The midweek headliner of CPL's matchweek 24 schedule sees Atlético Ottawa host Cavalry on Wednesday night at TD Place.

With the CPL Shield race winding down, three points could mean a lot for either side.

Ottawa could virtually secure a playoff spot, while for the visitors, a win would provisionally put them nine points clear of second-placed Forge, forcing the Hamilton side to win three of their remaining five matches to draw level.

Taken together, although nothing will be finalized with Wednesday's result, both clubs have plenty of motivation to secure the win.

Head-to-head this year

Ottawa and Cavalry have met three times in 2026, with Cavalry victorious in all three matches. On a cold April afternoon, the Albertan side fought to a desperately needed 3-1 win. ATCO Field had historically been a happy hunting ground for Atlético Ottawa, as they had taken a very impressive five away wins from Cavalry's grounds.

The sides renewed hostilities in July after the CPL's mid-season break, when Cavalry took a dominant 3-0 victory in Ottawa. A three-goal outburst in the first half let the road team game-manage to a quiet second half and a convincing win.

Most recently, Cavalry scored three again in a nearly identical victory to their early-season triumph. Two goals in the opening 20 minutes set the tone for the remainder of the match and forced Ottawa into tactical changes in an attempt to salvage a single point, but to no avail.

How Atlético Ottawa enter the match

Ottawa are 2-1-2 in their last five matches. Most recently, a low-event 1-0 away win in Halifax was critical in pulling them further away from the playoff-chasing pack. Back-to-back losses to FC Supra and Forge were not helpful in their playoff chase, but nevertheless, they are four points clear of fourth-place Vancouver FC, with this being their match in hand.

How Cavalry enter the match

Cavalry begin a three-game road trip on blistering form. The men in red are undefeated in their previous 10 matches, have not conceded more than one goal in any league match in 2026, and most recently delivered an emphatic 6-0 win over FC Supra last Friday night. While the Shield race will likely run into the final matchweeks, the Cavs are locked into a playoff spot if they meet their U21 minute requirement and boast one of the most potent offensive units the CPL has ever seen.

Availability

Atlético Ottawa have no shortage of defensive concerns. Noah Abatneh and Wes Timoteo have missed significant time, with Abatneh only managing nine minutes in the last several months and Timoteo absent from the lineup since the beginning of August. On the plus side, Tyr Duhaney-Walker returned last weekend after being out with an injury since April's memorable contest against Supra.

At midfield, former Cavalry man Diego Gutierrez has made three consecutive starts with his new club and will be highly motivated to perform against his old squad.

Roni Mbomio and Ralph Khoury are away with their national teams during the current window.

For Cavalry, Tobias Warschewski is eligible to return after serving his one-match suspension last weekend. The German leads the club with nine goals and nine assists in league play in 2026. Fellow attacker Caniggia Elva is still away from the club as his tour of international duty with St. Lucia continues.

At midfield, Harry Paton is also eligible to return after his suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Meanwhile, Sergio Camargo was absent from Cavalry's lineup on Friday night with what was described as a lingering issue. No update on his status is available as of yet.

Projected XIs

Atlético Ottawa (4-4-2): Christopher Kalongo; Loic Cloutier, Sergei Kozlovskiy, Juilan Dunn, Tyr Duhaney-Walker; Joaquim Coulanges, Diego Guttierez, Manu Aparicio, Gabi Antinoro; Ballou Tabla, Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau

Cavalry FC (4-2-3-1): Nathan Ingham, Bradley Kamdem Fewo, Amer Didic, Daan Klomp, Adam Pearlman; Eryk Kobza, Harry Paton; Goteh Ntignee, Ali Musse, Nathaniel Edwards; Tobias Warschewski

Game information and how to watch

📆 Wednesday, September 30, 2026
⏰ 7:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm MT
📺 OneSoccer, CBC Gem
🧑‍⚖️ Carly Shaw-MacLaren
🏟 TD Place