The team is currently navigating the inaugural season of the Northern Super League. Led by Rise FC coach Anja Heiner-Møller, Vancouver is currently in the fourth and final playoff spot in the six team league. 

An eighth-match unbeaten streak during the summer has helped Rise FC to a 9W-7L-5D record and 32 points, but there’s still plenty of work to do in the final month of the campaign.  

Rise FC have been out scored 10-0 in their previous two matches. A 7-0 away loss to AFC Toronto on September 13, and a 3-0 home defeat to Ottawa Rapid FC at Swangard Stadium on September 20, have the team searching for answers at both ends of the pitch. 

“I think that we had a really long run of games where we were winning a lot,” Rise FC’s Nikki Stanton told reporters following training in Vancouver earlier this week. “I think it’s easy to forget some things going into certain games. Toronto obviously had something to prove to us after (we) beat them (1-0) at BMO (Field) (in August).” 

The scoring opportunities that Vancouver created during their 6-0-2 run of form from July 19 to September 6 have still been there during their losing streak, but the high quality scoring chances in the final third is where Heiner-Møller would like to see more improvement. 

“I do think that we want to get closer to the goal to have the finishes,” Heiner-Møller said. “That’s also part of our training to make sure our positions, when we’re finishing, are closer to goal.”

The former Danish international and her staff are not overly concerned with the offensive drought. As the team travels east to play Halifax Tides FC on Saturday in Nova Scotia, Vancouver, is hoping to replicate some of the success the team has had earlier in the season against Halifax.

Rise FC are 3-0-1 against the Maritime club, out scoring them 9-1. 

A Rise FC win or draw, against Halifax, or a Calgary Wild FC loss on Saturday against Montreal Roses FC will lock Vancouver into a playoff spot. Vancouver could potentially clinch a playoff spot before they kickoff on Saturday afternoon at Wanderers Ground.

Vancouver will be without the services of center back Kennedy Faulknor. The 26 year-old did not travel with Rise FC this week. A clear timeline for Faulknor’s return to the pitch is unknown.

Rise FC’s back line has been hit hard by injuries. Captain Shannon Woeller is out for the season with a torn ACL. Ariel Young and Sara Lilja are also out for the season with torn ACL injuries.  

“I think our back line has had a lot of changes throughout the year,” Stanton said. “It’s kind of like we’re ready for it. We’ve all been learning the principles of those positions. I think it’s just important to make sure we’re fine tuning all of those going into our game against Halifax.”

Stanton’s versatility and leadership is a big reason why Heiner-Møller is comfortable moving Stanton from the midfield to an area with a greater need. The 34 year-old is a candidate to anchor the back line against Halifax and as long as Faulknor remains sidelined. 

“Having Nikki down there is giving us some confidence on the ball when we put a midfielder down at center back,” Heiner-Møller said. “There’s more experience and also confidence in terms of playing under pressure compared to normal center backs, so that comes with different options.”

Rise FC’s final four matches of the season will be on the road. The team would like to build some momentum before the playoffs begin in November. The task at hand is securing a playoff berth and then potentially home pitch advantage in the NSL playoffs. 

“Yeah that would be amazing,” Stanton said. “We just want to win the rest of our games, but also make sure that we are at our very very best when it comes to playoffs.”  

Vancouver can finish as high as the top spot in the NSL, but surging past Toronto’s 42 points could be a challenge. Ottawa is second with 36 points, and Montreal third with 35 points. The numbers have been crunched and Heiner-Møller is well aware of what’s within reach. 

“We look at it every single week,” Heiner-Møller said. “We’ve done that almost from the beginning because the goals are clear, we want to be in the playoffs and as high in the standings. We look at that every single matchday minus one and (we’re) doing the math.”

The top four teams in the NSL will play a two-leg semifinals during the first two weekends in November. The NSL Championship will be played on November 15, at BMO Field in Toronto. 

The Northern Super League is set to kick off tonight when Vancouver Rise FC host Calgary Wild FC in Vancouver. The highly anticipated inaugural season of the NSL features six professional clubs across Canada and also includes franchises, AFC Toronto, Ottawa Rapid FC, Montreal Roses FC, and Halifax Tides FC.

Former Canadian international midfielder Diana Matheson is the Founder and Chief Growth Officer of the NSL. It was Matheson’s vision and dedication that paved the way and helped build a much needed women’s soccer league in Canada. The NSL will run from April 16 to October 18. All teams will play 25 regular season matches. The top four teams will qualify for the playoffs. The NSL championship match will be played on November 15.

Canada has outscored their opponents 13-2 under Stoney. The competition hasn’t exactly been the stiffest, but given the morale around the program in the wake of last year’s drone scandal, you take the victories where you can get them.

The former San Diego Wave head coach has brought a refreshing no-nonsense approach to Canada. Players know where they stand with Stoney. There aren’t any mixed messages.

“She’s a straight shooter for sure,” Racing Louisville and Canada forward Janine Sonis (née Beckie) told The Equalizer in Vancouver. “She’s super professional, incredibly talented and very knowledgeable. I think it’s helpful when you have a coach that’s played at the same level that you’re playing at.

“She was a great player and had a very successful career. When you hear her speak and you listen to her teach you know that’s coming from experience. She makes the game really easy to understand which is a very special skill as a coach and one that I don’t think a lot of coaches have. We’re incredibly lucky to have her.”

Having a fresh set of eyes at the national team level and putting the drone scandal from the 2024 Paris Olympics in the rearview mirror is something Canada needed to do. Trust has been rebuilt. Players aren’t afraid to take chances, or make mistakes on the pitch. They are encouraged to play with the aggressiveness that Stoney wants to see and not be worried that a turnover is going to cost them playing time.

Canada is not playing on eggshells with Stoney at the helm.

“She’s very professional,” Portland Thorns and Canada midfielder Jessie Fleming told reporters in Vancouver following training earlier this month. “Very diligent, very clear in what she expects from us on the pitch and off the pitch. Straight forward.

“You respect her pretty quickly just by the career that she’s had as a player. The way that she talks to the group. The way that she works in the environment. She’ll tell us how it is, tell us straight, but it’s in a way that’s done with respect. You want to listen to her.” 

Canada’s tactics have shifted with Stoney implementing more of an aggressive, attack-minded approach. Canada historically sat back, played strong defense and capitalized on scoring opportunities when opposition turned the ball over. This has significantly changed. 

The Canadians want to dictate the match and play on the front foot by holding possession, attacking on the flanks with speed and using their height advantage to score off of set pieces. Canada was able to do that in the first half against Argentina in Vancouver. A Vanessa Gilles header off a set-piece led to Jade Rose pouncing on a rebound to score her first career goal. Adriana Leon helped make it two-nil in the first half on Friday when she attacked down the flank, took on pair of defenders and set up Nichelle Prince for a goal.

“We’re incredibly versatile in the way that we can play,” Sonis said. “We’ve played in literally every single formation possible. The core of our team is really used to playing in different structures. [Stoney has] come in and I think she’s chosen a structure that suits the skills of our players and allows for things on this team that people are really good at to shine.” 

When Canada is playing to the best of their abilities they can compete with anyone. Defense has always been a source of strength for Canada. In Stoney’s first five matches with Canada, the team has conceded two goals.

At the other end of the pitch, scoring continues to be hit or miss. Canada’s conversion rate in the final third is inconsistent. On Tuesday night in Langford, British Columbia, Canada’s finishing against Argentina eluded them. Chance after chance was squandered as Canada was shutout at home. Tactically, Stoney knows there’s a lot more Canada can do to improve finishing their scoring chances. 

“I think we had chances one on one that we did take,” Stoney said following the match. “I think it’s about being calm in those moments. Sometimes we’re getting into areas we can cross earlier and there’s space to attack rather than trying to get to the by-line and pick people out. Obviously it’s about getting the right numbers in and around the box. We’ve got to work on combination play and make sure that we can continue to do that in different areas. We’ve got to be able to change speed and tempo in the final third. When there’s less space, more bodies. It’s just a continuation of the work we need to do.”

Canada will potentially return to the pitch in the next international window which runs May 26 through June 3. Canada has yet to announce a match in that window. Canada will renew pleasantries with U.S. Soccer when the North American rivals meet on July 2 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. 

The Pinatar Cup has a new champion after Canada dismantled Chinese Taipei 7-0 to hoist the trophy in Casey Stoney’s first international window as Canada’s new head coach. 

Canada went 2-0-1 in a tournament where they opened with a 1-1 draw against China, before earning a 2-0 win over Mexico. Canada dominated play by outscoring the opposition by a 10-1 margin.

Returning home to play in Canada was a lifelong dream for the native of Ontario. After six seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League with Seattle Reign, the launch of the NSL presented a chance to play on home soil in a city that Quinn loves. 

“I love the Pacific Northwest,” Quinn told reporters at their introductory press conference on Friday in Vancouver. “I think living in Seattle really made me fall in love with this coast, sorry to the east coast… It’s the place I wanted to be and it’s the place I wanted to be when I was older. This is just an amazing step to settling down in Vancouver. Being able to play for the team here is so exciting, it’s honestly been a dream since I was little.”

It’s a new era for Canadian soccer as former England captain Casey Stoney was officially unveiled as the new head coach of the Canada women’s national team on Monday. The 42 year-old Stoney joins Canada after being dismissed by the San Diego Wave in June and spending her entire coaching career at club level.

A year after signing Bev Priestman to a multi-year contract extension, Canada Soccer unexpectedly needed to hire a new coach in the wake of the drone scandal that overtook the news cycle during the Olympics group stage last summer. Canada Soccer officially fired Priestman in November after FIFA served her and assistant coach Jasmine Mander one-year suspensions for their roles in the drone scandal.

Coach Bev Priestman and assistant coach Jasmine Mander will not return to Canada Soccer following a one year suspension that was handed down by FIFA. Technical analyst Joey Lombardi, who was also suspended, resigned from his position with Canada Soccer following the Olympics.

The report, conducted by Sonia Regenbogen of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, LLP, found that two of the coaches directed, approved, and condoned the actions taken by a third member of the women’s national team coaching staff to film practices at the Olympics using a drone.

Canada will be back on the pitch for the first time since the Paris Olympics when they play Spain on Friday, October 25 at Estadio Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo, Spain. There are several unanswered questions facing Canada since the Canada Soccer drone spy scandal dominated and overshadowed Canada’s attempt at defending Olympic gold in France.

Coach Bev Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander, and analyst Joey Lombardi are currently serving a one-year ban from football handed down by FIFA in July.

Canada Soccer announced that there would be an independent investigation that would “address the circumstances of the matter, and more broadly seek to understand the historical culture of competitive ethics within all of our programs.” As the three month mark since the announcement of the independent investigation approaches, is there any news on the horizon? 

Canada Soccer has vowed to make the conclusions of the final report public. Priestman continues to be paid while pending the conclusions of the investigation.  

The Equalizer reached out to Priestman’s legal counsel at Lucentem Sports & Entertainment Law for an update on her case, but the firm replied by saying “We are unable to provide any comment at this time.” 

The reigning champions created chances — taking 23 shot attempts with five on target — but were unable to score as their finishing was lacking and Germany goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger had a strong showing.

The goals that had helped Canada come from behind against New Zealand and France in the group stage weren’t there. A pair of timely match-winners from center back Vanessa Gilles had helped propel Canada to the knockout stage, but that’s where Canada’s scoring ended.

It felt like Canada was a team that FIFA didn’t want competing at the Olympics after a cheating scandal surfaced. Canada wasn’t outright expelled from the tournament, but they had to be perfect and play mistake-free football to continue to the elimination round. And that’s exactly what they did. 

Canada booked their spot in the knockout round thanks to a 61st-minute goal from Vanessa Gilles off a free kick from Jessie Fleming. It was enough to secure a 1-0 win over Colombia.