PREVIEW – The capital city and the financial centre of Canada will square off in the first-ever Battle of Ontario in the NSL/SLN. AFC Toronto will look to bounce back from their loss at BMO Field against the Montreal Roses FC, while Ottawa looks to make history at TD Place Stadium.
The last five games are W-L-T.
Ottawa Rapid FC v AFC Toronto: An Ontario Match-Up
AFC Toronto (0-1-0)
AFC Toronto had over 14,000 fans at BMO Field. It was a sellout as the upper bowl was closed for the unforgettable game against the Montreal Roses FC. There was a lot to learn from the game. This is what Marko Milanović said in the post-game of Saturday’s game:
“Overall, it’s a performance that I don’t think we can be really satisfied with at this point.”
AFC’s passes looked a bit sloppy at times, and there were some nerves for the AFC Toronto team. This is understandable, though, as they were playing in an actual game for the first time ever. That experience from that game, though, might help them in Sunday’s game as they already have a game under their belt.
There were, though, some positives in that game. One is that they troubled the Montreal Roses FC defence on several occasions. The only thing missing, though, was the final touch, which can be the difference between winning and losing a game.
Ottawa Rapid FC (0-0-0)
Ottawa Rapid FC will mark their first-ever NSL/SLN game on Sunday at 1:00pm ET against the Ontario rivals. This will also be the first time Ottawa will have a major women’s soccer team since the Ottawa Fury (women) team existed from 2000-14 in the now former USL W-League, which was a second-tier pro women’s soccer league in the U.S.
This is what Ottawa Rapid FC player, Miranda Smith, who grew up in Ottawa, said about the NSL/SLN coming to Ottawa (Josh Marano of CTV News):
“I feel this is just the first time that young girls in the city have attainable role models to come out and watch. So, I think for them to come and see it,” Smith said. “Role models, they get to see all the time.”
It is going to be a special time for the fans in Ottawa. With the recent arrivals of both their professional women’s ice hockey team and their professional men’s box lacrosse team, Ottawa is booming with professional sports teams. This will be the third professional sports team to be awarded to the city of Ottawa since last year.
Battle of Ontario Rivalry
There were some noteworthy moments to consider in this rivalry. The Battle of Ontario between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Ottawa Senators are well underway. Also, the Ottawa Black Bears (relocation via the New York Riptide) played their first game in Ottawa against their provincial rivals, the Toronto Rock.
This is what Desiree Scott, legendary CANWNT midfielder and Ottawa Rapid FC captain, said about what she heard about the rivalry (Source: Northern Super League YouTube Account):
For the Ottawa Rapid FC, the sports team, they will have the biggest rivalry at the start will probably be AFC Toronto (even though there is a shoutout to the Montreal Roses FC as well).
This is what Norwegian international player, Susanne Haaland, said about the expected crowd at TD Place Stadium (Source: Toula Mazloum of CTV News):
“I must say I have quite high expectations. I’m coming all the way from Norway,” Haaland said. “I’ve heard that Canada is a country that loves sports, so my expectation is that a lot of people will show up.”
READ MORE: Tanya Boychuk Creates Montreal Roses History at BMO Field
Both games at BMO Field and BC Place had attendance of over 14,000 fans. It will be interesting if Ottawa can match or surpass those numbers. Lansdowne Park is a special place, which includes two venues with TD Place Arena and TD Place Stadium, which are right next to each other.
Players to Watch
Emma Regan
For AFC Toronto, they have players who can use their speed to trouble the opposing team’s defence. That was shown with both Shaina Ashouri and Esther Okoronkwo, who both used their speed to earn space for their team and create scoring opportunities for their team. They also troubled the Roses’ defence via corners but were unable to convert on them.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto and CANWNT Player Profile: Emma Regan
The obvious player to note, though, is Emma Regan, the only Canadian player called up for the CANWNT for AFC Toronto. She was also named the first-ever captain of the club a few days before the game against the Montreal Roses FC. This is what HB Køge Director, Dennis Bauer, said about Regan when Regan was with the team (Source: HB Køge):
“Emma has been a leading figure on our team in recent years, where she has taken on a lot of responsibility. She has developed greatly with us and has become a permanent fixture around the strong Canadian national team, so we can be proud of that. The decision is Emma’s, and we fully respect it. A new, exciting adventure awaits her, and we wish her all the best,” said Bauer.
Regan will look to provide that leadership to AFC as she earned the honour and privilege to be the inaugural captain of Toronto’s team.
Desiree Scott
READ MORE: Desiree Scott: CANWNT Player Profile of “The Destroyer”
This is while the Ottawa Rapid FC/CF Rapide Ottawa has a CANWNT legend, Desiree Scott, who will play her last game for the national team on May 31 at the Princess Auto Stadium at the Princess Auto Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Current CANWNT head coach, Casey Stoney, had this to say about Scott with the announcement of her retirement (Source: Bowen Island Undercurrent):
“Desiree has been a cornerstone of the women’s national team program, inspiring countless players with her hard work, spirit, and commitment to the growth of the game,” Canada coach Casey Stoney said in a statement. “We are excited to carry on her legacy and honour her in Winnipeg and add two home matches for fans this spring.”
Scott might be remembered for making those key defensive plays against France in the 2012 Summer Olympics, which helped Canada win bronze and the CANWNT’s first-ever medal in the Olympic Games.
D. Scott is one of three co-captains with Ottawa. Ottawa player, Olivia Scott, and Norway international player, Susanne Haaland, are the other two captains of the team.
How To Watch the Game and Injuries
READ MORE: First-Ever AFC Toronto Forward: Jade Kovacevic Player Profile
Amanda West, who was loaned from the Houston Dash to AFC Toronto, suffered an ACL injury. She will be returning to the Dash, where she will have surgery. Other players that were injured in the home opener against the Montreal Roses FC were AFC’s Jade Kovacevic and Mya Jones.
This special game will be televised nationally on TSN and will also be shown in the U.S. on ESPN+. The game starts at 1:00pm EST on April 27, 2025, at TD Place Stadium.
This will also mark the first time in 11 years that Ottawa will have a major women’s soccer team. They had the Ottawa Fury Women team that was in existence from 2000-14 in the second-tier US league, called the W-League. This will also be the first-ever top-tier professional women’s soccer team to come to the city of Ottawa.
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto on December 12, 2024.
