Regina's QC United came in with one advantage over FC Manitoba, they had a nickname (and arguably two, given QC stands for Queen City). Ahead of Saturday, both men's teams only had 1 point and a 0-1-0 record.
Diego Raveco (Saskatchewan) and Renato Salgado Paez gave the visitors-with-no-nickname the lead in the men's match and that is how it would finish.
In the women's match, the team with no nickname and Queen City both had chances. In the tenth minute, an FC Manitoba corner was scrambled just clear of the goal, and the second corner blasted high. The FC Manitoba goalkeeper, Trinity Kehler, would then be tested in the 13th minute as a shot was repelled at full stretch. Two minutes later, she would be stretching in the exact opposite direction. In the 17th minute, a giveaway by FC Manitoba in their own area forced a spectacular reaction save out of the keeper again. On 19 minutes, a QC free kick wide right went well over. As the first half wore on, the home team began to possess the ball more. FC Manitoba had a counter turned away for offside. QC pressed higher and challenged the keeper a few times, but most were routine saves. FC Manitoba, on the other hand, was forced into an absorb-and-counter. In the 30th minute, one such attack culminated in a header high and off the gridiron crossbar, but it was the home team who continued to threaten. Three minutes later, good scrappy attacking down the right earned the visitors a couple of corners in succession, but the ball crossed the box without intervention and was cleared. They also had a good passing sequence in the 33rd, but the final touch was lacking. In the 38th minute, QCU had another shot on goal, palmed away by the FCMB keeper, who could possibly have caught it but did at least clear her box.
The second half progressed in a similar fashion to the first, with FC Manitoba on the back foot and only attacking on the counter. When they did have solid possession in midfield, the passes down the channels weren't successful. After a lull, the hour mark arrived with a bang as Kehler was forced into another full-length save to keep out a QCU free kick from the edge of the box. Manitoba's turn would come a couple of minutes later, but the free kick went straight into the keeper Kareena Andersen's hands. With 65 minutes on the clock, a long injury timeout was called, and both teams had a chance to reset. An FCMB corner was repelled, only for the visitors to recycle it. With 75 minutes on the clock, a lightning attack from QCU down the gut of the defense was cut brutally short just outside the penalty arc. The free kick was partially recycled and then, this happened:
Terin Ballan puts QC United ahead in the 75th minute Video by Jon Boschman / Media by Jon
Another injury stoppage with 82 minutes played. FCMB had a shot on target in the 83rd minute. After another injury stoppage in stoppage time, the team-with-no-nickname had the majority of the ball. FCMB equalized from a corner, only partially cleared and volleyed home by defender Kaitlyn Duré (Trinity Western University) in the third minute of stoppage time. The hosts even yet had time left to rustle up a corner, but not much else.
Elsewhere
Women's
Saskatchewan Excel 0-1 Bonivital Flames
QC United 2-2 Lucania FC
Bonivital Flames 2-1 Saskatchewan Excel
FC Manitoba 1-2 Saskatchewan Excel
Thunder Bay Chill 6-1 Bonivital Flames
Men's
QC United 0-2 FC Manitoba
Bonivital Flames 0-0 Saskatchewan Excel
FC Manitoba 2-3 Saskatchewan Excel
Thunder Bay Chill 1-1 Bonivital Flames
