'Man City make ominous statement in brutal lesson for Liverpool'
Van Dijk rejects Rooney's 'lazy criticism'
'I worry about unity' - Southgate on St George's flag
How irretrievable breakdown led to savage separation for Rodgers & Celtic
I'm just keeping Celtic seat warm - O'Neill
The match, conducted amidst a snowstorm in Ottawa where temperatures fell to -8C, encapsulated the quintessential Canadian spirit.
Atletico Ottawa emerged victorious, claiming their first championship - the North Star Cup - with a 2-1 win in extra time against Calgary's Cavalry FC.
However, that merely scratches the surface of the events.
The match faced numerous interruptions as snow needed to be removed from the field, with lines cleared every quarter of an hour and goalkeepers wielding shovels to maintain their areas, rendering the game nearly unmanageable during the second half. A snowplow was even brought onto the field prior to the extra time.
Fraser Aird, a former midfielder for Rangers, scored a penalty for Cavalry in the 33rd minute while wearing short sleeves, celebrating with a knee slide on the snow, only to be bombarded with snowballs from the spectators.
Just seven minutes later, 23-year-old David Rodriguez delivered a spectacular moment, equalizing the score with an acrobatic header that struck the underside of the crossbar, and then netting the winning goal in the 107th minute with a delicate chip over Cavalry goalkeeper Marco Carducci.
Rodriguez, originally from Mexico, mentioned he had "zero" prior experience before joining the team in February.
"I walked into the locker room buzzing. I saw the snow falling and thought, 'this is going to be a great day,'" he remarked.
Atletico goalkeeper Nathan Ingham commented, "The entire evening feels surreal.
"Whether you play us on a sandy surface, in the snow, or even on the moon, this team is destined to win."
The Canadian Premier League was launched in 2017, while Atletico Ottawa, a franchise of Atletico Madrid from Spain, was established in 2020.
0 Comments
This space aims to broaden the debate on the subject addressed in the news, democratically and respectfully. Comments that violate laws and ethical and moral principles or that promote illegal or criminal activities will not be accepted. Therefore, slanderous, defamatory, prejudiced, offensive, aggressive comments, those that use foul language, incite violence, express hate speech or contain links will be summarily deleted.