A dramatic closing stretch saw Vancouver Rise FC snatch all three points in Ottawa on Sunday evening, defeating Ottawa Rapid FC 3-2 at TD Place. Samantha Chang’s late heroics, with goals in both halves including an 89th-minute winner, capped off a thrilling back-and-forth contest that swung wildly in the final minutes.

Vancouver struck first midway through the opening half. In the 24th minute, Chang unleashed a thunderous long-range strike that bent into the top left corner, leaving the Ottawa keeper with no chance. The Rise carried their 1-0 advantage into the break, having weathered periods of Rapid pressure.

Rapid Response Meets Ward’s Breakaway
Ottawa found their equalizer early in the second half thanks to the league’s top scorer, DB Pridham. In the 56th minute, a deflected clearance fell kindly outside the box, and Pridham reacted instantly, firing a crisp volley past the goalkeeper to level the match at 1-1.

But Vancouver answered again. In the 75th minute, Holly Ward capitalized on a long ball that split the defense, racing clear on a breakaway before calmly finishing to restore the visitors’ lead at 2-1.

The match’s closing stages brought chaos. Ottawa’s Julia Benati appeared to have salvaged a point in the 88th minute, smashing home from close range to make it 2-2 and ignite the home crowd. Yet their celebrations lasted barely a minute. Straight from the restart, Chang found herself in space on the edge of the area, driving forward and burying her second goal of the night in the 89th minute. Her clinical finish silenced TD Place and sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory for the Rise.

Match Stats

• Possession: Both sides shared the ball evenly at 50% apiece, reflecting the end-to-end nature of the contest.
• Total Shots: Vancouver edged the attacking numbers with 11 efforts to Ottawa’s 8, making the most of their chances in key moments.
• Passing Accuracy: The teams matched each other stride for stride in distribution, each completing 79% of their passes in a tightly contested midfield battle.

Looking Ahead
With the victory, Vancouver rises into third place with a 7-5-5 record, strengthening their push for a top-two finish. They return home next weekend for a crucial showdown with second-place Montreal Roses FC on August 30.

For Ottawa, the loss stings after fighting back twice, dropping them to fourth at 7-6-4. The Rapid won’t have long to dwell; they’ll be back at TD Place on August 28, hosting Halifax Tides FC in what already feels like a must-win for both sides.

For full match statistics, lineups, and a detailed play-by-play, visit the official NSL match page.