Pumas Loans Lopez To Atletico Ottawa

In a loan move that has been kept anything but secret, Canada U-20 international Santiago Lopez has arrived to the nation’s capital on loan from Liga MX powerhouse Pumas UNAM.

The twenty-year-old forward is a highly-touted prospect who has made twenty appearances for PUMAS, having first developed through the club’s academy. Eligible for both Mexico and Canada, Lopez has appeared for both at the youth levels and, while still uncapped, did get a senior call-up for a Canada vs Panama friendly in 2024.

Lopez has actually faced Canadian Premier League opposition before, having notched both an assist and a goal against Cavalry in last year’s Concacaf Champions Cup bout between the two. Given that he’s already in the nation’s capital, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him brought on against FC Supra du Quebec this weekend.

“If there’s a club that can bring this kind of profile to the Canadian Premier League, it’s Atletico Ottawa,” says head coach Diego Mejia. “Santiago is a very good player and a young Canadian player. We have a purpose to develop this profile, and he will help us a lot. He’s a very good guy and an amazing professional, so I think that he’s going to give us that quality that we need during his time with the club.”

Atletico Ottawa’s title defense season got off to a tough start with two losses. The absence of clinical and creative attackers like Samuel Salter and David Rodriguez has been felt heavily, with Santiago Lopez expected to restore some of that potency going forward.

“It’s a really good group here and I’m looking forward to making an impact however I can,” adds Lopez. “There’s eleven guys on the field at the end of the day, so ultimately I just want to contribute and help the club win games.”

The reigning champions averaged two goals per game last season, but have managed just one goal from their opening two matches while conceding five. If Lopez can add a spark to the attack, he could become yet another well-loved loanee in the nation’s capital.

Header Image Photo Credit: Canadian Premier League