Atlético Ottawa signs first overall CPL-U SPORTS draft pick José Cunha

By CityNews Ottawa

Posted Apr 1, 2022 07:23:16 PM.

Ottawa's professional soccer club announced on April 1 the signing of José Cunha, Atlético Ottawa's first overall selection in the 2022 Canadian Premier League (CPL) U SPORTS draft. 

“We were very interested in José from the moment he declared for this year's draft,” said Fernando López, chief executive officer for Atlético Ottawa. “He has demonstrated he has all the qualities we were expecting of him. We look forward to seeing him continue his development with our team and how he’ll contribute to our successes.”

A community studies student at Cape Breton University, Cunha is a left-footed center-back that, after being drafted ninth overall in the 2020 CPL-U SPORTS draft by Forge FC, returned to school and started all 12 regular-season games for the Capers, earning the Atlantic University Sport 2021 Rookie of the Year award. 

Cunha joins Atlético Ottawa on a 2022 U SPORTS development contract which allows student-athletes with one to four years of U SPORTS eligibility remaining to sign with a CPL club while preserving their eligibility before returning to U SPORTS competition after the season. 

 

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