ANALYSIS – AFC Toronto continues its excellent form on the road this season with a 2-0 win over the Halifax Tides FC. It was a complete performance as AFC’s defence was spectacular against the Tides, and Nikayla Small scored her first goal of the game.
AFC Toronto’s Nikayla Small Scored Her First Goal of the Year
AFC Toronto’s Defence Was Solid
AFC Toronto’s defence made some great defensive plays throughout the game. This is especially true with Jordan Brewster who was fantastic all game long.
- Brewster made some fantastic plays; this included a fantastic tackle to prevent Halifax Tides FC from advancing.
- Shelina Zadorsky made an important header to clear the ball off the line from a dangerous Halifax Tides FC corner late in the game.
- Kaylee Hunter cleared the ball in the eighth minute of play within AFC Toronto’s penalty box.
For most of the game, when Halifax tried to generate scoring chances, there was at least one AFC Toronto player on them. There were not many clean shots that Halifax were able to generate. This is a big reason why AFC won the game over the Tides.
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Nikayla Small Scores Her First Goal of The Year
On Sunday, AFC Toronto’s captain, Nikayla Small, scored her first goal of the game. As provided by AFC Toronto media, this is what Marko Milanović had to say about the goal:
“It’s hard to win in Halifax. Very organized team, great staff, hardworking players. The first goal bounced; it went our way, and I thought it made a big difference.”
Small’s goal came in the 20th minute of play. An awkward bounce allowed the ball to switch directions and catch Anika Tóth off-guard for the opening goal of the game.
Of course, this goal was just one of two AFC goals scored, as Lauren Rowe earned a penalty shot for AFC Toronto.
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Lauren Rowe Had Another Positive Game
Lauren Rowe was able to draw the yellow card from a Halifax Tides FC defender, Addison Weichers, and earn that penalty for AFC Toronto. Because of that penalty, Kaylee Hunter made Anita Toth go the wrong way and score the second goal for Toronto.
Rowe looked sharp all game long. For example, in another play, she kept the ball on the field. She was all over the place and made an impact on the game, and her partnership with Kaylee Hunter continues to blossom.
Milanović also mentioned the second goal, which came from a throw-in, as Rowe drew a penalty for her team, as he said this:
“We did well to score the second off of that throw-in play and were able to keep the clean sheet, which is very important for us as well.”
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Other Factors: Halifax Tides FC Had Lots of Shots, But Not Many On Goal
In the first half, Halifax had 10 shots, but only one shot on goal. They were getting lots of shots, but not many on target. They were not accurate with their shots. However, credit should be given to AFC Toronto, as they did not give Halifax many clear-cut scoring chances.
One example included Syd Kennedy, who shot with her wrong foot; as a result, her shot was off-target.
It was a complete performance by everyone, though, as winning against a team like Halifax on the road is a hard thing to do.
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Games Coming Up
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AFC Toronto will host the Ottawa Rapid FC at BMO Field. The game will be televised live in Canada on TSN. It will also be streamed live in the U.S. on ESPN+ at 4:00 pm ET.
Photo Credit: AFC Toronto on August 23, 2026, of forward Kaylee Hunter and midfielder Nikayla Small.
