MATCH PREVIEW: Atlético Ottawa prepare for Concacaf Champions Cup debut vs. Nashville SC

The last time Atlético Ottawa played a football match, they went viral.

Their snow-covered CPL Final victory over Cavalry FC, complete with David Rodríguez's world-renowned icicle kick, was viewed more than a billion times. Nate Ingham's snow shovelling of the pitch is one of the many other unforgettable images from that Nov. 9 night in the nation's capital. 

Having already generated global headlines, the club now begins 2026 by playing in international competition for the first time, facing Nashville SC on Tuesday in the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on OneSoccer). 

The match comes exactly 100 days after Atlético Ottawa lifted the North Star Cup -- but is expected to look and feel quite different in terms of who is playing, as well as where and how it is played. The team itself has seen a lot of turnover over the past few months, including the departure of the man who scored the icicle kick, and the match-winner in the CPL Final en route to being named the match's MVP, Rodríguez. Sam Salter, the club's leading goalscorer, signed in Sweden with Allsvenskan club GAIS. Their Golden Glove-nominated goalkeeper, Ingham, joined rivals Cavalry, while captain Alberto Zapater retired. 

So, if Atleti are to make some noise in their first Concacaf appearance, new heroes will need to emerge. There are plenty of candidates to play the role, including new goalkeeper Garrisone Innocent, Atlético San Luis loanees Jonantan Villal and Emiliano Garcia and Norwegian striker Erling Myklebust. 

Despite this being the "home" leg for Atlético Ottawa in this two-legged tie, it will actually be played at Hamilton Stadium due to stadium construction at TD Place. 

Even the weather is expected to be unseasonably warm, with no snow anticipated at Hamilton Stadium and above-freezing temperatures at kick-off. It certainly won't be quite the factor that it was two weeks ago in Hamilton as Forge hosted Tigres UANL in conditions that felt like -13 C, nor, like the CPL Final, will snow disrupt proceedings. Nashville, of course, will be used to the cold, having played against northern opponents in MLS action. 

But Tuesday will be an opportunity for Atlético Ottawa to continue their positive momentum and take the next step as a club. Having firmly entrenched themselves as one of Canada's top teams over the past few years, they now want to prove they can compete at the continental level as well.

Nashville SC is the first Major League Soccer opponent that Atlético Ottawa will face in club history. They have yet to play one in the TELUS Canadian Championship, although they will in May when they take on Toronto FC in round one of this year's competition.

Like Atleti, Nashville are coming off a season where they lifted silverware, winning the 2025 U.S. Open Cup by defeating Austin FC 2-1 in the final. They finished 11th in MLS last season, eliminated in Round One by eventual champions Inter Miami. 

Ahead of just their second Concacaf appearance, however, they themselves have undergone a bit of a transformation this offseason. Captain Walker Zimmerman has left as a free agent and signed with Toronto FC. Canadian international Jacob Shaffelburg was traded to LAFC, while Jonathan Pérez recently moved to Chivas Guadalajara. 

Unlike Ottawa, however, Nashville still have their dynamic duo in attack. Former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar, and Sam Surridge scored 16 and 24 goals, respectively, last season in MLS action. Their next-closest teammate was the now-departed Shaffelburg, with four.

Nashville also added another significant weapon in January with Cristian Espinoza. The 30-year-old Argentine signed a Designated Player contract after scoring 31 goals in 154 matches with the San Jose Earthquakes. The trio will be a good test for Atlético Ottawa's young backline. 

Their attacking depth has been further bolstered by the return of former Forge FC forward Woobens Pacius -- who spent last season on loan at the Tampa Bay Rowdies, for whom he scored 17 goals. Pacius has been fairly prolific in his career against Atlético Ottawa, with five goals and a pair of assists in 10 games during his time in the CPL. 

The Tennessee side kick off their Major League Soccer campaign on Saturday when they host the New England Revolution at Geodis Park. Three days later, they host Atlético Ottawa for the second leg. The winner will advance to face Lionel Messi's Inter Miami, the defending MLS Cup champions, which certainly adds some added incentive for all involved. 

The scene may not be quite as idyllic as it was 100 days ago in Ottawa, but Tuesday could be another historic night for Atlético Ottawa in arguably the biggest game in club history.

NEWS & NOTES

• This past week, Nashville SC announced the signing of Canadian midfielder Charles-Emile Brunet, from Montréal, QC, who they selected 80th overall in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft.
• On Monday, Nashville SC Head Coach B.J. Callaghan saw his contract extended through the 2028-29 MLS season.
• Defender Roni Mbombio is unavailable for Atlético Ottawa for these two matches as he awaits a work permit. 

PROJECTED STARTING XIs

Atlético Ottawa: Innocent; Kozlovskiy, Abatneh, Cloutier; Antinoro, Aparicio, Castro, Assi; Villal, Tabla, Ennin 

Nashville SC: Willis; Najar, Palacios, Woledzi, Lovitz; Tagseth, Yazbek, Qasem; Espinoza, Surridge, Mukhtar

KEY QUOTES

"They are really, really dangerous on counterattacks. So I expect that we will have the ball and that they are waiting for us. We cannot commit stupid mistakes, because maybe we [will] pay for that mistake. So I think it's going to be a good opportunity for us, for the players, to show the real level of Canadian players, and have the mentality to advance to the second round."  — Atlético Ottawa head coach Diego Mejía 

“It's the biggest game in our short history, so I think it's about how bad we want it. We know we have quality, we have the style of player and the players to do it. It's just about showing up and getting the job done." — Atlético Ottawa midfielder Manuel Aparicio