ANALYSIS – It was a tough game for AFC Toronto as Ottawa Rapid FC dominated them at York Lions Stadium. The Ottawa Rapid FC found ways to exploit AFC Toronto’s backline and also converted on their scoring opportunities.
Ottawa Rapid FC Dominated Their Ontario Rivals On the Road
Three Keys To The Game
Ottawa Rapid FC’s Passing Play Troubled AFC Toronto
What AFC Toronto seemed to have trouble with was Ottawa Rapid FC’s passes. A fantastic example is the goal seen above as a pass to the Ottawa player, resulting in a goal scored by Delaney Baie Pridham. There were a few more examples, including:
- The AFC Toronto goalkeeper, Sierra Cota-Yarde, stopped Pridham’s pass to Ellen Gibson.
- Melanie Forbes found Stella Downing inside the box as Downing converted on the shot. Pridham was the one who set up the play, as her pass to Forbes troubled AFC’s backline.
This seemed to be a theme for Toronto. The backline had looked vulnerable to the precise passing play by Ottawa, and often than not, Ottawa took advantage of it.
AFC Toronto Made Too Many Costly Turnovers
Another thing AFC Toronto did not take care of was the ball. It led to two of Ottawa’s four goals in Saturday’s contest. These goals included:
- Miscommunication with AFC’s defence as Nikayla Small’s pass went to a Rapid player, Delaney Baie Pridham, who converted on her scoring opportunity.
- Sarah Rollins gave the ball away to Pridham, which resulted in a Pridham goal.
There was a turnover within AFC’s zone with Small and a few others giving the ball away. Fortunately, Ottawa did not take advantage of that scoring opportunity.
AFC Toronto Had Some Chances to Score
Even with AFC Toronto not playing well, there were some bright spots. This included Small and Emma Regan trying to find the right player for the pass. This included:
- Regan’s cross tried to find Hye-Ji Hong, but Hong was unable to get a header on the ball.
- Shaina Ashouri had two good chances to score, with one of those chances happening with the help of Aoi Kizaki.
READ MORE: Esther Okoronkwo: AFC Toronto’s Leading Goal Scorer
In addition, Small showed off her speed and created two fantastic scoring opportunities for her teammates, Esther Okoronkwo and Kaylee Hunter, who were unfortunately unable to convert on their scoring chances. She played well, as AFC Toronto head coach, Marko Milanović, said when asked about her performance generally in the NSL/SLN:
“We think she’s probably one of the best players in the league.”
Milanović also talked about Small playing well in the game against Ottawa, and that some of the bounces did not go their way offensively.
Other Factors: Jade Kovacevic and Delaney Brie Pridham
READ MORE: First-Ever AFC Toronto Forward: Jade Kovacevic Player Profile
The first-ever signing for AFC Toronto, Jade Kovacevic, made her NSL/SLN debut as a substitute in the second half.
This was a big moment for Kovacevic as she was finally able to recover from her injury and play on June 7. Since she was the first-ever signing of the club, expect her to make an impact on the club this year.
It was not a game that AFC Toronto was proud of. To AFC’s credit, the players and the head coach also echoed that sentiment. This is what the head coach said about the game:
“Worst performance of the year. There’s no question about that. I never felt we had full control of the match, which, in most of our other games, we’ve had that control when it came to possession and creating chances. Not that we didn’t create, we did create a few chances, but overall, it was, it was poor.”
They were asked by media members if injuries and the international break played a role, but Markonovic said there were no excuses and took full accountability for the loss on Saturday at York Lions Stadium.
Credit, though, should be given to Ottawa and especially Brie Pridham, who scored three of the four goals for Ottawa, as well as setting up Downing’s goal.
Games Coming Up For Both Teams
READ MORE: Ottawa Rapid’s First Goal Changed the Momentum of the Game
AFC Toronto has three more games this month. They will play on the road against the Vancouver Rise FC at Swangard Stadium on June 11 at 10:00pm ET. AFC will then travel to the Prairies at McMahon Stadium to face Calgary Wild FC on June 14 at 5:00pm ET. They will then close the month at home against the Halifax Tides FC on June 21 at 4:00pm ET.
All three AFC Toronto games will be shown live on nsl.ca, and both the Calgary and Halifax games will be shown on CBC Gem. In addition, the Vancouver-Toronto game will also be shown live on TSN+.
The Ottawa Rapid FC club also has three more games to play this month. They will first travel to the Maritimes and play at Wanderers Grounds on June 10 against the Halifax Tides FC at 6:00pm ET. They then host the Montreal Roses FC at TD Place Stadium on June 14 at 2:00pm ET. Canada’s capital city will then close the month at TD Place Stadium to host the Calgary Wild FC on June 21 at 2:00pm ET.
READ MORE: PWHL and NSL: A Bond Like No Other
All three games for Ottawa will be televised nationally on TSN. The Halifax game will also be shown on ESPN+, and the Montreal game on Radio-Canada.
Photo Credit: Creo Visions/AFC Toronto on June 7, 2025.
