In the opening leg of the Northern Super League semifinal, Latifah Abdu’s brace propelled the Vancouver Rise to a 2-1 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC. Abdu capitalized on a defensive error by Ottawa to score her first goal in the 14th minute. She later added a second goal in the 21st minute with a well-placed left-footed shot.
Ottawa’s Delaney Pridham narrowed the gap in the 66th minute by cleverly maneuvering past Vancouver’s defense to score. Pridham, who topped the NSL goal-scoring charts in the inaugural season, netted her first playoff goal. Despite the loss, Ottawa coach Katrine Pederson commended her team’s improved performance in the second half, acknowledging Vancouver’s strong play in the first half.
The upcoming second leg of the semifinal is scheduled to take place at Ottawa’s TD Place, where Ottawa will strive to overturn the deficit. The other semifinal features AFC Toronto and the Montreal Roses, with Toronto holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg. The aggregate winners of the semifinals will vie for the championship title on November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field, marking the inaugural champion of the new Canadian women’s professional soccer league.
