ANALYSIS – AFC Toronto wins for the very first time at BMO Field. Before this game started, they had five losses and a draw at the venue. They were finally able to break that curse on Sunday against the Ottawa Rapid FC with a 2-1 win.
AFC Toronto Wins 2-1 Against the Ottawa Rapid FC at BMO Field
AFC Toronto Converted on Their Set Pieces
AFC Toronto did really well with how they converted on their set pieces. One set-piece they almost converted was a corner taken from a cross by Kaylee Hunter, which hit the crossbar and almost went into the back of the net.
The two goals AFC Toronto scored included:
- Hunter scored a fantastic goal via a set-piece.
- Immediately following a free kick, Shelina Zadorsky got the ball and passed it to Kaylee Hunter. Hunter then delivered the ball inside the box to Sarah Stratigakis, who scored the eventual game-winner at BMO Field.
These set-pieces played a role in the loss for the Ottawa Rapid FC. This is what head coach Katrine Pedersen even admitted:
“They scored two on set pieces, one with a regular set piece, one after a set piece.”
This showed that AFC delivered when it mattered most, even though the head coach of Ottawa liked the response the team gave after Toronto scored the second goal.
AFC Toronto’s Link-Up Play Was Fantastic All Game Long
There was a lot of link-up play throughout the game by AFC Toronto. Some examples include:
- Colby Barnett delivered a great pass to Lauren Rowe, but she was unable to convert.
- Kaylee Hunter passed the ball to Nikayla Small. Small made an impressive run before passing the ball to Zoe Burns, who shot the ball off-target.
- Shelina Zadorsky delivered a fantastic cross-pass to Lauren Rowe, whose shot was easily stopped by Melissa Dagenais.
Zoe Burns and Colby Barnett, in particular, were setting up plays for their teammates all game long. Fans may have missed these plays while watching the game. Burns also played well defensively.
This is what AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanović said when he responded to the writer’s question about the performance of Zoe Burns:
“Our wide players are very important. Both our right and left backs are key because they carry a lot of the responsibility both offensively and defensively. Often, they’re, they’re the only ones our wide are representing with, so we need them to perform. We need them to be good because our system relies on them quite a bit.”
This quote from Milanovic showcases how much he relies on players like Burns, not just offensively, but defensively as well.
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AFC Toronto Won at BMO Field for the Very First Time
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Before this game, AFC Toronto had five losses and one draw at BMO Field. This included the home-opener loss to the Montreal Roses FC last year and the 2025 Northern Super League Final loss to the Vancouver Rise FC.
They finally ended that curse against the Ottawa Rapid FC, a team which is second in the NSL table. A huge accomplishment on all fronts for AFC Toronto.
This is what Nikayla Small said about AFC Toronto getting that second goal (scored by Sarah Stratigakis) and what the win meant for AFC:
“Getting the goal and celebrating with the fans, that was something really special because we haven’t done that a lot here. So, for us, that was very huge. And I think that mentality shift of, like, we need to get this win was very key and you saw it in all our faces that we were not leaving there without a win.”
This was a big deal for AFC Toronto, as they are now only three points behind first place, the Montreal Roses FC, and two points behind the Ottawa Rapid FC. AFC looked quite far behind at one point in the season. They are now in striking distance to potentially win a Northern Super League Supporters’ Shield title for the second year in a row.
READ MORE: AFC Toronto Captain Nikayla Small Scores in a 2-0 Win in Halifax
Other Factors: Nyota Katembo Stepped Up
The tackle by Katembo might have been the defining play of the entire game. Coming in as a substitute, she made sure to make a fantastic tackle on Johane Friedland. This is what Katembo said about making that tackle in the post-game press conference:
“I think just putting my body on the line because I knew that if I go for, like, her feet, it might be a foul. But if you slide with your entire body, the ball probably hit your body, and then it’s not a foul. So yeah, just the technique. But in the moment, I was just really trying to save the team. Just like, it needs to go our way.”
Shireen Ahmed, a well-known sports journalist, while asking Katembo this question, said it might be the defensive play of the year. This highlights the growth of Katembo and the evolution of her game this year.
Saying that, the Ottawa Rapid FC did play well in this game, as the head coach of the club, Pedersen, said this about the performance of the team:
“I think what we wanted to do was bounce back after two games that we didn’t, show the hunger, the hunger to win. I think that was definitely there today.”
She also liked how Ottawa bounced back after going down 2-0, with Florence Belzile cutting the lead in half in the 87th minute of play.
READ MORE: Zoe Burns: The AFC Toronto Defender with Canadian Heritage
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
AFC Toronto will play their second and last game this year with the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) going on. This game will take place on September 6 against the Calgary Wild FC. This game takes place at 2:00 pm ET (or 12:00 pm MT for those living in Calgary). It will be televised nationally on CBC.
READ MORE: Lauren Rowe: AFC Toronto’s 2026 Leading Goalscorer
They will then travel to Laval to face the Montreal Roses FC at the Stade Boréale on September 10. That game will be shown live in Canada on TSN Premium and RDS Info, streamed on ESPN+, and shown globally on YouTube.
This is while the game between the Ottawa Rapid FC and the Montreal Roses FC (the top two teams in the NSL) will take place at 12:00 pm ET at TD Place Stadium on September 6. That game will be televised on TSN and RDS2 in Canada, and it will be streamed in the U.S. on ESPN+.
Ottawa will then travel westward to take on the Vancouver Rise FC at Swangard Stadium at 4:00 pm ET (1:00 pm PT) on September 13. It will be televised nationally on CBC.
Note #1: AFC Toronto Post-Match Conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mfYNDorVTk
Photo Credit: Sean Pollock for AFC Toronto on August 30, 2026 (Sarah Stratigakis Celebrates Goal With Her Teammates).
