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Did Soccerway Just Leak The Atletico Ottawa Roster?
By While Atletico Ottawa has only announced ten returning players ahead of the 2021 Canadian Premier League season, a new update from Soccerway appears to have filled out many of the new additions, assuming the website is accurate.
Sources have confirmed to Northern Tribune that at least some of the listed players are confirmed, but not yet announced. With those confirmations lending credibility to the list, it looks like Soccerway may have painted a very full picture of the Atletico Ottawa roster ahead of the oft-belated CPL announcement schedule.
At the time of this article, Soccerway is displaying that Atletico Ottawa has added eight brand new players to its roster, including former York United men Chris Mannella and Ryan Telfer, Pacific FC’s Zach Verhoven, and former Eddies goalkeeper Dylon Powley.
The website also reports that domestic players Jordan Webb, Teodor Obadal, Brian Wright, and Shawn Lawson have signed with the side, too. While none of the new player signings are confirmed, it’s quite strange that Soccerway built this roster seemingly out of nowhere, and with plausible player signings to boot.
We’d been speculating that Dylon Powley was likely to sign for Atletico Ottawa, with the 24-year-old goalkeeper having already said his goodbyes to FC Edmonton fans. Behind him reportedly comes a bigger unknown in Serbian-Canadian Teodor Obadal, who most recently spent time with the academy of Sebian side FK Lokomotiva Belgrad.
It was over four months ago that we stated Chris Mannella was set for an intra-league transfer move, with Atletico Ottawa being the expected destination. The former York United and Ottawa Fury centre midfielder had an injury-plagued Island Games campaign, but clearly has a lot more to offer at the CPL level.
Soccerway is showing that he isn’t the only intra-league arrival in midfield, with former Pacific FC midfielder Zach Verhoven also listed. His former team had announced his departure back in October, when they mutually decided not to exercise his option so he could pursue another playing opportunity.
Given that veteran Canadian winger Jordan Webb had disclosed that he was heading back to Canada following several seasons with Singaporean side Tampines Rovers, this is an addition that makes a lot of sense. He’s scored just shy of 100 goals in Singapore over the last ten years, proving to be quite a prolific winger overseas.
Trinidad and Tobago international Ryan Telfer would be another solid addition, with the former Toronto FC and York United winger arriving after a relatively quiet Island Games campaign. Still, he contributed ten goals and two assists for the Nine Stripes in 2019, showing that he has the quality to be a leading CPL athlete. A fresh start with Atletico Ottawa could be exactly what he needs.
The inclusion of Toronto-born forward Shawn Lawson is another interesting addition, with the Jamaican-Canadian reportedly coming in from NISA side Detroit City FC. The former Jamaica U-17 international won the fan-vote for most valuable DCFC player in 2019, and won the NISA Independent Cup with the squad last year. If his inclusion is confirmed, he’ll be arriving to Ottawa in hot form.
Forward Brian Wright is another domestic athlete who would be a great fit at the CPL level: the 25-year-old comes in with Major League Soccer experience with the New England Revolution, along with two loan stints and a permanent move in the USL Championship. His option was declined by the Birmingham Legion at the end of 2020, so the Ajax-born forward would be a low-risk and logical pickup for Ottawa-based side.
On an official level, Atletico Ottawa has confirmed ten players for the 2021 Canadian Premier League season: four defenders, four midfielders, and two forwards. Internationals Vashon Neufville, Viti Martinez, Tevin Shaw, and Osah Bernardinho are set to return, with the club also re-signing Brandon John, Milovan Kapor, Ben McKendry, Antoine Coupland, and Malcom Shaw. The side has also acquired defender Keesean Ferdinand on loan from CF Montreal.
The side announced eight departing players last month, which included inaugural captain Ben Fisk.
If Soccerway is correct – and sources are indicating that the squad listing appears to be credible – that means that Atletico Ottawa has 18 players signed for the 2021 Canadian Premier League season, of which four are internationals. The club will also be taking a look at Christopher Malekos and Reggie Laryea from the 2021 CPL-U SPORTS Draft, and if both of them sign that’d leave three remaining roster spots, all of which could be used on internationals.
Atletico Ottawa has not yet commented on the Soccerway roster listing.