Next game wins.
That’s what is left for Vancouver Rise FC and AFC Toronto. Both clubs are the last one in each other’s way for the NSL Final and the honours of hoisting the inaugural Diana B. Matheson Cup as champions.
It has not been an easy journey to the final for the Rise. They have had to navigate an entirely new landscape for women’s football in Canada.
Being the first fully professional league of its kind in the country has come with logistical challenges, extreme travel, injuries to key players and long periods away from friends and family.
On Saturday, Nov. 15, they have an opportunity to say it was all worthwhile.
Vancouver and Toronto have a similar record against one another this season. In five regular-season matches, both clubs won two with the other match being a draw.
But in their final regular-season meeting on Sept. 13, the Rise were handedly dismantled in a stunning 7-0 loss at York Lions Stadium.
For Rise head coach Anja Heiner-Møller, Toronto will not be an easy opponent, but they are beatable.
“Toronto is a strong team, that’s for sure. It’s no coincidence they ended up first [in the NSL standings]. But we’ve had good games against Toronto. That game was with one player less for more than a half. We know that, this team, we have to stay focused the whole time. But that’s the same against Ottawa. So, it’s the same thing [as the semi-final].”
Besides the 7-0 outlier, games between the Rise and Toronto have been quite close. All other matches were within a goal of one another.
“Looking at Toronto, they win even though they’re not dominant on the ball. They can still turn games around. So, the game picture could be that we would be on the ball, but they’re still dangerous on the other side. So, we need to make sure we have the high focus the whole game. We can’t give anything in behind. And of course, we need to be clinical when we have the chances,” Heiner-Møller said.
The NSL final will take place at BMO Field, in AFC Toronto’s home ground but definitely in their backyard. They played two regular-season matches there this season: their home opener against Montreal Roses FC and a mid-season match-up against the Rise on August 17.
Interestingly, Toronto lost both of those matches.
“We talked about the fans coming there…the whole thing is kind of written for them. I think that’s the pressure as well. And that’s okay with us, that we can come in, and we know we did it [with] ten players. We won 1-0, right? So, against all odds, we did it. We have that confidence in the team.”
Due to weather cancellation last Sunday, Toronto will have had two less days to prepare for this final. However, Heiner-Møller said that does not matter.
“I think we just played two semi-finals very close to each other,” she said, referring to the four-day turnaround in the series versus Ottawa. “I think that the preparation for the two teams in terms of load is probably the same. We also have to travel there,” Heiner-Møller said.
The NSL final takes place on Saturday, Nov. 15. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. PST.
