Vancouver Rise FC drew with AFC Toronto 1-1 courtesy of a last-minute equalizer in Northern Super League action in Toronto Sunday.
A brilliant strike from distance from Aoi Kizaki opened the scoring for Toronto, but a last-second equalizer from Jessica De Filippo spoiled Toronto’s afternoon.
Photo gallery: AFC Toronto held to home draw by Vancouver Rise FC in Northern Super League
With 2,615 in attendance, it was a beautiful afternoon at York Lions Stadium as the packed crowd celebrated the warm weather and Mother’s Day.
“My brother told me my mother was emotional after the game. After coming back from an injury and getting a goal today was big for me and the team,” said De Filippo post-game.
In the Toronto lineup, Kaela Hansen replaced Croix Soto in the back, while Sierra Cota-Yarde drew her first start in goal in place of the injured Sofia Manner. For Vancouver, Jessika Cowart returned from injury, and Samantha Chang and Sienna Gibson got their first club starts.
There were multiple players in the Toronto lineup with ties to Vancouver and the Whitecaps Girls Elite program, including Emma Regan, Hansen, Kaylee Hunter, and Ashley Cathro.
A back-and-forth opening first half
The opening minutes saw set-piece chances at either end of the field. In the 8th minute, Toronto had the first opportunity of the match. From a corner set-piece off the training ground, Colby Barnett found Hunter alone at the top of the box, but her driven shot went straight at Vancouver goalkeeper Morgan McAslan. In the 10th minute, Nikki Stanton’s chipped free-kick found Quinn unmarked at the backpost, but their header sailed just wide.
As AFC Toronto stretched wide using their wingbacks, Chang and Mariah Lee found space to operate in between the lines to open up the Vancouver attack. However, Toronto’s transitional play was active, with headed chances crossed in from the wings to Hunter and Okoronkwo.
Toronto became more lively and were on the front foot in the latter stages of the first half. Building from the back through Hong Hye-Ji and Nikayla Small, Toronto found space in pockets and had several linked passing sequences up the field. Small was again a standout in the midfield, operating in different positions and creating multiple goal-scoring opportunities for herself.
In the 35th minute, Barnett cleverly squeezed a pass into Hunter at the top of the box. Hunter quickly turned and megged veteran defender Shannon Woeller, to get a shot on goal while falling.
Vancouver’s left side was lively as Jasmyne Spencer and Holly Ward used their pace and quick feet to turn and drive at the Toronto defensive line. Quinn was also a catalyst in the midfield, as they controlled the transition game playing smart passes out wide and in between the lines to drive the offense.
Toronto’s best chance of the half came at the end from a linkup play between Hunter and Okoronkwo. Picking up a loose ball in the middle, Hunter drove to the top of the box and laid a pass in tight for Okoronkwo, but her close shot went straight at McAslan.
Toronto’s continued attacking pressure
Toronto’s attacking pressure continued from where they left off at the beginning of the second half. Off a free-kick, McAslan challenged for the ball and collided with Okoronkwo, leaving Cathro open, but her volley sailed over the bar.
In the 59th minute, Small beat Ward down the byline with a meg and found Regan in the box. Regan’s curling shot went past an outstretched McAslan but curled just wide of the far post.
Regan and Victoria Pickett were energetic in the Toronto midfield as they were the key in Toronto’s transition play, making quick turns around the Vancouver midfield and combining to create opportunities in the attack.
In the 72nd minute, Shaina Ashouri found Okoronkwo at the back post, but falling backwards, her header went over the bar. A moment later, on the other side of the field, Josie Longhurst won some key battles in the middle and had a try from distance for Vancouver.
Hunter had a couple of opportunities on net around the 76th minute. Collecting the ball out wide, Hunter drove into the box and forced a save from McAslan. A minute later, mirroring the earlier sequence, Hunter drove into the box and used a Vancouver defender as a screen, but her shot went wide of the far post.
With the substitution of Jessica De Filippo for Vancouver, they started to break Toronto’s press and threaten the back line. A pass from De Filippo out wide to Lisa Pechersky led to a shot from distance that went over the bar. In the 83rd minute, a frenetic sequence in front of the Toronto goal led to Hansen and Pickett taking clearances off their face from Hong, as the ball pinballed dangerously around the six-yard box.
Kizaki’s solo effort breaks the deadlock
In the 85th minute, Toronto finally found their breakthrough goal. Off a corner, a headed clearance from De Filippo made its way to the recently substituted Kizaki, who unleashed a half volley from outside the box that grazed past the fingertips of McAslan and found its way into the back of the net to open the scoring for Toronto.
“Aoi is one of our best footballers, said AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanovic post-game, Technically outstanding, great IQ. She’s still getting used to the North American game a little bit with the physicality and the transition game, but we feel like she’s going to be very impactful for us. You saw today what she can do technically with both feet. It was a great goal.”
Vancouver plays spoiler at the death
In the final minute of stoppage time, Vancouver found an equalizer from their substitutes. With a threatening long ball into the box, Hong Hye-Ji did well to make a crucial block on De Filippo in tight, giving Vancouver a last chance corner. With the last kick of the match, Sofia Hagman delivered a cross to the back post, where De Filippo latched on with her head and put the ball into the net to salvage a point for Vancouver in the dying seconds.
Toronto will feel hard done by the result, as they played a complete game and dominated the shot totals, ultimately falling short at the end.
“It feels like a loss because I felt we controlled the second half and created tons of chances, said Milanovic post-game, I think our tempo offensively was outstanding and I thought out of the back we were very sharp in the second half and we made good choices, starting with the keeper, and the back line, and then with the midfield wide players. Just one mistake there at the end and we conceded on a set piece…it’s something we have to address, but overall very happy with the performance.”
Vancouver controlled possession for most of the game, and although they were fortunate with the winner, they persevered with their game plan until the end.
“It’s about leaning back on the game plan, and we knew what we were doing. I’m happy to see the behaviour of the team and how they reacted in adversity, said Vancouver Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Moeller. I think we were struggling in the second half, conceding a goal and coming back like that. I think we’re okay with the one point today.”
The team’s resilient effort was echoed by De Filippo, “Getting that goal was showing all the hard work the team put in the first 60 minutes before I was in. I think it was a team goal, and we fought hard at the end…we practice set pieces, and we’re happy to get one and finish it.”
Both teams’ next matches will be on the road next weekend. Vancouver will travel to the nation’s capital to face Ottawa Rapid FC on Thursday, May 15, while Toronto will travel to Halifax to face Halifax Tides FC on Saturday, May 17.
