York United draw Atlético Ottawa to end the CPL season 

By Robert Belardi 

York United erased a 2-0 deficit in the second half against the best team in the Canadian Premier League in Atlético Ottawa to end the 2022 campaign with a 2-2 draw. 

“I thought it was really exciting for the fans. They got what they paid for today. I thought for our team, we came out well. Controlled a lot of the tempo. We knew they were going to be good on the counter they have some good pieces there and we didn't deal with it very well,” said head coach Martin Nash after concluding his first season at the helm of The Nine Stripes. 

“Two indecisive moments, one on each goal that cost us. We ended the half poorly to be fair. In the second half, I challenged them a little bit at half-time and we came out fighting. I thought we had a really good second half. I think the draw is a fair result. Although we could have had three or four. Maybe they could have had another one. It was exciting. It kept me on the edge of my seat anyways. I thought it was a good performance and I'm pleased with the way we ended the season.”

After going down by two thanks to goals by Maxim Tissot and Brian Wright, United gave it all they had in the last 45-minutes. Osaze De Rosario got the boys on the board first and with 11-minutes left in regulation, Jordan Wilson equalized. 

In the second half of the season, York United were trending in the right direction. The club, who had previously struggled to score, began to find the back of the net. 

Since July 19, York United has gone 6-2-5. 

When asked about the second half of the season, Nash said that he was particular happy with the mindset and the drive of the group. He felt his club was unlucky at times, and he's looking forward to the season next year. 

In his first year as head coach, Nash led York United to a 9-7-12 record. 

Now, the CPL playoffs begin this weekend. Cavalry FC will host Forge FC at home at ATCO Field for their first leg. Kick-off is at 4:00 p.m. EST. 

Pacific FC will take on Atlético Ottawa at Starlight Stadium and kick-off for that, is at 7:00 p.m. EST. 

Next weekend, all four clubs will be playing the second leg of the semi-finals. Next Sunday October 23, Atlético Ottawa will host Pacific FC at TD Place at 2:00 p.m. EST. 

Forge FC will host Cavalry FC at Tim Horton's Field at 5:00 p.m. EST. 

All matches can be seen on One Soccer.