Canadian Premier League final: Atletico Ottawa’s ‘icy kick’ lights up blizzard-hit final

It was coined the “Ice Kick” – the stunning volley that lit up the Canadian Premier League final.

The match, played in the middle of a snowstorm in Ottawa with the temperature dipping to -8 degrees Celsius, had it all and was presented in the most Canadian way.

Host team Atlético Ottawa won its first title – the North Star Cup – with a 2-1 overtime win over Cavalry FC of Calgary.

But that hardly tells the whole story.

The match was repeatedly postponed so that snow could be cleared from the pitch with lines removed every 15 minutes, the goalkeepers cleared their boxes with shovels and the match became almost unplayable in the second half. A snowplow had to be on the field before overtime.

Former Rangers midfielder Fraser Aird, playing in short sleeves, put the Knights ahead from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute and celebrated by sliding his knee on the ice and then being pelted with snowballs by the home fans.

Seven minutes later, a magical moment came from 23-year-old David Rodriguez, who equalized with an acrobatic shot that bounced off the underside of the crossbar, before scoring the winning goal in the 107th minute with a shot over Marco Carducci, the Knights’ goalkeeper.

Rodriguez, who was born in Mexico, said he had “zero” experience until joining the team last February.

“I came into the locker room and I was excited. I saw the snow falling, and I said, ‘It’s going to be a good day,'” he said.

Atletico goalkeeper Nathan Ingham added: “The whole night feels fake.

“You play us on the sand, you play us on the snow, you play us on the moon, this team will win.”

The Canadian Premier League began in 2017, while Atlético Ottawa is a franchise of Spanish team Atlético Madrid and was founded in 2020.