NSL by Position: Forwards

With the NSL just ten days away, we thought it would be a good time to introduce you to some of the players in the league you may not know yet. While stars like Quinn, McLeod, Scott, and Regan steal the show, there is plenty of talent waiting to be discovered. Here are 3-4 players I expect to make an instant impact in year one, by position, and a few U22 players to keep an eye on, too. The parameters include recent form, pro and international experience, and statistics.

Forwards

And lastly, let’s chat about the forwards who will be providing the show-stopping, game-changing goals that fans are most excited to see. Canada’s forward crop has perpetually lived in Christine Sinclair’s shadow, and while there will never be another like Sinc, this league promises to showcase the next big attacking talent we’ve been waiting for. Again, it felt too easy to pick NWSL loanees Mya Jones and Amanda West (both AFC Toronto), so here are two more young Canadians and one foreigner in my forward to watch list.

First, I have Tanya Boychuk. The Edmontonian signed as one of the Roses’ marquee players in December. She is expected to be a leader among a group of local talent and American collegiate standouts. At 24, she has two pro seasons in Iceland and Sweden under her belt, in which she started for both of her clubs and scored a combined 13 goals. The Roses describe her as dynamic, and that is certainly a fair way to describe the strong and fast former Youth national team player. Beyond her physical strengths her movement is fantastic. She plays off the shoulder of the defender like a classic number 9 but can also attack from the wing, cutting inside with pace and finding a finish with her rocket of a shot. Boychuk has nothing but compliments for the Montreal organization, who made her a great offer and had to pay a transfer fee to her former club Vittsjo. Her quality has shone through at all levels, earning her a senior national team call-up in 2022. The former competitive diver will link up with fellow Canadian Latifah Abdu, to form a fearsome 1-2 punch that will capitalize on the Roses’ plan to play an attacking brand of football. 

Next, I’ve got Vancouver Rise forward Jessica De Filippo. The strapping striker has a physical presence that will be hard to match. Another classic 9 profile, her strong hold-up play will suit the Rise perfectly. She’ll look to combine with Vancouver’s elite midfielders to get on the end of through balls and crosses. The 23-yo has scored goals at all levels of the game, but she was especially prolific in her final college season with Arkansas, where she scored 12 goals in a single season and was the College Cup Points and Goals leader in 2022. After an injury setback in late 2023, she returned to the pitch with the Vancouver Whitecaps in League1 and the CONCACAF Champions Cup last summer, foreshadowing the eventual signing for the Rise. She has already scored in the Bundesliga and Liga F in her young pro career, and we have no doubt she’ll add the NSL to that list sooner rather than later.

Jessica de Filippo | Photo Credit: Arkansas Razorbacks

Last but not least, keep an eye on Ottawa’s Norwegian winger Johanne Fridlund. The 28-yo has had an untraditional career - excelling at the youth level and once touted as the best young player in Norway, she took two years away from the game in the late 2010s due to lack of motivation in face of inadequate remuneration. She returned to the game and played in the second division with Kolbotn, ultimately being promoted to the top flight. The left winger had a short stint in Italy with Lazio but returned to Norway. In 2024, she had her best ever season playing 90s in all 27 games and scoring 6 goals and adding 4 assists. Her one-v-one ability makes her a constant threat and she will form a dangerous partnership with wingback Choo.

My honourable mentions are Canadians Christabel Oduro, Jade Kovacevic, and Megane Sauve. Oduro has been all over the World to ply her trade and now finds herself in Halifax at the tail end of her career. The 32-yo with 5 senior caps is ready to lead the Tides’ frontline and help the young attackers around her, like Kiwi Milly Clegg who is on loan from Louisville, shine. Jade Kovacevic was fittingly the first player to sign in the NSL as she is probably the best forward playing domestically over the past decade. Megane Sauve is a half a decade younger than the aforementioned vets. She is listed as a winger by the Roses, but will likely play both in defense and attack. The local hero excelled with the Montreal Carabins and AS Blainville before making the move to Portugal. Over 2.5 seasons, she established herself as one of the best left-sided players in the league, and subsequently returned home to play for the inaugural NSL season.

Finally, there are a number of promising young attackers to keep on your radar. AFCT duo Kaylee Hunter (17) and April Lantaigne (18) come to mind, not only because of their recent call-ups to the CanW20 national team. They both excelled at the Vancouver Whitecaps and Ontario National Development Centre, respectively, and will bring dynamism and speed to Toronto’s stacked attack. Holly Ward was a recent addition to the Vancouver Rise squad, after she trained with the NWSL’s Louisville in pre-season. The Texas graduate from Vancouver is one of only two local young players lacing up for the Rise in year one. Last but not least, keep an eye on 21-yo Kahli Johnson. The Aussie enters her fourth pro season in great form. Her last season in the A-League with Western United was her best to date. She scored 8 goals and contributed 1 assist in 18 starts. 

Hunter, Lantaigne, Ward, Johnson