Canada’s Northern Super League (NSL) is preparing for its inaugural season, with the top-flight soccer league dropping a 75-match calendar and broadcast details last week.
The league will officially kick off on April 16th, when Vancouver’s BC Place will host the NSL’s first-ever match, a clash between co-owner Christine Sinclair’s Vancouver Rise FC against the visiting Calgary Wild FC.
Then on April 19th, AFC Toronto will host the Montreal Roses in BMO Field's first-ever NSL game, bringing the pro women's soccer action futher east and arguably initiating a rivalry between two of Canada's largest cities.
The final two NSL clubs will make their debuts one week later, with Halifax Tides FC hosting Calgary on April 26th before Ottawa Rapid FC takes the pitch against Toronto on April 27th.
The NSL has been busy putting the finishing touches on its 2025 launch, with multiple Olympic medalists and ex-NWSL standouts like Canada's own Quinn, Erin McLeod, and Desiree Scott joining the budding league.
Also featuring on NSL debut rosters are US athletes Nikki Stanton and Jasmyne Spencer, as well as Iceland standout Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir — giving the brand-new pro league a chance to flex its potential at the international level.
NSL sets full 2025 calendar, snags top broadcast partners
The inaugural NSL season will see all six clubs playing 25 regular-season matches for a league total of 75 matches. Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver will contend 12 of their matches at home, while Ottawa, Calgary, and Halifax scored 13 games in front of their home crowds.
At the end of regular-season play, the top four teams on the NSL table will qualify for the league's two-leg semifinals. After the home-and-away semis, the two clubs with the highest aggregate score will face-off in the league's first-ever championship match, set for November 15th.
All games will air across Canada via multiple broadcast partners, including TSN, which will broadcast 20 regular-season matches, and CBC, which will air eight. Both broadcasters will also make additional game available via their respective streaming platforms, CBC Gem and TSN+.
Ex-San Diego Wave boss Casey Stoney is taking over head coaching duties for the Canadian women's national soccer team, Canada Soccer confirmed on Monday morning.
Stoney replaces longtime coach Bev Priestman, who is currently serving a one-year suspension from FIFA for her role in the 2024 Paris Olympics drone-spying scandal.
Canada Soccer officially fired Priestman in November 2024, after an independent investigation into a drone spotted hovering over New Zealand's Olympic training session found Canada's coaching staff liable.
Immediately following the incident, Canada saw six points deducted from their Olympic group stage standing. The 2021 gold medalists eventually lost to Germany in the quarterfinals.
Stoney jumps from club to country
This will be Stoney's first time leading a national team, making the professional leap after San Diego abruptly fired the decorated former England defender and captain in June 2024.
Prior to her NWSL tenure, Stoney made her head coaching debut with Manchester United. She led the club to an FA Championship trophy in the team's inaugural 2018/19 season, earning the team promotion into the WSL.
After joining the NWSL's California expansion side in 2021, Stoney led the Wave to two playoff appearances and a career regular-season record of 24-15-18. San Diego's 2022 semifinals run made the club the first-ever franchise to make the NWSL Playoffs in their inaugural season. The campaign eventually earned Stoney the 2022 NWSL Coach of the Year award.
Stoney also helped the Wave snag the 2023 NWSL Shield and the 2024 Challenge Cup trophy — all behind Canadian starting goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan.
With an eye on developing a strong Canadian roster to contend for the 2027 World Cup, Stoney's first task on the team's sideline is set for February, when Canada will compete in the annual Pinatar Cup in Spain.
"Casey's track record of successful leadership, her values and strength of character, and her lifelong dedication to the advancement of women's football make her the right person to lead our national team into its next chapter," said Canada Soccer CEO and general secretary Kevin Blue in today's statement.
The 2024 Paris Games haven't even officially begun, yet the Olympic soccer tournament has already been rocked by a controversy spurred by defending gold medalists Canada.
New Zealand lodged a formal complaint to the IOC on Tuesday, alleging that a Team Canada support staff member spied on their training session in Saint-Étienne using drone surveillance.
In response, the Canadian Olympic Committee immediately confirmed the incident and apologized, promising to conduct an "independent external review."
Local police saw the drone and arrested "Non-accredited analyst" Joseph Lombardi on Monday, charging him with "flying an unmanned aircraft over a prohibited area." He has since pleaded guilty and accepted a suspended eight-month prison sentence in addition to a €45,000 fine.
Team Canada has since dismissed Lombardi, sending him along with his direct supervisor Jasmine Mandor home from the Games and officially removing the pair from the team.
Canada boss Priestman to miss opening match
Canada head coach Bev Priestman accepted the decision to sit out her squad's Olympic group stage opener against New Zealand on Thursday.
"On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologize to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada," Priestman said in a statement.
"I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program. Accordingly, to emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday," Priestman added. "In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld."
New Zealand has also reportedly asked FIFA that to bar Canada from earning any points in the opening match, regardless of the outcome.
Canada announced its official Olympic women’s national team (CanWNT) on Monday, becoming the fourth team in the 12-squad tournament to lock in their 18-player lineup ahead of Wednesday’s deadline.
The only country to make the last three Olympic podiums, all but four players named to the reigning Olympic gold medalists' roster have previous Olympic experience. Portland Thorns midfielder Jessie Fleming will lead this year's team as captain.
Last summer was a disappointing one for Canada, punctuated by a record-early World Cup exit. In what amounted to a tumultuous year, head coach Bev Priestman's squad also faced off-pitch labor disputes as well as all-time leading international goal scorer Christine Sinclair’s retirement from international soccer.
"I believe we have a squad that blends experience and youth, is positionally balanced, and possesses incredible athleticism and football talent," coach Bev Priestman said in a statement.
On Tuesday, Brazil became the latest national soccer team to release its 18-player Olympic roster.
The lineup features several familiar faces, including NWSL stars Tarciane (Houston Dash), Rafaelle (Orlando Pride), Adriana (Orlando Pride), Kerolin (NC Courage), and Marta (Orlando Pride). Angelina (Orlando Pride) and Lauren (KC Current) will travel with the team as alternates.
Prazer, @JogosOlimpicos! Estamos prontas. Chegou a hora. Mais um capítulo da nossa história sendo escrito.
— Seleção Feminina de Futebol (@SelecaoFeminina) July 2, 2024
Com vocês, o elenco de atletas que irão representar com muito orgulho a #SeleçãoFeminina! 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/YS3RPhLDyR
All eyes were on new head coach Arthur Elias's much-anticipated roster, with global soccer legend Marta announcing her impending retirement from international play in late April. The tournament marks the 38-year-old's sixth Olympics, and will likely be her final international outing.
Should she find the back of the net in Paris, Marta will become the first player — male or female — to score in six-consecutive Summer Games. She's currently the all-time leading goal scorer for both club and country, registering 35 career goals for the Orlando Pride alongside 199 for Brazil.
Half of Brazil's lineup also appeared in last year's World Cup under previous head coach Pia Sundhage. However, noteworthy striker Debinha, who plays for the NWSL's unbeaten Kansas City Current, did not make the Olympic cut.
Christine Sinclair, the all-time leading goalscorer in international soccer, said goodbye to the international game on Tuesday.
She made her 331st international appearance, 23 years after her first for the Canadian senior national team. For one night only, the stadium was renamed Christine Sinclair Place.
Afterward, Sinclair told TSN that the night was “perfect,” as Canada took home a 1-0 win over Australia.
Also retiring was Sophie Schmidt, who played in 225 games for Canada. Sinclair warmed up in Schmidt’s jersey to honor her teammate.
It's not goodbye, it's see you later ❤️ pic.twitter.com/O2TvTM8vnU
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 6, 2023
“Nobody knew she was going to put Sophie’s shirt on, and to me, in that moment that absolutely epitomizes her,” manager Bev Priestman said of Sinclair. “She knows the world’s watching and she doesn’t want her teammate to get forgotten. And she put Sophie’s shirt on, albeit her shoulders are a bit broader than Sophie’s, so it didn’t fit so well. But I thought that was absolute class, and that would’ve made Sophie’s night.”
“I think tonight was incredible,” Canada forward Cloe Lacasse said. “Of course it was so emotional going out there as the starting 11, having Sinclair lead us out. I think everyone had tears in their eyes, but being able to end their careers in this incredible place, Christine Sinclair place, with a victory — I mean, I think it’s a dream for those two and they honestly deserve it more than anyone else.”
In the 12th minute, the crowd gave Sinclair a standing ovation.
“I’ve told her she’s absolutely irreplaceable,” Priestman said, “and forever this program will be better for her.”
While Sinclair will still play a little while longer with the NWSL’s Portland Thorns, it was a fitting send off on the international stage for one of the game’s greatest, who won a gold medal with Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I mean honestly, just joy,” she said when asked to sum up the evening. “I’ve done everything I can on this national team. I’m 100 percent satisfied and content. And to go out with a win in front of my friends, in front of my family. Honestly, it’s been the perfect night.”
And just like that… the greatest international goalscorer of all time says goodbye.
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) December 6, 2023
Sinc, your contribution to this sport and this country will never be forgotten.
The GOAT is CANADIAN 🇨🇦#ThankYouSinc 🐐 pic.twitter.com/dvf0W7kGJD
This year has been a long one for members of the Canadian women’s national team, with the dispute between players and their national federation extending up to (and beyond) the 2023 World Cup.
Speaking on Just Women’s Sports‘ “Snacks” podcast, Janine Beckie – who missed the World Cup with a torn ACL – called the fights “soul crushing.” In February, the team threatened to boycott the SheBelieves Cup over budget cuts, but players were told they didn’t have the legal standing to do so.
“Come January 2023, they’re like, ‘Oh, we’re in this really bad position financially, we’re going to cut budgets to make sure that we can continue to operate over the next couple of years,’” Beckie said. “And it was just like so soul-crushing as a player, and especially as someone who’s been so involved in the conversation, to have had all the conversations that we had and felt like we were making progress, and then your budget is slashed in a World Cup year off the back of being Olympic champions. It was just like, ‘What is going on?’”
It took nearly six months for the team to reach an interim agreement with Canada Soccer over pay, despite captain Christine Sinclair saying that players needed a deal in place before playing in the World Cup. Instead, that deal came days after the World Cup began. And it still was a disappointing deal for players, as it remains incomplete.
On “Snacks,” Beckie reiterated that players are still unhappy with the deal as it stands.
“We don’t have any kind of formal CBA that we are happy with at this point,” she said. “That’s still all to be negotiated. Our full intention is to have a substantial CBA that we are happy with moving forward over the next couple of years, instead of continuing to come back to the table and just negotiate these short-term deals. There’s a lot of it that we can’t control as players, and I think that’s been one of the hardest things.”
Players on the Canada women’s national soccer team want their pay dispute with their national federation settled before they leave for the 2023 World Cup next week.
The pre-tournament camp is scheduled to start on June 28 in Australia, with the tournament kicking off on July 20. Canada captain Christine Sinclair told the Canadian Press that players want to get a deal done so that they don’t have the issue hanging over their heads throughout the World Cup.
And while the team hasn’t reached its breaking point yet, time is running out.
“We’re not at a point where we’re not getting on a plane, but time’s coming where we want it done so as players we’re not having to deal with it while we’re trying to prepare,” Sinclair told the Canadian Press.
Sinclair is not expecting a long-term solution to the long-standing battle for pay equity and funding.
“But us as a women’s team have flat out told the CSA (Canada Soccer Association) that we need a deal in place for at least the World Cup and this year before we head down there,” she said. “I think it will happen. Will it be a long-term deal? No. But something will be done before the World Cup starts.”
The women’s team has been without a labor deal since its previous one expired at the end of 2021. Earlier this year, players threatened it sit out the SheBelieves Cup before being strong-armed into playing the tournament by their federation.
In March, the two sides agreed to an interim deal, which covered the period of time in 2022 for which team members had not been paid. But players said there remained “a lot of work to be done.”
A permanent deal has not been reached due to a number of factors, the players’ association said at the time, including repeated failure by Canada Soccer to properly disclose financial numbers as well as the fight by the women’s team for an agreement that “establishes fair and equitable standards.”
Players did take part in the April FIFA window after saying they would only do so provided that “meaningful progress” has been made in negotiations. Still, a final deal has not been reached; the Canada men’s national team also is still negotiating its contract.
The reigning Olympic gold champion, Canada enters the final month of World Cup preparation among the top 10 contenders, according to the betting odds.
“I don’t know all the details on the men’s side of things but we’re fighting the same fight,” Sinclair said. “I think us as players, we fear that we as national teams could get left behind when you see the support that other federations are putting into their teams, putting into their youth programming, putting into professional leagues.
“If we want to remain relevant, yes, some things are going to have to change.”