The evolution of pro soccer in the nation’s capital will take a new step forward on February 11th with the new Canadian Premier League club backed by Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. From there, owners and key figures in the club will have as little as three weeks to get a manager, coaches and a full roster of players ready for pre-season camp, which is scheduled to start at the beginning of March for other CPL clubs. In the words of Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s squeaky-bum time for those building Atletico Ottawa.



Many of the league’s top players and prospects have already signed elsewhere in the league, and much of the former Fury roster has found new clubs in both the CPL and USL, but there are still many players Atletico Ottawa can to look at and potentially sign before the regular season kicks off in April. The roster will likely include some loan players from the Atletico program, as well as some L10 and PLSQ players, however there is also a chance for Atletico Ottawa to pick up some fairly well-known names in the Canadian Soccer community. Here are five players that I think Atletico Ottawa brass should seriously consider making their first grouping of signings.

Maxim Tissot

Photo: Steve Kingsman/Freestyle Photography

Likely on the top of most people’s list as a player they’d love to see signed for Atletico Ottawa, Maxim Tissot is an Ottawa-region native who would proudly represent his hometown in the CPL. Over two stints with Ottawa Fury, Maxim became a fan favourite and showed incredible potential, however injury setbacks stopped him from reaching that potential to its fullest. Sandwiched between his time in Ottawa, Maxim played in San Francisco under Marc Dos Santos, winning the NASL Championship.

It is believed that Maxim was close to putting pen to paper with Cavalry FC for the 2020 season, which would have seen him reunited with former Fury assistant coach Martin Nash, however that deal seems to have stalled since the news of Ottawa joining the CPL, and it is believed his preference would be to continue playing in the capital region. If it turns out that he signs for Ottawa, and turned down Cavalry for that purpose, he will endear himself to the supporters even more than he already has.

Mauro Eustaquio

Photo: Ashley Fraser

Mauro Eustaquio is another player who has spent time playing for Ottawa Fury and had become a favourite amongst fans. Since leaving Ottawa in 2016, Mauro has played in both Edmonton and Calgary, along with a stint in Pennsylvania. Much like Tissot, Eustaquio has shown great potential however has been hindered by injuries, including a lengthy spell injured during the 2019 season.

Eustaquio was not only a member of the 2015 NASL Fall Season Championship side, he also won both the Spring and Fall seasons of the CPL with Cavalry FC last year, and would be bringing that winning mentality to Ottawa if he were to sign. Mauro is currently unsigned and would be available on a free transfer, and would likely jump at the chance to return to the nation’s capital.

Ben Fisk

Photo: Canada Soccer

Ben Fisk is one of the league’s top free-agents just now; however despite a great 2019 season, the 27 year old Vancouver native has yet to find a club for 2020. Fisk played for FC Edmonton in 2016-17 before heading to Northern Ireland in 2018, and most recently was part of the 2019 Pacific FC side. Fisk has also been capped by the men’s national team in recent years.

Pacific FC supporters seem eager to have the BC native stay on the isle for 2020, but the fact he has yet to sign on for the upcoming season suggests he may be open to other offers. He is currently not linked to any clubs, suggesting he may be available for discussions with Ottawa brass, but as such a high profile player in the CPL, Ottawa will need to act fast if they are interested. Signing Fisk would be a massive coup for Ottawa.

Ndzemdzela Langwa

Photo: Zela Langwa Facebook

Zela Langwa is another Ottawa native that Atletico Ottawa management should be looking at as a potential early signing. The 21 year old left back/midfielder has spent time playing in lower-league Europe and most recently for HFX Wanderers in 2019. Langwa came up through the Ottawa South United program before spending time at the academies of Toronto FC, Ottawa Fury and Vancouver Whitecaps.

Langwa is currently a free-agent, and is believed to be wanted by other clubs, meaning Atletico Ottawa may need to act quickly for his signing. The opportunity to play for your hometown club is the dream of many young footballers, and it is likely that Langwa would have the same aspirations to represent Ottawa in the Canadian Premier League. He would bring knowledge and experience in the league, and at such a young age he is still developing, and will likely only get better as he begins to enter the prime of his career.

Iain Hume

Photo: FootballCounter.com

Alright, at first glance this may seem a bit out of left field, but bear with me. Atletico Ottawa management will be looking for all kinds of Canada players with various levels of experience and skill, but having a name that is known to many Canadian soccer supporters will certainly help endear the club to the supporters and help create a buzz in the media.

Hume is currently without a club, and although he is 36 years old, he has yet to announce any form of retirement since leaving Indian Super League side FC Pune City in 2019. Hume previously played for the Atletico family in India, representing Atletico Kolkata and winning the 2016 Indian Super League, meaning he already has a relationship with people who are likely involved in Atletico Ottawa. If Hume were to arrive in Ottawa, he would likely open himself up to potential coaching roles upon retirement, much like Julian De Guzman did with Fury, and along the way he would certainly help guide the young players.

A Long List Of Players

There are many more names that could be mentioned as potential signings, some perhaps more plausible or reasonable than some of the names above, however Ottawa’s first signing, and the first few following that, should be players that excite Ottawa supporters and create stories for the media. This can be accomplished with a local player, a former Ottawa player known to fans, or a player with Canadian national caps.

Atletico Madrid staff who are setting up the new club have already been given a list of potential players to scout, and will certainly have the resources to build a roster quickly. Regardless of who the first few signing are, it will be great to welcome the Canadian Premier League to Ottawa and have a club to support. For former Fury supporters, building from scratch is an all too familiar feeling, but a great journey nonetheless.

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Stuart Mactaggart Stuart has covered Ottawa soccer for six years, most recently covering Atletico Ottawa.

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