Vancouver Rise FC will have to give it their all in Montréal after falling to a 3-0 defeat against the Roses in the first leg of the NSL Playoff semifinals on Sunday.

Despite spells of promising attacks and several opportunities to get themselves on the scoresheet, Vancouver were punished for their defensive lapses as Montréal took a commanding advantage into the second leg on November 8.

The hosts started with intent and nearly found an early breakthrough inside five minutes.

Jessica De Filippo picked out Anaïs Oularbi in space on the right side of the box, but the midfielder's low cross evaded everyone in the area.

Mia Pante, fresh from her impressive performance in the previous match, continued to cause problems down the left. The winger drove into the box before attempting to cut inside but a slightly heavy touch allowed Montréal to recover and clear the danger.

The Roses needed just one opportunity to take the lead. In the 11th minute, Elyse Bennett found space behind the Vancouver defence and calmly finished past Morgan McAslan to put the visitors ahead.

Vancouver responded with spells of pressure and looked to find a way back into the contest. Anna Bout won a free kick just outside the Montréal penalty area in the 21st minute, but Oularbi's effort sailed well over the crossbar.

De Filippo came close moments later. Oularbi delivered a lofted ball towards the near post where the forward connected with a first-time effort but sent it narrowly wide.

At the other end, McAslan kept Vancouver in the contest with an excellent point-blank save, denying Tanya Boychuk from close range after the defender connected with a header from six yards out.

Montréal, however, went on to double their advantage in the 30th minute. Mimi Alidou found herself in space inside the box and made no mistake, sending her shot past McAslan to give the visitors a two-goal cushion.

The scoreline did little to reflect Vancouver's attacking intent, but the Roses made their opportunities count when it mattered. Despite continued efforts to find a response before the break, Rise headed into half-time with a significant deficit to overcome.

Vancouver emerged with renewed urgency after the restart. In the 52nd minute, Pante drove a dangerous low cross into the box, finding De Filippo, whose effort on the turn narrowly missed its target.

Pante remained one of Vancouver's most dangerous outlets, repeatedly getting down the left flank and delivering threatening balls into the area. A corner in the 64th minute created further problems for the Montréal defence, with several attempts on goal amid the resulting scramble, but the Roses stood firm.

As the second half progressed, Montréal looked increasingly comfortable managing the tempo, forcing Vancouver to rely on quick transitions and at times, rather scrappy moments to create opportunities.

The visitors added a third in the 73rd minute when Lisa Pechersky's effort took a deflection and wrong-footed McAslan. The Vancouver goalkeeper managed to get a hand to the ball but couldn't prevent it from crossing the line.

Even at 3-0, Rise refused to go quietly. They continued pushing forward, sending crosses into the Montréal penalty area and committing numbers in search of a late breakthrough. However, the visitors held their defensive shape to leave Swangard with a commanding advantage ahead of the return fixture.

Speaking after the match, interim head coach Iain Darbyshire felt the final scoreline was harsh on his side, pointing to the attacking opportunities Vancouver created throughout the evening.

“I thought we played really well at times. I thought the scoreline was a bit unflattering for us,” Darbyshire said. “We created so many final-third entries, and we just lacked that cutting edge. And they punished us on three mistakes.”

The head coach acknowledged that defensive errors have been a recurring issue for Vancouver, particularly when the team has been playing well and putting opponents under pressure.

“There's so much good in the performance that we can look at. But then when we're bad, we're really bad. And that's just the brutal honesty of it.”

For defender Tori Tumeth, the immediate priority is tightening things up defensively. She stressed the importance of retaining possession and eliminating the mistakes that Montréal were able to exploit.

“It's basically just cleaning up our game, keeping the ball where we can, because we know that when we give away silly mistakes, they're going to punish us,” Tumeth said.

Despite the mountain ahead, neither Darbyshire nor Tumeth believes the tie is beyond reach. Vancouver will need to be more clinical, but their attacking approach offers a foundation to build on.

“Honestly, I think that we're set up to really hurt teams, especially on the transition. And I think we should take the moments,” Darbyshire said. “If we score early in the game, anything can happen. We have to believe that.”

The head coach also made a point of recognizing the Swangard faithful, whose support has carried the team throughout the season. Despite the disappointing result, the home crowd remained behind the players, staying after the final whistle to cheer their names and ask for autographs.

“They were amazing for us today,” Darbyshire said. “With the effort that we put in today, especially for the younger fans, we're inspiring people to hopefully be on that field one day. And that's what a big part of this is all about.”

Vancouver now travel east for the second leg on November 8, knowing they need a damn near-perfect performance to keep their championship ambitions alive.

Three goals down, but not ready to give up. As Tumeth put it: “What do we have to lose? We can throw everything at them and just go for it.”

Vancouver Rise FC face Montréal Roses FC in the second leg of the NSL Playoff semifinals on November 8, with kickoff scheduled for 2 p.m. PT.