Atlético Ottawa lost 2-0 to Forge FC in the 2026 Canadian Premier League opener.

What happened?

Brian Wright scored from the penalty spot and Ben Paton added another to help Forge FC beat the reigning Canadian Premier League champions. The 31-year-old from Toronto slotted his spot-kick to the right of goalkeeper Tristan Crampton. Play was paused for more than five minutes shortly after the foul, as the visitors elected to challenge the penalty call.

Why it matters for Atlético Ottawa

The visitors struggled to generate offence against the four-time CPL champions. Ottawa didn’t manage a single shot in the first half, despite holding 66 per cent possession at the break. | Stat | Value | | --- | --- | | League standing | 8th in Canadian Premier League | | Last result | Vancouver FC 2-1 Atlético Ottawa (2026-06-06) | | Next fixture | vs HFX Wanderers FC (away, 2026-07-01) |

What comes next?

Ottawa travels to Calgary next to take on Cavalry FC on April 12, in a rematch of the 2025 CPL Final. Forge will take on Vancouver FC in their next league match that same day. The new offside rule was tested in this match, with an attacker deemed onside if any part of the body that can legally score is level with, or further away from the goal line than, the second-to-last defender.