Vancouver Rise show attacking progress but defensive struggles continue in 4-3 loss to Montreal Roses

For much of the season, Vancouver Rise have searched for greater production in front of goal. On Wednesday night at Swangard Stadium, they found it. What they could not find was a way to keep Montreal Roses off the scoresheet.

Despite scoring three goals and twice holding the lead, Vancouver fell 4-3 to Montreal in an entertaining seven-goal match that highlighted both the progress of the Rise attack and the defensive issues that continue to cost the club valuable points.

The result marks Vancouver’s second consecutive home defeat and leaves the Rise searching for answers ahead of their next home match against Calgary Wild.

Fresh start rewards Vancouver

The Rise wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. Just three minutes into the match, Maithé Lopez found the back of the net following a corner kick, giving Vancouver an early 1-0 advantage and energizing the home crowd. Vancouver continued to press aggressively after the opener, forcing Montreal into mistakes and looking capable of extending the lead.

Montreal responded in the 14th minute through former Rise player Lisa Perchersky, who brought the visitors level at 1-1 against her former club.

The equalizer did little to slow Vancouver’s momentum.

Just three minutes later, the Rise regained the lead when Anaïs Oularbi capitalized on a turnover after a Montreal throw-in. Vancouver quickly transitioned forward, and Oularbi finished the move to restore the home side’s advantage and send the Swangard crowd back into celebration.

End-to-end action before halftime

The first half featured attacking football from both sides, with neither team willing to sit back. Montreal continued to push forward and found another equalizer in the 39th minute when Elyse Bennett scored to make it 2-2.

Vancouver nearly reclaimed the lead before halftime through De Filippo. The forward found herself one-on-one with Montreal goalkeeper Anna Karpenko but could not convert, and the opportunity slipped away. At the time it appeared to be a missed chance, but it would become an increasingly important moment as the match unfolded.

Montreal takes control

The visitors emerged from the break with renewed energy and quickly swung momentum in their favor. In the 54th minute, Marie-Yasmine Alidou gave Montreal its first lead of the night, finishing off an attacking move to put the Roses ahead 3-2.

Only four minutes later, Montreal struck again. Following a corner kick, a scramble inside the penalty area ended with Anne-Valérie Seto finding the back of the net to extend the advantage 4-2.

After conceding twice in four minutes, Vancouver faced an uphill battle.

Montreal appeared to have added a fifth goal in the 67th minute, but the effort was ruled offside, keeping the Rise within striking distance.

Injury concerns continue

Vancouver’s night became even more difficult in the 79th minute when Yuka Okamoto went down on the left side of the field and required a stretcher to leave the pitch. The injury appeared to involve her left knee, though no official update was available following the match.

The timing added another layer of concern for a Vancouver side that has been dealing with numerous injuries throughout this season.

Late comeback effort falls short

Despite trailing by two goals late in the match, Vancouver continued to push forward. Their persistence paid off in the 89th minute when substitute Latifah Abdu found the back of the net to cut Montreal’s lead to 4-3 and set up a tense finish.

The Rise pressed for an equalizer in the closing moments, but Montreal held firm defensively and secure all three points.

Post-match reflections

Following the match, Vancouver’s head coach Anja Heiner-Mœller addressed the team’s struggles to maintain control after the strong opening. She also emphasized the greater patience in possession would allow Vancouver to remain more compact and limit the transitions opportunities given to opponents.

“With a little more patience in the build, we’d be a more compact team, and we won’t have those transitions going against us.”

Despite the defeat, Vancouver showed encouraging signs in attack. Throughout the match, the Rise created multiple dangerous chances and scored three goals against a Montreal side that entered the match with defensive quality. The attacking movement was sharper, and the team looked more confident when pushing forward.

However, the defensive concerns remain difficult to overlook. Conceding four goals after holding the lead twice reflects Vancouver’s ongoing struggles with maintaining control during key moments. The Rise will need to improve their ability to keep possession and defend more effectively during transitions and set pieces.

With Calgary Wild FC coming to Swangard in two weeks, the Rise will have an important opportunity to turn improved performances into a much needed result.