Backed by packed park, Ottawa TFC prevails over Ottawa South with late goals in OPDL battle of unbeatens

By Dan Plouffe

The home side delivered an electric finish for big crowd in a late-season Ontario Player Development League marquee matchup on Wednesday night at Millennium Park, as host Ottawa TFC came back from 1-0 down to the Ottawa South United Force with two late goals to keep alive their championship hopes in the under-15 boys’ division.

“The boys showed a lot of maturity and resilience to keep fighting,” highlighted Ottawa TFC coach Cian Lynch. “I think easily they could have got frustrated as that game went on and it stayed 1-0, but they didn’t lose their confidence in their ability. They stuck to their guns and found a way to win.”

Level atop the OPDL premier division standings alongside Woodbridge with three wins and three ties apiece, the Force and the reds treated a large crowd to a sizzling showdown in the local clubs’ last league games of the season in town.

“I think it helps having a big home crowd out, and I think the red card definitely helped shift the momentum in our favour,” added Ireland-raised Lynch, a past Cape Breton University national champion who’s thoroughly enjoyed his foray into coaching after injuries halted his pro career.

OSU’s Navid Nazer was a pivotal figure in the contest. He opened the game’s scoring within first the five minutes of the match, and was later red-carded for pulling down Teo Perras, who was about to burst forward all alone on goal after a turnover not too deep into the second half.

It nonetheless took quite some time for Ottawa TFC to earn some big scoring chances as the Force defended very well despite being down a player. But moments after an OTFC goal was called back for offside, reds U14 call-up Nolann Mulumba Ntumba knocked in a rebound as his team’s growing attack was at last successful.

~~~~~~~~~ Advertisement ~~~~~~~~~

Then, with stoppage time looming, an Ottawa TFC corner kick flew past most, but not Alexander Guirguis, who headed home the game winner. OSU nearly equalized moments later, but goalkeeper Eric Frederico kept the ball out in a multi-save sequence.

“Unbelievable game,” commented Guirguis, his voice a bit hoarse from celebrations. “It’s the best feeling in the world to go down and score two goals late in the game to win it. We live for this kind of stuff.”

Guirguis said he knew his team would come back even as they trailed deep into the match.

“We knew we all had faith in each other. We know we can do together and we just had to keep playing,” he highlighted. “It was hard, but we fought back every second of that game, and it paid off at the end.”

This was the second time the local foes met this season, their earlier meeting having similarly enlivened a raucous crowd as Ottawa TFC topped last year’s OPDL east division champions 1-0.

“I really like the environment,” signalled OSU coach Mohandi Mulay, while nonetheless noting he felt it was unfair that both his squad’s contests against Ottawa TFC this year – in east and premier division play – were scheduled as away games.

Mulay felt his players adapted well to playing in the unusually rowdy setting, and that they managed all the elevated emotions and nerves brought on by the atmosphere.

“Obviously, if you have to play almost the whole second half with one player less, with 10 players, and they are pushing all the time with a lot of people, it’s difficult, right?” he added. “But I am so proud of the guys. The team competed very, very well.”

Mulay thought his team’s effort was worthy of a better result, but the outcome doesn’t always provide that reflection.

“It was tough, but a good lesson for us to become better players and a better team in the future,” he reflected.

Ottawa TFC’s troops felt the nerves just as much for the game, knowing that a win would likely be required to keep possible the prospect of a league title.

“Not everyone gets the privilege to be in the position we are to be fighting for championships, and that’s the pressure that comes along with that,” indicated Lynch. “So I tell them to enjoy every moment of it. Realize that it is a privilege to be in this precious situation.”

Woodbridge still has the leg up in the championship chase, currently holding the advantage on goal differential should the teams wind up tied on points after each team’s two final games.

In turn, that makes the prospect of Ottawa TFC finishing second and OSU third realistic, which would setup another rematch in the Charity Shield playoff semi-finals at the reds’ Millennium Field fortress – a prospect that has players and fans salivating alike.

“We have to stay humble. We have to go fight next week,” Guirguis cautioned wisely.

While a third trip to a territory that hasn’t treated them terribly well might not seem like it’d be at the top of the Force’s wish-list, Mulay said they are definitely game for the challenge.

“To be honest, I like to play here, and if we have to come back again, we will be happy to do this again,” he stated.

OSU fresh off national bronze medal win

Canadian Player Development Program U15 boys’ national bronze-medallist OSU Force. *Photo: OSU / Instagram*

Both Ottawa TFC and OSU earned draws against the team they’re chasing, Woodbridge, which won the Canadian Player Development Program championship less than a month ago.

The Force also represented Ontario at the eight-team event thanks to their OPDL east title last season.

In group play, OSU lost 2-1 to Coquitlam Metro-Ford and 3-0 to eventual silver-medallist AS Laval before downing Calgary Foothills 3-0 to earn a spot in the bronze medal match by tiebreaker.

The Force then topped Spatial St-Hubert 3-2 to claim their place on the national podium, which they achieved minus several players from last season’s champion squad who’d moved on to professional academies.

“I’m so proud of the team. We lost many players, but even with all these situations, the team is doing really well,” Mulay underlined. “Very, very proud to be top three in the country.”