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NSL Vancouver Rise FC Suffer Late 3-2 Loss to Calgary Wild FC in Pride Game
Vancouver Rise FC suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Calgary Wild FC on Saturday afternoon at Swangard Stadium, surrendering two goals in added time after taking a 2-1 lead late in the second half.
The match was the Rise’s Pride Game, giving the club a chance to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community alongside the action on the pitch.
The opening half was a tight affair, with both teams spending much of the first 45 minutes battling for control in midfield.
Maithe Lopez created the first real opportunity for Vancouver, firing a left-footed shot that Calgary goalkeeper Katelin Talbert was able to handle. Anna Bout and Lopez continued to threaten from the wings, forcing Talbert into several punches as Vancouver sent crosses into the Wild box.
The game opened up just before halftime. Vancouver goalkeeper Morgan McAslan held onto a long-range effort from Taegan Stewart before Talbert responded at the other end, making a kick save on a hard shot from Lopez near the edge of the box.
Latifah Abdu had Vancouver’s best chance of the half in stoppage time. After chesting down a lobbed pass from Yuka Okamoto, Abdu fired a low shot that narrowly missed the far post.
The teams went into halftime tied 0-0.
Calgary needed less than three minutes after the restart to break the deadlock. The Wild were awarded a penalty, with Stewart stepping up and calmly converting to give Calgary a 1-0 lead.
Vancouver nearly answered immediately. Two minutes later, Abdu got onto the ball inside the box and went for goal, but her effort was blocked wide.
McAslan then kept the Rise within striking distance in the 53rd minute. Jorian Baucom managed to slip behind the Vancouver defence and fired towards goal, only for McAslan to react quickly and make the save.
That stop proved to be a turning point. Just two minutes later, Vancouver found its equalizer. Bout played the ball down the left for Abdu, who drove forward before spotting Jessica De Filippo making a late run into the box. Abdu cut the ball back, and De Filippo took a touch before driving a low shot past Talbert to make it 1-1.
The momentum had swung firmly toward Vancouver, and the Rise struck again soon after.
Camila Reyes collected a loose ball and sent a cross deep into the Calgary box. De Filippo was once again in the right place, redirecting the ball past Talbert to give Vancouver a 2-1 advantage.
With the lead in hand, the Rise made changes in an effort to manage the final stages and hold onto all three points.
The match took another dramatic turn when Calgary appeared to have a chance to get behind the Vancouver defence. Tori Tumeth made a last-ditch tackle to stop the attack, but the defender was shown a red card after the challenge was judged to have denied a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Down to 10 players, Vancouver had to defend its lead with the game entering its final stages.
The Rise looked set to see out the match, but Calgary produced a stunning late comeback. The Wild scored twice in added time, turning a 2-1 Vancouver lead into a 3-2 defeat and leaving the home side empty-handed after a match that had appeared to be slipping in their favour.
The loss was a particularly frustrating one for Vancouver after the Rise had fought back from a halftime deficit and taken control of the match in the second half.
Vancouver Rise FC will look to bounce back on Saturday, August 15, when Halifax Tides FC visit Swangard Stadium for a crucial matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. PT. Buy ticket here.
Check out our favourite photos of the game below or head to our Facebook page for the full gallery!
VANCOUVER RISE FC vs CALGARY WILD FC
All Photo Credit: Caroline Charruyer
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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