Happy Monday Canadian footy fans. Transfer season is heating up!

This week saw a big international star sign with a Canadian club, while more CanMNT players continued to be linked to some of the World’s biggest clubs.

Meanwhile, the W CanChamp had its first cupset, an exciting new debut for Toronto FC and lots more ahead in this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.

Chapeau to the Simcoe County Rovers.

The OPL champions delivered the first truly shocking result in the W CanChamp’s young history this week as they defeated NSL club the Montréal Roses 1-0.

Tia Schaffer scored in the second minute, and Simcoe County held on for the win at Stade Boréale against the side currently sitting in second in the NSL. Absolute scenes.

It is the kind of result that creates even more excitement for the new tournament, as it is clear that the PSLC clubs came to play.

The result sent shockwaves through Montréal, however, as following the loss the club fired head coach Robert Rositou, despite being in second place. Marsye Bard-Martel has been named the club’s interim head coach.

It won’t get any easier for Simcoe County in the semifinal, however. They will face either NSL playoff champs Vancouver Rise or regular season winners AFC Toronto.

The final quarterfinal will be played on October 4, in a match which will also serve as an NSL regular season game at York Lions Stadium.

The semi-finals and final, then, will take place next summer in 2027.

CF Montréal fans, your prayers have been answered. For the longest of time, Montréal supporters have been asking, if not begging, for the club’s DP to be used on a big-name star. It has finally happened. MTL have landed Chilean international Alexis Sanchez.

Yes, apparently he’s still active. If you were surprised that he was still active, you’re not alone. If you do not know who he is, he’s the former captain of Chile and a certified baller who has played for the best clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United and Inter Milan, to name a few.

Alexis Sanchez joined on a free transfer. The Chilean joins CFM from La Liga giants Sevilla and has signed as a Designated Player for the next two seasons. The last big-name player that the club has signed from Europe was the legendary Ivorian striker Didier Drogba.

Luca Saputo, we might be wrong about you. Since being appointed Managing Director, Recruitment and Sports Methodology, the players he has brought in are talented and have good potential. Astute acquisitions. The question is if this team can perform well and if the club can keep a coach for more than two seasons. Time will tell.

Will this work out? The main concern is Alexis Sanchez’s age. At 37 years old, will he be productive? He has registered four goals and two assists in 28 games with 11 starts. Those numbers don't sound promising, but maybe a change of scenery in the MLS will help. MTL supporters are grateful, but they know having a player like Antoine Griezmann would have been a dream come true. But Sanchez, that is a nice surprise, and judgement will be withheld until he takes the pitch.

The most valuable asset he brings is experience. That is something that the rest of the team will gain from. Young players such as Olger Escobar, Noah Streit and Hennadiy Synchuk will benefit from his extensive experience at the top level. Moreover, these are the players that need help with their finishing. Something Alexis is a master of.

Sanchez will be training on Monday. CF MTL head coach Philippe Eullafroy has confirmed that the club’s latest DP will be training on Monday morning and is expected to travel with the team to Columbus midweek. He will also likely be fit to play Montreal’s home game against La Galaxy this Saturday.

We thought we were done with this.

For years, Jonathan David’s name was thrown about in transfer rumour after transfer rumour as he dominated the French league with Lille. Last year, there was finally some truth as he got his big move to Juventus.

But following a tough year in Turin, David’s name is back in transfer speculation and it seems likely that he could be on the move again. The most recent clubs that appear to be interested? Aston Villa and none other than back-to-back European champions, PSG.

A return to France would definitely be enticing for David, especially considering it comes with the top team in the World right now. David would be far from the main man in Paris, but playing with some of the top players on the planet could be an incredible boost—even if it might be tough to get minutes.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, is an intriguing proposition. The defending Europa League champions are in the Champions League again this year and could definitely use an experienced striker like David to support their ambitions.

Evidently, David’s name has been linked to plenty of clubs before, and he’s reportedly already said no to a few potential moves, including to Turkey. But if there is more to these moves than just rumours, both feel like they could be exciting next options.

As of right now, Juventus and David are prepping for their Serie A opener on August 23. But this is an ongoing story to watch, especially with David’s Juventus future looking murkier by the minute.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Cyle Larin scores. The Brampton Bagsman bagged a goal for Southampton as they opened their Championship season with a 2-1 loss to bogey club Watford. He nearly had a brace, but a good save from the Watford keeps stopped it from happening.

🇮🇹 Ismael Cajazzo sees out Lazio in the Coppa Italia. A 22-year-old Montréaler knocking out Lazio from the Coppa Italia? Check it off your list. Cajazzo had the insurance marker as Serie B’s Mantova completed the first round cupset, 2-0.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Aribim Pepple with the insurance in the Carabao Cup. Bim scored his first of the season for Plymouth on Monday. Argyle committed the perfect smash-and-grab, scoring in the 92nd and 94th minute against Devon Darby rivals Exeter City.

👏 Sonis and Lacasse go toe to toe again. “Anything you can do, I can do better” might as well be the official slogan for these two CanWNT-ers. Lacasse assisted for Utah against Bay, and less than an hour later, Sonis did the same for Denver.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 AJ staying put in Glasgow? Before any Celtic fans rejoice, it’s not all good news. Alistair Johnston’s theoretical move to Everton could be scuppered after the right-back suffered an injury that could see him out for up to 6 weeks.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Alfie Jones is back for Boro. Some positives ahead of the CanMNT’s next international window. One of their top CBs is back in action for his club, as Jones hit the pitch near the end of Boro’s 2-1 win over Lincoln to kick off the Champo.

🇮🇹 Derek Cornelius to Italy? As if the rumours ever end. Derek Cornelius was under the microscope this week with reported interest from Serie A’s Lecce. That added to whispers of approaches from Sassuolo and Genoa.

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🏆 Vancouver Whitecaps crash out of the Leagues Cup. It has not been an impressive Leagues Cup campaign for the Caps. Vancouver lost their first two games at home against Atlante and Juarez. This past week they travelled to Mexico to play against Tigres. This time around, it was a little more exciting for Vancouver supporters as Tigres were shown two red cards and the game went to penalties. Alas, Tigres would win the penalty shootout 5-4. At full time, the game ended 1-1.

Ⓜ️ CF Montreal struggle to win at home. CFM have earned three points in their last five home games. Their latest game against DC United ended in another draw, 1-1. Despite the result, MTL are playing an exciting style of football. They are beating the opposition’s defence and finding through balls into the box. However, the team are unable to finish their chances. Is it mentality or unlucky? It appears to be both.

🔴 TFC have finally won at home. Not only that, they defeated a third-placed New England Revolution at BMO Field. TFC took the lead in the first half with two goals, one of which was an absolute screamer scored by newly arrived Niklas Dorsch. The Revs scored a consolation goal in the closing minutes, but Toronto ultimately won 2-1. On the flip side, Djordje Milhailovic was shown a red card in the 76th minute after making a studs-up tackle on Carles Gil. This was a preventable foul.

🌊 The Whitecaps come out on top in the Cascadia Darby. For VWFC supporters, this was a nervy match until the latter stages. In the first half, it was a stalemate of a game, but the momentum was in favour of Vancouver. The Caps broke the stalemate in Seattle in the 77th minute with a clean finish from Rayan Elloumi. Thomas Muller would put the nail in the coffin and confirm the Wh 0-2 du’ 0-2 dub over the Seattle Sounders in the 82nd minute.

🤠 Jonathan Sirois is enjoying dubs in Dallas. The former CF MTL keeper has been enjoying impressive form as of late. In the last four games, Sirois has earned three clean sheets and three wins. This past week, Dallas FC travelled to Austin for a Texas Darby and returned home with a 1-2 win.

👀 The Whitecaps found a new Sebastian. It has been reported that the Caps are close to signing 20-year-old midfielder Sebastian Ramirez. The Colombian-American midfielder would be joining Vancouver from Colombian top-flight club Fortaleza CEIF.

👏 A week of assists for Marcus Caldeira. Call him Joaquín Pereyra’s right-hand man at this point. The former West Virginia Mountaineer provided not one, not two, but three assists, all to Pereyra, in Leagues Cup and MLS action this week.

Wednesday, August 19
Columbus Crew vs. CF Montréal (7:30PM ET)
Toronto FC vs. Charlotte FC (7:30PM ET @ BMO Field)
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Houston Dynamo (7:30PM PT @ BC Place)

Saturday, August 22
CF Montréal vs. LA Galaxy (7:30PM ET @ Stade Saputo)
Inter Miami CF vs. Toronto FC (7:30PM ET)
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Dallas FC (6:30PM PT @ BC Place)

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⚜️ Supra du Québec are in the CanChamp semifinals. Supra travelled to TD Place Stadium to face off against Atlético Ottawa in the second leg of the CanChamp quarter-finals. Despite a scoreline of 3-3, the game itself was another story. Supra completely controlled the game all over the pitch. Ottleti did not feel present, other than Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau, who scored two superb goals. Supra won on aggregate 6-4 and will play against Forge FC on September 1st.

🦅 Vancouver FC continue their undefeated streak. If it’s not a loss, you’re still undefeated. Ask the Arsenal Invincibles era (for the record, we are not Gooners). This BC Darby ended 1-1, but it was no snoozer. It was end-to-end football with both sides going on a full attacking tilt, with both goals being technical finishes.

🐴 Cavalry FC have finally made it to the top. It was the battle of the titans: Cavalry FC vs. Forge FC at ATCO Field, and this game did not disappoint. Cavalry defeated Forge 2-1 with the Hammers receiving two red cards. Rezart Rama was shown a red card in the 38th minute for violent conduct. Was it a red card? We don’t think so. If anything, it was a yellow, whereas the second red card on Marko Jevremovic was clear.

🦖 Atlético Ottawa got their CanChamp revenge. Ottleti have a serious bone to pick with Supra. The Québec club eliminated Ottawa from the CanChamp and have done so while dominating the 2025 CPL Champs at home. Supra opened the game with a goal for Safwane Mlah. Ottawa responded with two clutch headers from Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau and Ralph Khoury, ending the game 1-2 win for Ottawa. Chrétien Matisse was given a red card, but the decision was highly questionable.

🦝 Inter Toronto finally get a win. The last time the Nine-Stripes won a match was May 17. Yesterday, Inter Toronto hosted the Halifax Wanderers and handed the away team a 4-3 defeat. This was a whirlwind of a game where Inter Toronto seemingly solidified a lead in the first half, but HFX almost mounted a serious comeback. At the end, Inter Toronto earned a hard-fought three points.

⚜️ Sean Rea linked to Europe or MLS. We all knew this was bound to happen. Since joining Supra, the #10 has been untouchable. As reported by Maxime Truman, at least one MLS club and a number of European teams have taken an interest in Sean Rea. One thing is certain: he will finish the season with Supra.

🌊 Emrick Fotsing to the Whitecaps? As reported by Tom Bogert, the Vancouver Whitecaps are finalizing a move for Vancouver FC’s Emrick Fotsing. The 18-year-old has recently featured for the CanM U-20 in the Concacaf U20 Championship and is a graduate of the CF Montréal academy.

Wednesday, August 19
Atlético Ottawa vs. Vancouver FC (7PM ET @ TD Place Stadium)
Forge FC vs. FC Supra (7PM ET @ Hamilton Stadium)

Saturday, August 22
Halifax Wanderers vs. Vancouver FC (3PM AT @ Wanderers Grounds)
Cavalry FC vs. Atlético Ottawa (2:30PM MT @ ATCO Field)
Forge FC vs. Pacific FC (7PM ET @ Hamilton Stadium)

Sunday, August 23
Inter Toronto vs. FC Supra (4PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)

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🦉 Calgary Wild win their second game in a row. It appears the Wild have found their groove. This time, Calgary hosted league leaders the Ottawa Rapid in a 7-goal thriller, and the home club came out with a 4-3 dub. The game was truly back and forth, and for the most part it was unclear who would come out on top. Until Ottawa’s DB Pridham was shown a red card in the 58th minute. The Wild ended the game with a cool turn and finish by Jorian Baucom.

🏔️ Jessica De Filippo is having a nice season. The Vancouver Rise hosted the Halifax Tides and scraped out a 2-1 win after a three-game losing streak. Halifax took the lead in the 18th minute and controlled the first half. Cometh the hour, cometh the baller. Jessica De Filippo took charge and found the net twice with a header in the 58th minute and another in the 90+4th minute after a tekkie touch to calmly slot it at the post. De Filippo now has nine goals and two assists this season.

🌹 The Montréal Roses are closing in on Ottawa. AFC Toronto hosted the Roses at BMO Field. This is the first game since the Roses sacked coach Robert Rositoiu, with assistant coach Maryse Bard-Martel assuming the role of head coach. Despite the instability, the Roses managed a 0-2 win over AFC.

🪽 Ottawa Rapid unveil Carmelina Moscato as head coach. While she won’t take over until after the end of the current season, another WNT legend is coming home to the NSL. Moscato, who coached in Denmark and the NWSL before moving over to the technical side of the football world, signed a deal through 2028.

🤔 The Roses fired gaffer Robert Rositoiu. This was a bit of a head-scratcher. After the Roses’ shock defeat to Ontario Premier League’s Simcoe Rovers FC, the club had announced it had parted ways with its manager. This is surprising given that the NSL season is entering a pivotal moment as it approaches the playoffs. Moreover, MTL sit second in the league overall. However, rumours later suggested there was more behind the move after struggles at home this season.

Saturday, August 22
Ottawa Rapid vs. Vancouver Rise (7PM ET @ TD Place Stadium)

Sunday, August 23
Halifax Tides vs. AFC Toronto (1PM AT @ Wanderers Grounds)
Montréal Roses vs. Calgary Wild (3PM ET @ Stade Boréale)

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