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David Rodriguez scored an ‘icicle kick’ as Atletico Ottawa won the Canadian Premier League final in a freezing -8ºC blizzard on Sunday.
Atletico Ottawa, whose parent club is Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, defeated Cavalry FC 2-1 after extra-time to clinch the North Star Cup.
The game was repeatedly delayed – first times in the opening 90 minutes – so snow could be cleared from the pitch at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa.
Nearly four inches of snow blanketed the field with Atletico Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham grabbing a shovel to help out at one point.
The match became almost unplayable in the second-half with a snowplough coming onto the pitch before extra-time got underway.
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The first goal of the game was scored by Cavalry FC with former Rangers midfielder Fraser Aird slotting home a penalty in the 33rd minute.
But Rodriguez scored a stunning bicycle kick, which has been dubbed an ‘icicle kick’ due to the conditions, before netting a winner in extra-time.
The final whistle blew four hours after kick-off was initially scheduled as Atletico Ottawa were crowned Canadian Premier League champions.
Atletico Ottawa star in disbelief after blizzard-hit final
Atletico Ottawa ‘keeper Ingham was left in disbelief after the bizzard-hit final in Canada.
‘The whole night feels fake,’ Ingham said. ‘You play us in sand, you play us in snow, you play us on the moon, this team is going to win.’
Atletico Ottawa’s matchwinner Rodriguez added: ‘I came to [the] locker room and I was excited.
‘I saw it was snowing, and I was like, ‘It’s going to be a good day’.’
‘A night that felt quintessentially Canadian’
‘[It was] a season finale that embodied the heart and grit of Canadian soccer,’ Atletico Ottawa posted on their official website.
‘It was a night that felt quintessentially Canadian in the nation’s capital, with snow falling thick and fast for much of the night, as 13,132 fans bundled in the stands to witness history in the making.
‘Diego Mejía’s side celebrated a championship that symbolized both Canadian resilience and the growing passion for the domestic game.
‘It was a memorable night for Mexican-born Rodriguez, who had never seen snow before arriving in Ottawa from Mexico in February after signing with Atlético.’