The Canadian Premier League final became a winter spectacle nicknamed the “icicle kick” after a stunning bicycle finish lit up a blizzard in Ottawa. With temperatures near -8C and snow falling throughout, Atletico Ottawa claimed their first North Star Cup, beating Cavalry FC 2-1 after extra time.
The game was repeatedly halted so crews could clear the pitch: lines were retraced every 15 minutes, goalkeepers dug out their boxes with shovels, and a snowplough had to clear the surface before extra time as conditions grew almost unplayable.
Cavalry’s Fraser Aird, wearing short sleeves, gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, celebrated with a knee slide across the snow and was then pelted with snowballs by home supporters. Seven minutes later, 23-year-old David Rodriguez produced the moment of magic — an acrobatic bicycle kick that smashed off the underside of the bar and levelled the match.
Rodriguez, born in Mexico and a February signing who said he had “zero” experience before joining the club, then sealed the title in the 107th minute with a delicate chip over Cavalry keeper Marco Carducci. “I came to a locker room and I was excited. I saw it was snowing, and I was like ‘it’s gonna be a good day,'” he said after the game.
Atletico goalkeeper Nathan Ingham added: “The whole night feels fake. You play us in sand, you play us in snow, you play us on the moon, this team is going to win.” The CPL launched in 2017; Atletico Ottawa, an Atletico Madrid franchise, were founded in 2020.
