Rising to the occasion: Vancouver’s Academy tests themselves against Gotham

On Sept. 16, the Vancouver Rise FC Academy may have left Swangard Stadium on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline, but the numbers told only part of the story. 

Against NY/NJ Gotham FC, the reigning Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup winners and one of the deepest rosters in the sport, Rise’s youth side showed a resilience and spirit that underscored why this competition is so valuable for Canadian soccer.

The match opened with the kind of intensity you’d expect from the defending champions. Just nine minutes in, Josefine Hasbo rose highest in the box to nod Gotham into the lead. Barely a few minutes later, Katie Stengel doubled the advantage, punishing a defensive lapse and making it 2-0 before the game had truly settled. For most academy squads, that kind of opening storm could have turned the night into a long lesson in damage control. But Vancouver had other ideas.

Anaïs Oularbi unleashed a strike from the edge of the area that thundered off the post. While Gotham froze, Anna Bout didn’t in the 14th minute. She pounced on the rebound and slotted home to cut the deficit in half. The goal didn’t just change the scoreline, it shifted the atmosphere. Suddenly, Rise looked alive, the supporters roared, and the champions realized they were in a game.

From there, keeper Jessica Wulf became a wall for the Academy side. She denied Mandy Freeman with a sharp diving save and organized her backline with a composure that belied her age.

On the attacking end, midfielder Lacey Kindel provided moments of flair, slipping through challenges and nearly teeing up Oularbi for what could have been a stunning equalizer before halftime.

At the break, Gotham led 2-1, but Rise had more than held their own. For a developmental side facing world-class opposition, the first 45 minutes felt like proof of concept.

Of course, experience has its advantages. Just two minutes into the second half, Spanish international Esther González made her presence felt, finding space and firing Gotham’s third past Wulf. The early goal settled Gotham, and for much of the half, they dictated possession, probing for openings. But Rise never folded. They tracked runners, stayed organized, and leaned on their collective work rate. 

Even as Gotham’s stars rotated through waves of attack, the young Canadians absorbed pressure and looked for their moments. Kindel then nearly found one late, whipping a free kick just over the bar. In stoppage time, Gotham put the finishing touch on their win, with Bruninha adding a fourth. The scoreline stretched, but the fight had never disappeared.

If the night was a test on the field, it was also a showcase of it. The Rise FC first team turned out in full support of the Academy, with head coach Anja Heiner-Møller leading the cheers. And in the crowd was none other than Christine Sinclair, Canada’s legendary captain, a presence that gave the evening an unmistakable sense of occasion. For players still at the start of their professional journeys, that kind of support will be remembered as much as the goals themselves.

For Rise, the Champions Cup isn’t just about results. It’s about testing young players against the highest level, giving them experiences that can’t be replicated in domestic play, and proving that a Canadian pathway belongs on this stage. The 4-1 score may sit in the record books, but what lingered was the resilience, the flashes of creativity, and the belief that these players could rise to the challenge.

The Academy returns home on Oct. 16 for a clash with Alianza Women at Willoughby Community Park. If the Gotham match proved anything, it’s that this group isn’t here just to make up the numbers. They’re here to compete, to learn, and to keep standing tall.