It was a long weekend across Canada (hence this week’s slightly belated edition), and a long week of news for Canadian soccer as the transfer window slammed shut across Europe.

Almost half of Canada’s World Cup squad moved clubs this window, with arguably the biggest coming on deadline day.

Plus, CanW20 are off to a strong start at the U-20 Women’s World Cup, CanChamp drama and plenty more ahead in The Northern Pitch.

It’s a fresh start for the Iceman.

Jonathan David is off to Madrid, where he joins Altético Madrid on loan with an option to buy. The 26-year-old is coming off a disappointing season in Italy with Juventus.

Now with a new club, in a new league, and a coach that appears to back him publicly, he has a chance to return to being one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.

Atlético Madrid is a big move for David, where he will work under the legendary Diego Simeone and look to rekindle his scoring form.

David did not come off the bench in a 3-0 stunning loss to Bilbao over the weekend as he still waits for his La Liga debut.

But it’s a busy stretch for Atleti coming up, starting with Liverpool in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The 2026 Canadian Championship semifinals kicked off this week, and leg one solved nothing.

A pair of 1-1 draws, with no away goals rule, on Tuesday and Wednesday left us no closer to knowing who will be in the final, or where it will be hosted.

FC Supra du Québec thought they had picked up a huge result at Stade Boréale against Forge after Ibrahim Condé opened the scoring, But with one of the last kicks of the game, Daniël Krutzen equalized for Forge in a 1-1 draw.

It was a similar situation at BC Place, where again the Québec team, this time CF Montréal, took an early lead as Daniel Pereira chipped Isaac Boehmer from distance.

They thought they had a second when Alexis Sánchez scored, only for it to be controversially ruled back for offside. The Whitecaps saved themselves late as captain Ryan Gauld tied the game and the series.

It’s all to play for next week, when Forge host Supra on Tuesday, Sept. 15, and CF Montréal host the Whitecaps on Sept. 16. If 90 minutes can’t solve anything again, we are getting extra time and pens.

Canada are already showing signs of life in the Group of Death at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.

Despite being in a stacked Group B with Brazil, England and Tanzania, Canada had a strong start in a 1-1 draw with England.

The Canadians struck first in the 52nd minute on a lovely goal from Annabelle Chukwu, but they gave away a late penalty, which cost them two big points.

Canada had a ton of other great chances, as both Kaylee Hunter and Chukwu in particular look absolutely dominant at this level.

Next up is Brazil on Tuesday morning, where a win could position Canada in a great place to advance, and potentially even top the group.

In just its second season, the Northern Super League is proving to be pretty cutthroat for coaches.

Last season, Anja Heiner-Møller led the Vancouver Rise to the league’s first-ever championship. Now she is departing the club with just six games remaining in the 2026 season.

Vancouver are currently out of the playoff spots, but only by a single point making the move a bit of a surprise as they still have a chance to defend their NSL crown. Iain Darbyshire will take on the role as interim head coach for their final playoff push.

Now, AFC Toronto head coach Marko Milanović is the only remaining original head coach still in his position.

🇪🇸 Nathan Saliba debuts for Villarreal. Saliba’s first minutes for the Yellow Submarine more than proved his value, despite a shocking 3-2 loss to Deportivo in the end. Long may those performances continue.

🇩🇪 Vanessa Gilles scores for Bayern. Famed aerial threat Vanessa Gilles scored with… her right foot? That can’t be right… Jokes aside, Gilles tipped home a goal in a 4-1 win for Bayern, one that also set a record, going 45 Bundesliga games (and counting) without a loss.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Aribim Pepple off the mark. Bim got off the mark for the season in a big way for Plymouth, propelling the Pilgrims to 3-2 win over Doncaster. A tidy finish and top-class limbs from the Argyle support, to boot.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Simi Awujo kicks off the season with a goal. Awujo had United’s first goal of the campaign on Friday, scoring a rocket of a consolation goal in added time of a 2-1 loss to London City Lionesses in their WSL opener.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Liam Millar joins Birmingham City on loan. Despite scoring a crucial goal for Hull, Millar’s season will continue in the Championship. He’s been sent on loan to the Blues and had fans purring after his debut against Wolves.

🇫🇷 Niko Sigur signs for Toulouse. A transfer saga no more. TéFéCé ultimately beat Celtic to the versatile CanMNT option, signing Sigur on a long-term deal. Just, er, less questions asked about his unveiling video, the better, perhaps.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Theo Bair loaned out to Bolton. An unexpected move on Deadline Day, as Auxerre shifted Bair to Bolton Wanderers, joining fellow Canadian attacker Jayden Nelson on loan. Hopefully, the Bair will again be unleashed on the British Isles.

🇫🇷 Derek Cornelius still on the move? There’s a few transfer windows that have yet to close, and the Saudi Pro League is one of them. OM blocked Rayo Vallecano from approaching DC on Deadline Day, but Al-Ettifaq reportedly have some lingering interest in the Canadian.

Follow Canucks Abroad on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram.

🔴 We see you, Josh Sargent. This was the game of the weekend. TFC hosted the Chicago Fire in a 4-4 thriller that could’ve gone either way. Both teams went tit for tat on goals, with Josh Sargent having a standout performance, registering a hat trick. With this win, TFC are edging closer to a playoff spot. If they’re able to defeat Nashville next week, they might have a great season after all.

Ⓜ️ CF Montréal are now bottom of the table. The problems persist for MTL as they continue to be unable to find the net. This game was Alexis Sanchez’s first start for the club, and it proved not to be enough for CFM to score. For Montrealers, this was another tough watch as they lost 0-2 at Philadelphia. To give them a little grace, this is their third straight away game, including the midweek CanChamp action.

🌊 Vancouver with a surprising L. The game started well for the Caps as Sabbi scored the first goal in the 3rd minute. Things went downhill for Vancouver after this. St. Louis were relentless on the attack and established strong momentum. STL would score three more goals before the half, effectively ending the game with a 1-3 win over the Caps at BC Place. Despite the loss, Vancouver are still in first place.

🧤 Clean sheet for Maxime Crépeau. It must be nice having a player like Antoine Griezmann. The French World Cup winner scored the game’s only goal against San Diego FC. With this win, Max registers a clean sheet.

🦩 Dayne St. Clair stops a penalty. DSC denied Miguel Almiron from the spot this week as Inter Miami and Atlanta met. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop Breel Embolo the second time around; the Swiss striker made it a 2-2 finish from 12 yards.

👏 Marcus Caldeira scores two. The kid can’t stop scoring. The Loons got two more goals from Caldeira this week, as he scored to make it 3-1 and 3-3 in a game that eventually ended 5-4 in favour of Portland. James Pantemis, Kamal Miller, and Joel Waterman can breathe a sigh of relief.

🎯 Stephen Afrifa finds the back of the net. More Canadian-on-Canadian bloodshed happened in Dallas, as the 25-year-old pressed his way into a deflection and a goal that left Jonathan Sirois helpless.

👑 Luc de Fougerolles joined Real Salt Lake. The CanMNT defender has joined Real Salt Lake on loan until January, with an option to extend through May. For some, it might seem like a step backwards from playing in the Premier League with Fulham; however, this is good for Luc as he’d get more game time.

🪓 Joel Waterman reunites with Kamal Miller. The Portland Timbers acquired Waterman from the Chicago Fire in exchange for $200k GAM with a future sell-on and trade percentage. For Portland, this is a good move. The combination of Joel Waterman and Kamal Miller with James Pantemis has been a proven formula at CF Montréal under Wilfried Nancy.

💸 Charles-Emile Brunet loaned out. The rookie Montrealer has been loaned out to St. Louis City for the rest of the season with an option to buy. In exchange, Nashville received $50k GAM.

🇷🇸 CF Montréal secured Viktor Radojevic. MTL receives the Serbian left-back on a loan deal through 2026 with an option for 2027. The loan deal includes Chicago receiving $100k GAM, and CFM receiving a 2026 international roster slot. Radojevic will likely be used as a replacement for Luca Petrasso.

✍️ The Whitecaps acquired Rui Modesto and Yadaly Diaby. The Caps have landed the signature of the Angolan defender Rui Modesto from Serie A club Udinese. Modesto has signed through the 2029-30 season with an option for another season. VWFC have finalized the deal with the Guinean forward Yadaly Diaby from Ligue 2 French club Grenoble. Diaby has signed through the 2029-30 season with an option for 2030-31.

🔴 Deandre Kerr out, Alejandro Piedrahita and Lewis Morgan in. After eight years with the club, the GTA forward has been transferred from TFC to second-division Portuguese club AVS Futebol SAD. In his stead, Toronto has brought in two wingers: Alejandro Piedrahita and Lewis Morgan. The Colombian winger Piedrahita came in on loan from Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia. Scottish winger Morgan was acquired through a trade for a 2026 international roster slot from San Diego.

Wednesday, September 9
Toronto FC vs. Nashville (7:30PM ET @ BMO Field)
CF Montréal vs. Charlotte FC (7:30PM ET @ Stade Saputo)
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LA Galaxy (7:30PM PT @ BC Place)

Saturday, September 12
Orlando City vs. Toronto FC (7:30PM ET)
Colorado vs. CF Montréal (9:30PM ET)

Sunday, September 13
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Austin FC (3:30PM PT @ BC Place)

Follow Canucks Abroad on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram.

🔱 Pacific with a surprise draw in Ottawa. Atlético Ottawa hosted Pacific FC in a game that should have been an easy dub for the 2025 champs. Alas, it was not the case, as PFC carried some of last week’s winning momentum into this game. No one left with a win, as the game ended 0-0. But PFC had a strong defensive performance, and if they had stronger finishers, this could have been a win.

🦝 Inter Toronto, you almost got that dub. Forge hosted seventh-placed Inter Toronto. The away team surprised the league giants as they went up first with a brilliant goal from Ty Clarke, scoring his first pro goal. Inter held the lead and resisted Forge’s pressure, but the home club would find the equalizer in the 69th minute. A preventable goal if Inter’s Antonio Campos was able to get a handle on it. Otherwise, he was enjoying a solid performance. The game ended 1-1.

🦅 Vancouver are comeback kings. VFC and Supra found themselves on opposite sides of a top-four divide starting to form in the CPL, after the Eagles mounted a 3-2 comeback win at home. Supra had a 2-0 lead inside the first 15 minutes, but squandered it late as Elage Bah sliced home a first-time finish off a poorly headed clearance attempt.

🐴 Who will topple Cavalry? The Cavs have now won four straight after taking the annual Labour Day classic in Halifax, 3-1. The Wanderers had the advantage on stats, but in the area that mattered — i.e., the scoreboard — Sergio Camargo had a goal and an assist as all four goals hit the back of the net in the second half.

⚜️ Supra signed Zachary Brault-Guillard. The CanMNT full-back has returned to Québec after spending two seasons with Swiss club Lugano. ZBG has signed with Supra through 2026.

Wednesday, September 9
Inter Toronto vs. Pacific FC (7:30PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)

Saturday, September 12
FC Supra du Québec vs. Halifax Wanderers (4PM ET @ Stade Boréale)
Forge FC vs. Atlético Ottawa (7PM ET @ Hamilton Stadium)

Sunday, September 13
Inter Toronto FC vs. Vancouver FC (3PM ET @ York Lions Stadium)
Pacific FC vs. Cavalry FC (3PM PT @ Starlight Stadium)

Follow Canucks At Home on Twitter and Bluesky.

🌊 Halifax with a last-minute dub. The Vancouver Rise hosted the Halifax Tides, with the home club enjoying majority possession and applying the most pressure on the Tides. Despite having the majority of possession, it was Halifax that had the last laugh as Julia Benati scored a screamer from the halfway line. Benati ended the game 0-1 win for the Tides and ended the game in style.

🌹 Montréal leave it late. There was just enough time left in the day as Noémi Paquin secured a 3-2 victory for the Roses, extending their lead in the NSL table to four points. Ottawa battled back to level the game at two apiece after the Roses got out to an early 2-0 lead. There were more than a few highlight reel-worthy finishes in this one, too, between what are still the league’s top two sides.

0️⃣ Scoreless at BMO Field. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was (nearly) another cursed night at BMO for AFC Toronto. Both teams bended, but neither broke — and especially not AFCT after Sabrina D’Angelo’s breathtaking stop to deny Jorian Baucom’s breakaway for Calgary — as this one ended 0-0.

Thursday, September 10
Montréal Roses vs. AFC Toronto (7PM ET @ Stade Boréale)

Saturday, September 12
Calgary Wild vs. Halifax Tides (12PM MT @ McMahon Stadium)

Sunday, September 13
Vancouver Rise vs. Ottawa Rapid (1PM PT @ Swangard Stadium)

Follow Canucks At Home on Twitter and Bluesky.