In part three of this back to school series, I will be giving the midfielders their report cards (minimum 90 minutes played).
The midfield lacked depth, but the starting players were as capable as anyone in the league. Lead by Acuña, this midfield helped make this team a fun and exciting team to watch. These players did well to give Ottawa a chance to win in every game. However, the lack of depth made it difficult to close out games and make necessary substitutions/adjustments in the second half. Nonetheless, the starting midfielders were Atlético Ottawa’s biggest strength; collectively earning them the best grades of any position on the team.
Before we begin, as usual, thanks to all those who voted/commented their own grades on Instagram, Twitter, and in the comment sections below. I love hearing what you think of my grades and what you would grade the players!
Javier Acuña (Grade: A+)
- 7 Games Played, 2 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Yellow Cards
Acuña Matata. What a wonderful phrase. Honestly, I could just say “Acuña” and “A+” and you would all understand. I wouldn’t need to say more. But, I suppose that’s my job.
Acuña is a class above in this league – he is certainly the best player on Atlético Ottawa. He co-lead the team in goals with Malcolm Shaw, and lead the league in assists (in round 1) with two in both stat categories. Beyond the traditional statistics, however, he dominated the game in every facet. The game went through Acuña. He knew when to slow the game down, or when to speed it up. He used his body to protect the ball and maintain possession at an elite level.
Ottawa was two different teams with him on and off the field. On the field, Ottawa scored all 7 of their goals and conceded 4 (all 4 occurring against Halifax and Forge). In fact, they didn’t allow a single goal against with Acuña on the field until the the fifth game of the tournament. On the bench, they scored a whopping 0 goals and allowed 8.
This season would have been different if he played closer to 90 minutes in the first 3 games of the season. Instead, the team managed his minutes which partly contributed to two 2-goal collapses against York9 and Edmonton FC. This speaks volumes to the impact Acuña had on this team. We’re lucky to have him. Hopefully next year the team can provide some depth to close out games.
Viti Martínez (Grade: A-)
- 6 Games Played, 1 Goal, 2 Yellow Cards
I will be honest. For the first part of the season, I sometimes felt like Viti wasn’t even playing. After paying closer attention to him, I realized that was probably a good thing. He played like a typical defensive midfielder. Often playing through the back 4 in possession and joining play from behind. As the season went on, he got more comfortable and began to contribute in the offensive side of the game. Through the final two or three games he created a lot more opportunities and had a few chances on goal. And who can forget that thrilling last minute goal against Pacific FC to keep the season alive!
Viti plays a position that often goes unheralded. The major responsibility for a defensive midfielder is to be reliable and trustworthy. Viti was just that. He is young and still has potential to grow. We saw that growth as the season progressed when got more comfortable in the offensive facet of the game. Plus, I know it will be a long time before I forget that 90th minute goal!
Ben McKendry (Grade: B)
- 7 Games Played, 2 Yellow Cards
McKendry started the season on the bench, though he found his way into every game, often subbing in for Khabra or vice versa. He earned Mista’s trust as the season progressed and by the end of the season, he played more minutes than Khabra.
McKendry played opposite of Viti as a defensive midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation that Ottawa often deployed. He played solid and was a reliable option for Mista. While he may have had a horrible, back-breaking giveaway against Halifax that thwarted any momentum Ottawa had to tying that game, blaming that on him would be unfair. It was his one glaring error this season. His biggest contribution would be the free-kick in the 90th minute against Pacific FC that lead to the Viti goal. All in all, I think a B grade is fair.
Ajay Khabra (Grade: B-)
- 6 Games Played, 1 Yellow Card
Khabra had a very similar season to McKendry. He began the year as a starter, but was slightly surpassed by McKendry. He still played in most of the games, as the two felt basically interchangeable.
Khabra was a bit more of a defensive-minded player. He didn’t do anything that was bad, but he also didn’t impress his coach enough to keep his starting job. However, I felt this was a bit of a consequence of a shortened season for Khabra. The team played well with him on the field, except in the 27 minutes he played against Valour FC. If you recall, this was the game where Valour scored 4 goals after the 65th minute. This wasn’t his fault, as they played a man short for the second game in a row, and the team wasn’t having a good game well before he subbed on for McKendry.
McKendry had his free-kick moment and played a bit more, which gives his grade a slight bump up. But really, these two players felt interchangeable and were neck and neck.
Antoine Coupland (Grade: C)
- 3 Games Played, 1 Yellow Card
Coupland is the youngest player on the team, but earned himself 3 appearances. The Ottawa Fury product played in nearly 100 minutes in those 3 games. He didn’t look out of his element either. Although he sometimes looked to be physically outmatched by his opponents, he showed a maturity and skill level that proved he belonged. I do think Mista could have used Coupland a little bit more, considering the lack of depth in midfield, being the only other midfield bench option not named Khabra/McKendry.
Although Coupland could have done well to get himself a bit more involved in the minutes he played, he will continue to develop and gain confidence. As early as next season, we can see him becoming one of the key role players for this team.
Conclusion
Atlético Ottawa’s starting midfielders were a formidable group lead by Acuña. The Mexican international brought this group to the next level as he dazzled and amazed fans. Despite being among the best players of the tournament, Acuña’s elite talent was not enough to overcome a lack of depth in midfield that ultimately hurt Ottawa’s chances of progressing to the next round of the Island Games.
Feel free to let me know how I am wrong (or right!) and comment below. Who were you impressed by? Who did you expect more from?
Be sure not to miss Friday’s piece on the forwards!
Visit the homepage or the contact page to subscribe to our newsletter and game updates right to your email!