AFC Toronto blanked by Montreal Roses FC at BMO Field

• AFC Toronto 0, Montreal Roses FC 2 (Alidou 55’; Bennett 74’) 
• Hosts were unbeaten in their four previous games (3 wins)  
• Goalkeeper Anna Karpenko made 9 saves to earn the shutout   
• Toronto blow chance to leapfrog Montreal into 2nd place    

TORONTO – The curse of BMO Field continues for AFC Toronto. 

Toronto remains winless in six all-time contests at BMO Field, its latest setback coming in a 2-0 defeat to Montreal Roses FC on Sunday in Northern Super League action.  

The home side dominated for long stretches but ran into a very hot goalkeeper in the form of Anna Karpenko who made nine saves and kept her club in the game, especially during a one-sided first half.   

This loss snapped a four-game game unbeaten run by Toronto (7-5-4, 25 points) who squandered a chance to leapfrog Montreal (9-4-3, 30 points) into second place in the NSL table with nine games remaining in the regular season. 

Toronto suffered three losses at BMO Field during the league’s inaugural 2025 campaign, including a defeat to Vancouver Rise FC in the NSL Final, and took just a single point from its two games at Toronto FC’s home venue earlier this year.

Toronto coach Marko Milanović fielded a starting 11 featuring Canadian internationals Shelina Zadorsky, Sabrina D’Angelo, Kaylee Hunter, Victoria Pickett and Sarah Stratigakis. Unavailable were midfielders Samantha Chang (out with a season-ending injury), Cloey Uddenberg (suspension) and Linda Owusu Ansah (international duty), and forward Esther Okoronkwo (international duty). 

Montreal’s starting 11 included Canadian international midfielder Marie-Yasmine Alidou. The visitors were playing their first game under interim coach Maryse Bard-Martel. Her predecessor Robert Rositoiu was fired on Thursday, a day after Montreal was eliminated from the W Canadian Championship by Ontario Premier League side Simcoe County Rovers FC   

Toronto was a bit overwhelmed by Montreal in the early stages before growing into the game and totally dictating terms. The visitors were put on the back foot thanks to consistent pressure by the hosts who came close to opening the scoring on several occasions in the opening half.  

Karpenko was called upon to make a pair of very good saves to deny Hunter from in close, while Colby Barnett took on three defenders inside the box before unleashing a shot from 18 yards out that hit the crossbar.  

Lauren Rowe’s towering header off a cross into the box by Pickett hit the far post and Karpenko somehow managed to keep Hunter’s close-range rebound attempt from crossing the goal-line. Montreal offered little going forward with D'Angelo only having to make one difficult stop before halftime.  

The game turned in the visitors favour early in the second half when Alidou played a raking ball for Elyse Bennett who had her heels clipped from behind by Toronto defender Sara Rollins. The foul was judged to have occurred just inside the box and Alidou roofed the ensuing penalty kick into the roof of the net past a helpless D’Angelo.  

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Alidou nearly doubled Montreal’s lead minutes later when her in-swinging free kick from the left wing just flashed past the far post.  

Zadorsky appeared to score the equalizer via a header off a corner kick in the 69th minute but the goal was taken off the scoreboard due to offside. Moments later. Stratigakis was allowed to dribble down the middle before unleashing a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box that smacked the crossbar.  

Montreal made Toronto pay for that close call when Bennett doubled her team’s advantage, poking home after D’Angelo spilled Bennett’s original shot on goal from deep inside the box. Bennett is now tied with Vancouver’s Jessica De Filippo as the league’s top scorer with nine goals. 

Any chance of a comeback was snuffed out when Hunter found herself clear on goal but fired a shot right at Karpenko without making her work to make the save. Hunter should have buried it, but it was that kind of afternoon for Toronto. 

NOTES: Toronto leads the all-time regular season series against Montreal with four wins and a draw in eight meetings. Toronto beat Montreal 6-1 on aggregate in last year’s two-legged playoff semifinals… Toronto sports a 1-2-1 record against Montreal this season. They’ll meet for a final team of the 2026 regular season on Sept. 10 in Montreal… AFC Toronto's next match is away to Halifax Tides FC on Sunday, Aug. 23 (12:00 p.m./TSN)...