Watch football on a beautiful pitch as Atletico Ottawa wins the blizzard-affected final of the Canadian Premier League

Atletico Ottawa pulled off a Canadian Premier League final victory like no other, a snowglobe spectacle amid a swirling snowstorm with what online media dubbed an «icicle kick» from Mexican midfielder David Rodriguez.

Hosts Ottawa defeated Cavalry FC with a 2-1 victory in extra time of Sunday’s title decider in temperatures of minus 8 degrees Celsius (46.4 °F) with snow so heavy that play was stopped every 15 minutes to clear the lines, and goalkeepers used shovels to cut out their boxes.

There was a 60-minute delay after normal playing time had expired to allow the field to be plowed.

Calvary struck first when Fraser Aird, playing in short sleeves, converted a penalty in the 33rd minute and celebrated with a snowy knee slide.

Rodriguez scored the breathtaking equalizer seven minutes later, with his stunning bicycle kick thundering into the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Rodriguez wasn’t done yet as he fired the ball over Calvary goalkeeper Marco Carducci in the 107th minute to seal his place in Canadian soccer history.

«I came to the locker room and I was excited. I saw it was snowing and I thought, ‘It’s going to be a good day,'» Rodriguez told reporters.

Cavalry veteran Sergio Camargo said the snowstorm provided conditions unlike anything he had ever experienced.

“I had experience playing in the snow during my college years,” Camargo told reporters. «But none of that, where the snow was so thick and it was so difficult to dribble and manipulate the ball. It was the factor for both teams, so no excuse. Just another addition to what was a very memorable final.»

Atletico Ottawa is a CPL franchise of Spanish side Atletico Madrid and was founded in 2020.

Published on November 10, 2025