Latifah Abdu netted two goals in the opening half to propel Vancouver Rise to a 2-1 victory over Ottawa Rapid FC in the inaugural leg of the Northern Super League semifinals on Tuesday. Ottawa’s Delaney Pridham narrowed the margin with a goal in the second half. The second leg of the semifinal will take place this Saturday at Ottawa’s TD Place.
In the other semifinal matchup, AFC Toronto, the current league leaders, will face off against the Montreal Roses. Toronto holds a 2-0 advantage heading into the upcoming match on Sunday. The winners of the aggregate score from the semifinals will progress to the championship match scheduled for November 15 at Toronto’s BMO Field, where the first champion of the new Canadian women’s professional soccer league will be determined.
Abdu capitalized on a defensive error by Ottawa in the 14th minute to put Vancouver in the lead at Swangard Stadium. The Ottawa goalkeeper’s attempted pass out of the box led to Abdu’s first goal. Abdu then extended the lead in the 21st minute with a well-placed left-footed shot.
Pridham brought Ottawa back into contention in the 66th minute by evading Vancouver’s defense and scoring with a precise left-footed strike past Rise’s goalkeeper. Pridham, the top scorer in the NSL’s inaugural season with 19 goals, registered her first playoff goal in this match.
Ottawa coach Katrine Pederson expressed dissatisfaction with her team’s performance in the first half, acknowledging Vancouver’s dominance. However, Pederson noted an improved display in the second half, emphasizing a shift in mindset and better execution, which led to Ottawa creating more opportunities and finding the back of the net.