Lena Silano’s Toronto breakthrough Began with the press

Lena Silano’s first Northern Super League goal started with a decision to chase. Against Ottawa on September 26, the AFC Toronto forward pressured goalkeeper Mollie Eriksson, won the ball and finished in the 44th minute. Four minutes into the next half, she converted a pass from Nikayla Small. Toronto’s eventual 3–0 victory secured a playoff berth.

The two finishes tell different parts of a forward’s job. One came from disrupting the opponent’s possession; the other completed her own team’s attack. Toronto coach Marko Milanović’s assessment after the match focused on a broader contribution, including defensive work, playing with her back to goal and helping at set pieces.

Toronto announced Silano’s signing in July after professional stops with Washington Spirit, UD Tenerife and Spokane Zephyr. She had already demonstrated sustained scoring at Long Beach State, where her 16-goal senior season in 2022 matched the program’s single-season record. Toronto offered a fresh setting in which to translate those experiences into regular influence.

The September 30 NSL snapshot records ten appearances, six starts and 584 minutes for Toronto, with two goals and an assist. Six starts explain why ten appearances should not be read as ten full matches. Her playing time is equivalent to about six and a half complete games.

Sixteen shots in those minutes amount to approximately 2.5 per 90, with five on target. Both goals arrived in the Ottawa match, so the next test is whether Silano can keep finding attempts across several games. Her pressing gives Toronto another route to those chances. For a forward settling into a new attack, repeating the work that creates the opening is the most useful follow-up to a breakthrough afternoon.