May 5th Edition

The footy world was again put on notice this week as Canadians showed out on the international stage.

First, it was the Whitecaps, making club history by reaching a continental final for the first time after dominating Messi and co. in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final.

Then, on Sunday, the Canadian Women’s Futsal Team won the whole thing in their first appearance in the Concacaf W Championship, and are now off to the Futsal World Cup.

Plus, 2025 Canadian Championship kicked off with some huge results, some bad news for Canada’s Gold Cup hopes, Roses historic home opener and more on this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.

In this week's edition:

• 🏆 Whitecaps Cruz to the Champions Cup Final

• 🇨🇦 Canada qualify for the Futsal World Cup

• 🍁 2025 Canadian Championship kicks off

• 🌹 Roses make MTL fall in love with football again

• 🌍 Canucks Abroad

• 🏡 Canucks at Home

• 📰 In other news

• ✅ Northern Picks

Champions Cup

🏆 Whitecaps Cruz to the Champions Cup Final

They had us worried for a second.

Well, nine minutes to be exact, when Jordi Alba opened the scoring for Inter Miami against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final second leg on Wednesday, it seemed like the Caps would be in for a long day of defending.

Instead, they locked in, and after holding the score at just 1-0 until half-time, they went off in the second half. Brian White bagged in the 51st, like always, Pedro Vite added a second in the 53rd and Sebastian Berhalter called game over in the 71st.

5-1 on aggregate. This Vancouver team is different. Only team ever to beat Messi twice in their first two times playing him. The only downside from Wednesday’s clash is that Berhalter is suspended for the final. The yellow card accumulation rule remains the dumbest thing ever.

That final will take place on Sunday, June 1 in Mexico City against Cruz Azul. The LigaMX side are six-time Concacaf champs, while Vancouver have never been to the final before. They will have to get another result in the altitude of Mexico City, but when the odds are stacked against this Whitecaps team, they rise to the occasion.

CanWFUTSAL

🇨🇦 Canada qualify for the 2025 FIFA Women’s Futsal World Cup

On April 29th, the Canadian women’s national futsal team played a competitive match for the first time ever. On May 4, they became continental champions and qualified for the 2025 World Cup.

It was an incredible international debut for the Canadian team, who, after losing to Costa Rica in their first-ever international match, defeated Honduras and the United States to get out of their group. They then beat Mexico in penalties in the semi-final to book a spot in the World Cup as one of Concacaf’s two entrants.

But they weren’t done there. A dominant final against Panama awaited, with Canada winning 8-2 to become Concacaf champions. Esther Brossard scored a hat-trick, while Keera Melenhorst, Stephanie-Ann Dadaille, Joëlle Gosselin, Shayla He and Erica Hindmarsh also bagged for Canada in the final.

Brossard, who scored eight goals, was named the player of the tournament, while Canada’s goalkeeper Lea Palacio-Tellier took home the best GK honours.

Now they head to the Philippines in November for the FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup, where more history awaits.

CanChamp

🔵 CF Montréal stun Toronto FC in penalties during a thrilling opening week of CanChamp action

The 2025 Canadian Championship is just three games old, and the most successful team in the competition’s history is already out.

On Wednesday at BMO Field, Toronto FC hosted CF Montréal in an all-MLS battle in the preliminary round and the clash of titans did not disappoint. Theo Corbeanu looked like the hero early for Toronto FC, scoring the opener and then picking up an assist on Tyrese Spicer’s second-half goal.

But CF Montréal weren’t about to go down without a fight. Joel Waterman scored in the 70th minute, before a stunning Giacomo Vrioni goal equalized in the 88th minute. It was off to penalties, and that is where CF Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois is at his best. He played hero, and Montréal handed Toronto FC their earliest exit in the competition’s history.

Now, Montréal advance to the two-legged quarter-final, where they face either Halifax Wanderers or Forge FC. Many in their camp will be hoping for Forge, as the Hamilton club eliminated

The day prior, the competition kicked off in the nation’s capital, where Atlético Ottawa defeated League1 Ontario champions Scrosoppi 2-0. Scrosoppi had some great chances, and even hit a post with the game 0-0, but a rotated Atleti held on for the victory.

Later that night, Cavalry FC laid a bit of a smackdown on League1 Alberta champs Edmonton Scottish, beating them 6-0. Still, it was good to see a League1 Alberta team make their debut in the competition, an important moment for the sport in that province.

This coming week, the Preliminary round concludes with four exciting matchups. On Tuesday, York United host Ligue1 Québec champs FC Laval and a Salish Sea derby takes place at Starlight Stadium between Vancouver FC and Pacific FC. Then on Wednesday, Forge FC host CPL rival Halifax, and later that night Valour FC look for revenge against TSS Rovers.

All the action is available to watch on OneSoccer.

NSL

🌹 Roses make Montréal fall in love with football again

Vibes were on point. Packed parking lots, drums, fire merch, food trucks and five thousand fans made the temporary venue of Stade Boréale into a concrete place. Five thousand supporters congregated to witness history in Canadian women’s football: the inaugural home opener of Les Roses de Montréal.

The home opener did not disappoint against the Ottawa Rapid. Admittedly, the first half was a nervous affair as MTL struggled to unlock Ottawa’s stubborn low block that would soak up pressure and break out on counterattacks. A tactic that was effective against AFC Toronto in the previous week and showed signs of effectiveness as Ottawa’s DB Pridham scored the first goal of the game.

In the second half, Roses came out swinging. As Ottawa’s low block stayed compact around the box, the wings were exposed. MTL exploited the gap and attacked. Latifah Abdu and Hailey Whitaker made quick work down the left with both goals coming from this side of the pitch.

Latifah Abdu scored the Roses’ first goal at home. Not only was it a historical moment, it was a banger in the 52nd minute. That is two worldies scored in two games. Montreal would find the net again in the 70th minute from Hailey Whitaker’s cross into the box where Tanya Boychuk headed the ball into the bottom corner. Celebrating with a flip in the middle of the pitch. Both goals coming form the left. The game ended 2-1 for the Roses.

There’s something special about this team. Montréal now sit in first place with a three-game winning streak. Not only are they playing dynamic football but they also have players that have that special something. Latifah Abdu is the stand out on that list but Tanya Boychuk and Noémi Paquin are electric when on the ball. With a packed Stade Boreal, the club as a whole are building into something special. Take note Saputo.

In other midweek NSL action, AFC Toronto played at York Lions Stadium for the first time and christened it with a win over the Calgary Wild. Really, it was the Esther Okoronkwo show, as the Nigerian international bagged a brace, including what is sure to be a goal of the season candidate in a 2-1 victory.

Canucks Abroad

🌍 Canucks Abroad

🤕 Moïse Bombito may be unavailable for the Gold Cup. It has been reported by Matthew Scianitti, Bombito has been scheduled for wrist surgery at the end of May. Which means he may be unavailable for the upcoming Gold Cup. It wasn’t all bad news for Bombito this week though, as he still featured in Nice’s 1-0 win over Reims, being named Ligue 1’s man of the match.

🇩🇪 Alphonso Davies and Bayern Munich are German champions. Harry Kane had a moment of scare on Saturday as Bayern Munich were held to a draw against RB Leipzig in a chaotic Bundesliga matchup. Championship celebrations were put on pause for only 24 hours as league contenders Bayer Leverkusen were held to a draw on Sunday. Therefore, Bayern Munich have mathematically clinched the league title with four games left to the season. Phonzy joins Alistair Johnston as the second Canadian to win a league title in Europe this season. Also, Harry Kane and Eric Dier are celebrating their first league title post-Tottenham. The meme is over.

🇩🇪 Vanessa Gilles to Bayern Munich? The CanWNT defender is currently on loan with Lyon from Angel City FC and will not return to the French heavyweights at the end of the season. German-based publication Kicker has reported that Bayern Munich are interested in Gilles. Another Canadian in Bavaria? Yes please.

🇫🇮 Take a bow, Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau. The VWFC loanee has had a quick start to life in Finland with VPS. On top of a cup goal last month, NFC scored a stoppage-time winner this week against UEFA Conference League qualifiers Ilves. Oh, and he added a backflip celebration too.

👸 Jordyn Huitema picked up an assist. Seattle Reign hosted Kansas City Current in the NWSL. The game ended 1-0 for Reign, with the only goal being assisted by Jordyn Huitema.

🦁 Zara Chavoshi had a first NWSL start. The American-born CanW20 defender featured from the beginning for Orlando this weekend. Chavoshi went the full distance for the NWSL’s joint-leaders as they dropped a 1-0 loss on the road to Mimi Alidou and Jessie Fleming’s Portland Thorns.

🇯🇵 Alexandre Pisano made his debut in Japan. The 19-year-old dual-national goalkeeper was named to Nagoya Grampus’ starting XI against Shimizu S-Pulse. Pisano had a calm afternoon, keeping a clean sheet in a 3-0 win.

Follow Canucks Abroad on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram.

Canucks at Home

🏡 Canucks at Home

👷🏾‍♂️ Jacen-Russell Rowe scored against Charlotte. Columbus Crew hosted Wilfried Zaha and Charlotte FC. The Crew dispatched the away side with a 4-2 scoreline. Jacen-Russell Rowe finished the game with the fourth goal in the 81st minute. Montrealer and Algerian international Mo Farsi assisted Aziel Jackson’s goal in the 51st minute.

Follow Canucks At Home on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram.

Other news

📰 In other news

🔵 Prince Owusu may be the first CFM player to be booed at Stade Saputo. MTL are still without a win in MLS. Despite conceding the first goal within the first two minutes, CFM controlled the game and dictated the rhythm. Giacomo Vrioni’s goal right before the half gave life to the supporters. Owusu was playing effectively with Vrioni until the latter was subbed off in the 57th minute. From that point, MTL continued to control the game but lacked finishing. Prince Owusu was not the answer and never will be. This will not be shown on the highlights, but here is the incident when Owusu was booed by Stade Saputo.

🔴 Drama at BMO’s south end. TFC hosted the New England Revolution and were dealt a 2-0 loss. This is not news, nor a surprising one. The main talking point of the game was not the occurrence on the pitch but in the stands. Toronto’s Ultras in the south end have displayed banners stating: “accept existence or expect resistance” and “this badge don’t belong to you.” In response, those banners have been taken down and the supporters have been kicked out. BMO Field without the south end is a library. Every stadium needs its Ultras. This is not good.

🌊 Vancouver Whitecaps. Canada’s only hope. Not only are they the hope of the nation, they are the best in the league. Without Brian White and Ryan Gauld due to injury, the Caps continue to perform at the highest level. Vancouver hosted Real Salt Lake and defeated the Utah club 2-1. No drama here, just good football.

🐎 York United suffered their third loss at home. It has not been the most ideal opening to the season at home. York United hosted 2024 Champions Cavalry and were dealt a 2-1 loss. Despite York United enjoying the majority of possession, Cavalry were deadlier on the attack.

⚓️ Halifax momentum slowed with a draw. Forge FC travelled to the Wanderers Ground. Both teams were evenly balanced as both clubs attacked effectively yet were unable to finish their chances. Despite the 0-0 scoreline, the chance creations and attempted shots in this game were impressive. If some of those shots met its target, there would have been at least three golazos in this game.

🏟️ Atletico Ottawa sitting pretty in first place. With the Wanderers sharing points with Forge, Ottawa now have a two-point lead after their 3-1 win over Pacific FC. TD Place has become a fortress of Ottleti. Despite conceding the first goal to Pacific, Altetico responded with a banger from Kevin dos Santos, a sneaky goal from Gabriel Antinoro, and individual brilliance from David Rodriguez sealed the game for Ottawa.

🌾 Valour FC see red cards against Vancouver FC. Kristopher Twardek and Jevontae Layne received red cards after being given two yellows. Twardek was the first to receive a red card in the 65th minute. At this point of the game, Valour were already down 2-0. However, they came back with a screamer of a goal by Xavier Venancio in the 66th minute. Valour were dangerous with one-man down. Unfortunately, the nail in their coffin was Jevontae Layne’s red card in the 86th minute. The game ended 3-1 after a banger from Ndiaye Pathe in 90+5 minute.

✅ Northern Picks

This week’s picks come from The Northern Pitch crew.

📺 What to watch

A coffee chat with Jesse Marsch. Ever wanted to grab a coffee with CanMNT gaffer? Same. We tapped in with Jesse during his recent trip to Vancouver and asked him some questions from the DARBY community. Watch it here.

✅ What to read

If you’re more of a reader (respect), check out our full interview with the gaffer on our website where he talks about everything from his upbringing to his vision for the sport in Canada. Enjoy.

📕 What to buy

Our friends at Football Case Study are launching a book today, and it’s beautiful. The book features 344 pages of photography capturing the cultural nuances of the global game. Grab it through their Instagram.