Sport Photos
NSL Vancouver Rise FC Hold Off AFC Toronto for Second Straight Win at Swangard Stadium
In front of a lively crowd at Swangard Stadium, Vancouver Rise FC continued their strong run of form on Saturday with a 2-1 win over AFC Toronto.
The victory marked back-to-back wins for Vancouver, who looked sharp from the opening whistle and controlled long stretches of the match with confident passing and quick movement through midfield.
Rise FC wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. In the 11th minute, Tori Tumeth pushed a ball forward down the right side that Toronto failed to properly clear. The loose ball fell kindly to Latifah Abdu near the edge of the box, and the forward made no mistake, blasting her finish into the roof of the net to give Vancouver an early 1-0 lead.
The home side kept pressing. Mia Pante nearly helped double the advantage after a strong run down the left flank saw her beat a defender before cutting a pass back into the middle for Jessica De Filippo, though the chance slipped away when the delivery arrived just behind the striker.
Vancouver’s attacking pressure eventually paid off again midway through the first half. A slick passing sequence between Camila Reyes and De Filippo opened space for Abdu inside the penalty area, where she was brought down for a spot kick. Captain Quinn stepped up in the 33rd minute and calmly buried the penalty, sending Toronto goalkeeper Danielle Krzyzaniak the wrong direction to make it 2-0.
Abdu nearly added another moments later after chasing down a lofted ball into the box, but her chipped effort drifted over the crossbar.
Toronto came out with more urgency after halftime and nearly cut into the deficit early in the second half. Kaylee Hunter forced Jessica Wulf into a strong save before Victoria Pickett struck the post on the rebound, allowing Vancouver to escape the sequence still holding a two-goal cushion.
Rise FC responded by settling back into possession and continuing to dictate play. De Filippo came close to extending the lead after Abdu slipped her through on goal, but the forward’s tight-angle shot missed the target after rounding the goalkeeper.
As the match entered its closing stages, Toronto pushed hard for a comeback. Vancouver’s defence stood firm through a series of late chances, throwing bodies in front of shots and protecting the box during a frantic final stretch.
Toronto eventually found a late consolation goal in stoppage time through Cloey Uddenberg, but the comeback attempt arrived too late as Rise FC closed out the 2-1 result.
Despite Toronto finishing with more shots overall, Vancouver controlled possession for much of the afternoon and looked composed through most phases of the match.
Rise FC return to action on May 30 when they travel to Montreal to face Roses FC. The club returns home to Swangard Stadium on June 14 for a matchup against Ottawa Rapid FC.
Check out our favourite photos of the match below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
NSL VANCOUVER RISE FC v AFC TORONTO
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
Sport Photos
NSL Vancouver Rise Boost Playoff Hopes with Victory Over Calgary Wild
Vancouver Rise FC have ended their season on a high note and improved their chances of
reaching the playoffs after defeating Calgary Wild FC 3-2 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, BC. The Rise delivered under pressure thanks to a beautiful goal from Mia Pante as well as a much-needed second-half strike from Jessica DeFilippo.
The Rise marked the scoresheet twice in the first half, leading the Wild 2 to nil at the 35-minute mark after Alex Lamontagne connected with Pante who cleared the goalkeeper and calmly hit the back of the net.
Calgary responded before halftime, however, as Josie Aulicino found the net with a strike from outside the penalty area, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and keeping halting what at times looked like a runaway train.
Calgary largely dominated the second half, forcing Vancouver onto their back feet. Vancouver was pinned in their own zone, unwillingly defending their lead as Calgary took shot after shot on goal. A quiet crowd got to their feet for their Captain Shannon Woeller who made her first appearance of the season in the 88-minute mark, leaving the bench to steady the team in the final few minutes.
Despite the early charge, Vancouver managed to record the win and take the points, if in a
somewhat anxiety-filled final 45. The three points keep the Rise in the playoff conversation, with the final result to be decided Monday as Halifax faces off against AFC Toronto.
Check out our favourite photos of the night below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER RISE FC v CALGARY WILD FC
All Photo Credit: Jason Martin
Sport Photos
WWE Monday Night Raw Keeps the Momentum Rolling in Ottawa
WWE Monday Night Raw rolled into Ottawa on August 24 with plenty of moving pieces and a clear focus on building toward the next major chapters for both the men’s and women’s divisions. From LA Knight’s confrontation with Roman Reigns to Stephanie Vaquer’s return, a World Heavyweight Championship tournament, and a heated Oba Femi-Bron Breakker contract signing, the episode packed a lot into three hours without losing sight of its bigger stories.
This was a busy, storyline-heavy episode built almost entirely around momentum heading toward Sunday Night’s Main Event on September 6. LA Knight opened the show by calling out World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns, only for Solo Sikoa to interrupt and thank Knight for backing him up the previous week, before the Usos showed up and set a tag match in motion for later in the night. That opening angle paid off with a hard-hitting brawl, and the show closed with Knight, Sikoa, and both Usos left laid out while returning duo Royce Keys and OTM stood tall over the wreckage.
In the ring, the standout was Stephanie Vaquer‘s return match against Roxanne Perez, which saw Judgment Day interference from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez met by a counter from Becky Lynch. Vaquer sealed the win by dodging a moonsault and connecting with a butterfly backbreaker into a lungblower combo, and the post-match staredown with Lynch added a nice extra layer of tension. It fed directly into the next chapter of her title chase, with Vaquer told backstage that she’ll get her shot at Liv Morgan‘s Women’s World Championship on the September 7 RAW.
The tournament for a World Heavyweight Championship shot also moved forward, with Penta defeating LA Parka and Rey Fenix defeating Dragon Lee to set up a Penta-vs-Fenix final. The Penta/Parka match got a nice reaction, as Parka survived a Penta Driver and answered with a top-rope Spanish Fly before Penta eventually got the win.
The other big story beat was the contract signing for Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker. Breakker accused Femi of taking the spot he used to hold and vowed to make him live in his shadow, while Femi shot back that Breakker could’ve been the future of WWE in a different era, just not while he’s around. The segment boiled over into a physical confrontation, with Breakker jumping Femi before Austin Theory got involved, and Femi eventually powering back to put Theory through a table.
Overall, this felt like a well-paced go-home-style episode even though the pay-per-view is still two weeks out: hot angles up top and at the close, a satisfying tournament advancement, and a women’s division storyline that’s clearly building toward something bigger
Check out our favourite photos of both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown below or head to our Facebook page for the full galleries: Raw – Smackdown
WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW
All Photo Credit: Kieran Delport