The Vancouver Rise were on the losing end of a 4-3 goal-scoring spectacle versus Montreal Roses at Swangard Stadium.
Lisa Pechersky of the Roses returned to Swangard for the first time this season, haunting her old club with a goal and setting two others.
Maithé López had a goal and an assist for the Rise. Anaïs Oularbi and second-half substitute Latifah Abdu added the others.
Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Møller called it a “really good performance in terms of working their butt off.”
“In possession, we can be a little more calm on the ball in the first half. But we were setting ourselves up for more success in the second half. And then, of course, goals get scored pretty quick, and suddenly, you’re behind by two. Looking at the end of the game, I really think the team put in a huge effort to come up and produce chances,” she added.
The Rise got things started early. Oularbi took the first corner of the match, a well-placed set piece into the box in the third minute.
After a couple of bounces, López got her right foot on the ball and put it past Anna Karpenko for the first goal of the match.
“Even last game, we were just pushing for that set piece goal on those corners,” Heiner-Møller said.
But the lead was short-lived. In the 14th minute, Pechersky came back to haunt the Rise.
Tanya Boychuk entered the box from the right and spotted Pechersky streaking in from the left. As Pechersky moved ghosted into position in the 6-yard box, the ball came to her. All she had to do was redirect it into the net.
The Rise hit right back. Nicole Stanton intercepted a poor throw-in by the Roses. Stanto played it up to Jessica De Filippo, who immediately moved the ball to López.
López moved up the right towards the corner flag and looked over, seeing Oularbi running into the box. The cross found the Algerian forward, and she passed it cleanly into the net.
Elyse Bennett brought the match back to a tie in the 39th minute. Anne-Valérie Seto crossed the ball in from the right for the attacker, but her initial shot was parried away by Morgan McAslan.
However, the ball remained in the six-yard box. Seto had another chance at it with McAslan on the deck. The ball went over the keeper for Montreal’s second of the night.
The Roses took the lead for the first time in the match in the 54th minute. Pechersky played the ball up the left to Lorie Thibault, who immediately moved it to Marie-Yasmine Alidou.
Alidou dribbled into the box unimpeded and picked out the far corner, past the extended arms of McAslan.
Seto added a fourth Montreal goal a few minutes later. Pechesky recovered a long corner that went through everyone. She put it back in for Seto, who headed the ball into the Rise’s net.
Abdu, a second-half substitute, pulled the Rise within one in the 89th minute. But it was too little, too late.
Montreal held on throughout stoppage time for the 4-3 win.
Rise pushing forward together
After the Roses’ fourth goal, the Rise players came together in their box. Jessica De Filippo said it was about bringing the team together.
“I think that [worst] thing we could have done was get on each other and get frustrated,” she said. “I think it would have just been our downfall. We came together and said, ‘It’s a zero-zero game, and we have to come out fighting.”
De Filippo was frustrated with the loss, believing at least a draw was within reach. However, she credited her teammates with always working together, even when the times are tough.
“There will be talks within our team about how we can grow from this situation. I think we’re all desperate for points. I think we’re not happy with this performance and the performances we’ve had throughout the season. I think we’ve got to push ourselves, stay confident and push the standard so we come out on top.
Up next
The Rise are back in action on Aug. 8 against Calgary Wild FC. Kickoff is at 4 p.m.
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