What a night for Canadian soccer.
The 2025 Canadian Premier League Final between Atlético Ottawa and Cavalry FC didn’t just decide a champion — it gave us one of the most unforgettable moments in CPL history.
Never let a little snow stop you.
Heavy snow, freezing temperatures, and a packed TD Place set the stage for a final that looked more like a scene out of a hockey movie than a soccer match. Players were slipping, visibility was low, and every tackle kicked up a storm of snow.
Cavalry came to win. They looked sharp early and found the breakthrough through Fraser Aird, who calmly buried his chance to put the visitors up 1–0. In those conditions, that lead felt huge — the type of goal that usually decides games like this. But Ottawa weren’t backing down.
Then came the moment. David Rodríguez — bicycle kick, in the middle of a blizzard, in a cup final. Absolute madness. You could barely see the ball through the snow, but somehow, he made perfect contact and sent it flying into the net. TD Place exploded. 1–1.
That goal instantly went viral — Sportsnet, TSN, ESPN, even international outlets picked it up. Everyone was talking about Canadian soccer and “the blizzard bicycle kick.”
Extra time drama
After a full hour delay to clear the snow before extra time, both teams came back out for one last push. The pitch was frozen, players were exhausted, and yet the energy was unreal.
Then in the 107th minute, Rodríguez did it again — a composed finish over the keeper to make it 2–1 Ottawa. The capital went wild. The crowd, freezing but unstoppable, sang through the snow as Ottawa lifted their first-ever CPL title.
What happened that night went beyond the CPL. Clips from the match were everywhere — trending on social media, featured on major sports networks, and praised for the sheer grit of everyone involved.
People who had never watched a CPL game before were tuning in, amazed that a league in its early years could produce a story this epic.
For Atlético Ottawa, this was more than a trophy. It was a statement. For Cavalry, heartbreak — but respect. They fought through impossible conditions and played their part in a moment that’ll be remembered for decades.
