The Montréal Roses had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Calgary Wild FC on Sunday afternoon at Stade Boréale, despite controlling much of the match. Trailing early, they drew level through Evelyn Badu’s first goal in Roses colours, but could not find a winner. The Roses (4-1-3) remain second in the standings, just one point behind Ottawa. They are back on the pitch on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m., again at Stade Boréale, this time against Ottawa Rapid FC; tickets are on sale starting at $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.
After a kickoff delayed by weather, it was Calgary who struck first, Kahli Johnson opening the scoring in the 10th minute. The Roses responded quickly: in the 29th, Evelyn Badu netted her first goal since joining Montreal to level the match.
From there, the game went one way, without the reward to match. Montreal dominated the ball with 62% possession and pushed throughout, finishing with 21 shots to Calgary’s 9. But goalkeeper Katelin Talbert and the Calgary back line held firm, and the Roses kept running into a wall in the final third. At the other end, a quiet afternoon for Anna Karpenko still brought the saves needed to protect the point.
Heavily rotated three days out from their next match, the Roses leaned on their depth. Several players saw their roles grow, and 17-year-old Marilou Harvey was again called upon in the second half. Badu’s goal, meanwhile, rewarded a first start that paid off for the returning Ghanaian international.
The match also unfolded without head coach Robert Rositoiu, who was away completing his Concacaf Pro Diploma, the highest coaching qualification in the region. First assistant coach Maryse Bard-Martel took charge of the side, and it was to her that Badu ran to celebrate her goal. Rositoiu will also be away for Thursday’s match against Ottawa, with Bard-Martel again leading the team from the touchline.
MATCH STATISTICS
Possession: Calgary 38% – Montreal 62%
Shots: 9 for Calgary (4 on target) – 21 for Montreal (5 on target)
Completed passes: 170 for Calgary – 328 for Montreal
Corners: 5 for Calgary – 8 for Montreal
Yellow cards: 0 for Calgary – 0 for Montreal
Venue: Stade Boréale
Referee: Sheila Couture
Referees: Marie-Han Gagnon, Onder Yilmaz
"I'm really proud of the effort, focus and commitment the players showed today. Several took on different roles and filled them very well, and the team stayed together from start to finish. There were good moments and tougher ones; what we take from it is that we need to manage the spells where we lacked rhythm and sharpness in transition, so we can go and get all three points. This is a performance we can build on, and momentum we want to carry into Thursday at home against Ottawa." — Maryse Bard-Martel, Montréal Roses First Assistant Coach.
The Roses (4-1-3) are back in action on Thursday, June 25 at 7:00 p.m. at Stade Boréale against Ottawa Rapid FC, the second of four straight home matches. The club will also play a historic match at Stade Saputo on Saturday, August 29.
Tickets for upcoming home matches are on sale now starting at $28 at en.rosesmtl.ca/tickets.