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July 21st edition
Florianne Jourde signs with PSG, Choinière joins LAFC & NSL final at BMO Field
This week, two CanWNT ballers made big moves to top European clubs.
One was expected after multiple reports the week prior of Olivia Smith’s world record transfer to Arsenal. The other came as a bit of a surprise, but both are exciting for the future of the national team.
That, plus the NSL announced details about its inaugural final, Mathieu Choinière is back in MLS and more in this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.
In this week's edition:
CanWNT
🇫🇷 Florianne Jourde is PSG bound
PSG Féminines
The future is bright for the CanWNT.
Yet another young Canadian player is headed to a top club in Europe this week with the announcement that 20-year-old Florianne Jourde has signed with Paris Saint-Germain until 2028.
A midfielder with good attacking attributes, Jourde left the USC Trojans in NCAA early after just two years to sign a professional deal. From Montréal, Québec, she came through the National Development Centre program in her home province.
Jourde has represented Canada at the U-20 level, scoring a goal in a crucial third-place game victory against Costa Rica in the 2023 Concacaf U-20 Championship. At the 2024 U-20 World Cup in Colombia, Jourde opened the scoring in the round of 16 against Spain, but Canada would go on to lose that match 2-1.
Now, Jourde will look to get minutes on a very strong PSG side and push her way into Casey Stoney’s senior team in the cycle leading up to the 2027 Women’s World Cup. The Parisian outfit has featured several Canadians over the years, including Ashley Lawrence and Jordyn Huitema.
MLS
☀️ Choinière joins LAFC
True North Foot
Quebec’s golden boy goes West. Mathieu Choinière left CF Montréal in 2024 for Grasshoppers in Zurich, Switzerland. Now he’s set to return to MLS—not with his hometown club, but with league heavyweights LAFC. Goodbye Swiss chocolate and raclette, hello LA tacos and Korean BBQ.
But he was in Europe—why leave? When Choinière left Canada for Switzerland, the hope was to eventually jump to a bigger league, like France or Germany. Unfortunately, things didn’t pan out. He made only 18 appearances for Grasshoppers—not enough game time.
LAFC is a step up. It might not be Europe, but it’s a step up in terms of opportunity. LAFC is one of the league’s biggest clubs. While CF Montréal is a top exporter, LAFC is globally recognized and a regular title contender. If Choinière can build chemistry with Denis Bouanga, Marco Delgado, and Jeremy Ebobisse, this could be deadly.
Is Europe still the goal? Why not? One should always aim for the highest level. Choinière is now 26 years old. Is it too late? Maybe not. What’s clear is that he’s still a quality midfielder. He continues to impress with the CanMNT on the biggest occasions. He can play as a No. 8 or 10, and even as a winger or wing-back—a versatile player Montrealers have admired for years.
MTL supporters are crying. Are they tears of joy or sadness? Likely both. Quebecers are proud to see their own succeed at a high level. Choinière doesn’t just make MTL proud—he makes the entire province proud. But seeing him return to MLS with a team other than CF Montréal is a bitter reminder of what the club has become: not a title contender, but an exporting club.
NSL
🏆 Inaugural NSL final will be played at BMO Field
Northern Super League
The inaugural Northern Super League final is coming to Toronto’s BMO Field.
The league announced on Friday night at half-time of AFC Toronto’s game against Montreal Roses that on November 15, 2025 the first-ever championship will be played at the Toronto venue.
It’s an interesting decision, as of course there is every chance that the final in Toronto might not feature a Toronto team, despite the fact that AFC Toronto do currently sit top of the table. But regardless of who is playing, it is a historic soccer event at one of the top soccer stadiums in the country, sure to be embraced by the local footy community.
It will be a grand and exciting stage for the culmination of the final match of what has been an outstanding first season for the NSL both on and off the pitch.
The top four teams at the end of the regular season will play in a home-and-away semi-final round, with the winners advancing to BMO Field’s championship match.
The final will also be broadcast across Canada on TSN, RDS and CBC. Tickets will go on sale in early September, but fans can sign up for pre-sale access now. It is a historic event that fans won’t want to miss.
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Canucks Abroad
🌍 Canucks Abroad
True North Foot
💶 Is Jonathan Sirois to be the latest Montreal export? CF MTL are making a serious statement in MLS as the #1 destination for players looking to get into Europe. The latest on the transfer radar is Bleu-Blanc-Noir’s #1 Jonathan Sirois. France’s Ligue 2 side, Montpellier, are interested in locking in a loan with an option to buy the CanMNT keeper. MTL currently have four goalkeepers on the books. It is in the interest of the club to export its top talent. For supporters, they are not interested in losing a local lad, but for Sirois, this is an exciting opportunity to get into Europe. Also, he has a French passport.
🇪🇸 Justin Smith joins Gijón on loan. More first team minutes are on the horizon for the CDM. Smith, who played for the U20s back in 2022, will join La Liga 2 side Sporting Gijón for the season. The 22-year-old also signed a new contract with his parent club, Espanyol, before the move.
🇮🇹 Gabriel Pellegrino signs with Lecco. Smith isn’t the only one of that U20 group to be on the move. Pellegrino, 21, left SC Freiburg at the end of his contract earlier this summer. Now, he’ll head to Italy, joining Serie C club Calcio Lecco on a two-year contract.
🇸🇪 Matteo de Brienne shows out in Sweden. Canadians also shone on the pitch this week. One in particular was CanPL export Matteo de Brienne. Getting his first start for GAIS since May in Sweden’s top-flight, the Allsvenskan, de Brienne got his first goal for the club in a 3-0 win against Degerfors. MDB also assisted the second goal, which went down as a Degerfors OG. Flash indeed went zoom.
🇧🇪 Nathan Saliba’s first looks for Anderlecht. Saliba’s first looks for Anderlecht are in, and well, they sure looked good. His first minutes came in a friendly against Dordrecht which ended in a comfortable 5-0 win. Saliba then scored his first goal of preseason as Anderlecht trounced Maastricht, 7-2.
🌍️ The prospects are getting preseason minutes. Continuing the thread from last week, Canadian talents around Europe are getting their chances. Ottawa’s Naël Kane started for LASK in a first-team friendly against Union Berlin. Montréal’s Dieu-Merci Michel also featured for Vitória again this week against Ponferradina.
Major League Soccer
⚽️ MLS News & Recaps
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
This week in MLS, there has been both mid-week and weekend action for all of our Canadian clubs.
🌊 Vancouver are back into winning form in Houston. The Caps needed this win. Sebastian Berhalter, Emmanuel Saabi and Brian White were untouchable and have all scored in this game. Houston had no answer for Vancouver’s attacking pressure. The Caps earned a 3-0 win away in Texas and now sit second in the West Coast.
🌊 West Coast top boys battled in Southern California. Second-placed Whitecaps travelled to play against first-placed San Diego FC. This was a proper football match. It was a back-and-forth game, with big moments, and it remained evenly balanced. The Caps took the lead in the 34th minute from a Manu Duah own goal. Vancouver controlled the game until San Diego’s Ian Pilcher scored the equalizer. The game ended 1-1.
🔴 Toronto FC finally earned a dub. Not just any dub, a triumphant win away at Western Conference top boys, San Diego. The Boys in Red did it, they got a win! Queue the tears of joy. Moreover, the only goal of the game came from CanMNT winger Theo Corbeanu after converting a penalty that he had won in the 20th minute. A massive win away from home is the type of confidence to put wind in the sails.
🔴 An unlucky loss at Nashville. TFC played away at Nashville, and whatever glimpses of hope they had felt in San Diego, it was put on hold. Silverlining, TFC did not play badly, if anything, they were unlucky and were unable to finish. Otherwise, they transitioned from defence to attack effectively, and they defensively organized. Despite losing 1-0, Nashville’s only goal came off a rebound from Sean Johnson.
🔵 CF Montréal handed another L. At this point, this is not news. However, MTL did not play badly. They brought the game to the Philadelphia Union and put pressure on the home side. Prince Owusu was proving himself a menace and scored a quality volley from a Joel Waterman cross to equalize the game. In the end, luck was not on their side as Philly ended the game with a 2-1 win.
🔵 Things are getting very depressing at Stade Saputo. CF Montréal hosted the Chicago Fire without a key defensive piece, George Campbell. The US defender had been sold to West Bromwich Albion. This wasn’t the only bad news. After conceding a goal in the 13th minute, club captain Samuel Piette was subbed off in the 16th minute due to injury. Chicago would seal the game 2-0 after scoring off a corner in the 54th minute. Things are looking bleak for MTL.
💰 The Vancouver Whitecaps sold Pedro Vite. It’s summer, and the transfer news doesn’t stop. The Vancouver Whitecaps have sold Pedro Vite to UNAM Pumas for $4.5 million plus $1.5 million in bonuses, along with a 20% sell-on clause. Good business. However, the sale of Pedro Vite is a major loss for the club as they enter the latter half of the season and especially for the upcoming playoffs.
👋 CF Montréal sold another key player. It seems like the club is willing to sell its spine, as they seem to have abandoned the hopes of winning anything at all. Nathan Saliba was the first to go, and now it's George Campbell. The American 24-year-old CB was enjoying an impressive season and has been sold to West Brom Albion in the English Championship for an undisclosed amount. MTL remains a key club as a stepping stone into Europe. For its supporters, the hopes of winning seem dim, and they now find themselves supporting a club that has become a farm team.
👏 Whitecaps’ Tyler Brown wins MLS NEXT U16 MVP. One of the Caps’ own balled out in MLS NEXT this season. Brown earned U16 MVP honours after scoring 33 goals, earning an All-Star Team nod alongside teammate Sahil Deo. Brown was called up for Canada’s U16s in May, and is also eligible for Japan.
This week’s MLS fixtures:
Friday, July 25
New England Revolution vs. CF Montréal (7:30PM ET)
Saturday, July 26
Charlotte FC vs. Toronto FC (7:30PM ET)
Canadian Premier League
🍁 CPL News & Recaps
CPL
⭕️ Ottawa stay top. Ottleti hosted the Wanderers in a big match-up that would determine Ottawa’s spot as top dogs. After goals from Sam Salter in the 10th minute and a Ballou Tabla penalty in the 47th minute, Ottawa retain their spot as top boys. The Wanderers had no answers defensively. Offensively, it was not their night. They could not finish their opportunities.
🔨 Forge dropped the hammer to stay second. Pacific FC travelled to Hamilton to play against in-form Forge FC. It was a competitive match-up as the game remained scoreless until the 78th minute, when Forge scored a penalty. The tides have shifted and Forge picked up momentum. In the 80th minute, Nana Ampomah scored the last goal of the game, ending the match with a 2-0 result for Forge. With the win, Forge also broke their own longest CPL unbeaten streak record, setting the new target at 15.
🦝 York United punished Vancouver FC. This was a long game for VFC. York United scored early in the third minute, setting the tone for the match. VFC struggled to establish a rhythm and were chasing the game. York had set the pace. The Nine Stripes defeated Vancouver 4-0.
🐎 Cavalry came out with a dub in Winnipeg. The first half was a balanced game as neither Cavalry nor Valour broke the deadlock. In this three-goal game, Cavalry opened the account in the 50th minute from a set-piece play where Callum Montgomery converted a header. Valour then equalized in the 82nd minute from a brilliant individual performance from Bruno Figueiredo. The Cavs would have the last say as they ended the game with a 2-1 win after a pivotal goal from Sergio Camargo.
↔️ York and Valour swap forwards. York United have swapped 21-year-old Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy for Valour’s 26-year-old Shaan Hundal. This is a good move for all parties. Shaan Hundal returns to his home province as an experienced CPL striker with two goals and an assist in eight games this season. Ukrainian Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy needs game time, and a move to Valour could be the solution.
🐎 Cavalry signed Goteh Ntignee. The Benin-born, Alberta-raised winger has returned to Cavalry from French Ligue 2 club Annecy. The 23-year-old forward signed with the Cavs through 2027 with an option for 2028 after being sold by the Albertan club to Annecy back in 2023 after his loan deal became a permanent one.
This week’s CanPL fixtures:
Friday, July 25
Halifax Wanderers vs. Forge FC (7PM AT @ Wanderers Grounds)
Vancouver FC vs. Valour FC (7PM PT @ Willoughby Community Park)
Saturday, July 26
Cavalry FC vs. York United (3PM MT @ ATCO Field)
Pacific FC vs. Atlético Ottawa (5PM PT @ Starlight Stadium)
Northern Super League
🌌 NSL Recap
Northern Super League
🔴 Five in a Rowe for Toronto. The AFCT show is officially on repeat. The Halifax Tides, who have continued to develop in the wake of Stephen Hart taking charge, played league leaders AFC Toronto to a… T(ee). Evenly matched in a lot of categories, it would take until late in the second half for former Cape Breton Caper and Newfoundland’s own, Lauren Rowe, to score in her NSL debut in a familiar Atlantic setting for a 1-0 finish.
🌹 Roses blossom to stop AFCT. That was of course until it all came crashing down at York Lions Stadium for AFC Toronto. Home matches against each other have been an Achilles heel for both teams in this rivalry and that didn’t change on Friday. Mégane Sauvé and Victoria Pickett hit long-range screamers, but Latifah Abdu’s goal in the first-half ultimately decided this one for the Montréal Roses, 2-1.
🪽 Ottawa fly past Calgary. It was not a particularly nice Saturday afternoon for the Calgary Wild as they ended up on the wrong side of three Ottawa Rapid goals. Ottawa, themselves looking to bounce back from a 4-0 rout by Toronto, found two early from Florence Belzile and Golden Boot leader DB Pridham. A Meikayla Moore own goal to start the second half allowed Rapid to cruise to a 3-0 win.
🌄 Vancouver wash Halifax out to sea. It took a few games but the Vancouver Rise finally found the goals they were lacking. Six of them, in fact, as the Halifax Tides fell victim to the first big rout in the NSL. Rise (and CanWNT) livewire Holly Ward got the party started early in the first minute of action, and they never looked back as Jasmyn Spencer, Quinn, Holly Ward (again), Nikki Stanton and Mariah Lee in the 6-0 drubbing.
This week’s NSL fixtures:
Thursday, July 24
Vancouver Rise vs. AFC Toronto (7PM PT @ Swangard Stadium)
Saturday, July 25
Ottawa Rapid vs. Halifax Tides (7:30PM ET @ TD Place)
Sunday, July 26
Montréal Roses vs. Calgary Wild (7PM ET @ Stade Boréale)