Atletico Ottawa KOs Toronto FC from Canadian Championship

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Toronto FC head coach Robin Fraser said his Major League Soccer team should feel “embarrassed” after surrendering three unanswered goals in the second half to lose 3-1 to visiting Atletico Ottawa on Tuesday in the 2026 Telus Canadian Championship preliminary round.

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“(I) felt like we weren’t assertive enough in the moments we needed to be, and then I thought the goals we gave up were tragic,” said a visibly frustrated Fraser.

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Ottawa, the reigning Canadian Premier League champions, will now face the winner between FC Supra du Quebec (CPL) and Woodbridge Strikers (League1 Ontario) in the quarterfinal stage, a two-leg home-and-away series. Those matches are scheduled for July.

The Telus Canadian Championship is the nation’s top domestic tournament, featuring 15 clubs — including three clubs from MLS, eight from the CPL and four from Premier Soccer Leagues Canada — competing for the Voyageurs Cup. The winner qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the elite club competition in the region.

Ottawa’s upset was fuelled by forward Ballou Tabla, whose brilliant hat-trick performance gave Atletico their first win against TFC. After the match, Tabla said he was pleased he made his teammates happy.

“I always want to go forward in this competition,” he said.

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Tabla drew even for Ottawa in the 71st minute when he snuck a shot past TFC goaltender Luka Gavran. Ten minutes later, he scored the go-ahead goal off a breakaway. Tabla secured the hat-trick in extra time on a penalty shot.

Atletico head coach Diego Mejia said he hopes that his team, 1-1-3 in CPL play this season, can use the win to build momentum.

“We are a team that, if we follow the plan, we can compete all the time,” Mejia said.

TFC led early after Canadian forward DeAndre Kerr took a feed from Derrick Etienne Jr. and slipped the ball past Ottawa’s goaltender Tristan Crampton in the 16th minute for his first goal of the season. But TFC couldn’t net a second goal, despite recording eight shots, three on net.

After the match, TFC veteran Jonathan Osorio apologized to the fans for the performance and attributed the loss to Ottawa capitalizing on TFC’s mistakes.

“I wish them the best (for) the rest of the tournament,” he said. “For us, it’s about turning around quickly, because what’s happened has happened. We have to learn.”

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Hit hard by injuries of late, with regulars such as Josh Sargent and Richie Laryea out of the starting lineup, TFC used Tuesday’s match to give experience to some of its young talent. Toronto FC II defenders Reid Fisher and Jackson Gilman, midfielders Antone Bossenberry and Fletcher Bank and forward Jahmarie Nolan were all signed to short-term agreements. All but Bank were in the starting lineup.

“There’s a different kind of pressure when you’re playing with the first team, knockout competition, all these things make it difficult in different ways,” Fraser said. “I thought that they each had some good moments. They each had some moments where they looked young. But it wasn’t about just the young players. I think overall, as a group, we weren’t sharp enough.”

TFC had been looking to add to its nation-leading eight Canadian Championship titles. The club hasn’t won since the pandemic-shortened edition in 2020 (which was completed in June 2022).

Instead, TFC will turn the page and prepare for its next MLS match at home on Saturday against Inter Miami CF.

“This team has been unbelievably resilient all year long,” Fraser said. “That’s what I said to them. I hope you’re embarrassed enough that on Saturday you make a statement.”

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