ANALYSIS – Before Lee Min-a’s or Ottawa Rapid’s first goal, the Rapid had limited scoring opportunities. However, after Mina-a scored, the momentum started to shift to Ottawa, which resulted in them winning their first-ever NSL game.
Ottawa Rapid’s First Goal Was A Game Changer
Lee Min-a’s Goal Was Top-Notch
The goal scored by Lee Min-a was world-class. Min-a went past three AFC Toronto players before shooting the ball past Sofia Manner for Ottawa’s first-ever goal of the game. Ottawa continued this momentum as they had some other big chances to score, including:
- Ottawa’s counterattack caught Toronto off guard. However, the back-pass from inside the box ended the scoring threat.
- Off a rebound, Desiree Scott got to the ball and beat Hong Hye-ji for what would become the game-winning goal.
There was also another instance when Manner spilled the ball from Delaney Baie Pridham’s shot, but nothing came from it. All of this happened after Min-a scored Ottawa Rapid FC’s first-ever goal. Before Lee Min-a’s goal, Ottawa had trouble getting shots on goal and had limited goal-scoring opportunities.
This just goes to show how important momentum is in the game of soccer. Ottawa, however, had to put itself in a good position to win this game at TD Place Stadium in Lansdowne Park.
Ottawa Rapid FC’s Defence Was Solid
There were some big plays made by the Ottawa Rapid FC defence. Two of them included:
- A fantastic goal-saving defensive play from Ottawa prevented a sure goal by AFC Toronto.
- It was well-organized and forced an offside in their favour. This was a big call as Toronto would have scored on that play.
The Rapid’s defence was generally well-organized and knew what role each player had. It was not easy to break down, even though AFC Toronto had scoring chances at many points in the game and was able to exert a lot of pressure on Ottawa’s defence.
AFC Toronto’s Final Third is Missing
The lack of finishing in the final third of AFC Toronto’s attack has been missing in these first two games for the club. They did well in getting into the right position to score, but were unable to make the most out of those opportunities.
Some examples of this include:
- Colby Barnett gave a good cross to Nikayla Small but was unable to get a good shot off.
- Esther Okoronkwo’s shot from close range was off target.
These were just a few examples of AFC troubling Rapid’s defence, but were just unable to convert. This is something they will need to work on the training ground for their next game on Thursday.
Also, AFC Toronto earned themselves lots of set-pieces thanks to their speed and strength with players such as Okoronkwo. However, for the most part, AFC was not sharp on their set-pieces like they were against the Roses at BMO Field.
Other Factors: Colby Barnett and Kaylee Hunter Make an Impression
Colby Barnett was all over the pitch, creating scoring opportunities for her team with crosses into the box. This troubled Ottawa’s defence and was a big reason why Toronto generated the scoring opportunities they earned throughout the game.
READ MORE: Tanya Boychuk Creates Montreal Roses History at BMO Field
As for Kaylee Hunter, she was able to make history for AFC Toronto. Late in the game in stoppage time, with some great individual play, she scored what would be a late consolation goal. Hunter, who is only 17 years old, was also impressive in the season opener against the Montreal Roses FC.
This is what Hunter said about scoring the club’s first-ever goal (AFC Toronto Press Release):
“For me, it was a huge honour, it’s something I’ve dreamt about since I was a little kid. Hopefully, there’s more to come and I’ll keep working at it.”
READ MORE: Desiree Scott: CANWNT Player Profile of “The Destroyer”
On a sidenote, this was also a big game for Scott (Scott’s goal can be seen with this link). A world-renowned international CANWNT player, she was able to make her name in the game with her first-ever goal in the NSL.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams and Attendance
READ MORE: 2025 AFC Toronto Season: The First-Ever Squad
The attendance for the game was 6,980 fans at TD Place Stadium. D. Scott, who scored the second goal, said this about the game (Source: Natalie van Rooy of CTV News):
“This is incredibly special. I am so grateful to how this team just built a culture and built a legacy here in Ottawa,” D. Scott told CTV Ottawa. “Women’s pro sport is strong and we’ve got women’s soccer now here in this city and I’m so excited to be involved in it all.”
AFC Toronto will play its first-ever game at its permanent home venue, York Lions Stadium, against the Calgary Wild FC. That game will happen on May 1 at 7:00pm ET. They will also host the Vancouver Rise FC at 2:00pm ET at the same venue on May 11.
Both games above will be streamed on TSN+, ESPN+, and nsl.ca (it is unclear whether nsl.ca is shown in just Canada or worldwide). TSN+ is only available in Canada, and ESPN+ is only available in the U.S.
This is while the Ottawa Rapid FC/CF Rapide Ottawa will play on the road in their first-ever home openers for other NSL/SLN teams. The first one will be against their geographical rivals, the Montreal Roses FC/Roses de Montreal, on May 3 in Laval, Quebec, at the Centre Sportif Bois-de-Bologne. They will then travel west to face the Calgary Wild FC at McMahon Stadium at 7:00pm ET on May 11.
The Montreal-Ottawa game will be shown on CBC Gem and RDS, while the game against Calgary will be televised nationally in Canada on TSN. The Calgary game will also be streamed on ESPN+ in the U.S.
Photo Credit: Ottawa Rapid FC X Account on April 26, 2025.
