17-year-old Chelsea midfielder scores first professional goal
It was an emotional night for Chelsea soccer player Antoine Coupland on July 11, scoring his first professional and Canadian Premier League goal for Ottawa Atlético in their 2-0 win against Calgary Cavalry FC.
“It was pretty emotional, but I think the emotion shows how passionate I am about playing,” Coupland told The Low Down. “There's a lot of ups and downs in the sport, but it was an amazing feeling.”
Earlier in the half, Coupland had another chance at goal but chose to try and chip the ball past the goalie rather than passing to his open teammate Viti Martinez, who would ironically make the assist to Coupland to set up his goal in the 95th minute.
The 17-year-old midfielder has been playing professional soccer for almost three years, since making his pro soccer debut in 2019 with Ottawa Fury FC. Coupland made headlines on July 21, 2019, with his first appearance playing for the city’s previous team during the 85th minute of what would be a 4-0 win over the Swope Park Rangers.
Immediately after the goal, Coupland was embraced by his excited teammates on the sideline, who he describes as an extended family after practicing and playing so close together this past season due to COVID-19 health restrictions.
The only thing that would have made the experience better, according to Coupland, is if he could have shared the experience with his friends, family, and the rest of the team's supporters.
Hopefully, Coupland said, he’ll get another chance to score at the team’s first home game on Aug. 14, against the Halifax Wanderers. Ottawa Atlético will also play the Wanderers in Halifax at their next game on Aug. 2.