OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — David Rodriguez scored his second goal of the game in the 106th minute and Atletico Ottawa won the Canadian Premier League's North Star Cup in a snowstorm Sunday night, beating defending champions Cavalry FC of Calgary 2-1.
“I’m never going to forget this night,” said Rodriguez, the Mexican midfielder who saw snow for the first time this year. "I just want to thank all the people that showed up tonight.”
TD Place was blanketed by heavy snowfall, with plows brought on to clear the turf before extra time.
“That wasn’t a game,” Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said. “That was a fight.”
In the 33rd minute, Cavalry defender Fraser Aird tucked the ball into the bottom right corner. In a testament to the rivalry between the sides, the celebrating visitors were met with a barrage of snowballs from Atletico fans.
Just six minutes later, Ottawa midfielder Gabriel Antonaro lobbed a pass into the box that evaded the crowd through the snow and found Rodriguez for a spectacular bicycle kick.
“I didn’t think about it,” Rodríguez said. “I just did it.”
Said Ottawa coach Diego Mejía: “It’s the best goal ever in this league. Ever in this league.”
Ottawa won its first title.
“Even if we had played in water, in a pool, we’d win the match,” Mejía said.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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