, Maxim Tissot, del Campo, Alberto Zapater and Ilias Iliadis scored from the penalty spot for Ottawa.
Juan Cordova, Brian Wright, Orlando Botello and Josue Martinez converted for York. Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham got his hand to Babouli’s penalty second-round penalty attempt.
Ottawa defeated visiting York 2-1 in their season opener in April before losing 2-1, 4-1 and 1-0 in the next three meetings.
Atletico will face Forge FC in the semifinal on Saturday at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton. The winner will advance to the championship game in Calgary on Nov. 9 against Cavalry FC, which knocked off top-seeded Forge 1-0 later on Sunday.
Tobias Warschewski’s 27th-minute goal sends Cavalry to the CPL final for the third time after losing to Forge, which lost to Forge in 2019 and 2023. Forge, meanwhile, suffered only its second defeat in 14 career playoff games (10-2-2).
“It was a very tough performance from us. And it needed to be,” Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said.
Cavalry almost went ahead in the 24th minute Sunday at Tim Hortons Field only to see Forge’s Alessandro Hojabrpour acrobatically clear away a Callum Montgomery header destined for a goal.
But Warschewski made no mistake three minutes later, taking advantage of a long free kick from goalkeeper Marco Carducci from just outside his own penalty box that split the Forge defence. Warschewski got to the ball first, chesting it down and fending off a defender before going around goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat and knocking the ball home.
“He’s unplayable, isn’t he,” Wheeldon said of Warschewski. “And credit to Marco. He saw an opportunity.”
Warschewski won the league’s Golden Boot Award, leading all scorers during the regular season with 12 goals.
Forge had its chances in the first half, including a wild goalmouth scramble that it failed to take advantage of. Another attack saw captain Kyle Bekker’s header from close range hit the goalpost.
Carducci stopped a looping shot from distance from Forge’s Beni Badibanga in the 53rd minute. A minute later, Hojabrpour’s hard shot went straight at the Cavalry ‘keeper.