In a performance that Toronto fans will savor for a long time, AFC Toronto delivered a masterclass at York Lions Stadium, dismantling Vancouver Rise FC with a scintillating 7-0 victory on Saturday.
Toronto wasted no time asserting dominance. Just six minutes in, Esther Okoronkwo curled in a thunderous free kick from the edge of the box, igniting the home crowd and setting the tone for what would become the league’s most lopsided result this season. Okoronkwo, fresh off a stellar campaign with Nigeria at WAFCON was not done as she added a second goal in the 66th minute, showcasing her speed and precision on a breakaway finish.
The floodgates opened as Kaylee Hunter netted twice, bringing her season tally to 12 and keeping her firmly in the Golden Boot race. Kaela Hansen scored her first NSL goal off a corner kick, while Sarah Stratigakis and Jade Kovacevic each added their names to the scoresheet, with Kovacevic’s strike capping off the historic rout.
With this emphatic win, AFC Toronto became the first team to clinch a playoff place, extending their lead in the NSL table to nine points.
Assistant coach Sylvia Forbes: “Today we came in with a simple objective, and that was to get a result. Obviously, Halifax is a good team. I don’t think the indication of where they’re in the standings has anything to do with their skills. We came into the game just as we would for any other game – every single game is a big game, and I think the players understood that that was our objective today.”
Forbes on Esther Okoronkwo’s goal: “The ‘ugly’ goal has occurred. We’ve been talking about that all season – we want to get some ugly goals; we’re going to need to get ugly goals as the season continues and gets closer to the end. And that involves desire and the willingness to put your body on the line. Esther did a great job of putting her body on the line, Croix did an excellent job of making sure the ball went back into that chaos, and they did really well to get onto it. That’s a testament to their desire to score.”
AFC Toronto will look to continue this momentum into their next game against Halifax Tides FC on September 21 at York Lions stadium, where they will be looking to put on another show for the home fans.