June 23rd Edition

It is a big week ahead for the Canadian men’s national team.

After an up-and-down start to the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, by this time next week, we will know if CanMNT are in the semis, or if their tournament has ended in disappointment.

Plus, the Canadian women’s national team host Costa Rica in a friendly at BMO Field, another one of its ballers are off to a top European club, and plenty more in this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.

In this week's edition:

• 🏆 Rollercoaster week at the Gold Cup

• 🇨🇦 CanWNT name squad for upcoming matches

• 🩵 Jade Rose to Manchester City

• 🌍 Canucks Abroad

• 🍁 CPL Recap

• 🌌 NSL Recap

CanMNT

🏆 Rollercoaster week at the Gold Cup

The highs and lows of tournament football. CanMNT were certainly made to feel that this past week at the Gold Cup.

They could not have kicked off the tournament in more style than their opening 6-0 win over Honduras. Cathartic, dominant. It was probably Canada’s best performance under Marsch. Tajon had a brace, Niko Sigur and Nathan Saliba scored their first for Canada, and Tani Oluwaseyi hit a screamer, Promise David looked electric off the bench.

But Marsch wasn’t on the sideline for that match. In fact, he hasn’t been yet for either game at this tournament as he serves a suspension. That, plus a looming disciplinary investigation into his alleged conduct during that Honduras game, has been a big side story in the media this past week.

It looked like Canada were well on their way toward building on that performance when Nathan Saliba opened the scoring after just nine minutes against Curaçao on Saturday. But as the match ticked forward, Canada’s control of it relinquished, and chaos ensued.

First, it was what looked to be a Curaçao equalizer, only to be ruled off for a marginal offside. Then, Curaçao thought they had won a penalty after a handball in the box, but a whistle had gone just before. Finally, in stoppage time, of which there was nine minutes, Curaçao did equalize, and Canada were left with a disappointing 1-1 draw and a lot of questions.

It was probably good that this performance came during the group stage, where Canada will still have time to learn the lessons from it before it is too late. That said, it was still a worrying lack of composure from the group. There were certainly more than a few players who did not do favours to their spot on the team.

Canada still very much control their own destiny. If they win against El Salvador this coming Tuesday, they still finish top of the group. Draw, and they are through, still possibly in the top spot. Even a loss, as long as it is by fewer than five goals, and they are in the quarter-finals.

Thank heavens for goal difference. But this team won’t want any tiebreakers at play on Tuesday, they will want to take care of business and not leave anything up to chance.

If they can do that, they will play in the quarter-final stage on either Saturday or Sunday.

CanWNT

🇨🇦 CanWNT name squad for upcoming matches

This past week, Casey Stoney unveiled her squad for CanWNT’s upcoming friendlies against Costa Rica at BMO Field, and against the United States in Washington D.C.

The most exciting inclusion is that of 18-year-old striker Annabelle Chukwu, who is Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer at the youth national team level. Chukwu is fresh off of leading Canada to a U-20 Championship, scoring four goals, including the extra time winner with one of the last kicks off the final against Mexico.

She is still waiting for her first senior national team cap for Canada, but was called up for a national team camp as a 15-year-old back in 2022.

Stoney’s squad includes just a couple of other changes from the last window’s pair of home matches against Haiti. Ashley Lawrence is back in the group, as is Nichelle Prince after missing the last camp with injury.

Olivia Smith, who is unavailable due to injury, is out of the squad, as is Bianca St-Georges, Latifah Abdu and Desiree Scott, who is now officially retired from international football. Kadeisha Buchanan, Sydney Collins, Cloé Lacasse and Jayde Rivière, meanwhile, are also all still out with injury.

Canada take on Costa Rica at BMO Field in Toronto on Friday, June 27 in their annual Pride Celebration Match. They follow that up by taking on world #1 USWNT in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, June 2 at Audi Field. Both matches will be available live on OneSoccer, and if you’re in Toronto, grab tickets here.

CanWNT

🩵 Jade Rose to Manchester City

Yet another Canadian is on their way to a top club in Europe, as Manchester City announced this week the signing of the 22-year-old CanWNT central defender Jade Rose.

This is Rose’s first professional contract, as she has spent the past four seasons in the NCAA with Harvard. But the fact that she signs it with such a prominent club in world football shows just how much potential and quality she already possesses.

Rose already has 30 caps and a goal for her country. She was part of Canada’s squad at the 2024 Paris Olympics — and will look to add to that total in the coming few weeks as she has been called up for a pair of friendlies against Costa Rica and the United States.

Manchester City finished fourth in the FA WSL table this past season, and are looking to get back to the top of the table for the first time since 2016.

With Vanessa Gilles to Bayern Munich already, this could be a big summer for CanWNT ballers — particularly along the backline.

Canucks Abroad

🌍 Canucks Abroad

🌊 Luc de Fougerolles to hop across the pond? The 19-year-old CB currently applies his trade for Fulham’s U21, and the way he’s been performing with the CanMNT, the lad needs to play senior club minutes. Joshua Kloke has reported that the Whitecaps have made an offer for De Fougerolles for a multi-year contract. Luc is already playing senior international football, he needs senior club minutes.

🇧🇪 Promise David extends his stay in Brussels. He’s not going anywhere… at least not yet. Canada’s favourite Luffy hat-donning striker signed a new four-year contract with Union Saint-Gilloise. PD might not stay until 2029 given the interest, but it’ll at least guarantee a nice sum for the club that signed him for just €600k last summer.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Olivia Smith and Ashley Lawrence on the move? The BBC’s Emma Sanders teased this week that the two Canadian internationals could soon be on the move. The interest in Smith has been there all summer, with Arsenal, Chelsea and NWSL clubs now named, though Liverpool also want the wonderkid to stay. As for Lawrence, new intriguing rumours are that the out-of-favour Chelsea defender could be headed back to France — crossing the PSG/OL divide in a swap-deal for Ellie Carpenter.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Dan Jebbison joins Preston on loan. On the other side of the English transfer window, at least one Canadian international will be in new digs next season. Jebbo will officially join the club when the window opens in July, linking up with a club hoping to make amends on a 20th-place finish in the Championship.

🇵🇱 A successful trial for Dominick Zator. It was just a short time out of contract for the former CanPL centre-back, set to sign permanently after joining Arka Gdynia on trial for the start of their pre-season. Arka won the I liga title last season, gaining direct promotion to Poland’s top div.

👑 Bianca St-Georges scores a consolation. It wasn’t the best of nights for the Utah Royals on Saturday as they fell 4-1 to Jordyn Huitema’s Seattle Reign. Still, BSG had a solid night, scoring the lone Royals goal after pouncing on a first-half rebound.

🏆 Club World Cup check-in. It’s been a rough go for the Canadians at the CWC. Stephen Eustáquio has seen just 48 minutes over two appearances for Porto, on the outside looking in, in Group A. Even worse, LAFC’s trio of Thomas Hasal, Ryan Raposo and Marc dos Santos are last in Group D, after losses to Chelsea and Espérance Tunis.

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Canadian Premier League

🍁 CPL Recap

⚓️ The Wanderers finally muster a dub. After a strong start to the season, the Haligonians were dropping points in the last three games. This past match day, HFX hosted Vancouver FC and finally earned three points at home. It was an evenly matched game until the 76th minute until Thomas Meilleur-Giguère converted a header. The game ended 1-0.

🐎 Cavalry defeat Pacific FC. The Calgary club hosted PFC and handed the away team a 1-0 loss from a cheeky goal by Ali Musse. The three points earned by Cavalry has brought them closer to second placed Forge with only two points behind them. Cavalry are only four points behind first placed Atletico Ottawa. It’s a tight race.

🏟️ Ottawa at risk losing first place spot. Atletico Ottawa travelled to the GTA to play against Ontario rivals York United in searing heat. The game ended in a scoreless draw but carries heavy significance for both sides. For York United, a point is welcomed and brings them closer to fourth-placed Halifax. For Ottawa, they are only two points ahead of Forge who have a game in hand. Their schedule only gets harder too, as they travel to Cavalry and host Forge over the next three weeks.

🔨 Brian Wright with a hat-trick in the first half. Valour hosted Forge FC and were visited by a 5-0 thumping. This is a game that Valour will want to forget. It was too easy for Forge. Brian Wright completed a hat trick within the first 45 minutes. With Nana Ampomah in the 69th minute and an unfortunate own goal from Zachary Fernandez in the 77th minute. Forge are in good position to ascend to first place if they win either of their next two games, both at home, with next weekend’s 905 Derby against York, and a visit from Vancouver after that.

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Northern Super League

🌌 NSL Recap

🪽 Another Rapid start secures win number four. The table congestion thinned out significantly this week, starting with separation in the logjam of teams on 11 points. Of course, DB Pridham netted once again, this time on a tidy passing move. Melanie Forbes got a birthday marker and Nicola Golen scored her first pro goal as Ottawa withstood a late Sonia O’Neill score for the Calgary Wild in a 3-1 final.

🌆 AFC Toronto rebound to take top spot. It was a day for celebration on multiple fronts for Toronto on Saturday. Off the pitch, the club marked their first Pride Match, showing that everyone belongs in the Beautiful Game with all the right details. On it, AFCT bounced back against the Halifax Tides after an early own-goal deficit with Kaylee Hunter and Esther Okoronkwo making it look far too easy in another 3-1 game. Montréal’s result on Sunday also meant a new club atop the league to cap week nine.

🏔️ A shooting gallery in Roses vs Rise. And onto that Sunday result in Burnaby, as Montréal, the league’s top side coming into the weekend, were held scoreless by Vancouver. The game had much more in it in the end than the final 0-0 score suggests, with Lisa Pechersky pulling a page out of Esther Okoronkwo’s book from earlier in the season, only to be denied by the crossbar of the Montréal goal.

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