Vashon Neufville (LB)
Representing London, England, innit? The leftback is likely to be one of the top players for Atlético Ottawa. Only 20 years old, he has spent his entire career in London, in Chelsea’s (yes, that one) and West Ham’s Academies. Though he never played for the senior teams, he made his senior debut for Newport County, in a third-round win in the FA Cup, beating Leicester City. Upsets happen, but what the Christian Fuchs!? It was Neufville that secured a late penalty that helped Newport get ahead in the draw.
Having played at the U16 and U17 level for England, Neufville’s story is perhaps defined by some injuries that have hampered his ability to fulfil his potential, to which he has plenty. He earned his first pro contract at 17 and has previously garnered interest from top clubs, Manchester United and Arsenal. Perhaps with backing from Atlético Madrid in Ottawa, this can be the start he needs to refresh and begin to reach his potential.
Brandon John (CB)
The TFC Academy product from St. Vincent and the Grenadines last year played for Orlando City B, scoring one goal in the USL. The Ottawa Fury may have seen him last season during their final year in the league. Other than a season with German side, Erzgebirge Aue II, scoring two goals in 24 appearances, he has spent most of his career in the USL pyramid.
John (25) has represented Canada at the 2015 CONCACAF Championship and also in friendlies for the U-23 National team against Guyana and Grenada. In 2017, he was invited to a Men’s National team camp in preparation for a friendly against Jamaica.
Gianfranco Facchineri (CB)
Look at this guy! He looks like he could be cast as the next Batman. Move over Ben Affleck, George Clooney, and Michael Keaton. Can I be the one to start calling him Batman? My dream has always been to be the reason a nickname stuck on an athlete. Who knew Batman would be an Ottawa native!
Well Batman is loaned to us from Vancouver, where he moved up the youth ranks in their youth system. He comes with loads of potential, as he has impressed through his youth career, culminating with a co-captain role with the U-17 squad in CONCACAF, where he scored the winning penalty kick in the shootout. Ice in his veins!!! He also represented his country at the U-17 World Cup.
Facchineri (18) has been described as strong and tough physically, it looks to be that the same can be said about his mental strength and toughness as well. He has been training with the first team, and this loan could be a great opportunity for him to start growing into his own. I predict him to become on of the key young leaders to emerge on this squad as the tournament progresses.
Michel Djaozandry (LB)
Michel Djaozandry (22), a Québec native, is a wingback that can play either flank. He got his start in the Montreal Impact Academy. Djaozandry was initially going to go back to school where he was going to declare for the USPORT draft next year, but instead he got the call from Atlético, and clearly couldn’t resist.
He is familiar with Ottawa already, with trials with the Fury last year. With no professional league experience, he may have originally been a fringe player, but with the pandemic restrictions limiting the teams search, let’s see what he makes of the opportunity.
Malyk Hamilton (RB, RM)
Malyk Hamilton, like teammate Vashon Neufville, spent his youth career at West Ham United, making 18 appearances for the U-18 Premier League, and also playing for the Premier League 2, a U-23 league focused on development. He has been back in Canada since 2018, spending time with TFC II, where he faced off against the Fury in their former league, the USL.
Hamilton is no stranger to the CPL, playing for his hometown Cavalry FC in the league’s inaugural season. He helped the team reach the finals after finishing first in both Spring and Fall seasons, however, his club lost 2-0 on aggregate in the finals to Forge FC.
Hamilton is still only 20 years old, and has plenty of room to grow. With his experience he can be a crucial part of the team’s supporting cast. After being left off Cavalry FC’s training camp roster, he will surely have a chip on his shoulder. However, I do find it interesting that he is listed as an attacker on the team website. He can play both wing and the attack, but he may not be counted on much for goals, as he has only 1 goal for TFC II back in 2018.
His family footballing roots run deep. Marvin Bartley, who has played top division football in Scotland for Hibernian and Livingston, and Mitchell Thomas, who started in an FA Cup final for the Spurs, in 1987, are his cousins.
Milovan Kapor (CB)
Kapor (29) has played in some real unorthodox places! He has experience playing in the top tier in Slovakia, Belarus, and Uzbekistan, with a tour in the Israeli Second Division. His most successful stint was in Slovakia, where he scored 4 goals in 48 games.
Kapor was one of the final six signings of the club this week and will be used to provide some depth at centre-back, though he can also play defensive midfield if necessary.
Jarred Phillips (FB)
The 25-year old Jarred Phillips, like Kapor, was one of the final six signings. He spent his career mostly in League1 Ontario, playing for the Vaughan Azzuri (who hasn’t played for the Vaughan Azzuri?). He won championships in the league in 2016 and 2018. Other than those finals, his most notable game came against HFX Wanderers in the Canadian Championship, even helping the Azzuri secure a 1-0 clean sheet in the second leg.
https://twitter.com/atletiOttawa/media – Original source of photos.