Everything was in place for Stade Boreale to have a party on Thursday night. With a DJ show at halftime, CF Montreal players Samuel Piette and Victor Loturi visiting and taking selfies with fans throughout the game, CF Montreal legend Ignacio Piatti also visiting while wearing a Roses FC jersey, and some Ultra fans also present to support the team as they played against last-placed Halifax to clinch a spot in the playoffs. As fate would have it, Roses FC delivered the goods! On a chilly Montreal night where there were a lot of yellow cards and one red card, ultimately the most important card was handed to every player and staff with Roses FC, the invitation card to the playoffs. Okay, I’ll stop.
It was a heavily rotated squad that featured the return of goalkeeper Gabriel Lambert, Hailey Whittaker, and Julia Leas to the starting line-up. At first glance, you would have thought coach Robert Rositoiu was taking this game off by rotating his squad for a playoff-clinching game, but his players came out swinging from the start of the game until the final whistle. It was a physical game from both teams, and it was clear that both teams were hungry to make a statement. Roses were looking to qualify for the playoffs, and the Halifax Tides were trying to be the party poopers of the night. After having beaten second to last place Calgary 5-0 at McMahon Stadium the weekend before, Roses also needed this victory to prove that they should be taken seriously around the league and weren’t going to let this season slip away. Montreal started the game and dominated possession and gave themselves the best chance to score, but, as has been the case for the last few months, the finishing product wasn’t there. Yes, at the end of the day, it’s a victory, and that’s what counts, but it’s still worrisome that they struggle so much in the final third. What I found the most interesting is that Coach Rositoiu and his staff have taken the risk of tinkering with some of the core pieces and experimenting this late in the season to find the winning formula such as making Megane Sauve play in the left back position instead of winger. Ever since Latifah Abdu left Roses FC, the team has clearly been working on finding a spark on offense, and they seem to have found it in the form of Noemie Paquin.
Here’s my full breakdown of the game:
Goalkeeping and Defense
Gabrielle Lambert had a solid game making some important stops even if she wasn’t really tested by the Halifax attack. The Tides attack had random spurts throughout the game where they were able to piece together some offensive momentum, and Lambert was able to calmly make the necessary stops. But what really stood out to me was her cool demeanor at goal with her decisions and her ability to stay calm under pressure, something we’re hadn’t seen from Ana Karpenko throughout the season. Lambert’s distribution around the field was nearly perfect while continuously connecting with Tanya Boychuk as well as the defenders. I don’t think she’ll be your difference maker in a game, but she will be a safe bet moving forward. Something else I noticed from Lambert was that she’s very vocal on goal as you could hear her yelling to her teammates throughout the game
I have been very critical of Hailey Whittaker’s play throughout Roses FC’s tough run of games. Throughout that period, she was inconsistent and ineffective, and her side was a liability for the team. The coach replaced her with Lara Schenk, and the difference was remarkable. But on Thursday night, Whittaker had a solid defensive performance. She locked down her side with some important stops and allowed the offense to stay fluid. She wasn’t over-aggressive in her approach, and she didn’t commit any remarkable errors but there were still moments when she was very high up the pitch which left Julia Leas in an inconvenient position with several attackers. Schenk has a much more conservative approach to attacking as she clearly prefers staying down low. The next few weeks are going to be crucial for Whitaker to see if she can become a more important contributor to this team.
Julia Leas made her return to the starting lineup after an injury kept her away from the field for an extended period. During that time, Stephanie Hill made a case for herself to be considered an indisputable starter. Leas started opposite of Hill, and replaced Lucie Cappadona (who a team rep told me is not injured, but was given the rest since she’s started all of Roses FC’s game), played a solid game and could constantly be seen stopping the flow of attack of Halifax as they continued testing that left side (as other teams in the NSL have done and have had success). The most important thing I was observing was her dynamic with Hill on her left side and truth be told she seemed to not have missed a beat, which is great moving forward, but it makes Coach Rositoiu decisions on game day that much harder. One of the crucial roles of the right center back for Roses FC is how they connect with Chaerim Kang and how threatening they can make that right side and Leas didn’t necessarily make a solid argument for that but neither has Cappadona.
Stephanie Hill continues to solidify her position in the backline, and she did it with an exclamation point on Thursday night with her goal from long distance. To be honest, I don’t think anyone on or out of the field expected her shot to be a goal, but it was, and it was wonderful and sent Stade Boreale on a frenzy! Besides that, we saw more of the same from Hill that we’ve been seeing this season as her stock continues rising with the team. This club has proven to have some solid center backs that can be key for this team. Hill had her 5th goal of the season and continues to be an important part of the core of this team. The 23-year-old defender, as well as Cappadona, could be two players that Roses FC might either want to offer a new contract before they start attracting attention from Europe.
Ever since coach Rositoiu has deployed Megane Sauve as a left back, it has greatly changed the dynamic of this team. It feels like the move has alleviated some of the pressure she might have felt on the attack, and she’s demonstrated tremendous defensive awareness and locked down that side. Her offensive mentality has also proven to be a great asset when playing off Noemie Paquin, who equally has taken full advantage of the freedom she’s gotten on the left side as Sauve drags defenders to her. I still want to see her improve in her crossing ability, but we’ll wait and see how co-captain develops in the position.
Midfield
Allie Hess was in full force last night as she used her big physical stature to fend off the Halifax midfield and distributed the ball to her backline. She was deployed higher up the field in the second half to focus on the high press, which I personally didn’t like. She replaced Bibault’s role, and I found her to be less effective in that part of the field. She also struggled in the transition game and gave up a lot of passes, but with space and time, she is a very interesting midfielder. In this 3-midfield setup, she seemed a lot more comfortable with the extra player and going 1 v 1 against Halifax’s midfield. There are certain parts of Hess’s game that are missing, which makes you think that she might not be a starter-caliber player right now. This is a profile that Roses FC are going to have to take a closer look at in their next transfer window.
Charlotte Bilbault played a very good game, especially considering that it’s the first time we see her get deployed so high up the field to help the high press. She was almost at the striker position. Bilbault has been an incredible player for this squad this season with her consistency, aggressiveness, and passion that she brings to all the games. Yesterday was no exception as she defended with intent and was all over the Halifax defenders constantly putting them in distress. At some point in the second half, she lifted her arms and encouraged the crowd to get louder and got the fans in their feet. She’s a leader in this team and clearly is in a good place and could be an important piece for this team moving forward. My biggest issue is, who replaces her when she’ll be out of the field for any reason?
Chloe Minas had her first start with the Roses FC on Thursday night, and we finally got to see a good sample size of what she can offer to the team. I found that she was very interesting, and I’ll tell you why. She’s a quick midfielder that is very good with the ball in her feet and quick to think of the next pass. She connects very well with the forwards and the flanks; the only problem I had with her game was when she had to hold on to the ball, she would easily get beat out physically by the Halifax players. Minas is of small stature, so it’s to be expected, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that she’ll have to find a way to compensate by adding other phases to her game. There are plenty of undersized midfielders that have found different methods to keep themselves a threat by using their speed to torment bigger players, but that something that we didn’t see from Minas last night. At 23, she still has time to improve, but it might not come this season. The biggest question for Minas becomes: Will Roses FC be patient with her development as she finds her game?
The Attack
In the attack, we had Kang Chae-rim as a right winger who continues impressing with her agility and speed and technical ability on-ball. She’s shown that she has a very advanced vision of the offense and can create something out of nothing on the right side. The problem I’m seeing right now with Chae-rim right now is her consistency. She seems to be struggling with the physical play in the NSL and will easily get beaten out in 1 v 1 duels and will get stuck as soon as a defender gets in front of her. Her skill is undeniable, and she could be an important piece for this team, but her adaptation to the league is going to be key to her having any success during her time with Roses FC. She took everyone by surprise by scoring 2 goals in her second game wearing the pink and blue jersey, but since August 23rd she’s struggled to find the back of the net. She’s had chances because of her ability to stay wide, and time passes by the center backs, but the challenge is really when she heads into the box and comes up against several defenders. Chae-rim is a player whose progression we need to keep a close eye on.
At the front we had Tanya Boychuk who had a mediocre game. Why mediocre? Well, I think the fans and the media have come to expect a lot more out of her since she scored the first goal in franchise history but since then she’s scored a few goals here and there but it’s hard to say that she’s dominated any game in particular. As a matter of fact, on Thursday, there was a particular chance she had 1 v 1 the Halifax goalie after she broke loose from the defender, and she kicked it over the goal. It wasn’t just a small miss. It was very wide of the mark, and it came when the team was only up by 1 goal. Why does this stand out to you, Andy? Well, Boychuk is a co-captain in this team and has started all 19 games that Roses FC has played this season, yet she only has 6 goals this season. She must score those goals. This is a worrisome, especially given the position she plays. Boychuk will need to find her shooting boots quickly before the playoffs get started because her production will be crucial for this team to make a serious run deep into the playoffs, I will say this, I really liked her intent in the high press. She showed great intent in putting pressure on Halifax’s backline and was crucial in creating chances for the players around her, but Boychuk is too talented not to make an appearance more often in the scoresheet.
Last but not least, we have the revelation of the past month: Noemie Paquin, who played on the left wing. Paquin has fully embraced the role since coming back into the line-up and has taken her game to another level. She’s dominated the left side and has been a force to be reckoned with for defenders. She plays with a lot of confidence every time she has the ball and timing her runs well on the left side. She won’t be the loudest player on the field, but her energy is consistent. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about what I said about Paquin at the beginning of the season. I found her to contribute little to nothing when she was on the field and was becoming more of a liability, but as I mentioned earlier, the tactical adjustments the coach has made for Roses FC has benefited everyone on the field tremendously and it’s evident Paquin is enjoying her football again. Defensively, she was also very proactive in the high press, but it is clearly not her preferred task, but as long as she continues scoring, the coaches can only ask so much of her. Paquin was the revelation against Calgary, and I wasn’t sure if she would be able to follow up that performance two games in a row, but she was and her goal was only possible because of her individual skill and creativity in front of the net.
The Subs
As subs, we had Lorie Thibault, Claire Monyard, Jodi Smith, Felicia Roy, and Mara Bouchard, who I can’t really say were very impactful in the game, but they weren’t liabilities either. They played their role well in closing out the game. I will say that Thibault and Roy impressed me with their physicality and ability to drive the ball up field, but Thibault continues to frustrate me how she doesn’t offer much offensively. For a forward, I believe she should find a way to be more of a contributor. You might say “Andy, she scored a goal last week!” and I’ll say that you’re right, but who set that up? Paquin! She gave it to her in a platter. I think Roses FC are going to need to work on making their bench more impactful as they get closer to the playoffs and I believe that it starts by signing some impact veteran subs that might just be looking to finish their career and are willing to take on that mentor role to the players but can also be important in the small minutes they play. I like that Montreal has focused on signing local talent which allows the fans to connect to the team but at the same time you will need a deeper bench with experience so that the starters don’t feel the pressure to perform at their best for a full 90 minutes. The substitutes are probably one of the most important, if not the most important, part of a soccer game.
In conclusion, Roses FC qualified for the playoffs with their win on Thursday night but left us wanting more as they only managed to score 2 goals on a night where they should have scored at least 2 more. But of course, Andy that’s easier said than done. I’m not criticizing the team performance; I find it fantastic that they had the upper hand the whole night and seem to be finding some semblance of a team identity, which is not something we were saying a few weeks back. The next few games are crucial for Rositoiu’s squad as they prepare for the playoffs, and this is why it’ll be very important to see how the team reacts to any changes made in the next few weeks.
Andy's Impact Zone 
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