Exciting news for the Roses! Lisa Pechersky is back, and Evelyn Badu has been called up to Ghana's provisional squad for the CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which is no surprise given Badu's considerable success in her home country and in the Northern Super League.
Matchups between the Montréal Roses and Calgary Wild have been absolutely full of ups and downs for both sides. With one win for the Roses and two draws in past meetings against the Wild, this game was anyone's guess, especially with the roster change.
The Roses came out looking like a team confident they would win, but caught off guard by a Calgary Wild side ready to make the second-place team work for every goal. While the Roses' energy was excellent, buoyed by the return of Lisa Pechersky, the absence of Evelyn Badu clearly threw them off.
While the team had tight passing, there was a subtle lack of coordination, seen in long shots that would normally have Badu in place to receive, going astray. The Roses held possession for 62 percent of the first half, with five out of twelve shots on target. The first goal was scored by Lucy Cappadona, well earned, in a scramble in front of the Calgary Wild's goal.
That hard-won goal was followed by Hailey Whittaker's equally difficult goal, also made in the tussle in front of the Calgary Wild's net. This put the Roses at a solid 2-0, where they would remain for the duration of the game.
The Roses came out more cohesive in the second half. It is worth noting that with the Roses, there is never a weak link. Standouts included Hailey Whittaker, Lucy Cappadona, Lisa Pechersky, Chloé Minas, Anne-Valérie Seto, Charlotte Bilbault, and Anna Karpenko.
The Roses are a team full of talent, and that talent always shines, win or lose.
What dulls that shine is a lack of coordination that tends to be the Roses' thorn in their own side, born from whenever they come up against an unexpectedly strong defence or a roster change. The missing Evelyn Badu was one component, but the other was the strong defensive strategy the Calgary Wild displayed in this game.
While the Wild are last in the standings, they have a new coach in Leah Blayney — a former Australian midfielder who also served as assistant head coach of the Japan Women's National Football Team. While Leah is brand new to the Wild, the obvious shift in strategy is notable, and their tenacity on the field was a challenge for the Roses.
The Wild's absent offensive game, shown by the fact they had just four total shots in the entire game with three on target but none going in, played in the Roses' favour. Anna Karpenko and Lucy Cappadona were lifesavers for the Montréal Roses in that regard, though it was also fortunate for the Roses that the Wild remain weak in that area.
The Calgary Wild and the Montréal Roses face off again on 23 August, which gives the Wild a full month to improve their offensive strategy and attempt to play across the full pitch, and the Roses time to consider how they operate with another new configuration with Evelyn Badu absent from the field.
