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April 14th Edition
Northern Super League officially kicks off, Whitecaps have a date with Messi and much more
It’s a historic and celebratory week for soccer in this country.
On Wednesday, OUR national women’s league kicks off for the first time at BC Place in Vancouver, a monumental moment in Canadian soccer history. This is finally the chance for Canada’s top ballers to play and develop on home soil.
The west coast seems to be where it’s all happening this week, as the Vancouver Whitecaps are also making history of their own during an epic run in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and CanWNT wrapped up their two-game BC Series.
Plus, Cyle Larin is back in the goals, so is Olivia Smith (no surprise) and more on this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.
In this week's edition:
NSL
✨ The Northern Super League officially kicks off
Vancouver Rise
On Wednesday, April 16, a dream comes true for Canadian soccer fans.
For the first time ever, a professional women’s soccer league kicks off in Canada. Not just any league, but one ready to compete with the very best in the world and elevate the sport in this country to an unprecedented level.
In the Northern Super League’s very first ever game, Vancouver Rise host Calgary Wild at BC Place in Vancouver, BC (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT) on CBC Gem and TSN. Then, on Saturday, AFC Toronto are the home side at Toronto’s BMO Field as they host Montréal Roses (4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT).
If you are in the area of either of these cities, don’t miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness history live. If not, the matches will be broadcast from coast to coast. It is a moment that will surely be talked about for decades to come.
From the moment that very first ball is kicked, everything changes. Never again will Canada be the odd nation out when it comes to having a top domestic league or will young Canadian players have to dream about going abroad to play at the highest level.
Here’s to history, and all those who helped make Wednesday and beyond possible.
Champions Cup
🌊 Whitecaps earn a date with Messi in Champions Cup semi-final
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Never. Say. Die.
By all rights, the Vancouver Whitecaps were on elimination’s door in the Concacaf Champions Cup this past week. On the road in Mexico City, one of the toughest and most exhausting places to travel in the entire region, for their second leg of their quarter-final matchup with Pumas, Ignacio Pussetto had just put Pumas up 2-1 in the match, and 3-2 on aggregate in the 88th minute.
But the Caps weren’t ready to see this already spectacular run come to an end. In the 90+3 minute, Édier Ocampo took down a ball off his chest and crossed it into the box brilliantly for Tristan Blackmon to volley home. The goal meant the Whitecaps progressing on away goals.
After defeating Saprissa, CF Monterrey and now Pumas, the last challenge that stands in the Whitecaps’ way between them and the final is a heck of a big one. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.
Their semi-final begins on Thursday, April 24 in Vancouver, before the second leg on Wednesday, April 30 in Miami. The Whitecaps have been this far in the competition just once before, under a different format in 2016-17, where they lost to Tigres UNAL.
But something about this Caps squad feels different; true team of destiny vibes. Now comes their biggest challenge yet.
CanWNT
🇨🇦 Canada suffer first lost under Casey Stoney
Canada Soccer
For the first time in 23 matches, the Canadian women’s national team lost a match that didn’t end in a penalty shootout.
At Starlight Stadium on Tuesday, Canada lost 1-0 to Argentina in the second of two friendlies in the April international window. Yamila Rodríguez scored a lovely 34th-minute free-kick, albeit one that Canadian goalkeeper Sabrina D’Angelo would likely want back.
Despite Argentina’s goalkeeper Solano Pereya being sent off in the 77th minute, 70 per cent possession and 18 shot attempts, Canada couldn’t get it right in front of goal, and suffered their first loss and scoreless match under new head coach Casey Stoney.
After so much positivity in recent performances, including a dominant 3-0 victory against Argentina in the first friendly at BC Place on Friday, Tuesday’s match was a little bit disappointing.
Still, with a rotated squad, Stoney was able to get a look at her wider player pool. On her senior national team debut, 19-year-old Kayla Briggs in particular impressed with her direct and dynamic play. That really is a key priority of this year, as Stoney is able to evaluate which players fit best in her system ahead of a competitive 2026.
Still, winning is a lot more fun, even if this was a good chance for Canada to face some adversity.
Canucks Abroad
🌍 Canucks Abroad
Liverpool FC Women
🏴 Olivia Smith scored big in the FA Cup Semis. Liverpool travelled to Chelsea to face off in the FA Cup semi-final. Olivia Smith opened the account in the 21st minute. The play started with a technical through ball from Marie Therese Höbinger to Smith, and the CanWNT winger slotted at the far post. Despite the goal, Liverpool lost 2-1 to Chelsea and are out of the FA Cup.
🇪🇸 Cyle Larin scored the winner. Real Sociedad hosted Cyle Larin and Mallorca in La Liga. Larin had not scored since December 2024, but this past weekend, the CanMNT striker found the back of the net and confirmed Mallorca’s win over Real Sociedad. This is Larin’s 6th goal of the season.
🇧🇪 Promise David scored again! PD has now scored three goals in three games in a row. The latest goal came in Union St. Gilloise’s 2-0 win over Anderlecht. David found the back of the net in the 45th minute, bringing his season tally to 19 goals.
🌲 James Pantemis and Kamal Miller shined for Portland. It was a big afternoon for Canadians in Stumptown. Kamal Miller was up first, heading home the insurance goal in a 4-2 win over SKC. James Pantemis ensured the win by stopping yet another spot-kick — won by fellow Canadian Stephen Afrifa.
🏴 Alistair Johnston with an assist. Celtic hosted Kilmarnock and handed the away team a 5-1 thrashing. CanMNT fullback participated in the action with an assist for Reo Hatate’s goal in the 24th minute.
🌹 Marie-Yasmine Alidou makes her debut. The former Benfica winger has made her debut in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns. Alidou played against Bianca St. Georges and the Utah Royals. Her first game for the Thorns resulted in a 1-0 win.
🌟 Jacen Russell-Rowe made the MLS Team of the Week. The recognition continued for Canadian forwards. Jacen Russell-Rowe’s assist and game-winning goal against CF Montréal were enough to net a spot in the Best XI for Matchday 7. JRR is the third Canadian to earn a spot this season after Jayden Nelson and Tani Oluwaseyi.
🙌 Luc De Fougerolles returned from injury. The centre-back saw his first minutes since suffering a knee injury in October 2024. LDF came on as a stoppage-time sub for Fulham U21s in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City U21s.
🇳🇱 SC Cambuur honours the Royal Canadian Dragoons. In a touching gesture of remembrance and demonstration of the bonds of friendship, Dutch second division side SC Cambuur released their ‘80 Years Liberation’ kit this week. The kit marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Leeuwarden during World War II by the Royal Canadian Dragoons, and is ‘inspired by the Dragoons’ classic uniform’. The kit is available for pre-order until noon CEST (6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT) on Thursday, April 17th.
Canucks at Home
🏡 Canucks at Home
CPL / U Sports
🌾 Valour signed Wesley Wandje. The Winnipeg club signed the former captain of CS Saint-Laurent and Université de Montréal Carabins baller signed a pro contract. The 23-year-old enjoyed an incredible 2024 and joins Valour with an impressive resume.
🦅 Vancouver added a quartet. In addition to Nicolás Mezquida, the Eagles announced four more international signings. Senegalese defender Ndiaye Pathe, French midfielder Abdoulaye Ouattara, and Brazilian midfielders Juan Bautista and Michel Cavalcante all joined on varying deals.
🍁 League1 Canada seasons kick off. For the true ‘Support Local’ soccer diehards across the country, the start of semi-pro season was marked by the first games of the year for League1 BC and the first round of the League1 Cup. League1 Alberta and Ontario schedules will follow suit, getting off the blocks this Friday and Wednesday, respectively.
NSL
✨ This week in NSL news
Northern Super League
With just days to go before kickoff, the Northern Super League has officially revealed its full broadcast team—bringing together a trusted mix of veteran journalists, former players, and rising voices across TSN, CBC, RDS, and Radio-Canada.
The league’s English-language coverage will be led by Kate McKenna (TSN) and Andi Petrillo (CBC), alongside analysts Amy Walsh and Jess Lisi. Former national team stars Clare Rustad and Kara Lang will join the panel for the league’s opening week, live from BC Place and BMO Field. Play-by-play and sideline duties will be shared across a strong national roster including Signa Butler, Ashley Docking, and Camila Gonzalez.
On the French-language side, RDS and Radio-Canada will feature Emilie Duquette, Roseline Filion, Valmie Ouellet, and Claudine Douville among others—delivering coast-to-coast coverage of Montréal Roses matches and beyond.
Where to Watch
📺 TSN & CBC: English-language broadcasts
📺 RDS & Radio-Canada: French-language coverage
💻 Streaming: NSL.ca, TSN+, CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca
Fans can catch all 75 regular season games, playoffs, and the championship final across these platforms. The full schedule can be found here.
Other news
📰 In other news
Hanin Mazri / DARBY
🔴 Insigne as CM might be the solution. Robin Fraser may have solved something. Lorenzo Insigne being moved into the CM and given freedom to roam proved to be an interesting tactical wrinkle. Despite the game ending 0-0, TFC played well against Minnesota. There was positives as the reds are showing signs of improvement and Fraser is cooking something up. Patience is the final ingredients. Or we could also be getting lied to.
🌊 Imagine a world where Brian White is Canadian. CanMNT would truly be spoiled with attacking options. The man scored four goals against Austin. But what’s the point of fantasies when Vancouver are soaring through the league with flying colours. With Jayden Nelson and Ryan Gauld out injured, Brian White is carrying the load. Moreover, with Emmanuel Saabi and Daniel Rios putting in impressive shifts, the Caps’ have a deep squad to rely on. Vancouver Whitecaps supporters, feel good, the rest of Canada is jealous, and what to know what it’s like to win 5-1.
🔵 Bittersweet home opener for Montreal. First home game for CFM and it was a mixed night. Despite the 1-0 loss to Charlotte, MTL were the better side as they dominated the game but were unable to finish the numerous created chances. The only goal came from a defensive mistake from Fernando Alvarez. Perhaps Joel Waterman should’ve been at that CB position instead at RB. However, Luca Petrasso and George Campbell were on point. Silver lining, Giacomo Vrioni and Gennadiy Synchuk’s introduction in the second half might be proof that they’re the pivotal players that MTL will need going forward.
🔨 Forge reigned supreme on Vancouver Island. It was a one-sided game. Pacific FC struggled to withstand CPL giants Forge FC. The Hamilton club were relentless and attacked in waves. It proved too much for PFC to handle as Forge walked out with a 2-0 win.
⚓️ York United home opener ends in a L. The Nine Stripes hosted the Halifax Wanderers in their season home opener. The afternoon started positive as Gabriel Bitar scored the first home goal of 2025 with a banger outside the box. However, things took a turn in the second half as the Wanderers scored two in the second half. The game ended in a 1-2 loss for York United.
🏟️ Atlético Ottawa brought down Vancouver. Ottleti travelled to the West coast to face off against Vancouver FC. This is a game that VFC will want to forget and move on. Atletico proved to be overwhelming and too much to handle. Ottleti lead 3-0 in the first half with the first goal coming from an unreal run and finish from David Rodriguez. Vancouver’s only goal came in the second half from Terran Campbell. The match ended 4-1 for Atletico Ottawa.
🥶 MLS are not giving up on a winter season. For Canadian clubs, this is both a sigh of relief and cause for concern. MLS have announced at the Board of Governors to launch a second phase of exploration into switching to an international schedule. However, an official switch would only occur after 2027. To align with the rest of the world would make things easier on the transfer market. But for Canadian clubs, to play anytime between November to March is unthinkable. Let’s hope the second phase of exploration comes back in a nah.
🦅 Nicolas Mezquida signed with Vancouver FC. The former Vancouver Whitecaps returns to BC. The Uruguayan midfielder signed a one-year contract with an option for 2026.
✅ Northern Picks
This week’s picks come from Yvan Delia-Lavictoire (@yvan.delialavictoire). Based in Montréal, he is a digital strategist who works with clubs, leagues and friends. For him, football is nothing more than a feeling.
📺 What to watch
To this day, Les Yeux Dans Les Bleus 1998 is still one of the best football team documentaries, if not the best one.
🎧 What to listen to
I currently listen to two things on Spotify: The audiobook of Zonal Marking and The Cooligans podcast. It’s all about balance.
✅ Who to follow
I enjoy anything that shows another perspective of the game. Deuxno shares the true, fun and funny side of amateur senior soccer while Rayan Henry gives us an insider look at the role of the referee. I also have to give love to Able who is absolutely dialled in when it comes to having fun with moments in professional football. Can I mention an Arsenal account, please? Matchday Meal Time is now an integral part of my matchday routine. I haven’t tried a single recipe, but one day, I will give it a go.
🛍️ What to buy
I dress in RW&CO and Uniqlo. Shoutout to both!