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3 days ago
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Atletico forward Ballou Tabla had a hat trick
Published May 05, 2026 • 2 minute read
The visiting Atletico Ottawa, the reigning Canadian Premier League champions, scored a major upset Tuesday night by defeating Toronto FC 3-1, knocking the MLS side out of the 2026 Telus Canadian Championship.
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It was only the second match TFC had lost to a CPL club in the domestic competition.
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Ottawa will now face the winner between FC Supra du Quebec (CPL) and Woodbridge Strikers (League1 Ontario) in the quarterfinal stage, which is a two-leg home-and-away series. Those games are scheduled for July.
The Telus Canadian Championship is the nation’s top tournament, featuring 15 clubs — including three clubs from MLS, eight from the CPL and four from Premier Soccer Leagues Canada — competing for the Voyageurs Cup. The winner qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the elite club competition in the region.
Ottawa scored three unanswered goals in the second half at BMO Field, all from Atletico forward Ballou Tabla.
Tabla drew even for Ottawa in the 71st minute when he snuck a shot past TFC goaltender Luka Gavran. Ten minutes later, he scored the go-ahead goal off a breakaway. Tabla made it a hat trick in extra time when he scored on a penalty kick.
In the first half, TFC opened the scoring in the 16th minute when Canadian forward DeAndre Kerr took a feed from Derrick Etienne Jr. and slipped the ball past Ottawa’s goaltender Tristan Crampton for his first goal of the season.
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Hit hard by injuries of late, TFC used Tuesday’s match to give experience to some of its young talent. With regulars such as Josh Sargent and Richie Laryea out of the starting lineup, TFC announced it had signed Toronto FC II defenders Reid Fisher and Jackson Gilman, midfielders Antone Bossenberry and Fletcher Bank and forward Jahmarie Nolan to short-term agreements. All but Bank were in the starting lineup.
TFC had been looking to add to its nation-leading eight Canadian Championship titles. The club hasn’t won since the pandemic-shortened edition in 2020 (which was completed in June 2022). No CPL team has ever won the Voyageurs Cup.
The Vancouver Whitecaps are defending champions and received a bye into the quarterfinal round.
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