3 hours ago
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It snows a lot in the Great White North. On the day of the Canadian Premier League Final, the flakes fell from the sky and caused chaos down below.
Cavalry FC and Atletico Ottawa played in a final in the nation's capital on Sunday night and had to wade through ten centimeters (nearly four inches) of snow that blanketed the field.
As the fans sat their way through the treacherous weather, those who trekked to TD Place Stadium in Ottawa needed to see extra time in order to find a victor.
Throughout the night, the game was faced with multiple delays to clear snow off the playing surface as best as possible.
Momentum was non-existent as the game had to be stopped five times in the first 90 minutes to clear the turf. At one point, Atletico Ottawa keeper Nathan Ingham grabbed a shovel to help get the snow off.
Kickoff was delayed by 20 minutes as snowblowers and shovels were used to dig out the lines.
Cavalry FC and Atletico Ottawa played through blizzard-like conditions for the Canadian Premier League Final as ten centimeters of snow fell on Canada's capital city
David Rodriguez scored the two goals required for Atletico Ottawa to clinch its first title
Cavalry FC, the Calgary-based team, went up early with a penalty from former Rangers midfielder Fraser Aird in the 33rd minute.
Atletico Ottawa - whose parent club is Spanish giants Atletico Madrid - responded just minutes later with a marvelous goal.
Off a corner kick, David Rodriguez managed to get enough traction to jump off the turf for a bicycle kick equalizer in the driving snow to equalize the contest.
No difference maker could be found after 90 minutes, with passes being stuck and running becoming a hopeless endeavor - leading to slips and reckless fouls.
The club, owned by Atletico Madrid, waited over four hours to get their hands on the title
So the game went off to extra time... after yet another lengthy delay. Trucks with snowplows drove their way onto the field as the match was delayed for over an hour.
Thankfully, when the players came out, the snowing had stopped and a clear surface remained. Four hours after kickoff was initially scheduled, the final whistle blew and crowned Ottawa the champions.
It was Rodriguez again. His chipped, one-timed effort off a long through ball made it past the Cavalry keeper for the club's first ever championship.
Atletico Ottawa became the fourth club to win the title in the seven-year history of the league.
