Atletico Ottawa Set To Sign Diego Gutierrez

Having featured against Atletico Ottawa in last year’s Canadian Premier League playoff final, Diego Gutierrez is now set to don the red and white stripes of the nation’s capital.

The 29-year-old midfielder is back in Canada following a short spell with Cambodian side Phnom Penh Crown, though he was only used in the AFC Challenge Cup rather than domestic action.

Spotted at Ottawa’s open training session by the ATO: For The W podcast crew, it appears Gutierrez will soon sign for his third Canadian Premier League side as a solid mid-season addition under new head coach Gustavo Leal.

Gutierrez spent the last two seasons as a regular starter with Cavalry, notching just under fifty appearances. He was a spirited, energetic presence in their midfield who connected passes well, but left in his option year following a period of negotiations with the Albertan side.

Gutierrez featured in two consecutive playoff championship finals while with Cavalry, lifting the trophy in 2024 but later falling short against Atletico Ottawa in the infamous blizzard finale.

Before his time in Calgary, the midfielder spent four seasons in Winnipeg with a short spell abroad in Barnecha cut through the middle, racking up 82 appearances overall and donning the captain’s armband when called upon. He left the side with four goals and three assists to his name, having been one of Valour’s best players before the eventual folding of the club.

Gutierrez has been a free agent since May, when Phnom Penh Crown confirmed his departure through a mass roster overhaul that saw twelve players head to the exit.

The midfielder had signed for the Cambodian side ahead of its AFC Challenge League ties against PKR Svay Rieng, racking up 151 minutes through a two-legged affair that saw them bow out 6-2 on aggregate.

The club, which is only able to use six foreign players in domestic play, did not opt to use one of the slots on Gutierrez. His short-term contract wrapped up in May with only the two AFC Challenge League appearances to his name.

The Crown do have one former Canadian Premier League stalwart actively playing, however, with former Valour man Moses Dyer scoring for the club left, right, and centre after arriving from Galway United for $97,000.

Atletico Ottawa’s open training session also reveals that former TFC Academy prospect Reinaldo Abraham has been training with the side, and while the young Canadian-Venezuelan striker impressed, it’s unclear if he’ll officially feature for the side given his commitment to Cleveland State University this year. A clinical finisher at the developmental level, Abraham is highly-touted but may be one for the future.

As Ottawa ponders bringing in one striker, however, another is set to depart as Norwegian forward Erling Myklebust will exit the club after a scoreless run of thirteen appearances. This has yet to be confirmed by the Atletico Ottawa, however.

All credit to the Capital City Supporters’ Group ATO: For The W podcast for the scoop.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques