Happy Monday!

The Canadian men’s national team were back on home soil and back in the win column this week as they opened the October window with an ugly win over Chile, but a win nevertheless.

The CanWNT meanwhile named their squad for their October window, while there was big movement in the regular season title race in both the CPL and NSL.

All that and more ahead in this week’s edition of The Northern Pitch.

How the mighty have fallen.

A decade ago, Chile were back-to-back Copa América champions, and ranked third in the World by FIFA. On Saturday night at BMO Field, having dropped all the way down to 49th, they were down to nine men, and dropping a 1-0 result to Canada.

It certainly wasn’t the cleanest performance from Canada in their first match since the World Cup, especially in attack. They went up in the 12th minute through Jonathan David’s 43rd goal. David was wearing the armband and continued his red-hot start to the season with plenty of exciting attacking play.

But then Chile made it ugly, getting red cards on either side of halftime and then sitting back and absorbing pressure. Canada tried until the final whistle to find a second goal, but Chile held strong.

Still, it was another positive night for the program in Toronto, celebrating Junior Hoilett (Hoillet?) and what a brilliant servant he has been to the badge, as well as national team debuts for young defenders Jovan Ivanisevic and Richard Chukwu.

Next up, it’s 50th-ranked Peru in Montréal, where Canada have not won since 2017.

Next Friday, the Canadian women’s national team are back on home soil for a pair of friendlies against Denmark to prepare for their crucial Concacaf W Championship quarterfinal matchup in November.

The 24-player squad is a strong group, including U-20 Women’s World Cup standout AFC Toronto Kaylee Hunter headlining a record six players called up from Northern Super League clubs.

It is a big moment for the national league, and a testament to its importance, as Hunter’s Toronto teammates Sabrina D’Angelo and Shelina Zadorsky were also called up along with Montréal Roses’ Marie-Yasime Alidou and Ottawa Rapid’s Delaney Baie Pridham.

They are without a few key names, including Jayde Rivière and Jordyn Huitema through injury, as well as Annabelle Chukwu as a result of school commitments.

Canada were last in action on June 9, when they beat Costa Rica 6-0 in Costa Rica, so the vibes will be good heading into this camp. Plenty of Canada’s top ballers are in great form as well, which bodes well for success at this camp.

First up, it’s the 12th-ranked Denmark in Montréal on October 9, before they play them again at BMO Field on October 12.

It is a story that has unfortunately been all too common out of national team camps in recent years.

News out of the BMO training ground on Wednesday was that a player had suffered a serious injury and had to be transported to hospital, ending their training session. It was soon revealed to be central defender Derek Cornelius who had suffered a serious hip injury.

It gave flashbacks to Tajon Buchanan at Copa América, not to mention some of the other big injuries suffered by Canadian players in recent international matches, like Alphonso Davies and Ismaël Koné at the World Cup.

The injury was the latest for an already thin Canadian centre-back pool, with Moïse Bombito and Alfie Jones on the sidelines. Jamie Knight-Lebel was called up into camp as well to round out the numbers.

Cornelius is reportedly set for a three-month absence. Definitely not good, but not as bad as was originally feared by Canadian staff when Cornelius was taken to hospital.

There is no doubt that the soccer calendar is whack right now. Too many matches, too much travel. The wear and tear is resulting in an unprecedented number of injuries.

Beyond the aforementioned injuries, plenty more: Alistair Johnston, Marcelo Flores, Promise David, Bombito, Alphonso Davies most recent injury etc. were suffered with their clubs.

Canada needs to take an internal look at all of their methodology during these training camps to make sure they aren’t doing anything to tempt fate, because it has been too long since we saw full-strength Canada.

With the CanMNT on an international break, it was all things CanWNT abroad this week!

🇫🇷 Évelyne Viens scores against Barça. Right form, right time. Év put Paris FC in a brief lead in the UWCL midweek, muscling her way through a crowd of red and blue shirts. The world’s best side weren’t impenetrable, as Viens showed, despite putting five past PFC in the end.

🇩🇪 Vanessa Gilles striker era? Casey Stoney wouldn’t be crazy to try it. Gilles has shown that she can score with more than her head, week after week, and this one was no different. Both of her goals in Bayern’s cup comeback came from corners, thanks to clever touches.

👑 Laclasse back at it. Kept off the scoresheet, no more. Cloé Lacasse could only be contained for a hot minute, scoring to put Utah ahead against Kailen Sheridan and Carly Wickenheiser’s North Carolina Courage.

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Ⓜ️ CF Montréal have finally won at home. CFM have not won a league game at home since May 9th against Orlando City. This past weekend, they hosted FC Cincinnati and defeated the mid-table club 3-1. MTL had a solid game plan that exploited Cincinnati’s backline mistakes and kept targeting weak points. Prince Owusu and Daniel Rios have now seemingly built a cohesive chemistry that will be useful in next week’s Classique against Toronto FC.

🔴 Another away day, another loss for TFC. This is Toronto’s third away game in a row, and it ended like the previous two, in a 2-0 defeat against Nashville. TFC's defensive problems persist, as Nashville’s first goal came from a counterattack that made the boys in red look like cones. Hany Mukhtar’s second goal was an outright screamer, yet he was given the space to make that shot. With TFC’s next game being Le Classique at BMO, they haven't settled their defensive frailty, while MTL seem to have built confidence with their last win.

🌊 Are the Whitecaps losing momentum? This past weekend, Vancouver hosted DC United, and both teams split a point in a 3-3 draw. The Caps have no issues finishing, as each goal was a masterclass in finishing. However, it feels like VWFC have struggled to see a game out. In their last five MLS games, they have two wins, two losses and a draw. On the surface, that is not bad, but it still feels like something is missing when it comes to seeing games out. Maybe they’re losing steam, but if there’s any team to have minimal worries about, it is Vancouver. They’re still top of the Western Conference and a highly experienced side.

✍️ The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed Valter Sedin. The Caps have confirmed the acquisition of the 19-year-old midfielder to a short-term deal. Sedin signed from VWFC2. Another homegrown talent joins the senior ranks.

☀️ Marius Aiyenero debuts for LAFC. The CanM20 striker picked up his first MLS appearance in a 1-0 loss to FC Dallas. Marc Dos Santos handed him his debut, Ryan Raposo came on at the same time, and both were denied by Jonathan Sirois, who kept the clean sheet for Dallas. Canada all around.

❌ Marc Dos Santos sacked. Unfortunately, giving Aiyenero his debut was also one of the last things MDS did as LAFC head coach, as he was sacked by the club on Sunday. Only time will tell where he — and his brother Phil — will take their talents next.

MLS is (at least) taking a break for the second half of the international break.

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🔱 Pacific record their second win of the season. PFC earned their dub in an insane 3-4 win over Inter Toronto. It was a dramatic first half, with a red card shown to Inter’s Oswaldo Leon in the 7th minute, and all seven goals were scored in this half. We can talk about it here, but it’s better to watch the highlights. It was a rollercoaster of a game.

🦅 A six-goal thriller in Langley. Vancouver FC hosted Inter Toronto FC in a thoroughly entertaining 3-3 draw. Let’s state the obvious: Luis Toomey is an absolute baller. We’ve all seen the clip of Inter Toronto’s Max Ferrari being dropped by the New Zealander. But also, Inter Toronto’s Tomasz Skublak is a baller. The real estate agent scored the late-minute equalizer for the Nine-Stripes with a superb volley in the box. This was a solid game, with this draw, VFC are in a playoff spot.

🐴 Another six-goal thriller, but damn, Cavalry, chill. The Cavs handed FC Supra a 6-0 defeat at ATCO Field. Cavalry are on a roll and have been maintaining their unbeaten form, and with this win, they are now on a 10-game streak. Supra are fighting for a playoff spot. This loss has made the task harder.

🦖 Hard-fought victory in Halifax. Atlético Ottawa travelled to Halifax and left Nova Scotia with a full three points. It was Ottawa’s first dub in three games. It took an individual moment of brilliance from Ballou Tabla to score the only goal of the game. With that early goal, Tabla has brought his season tally to 10 goals, closing in on Isaiah Johnston and Loïc Kwemi.

🔨 Vancouver share points with Forge. VFC have truly turned a page this season, seeing out games in a convincing fashion. The Eagles hosted league giants Forge FC and drew 1-1. The Hamiltonians took the lead, but Vancouver kept pushing for a goal and stretched Forge’s backline. Their attacking pressure led to a clean goal from Morey Doner in the second half. Callum Irving saved Lucas Cavallini’s penalty in the 78th minute, as VFC are looking confident as they head closer to the post-season.

This week’s CPL fixtures:

Wednesday, September 30
Atlético Ottawa vs. Cavalry FC (7PM ET @ TD Place Stadium)

Saturday, October 3
Inter Toronto vs. Cavalry FC (12PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)
Forge FC vs. Halifax Wanderers (4PM PT @ Hamilton Stadium)

Sunday, October 4
Supra du Québec vs. Pacific FC (4PM ET @ Stade Boréale)

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🌆 AFC Toronto has leapfrogged Ottawa. Toronto hosted the Rapid at home and handed the away team a 3-0 defeat. The Rapid struggled to handle AFC’s high line and attacking pressure. The Rapid struggled to play out from the back, and AFC relished each takeaway. The first two goals came from perfectly timed pressure from Toronto, with the last goal being an absolute screamer. Ottawa must find their form before entering playoffs.

1️⃣ Halifax and Montréal held to a draw. The Tides hosted the Roses at Wanderers Ground where both teams ended the game in a scoreless draw. Halifax’s organized, compact defense nullified the Roses’ fluid, decisive attacking lineup. This could be seen as good playoff practice for MTL, as opposing teams will defend similarly in a knockout situation. Elyse Bennett, we see you with the cheeky no-look pass in the 59th minute.

🦉 The Wild are looking good. The Vancouver Rise travelled to McMahon Stadium to face off against the Calgary Wild. The home side has slowly found its groove toward the end of the season, and it feels like it may carry that momentum into next season. This time around, they handed Vancouver a 3-1 defeat. This isn't good for Vancouver as they try to confirm their playoff spot, while the Tides are only a point behind them. Time to lock in, Rise.

Friday, October 2
Montréal Roses vs. Ottawa Rapid (7PM ET @ Stade Boréale)

Saturday, October 3
Halifax Tides vs. Calgary Wild (3PM AT @ Wanderers Grounds)

Sunday, October 4
AFC Toronto vs. Vancouver Rise (1PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)

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