NSL: News & Notes (Jan 2025)
69 days until the NSL kicks off! The inaugural season is coming at us fast, with announcements coming daily in January. Here are the highlights:
CanXNT legends sign in the NSL
The rumours were swirling ever since Quinn’s contract with Seattle expired in December and their bestie Nikki Stanton started dropping hints on Tik Tok. The Canadian midfielder is arguably the NSL’s biggest signing so far given their international and professional pedigree and their status on the National team. The midfielder joins their former roommate, Stanton, in Vancouver, not in their hometown of Toronto. In fact, they teased that they are excited to “beat Toronto” in their first press conference.
Only a few days later, another CanXNT legend joined the NSL. Desi Scott pulled a Tom Brady and unretired from professional football, less than 3 months after announcing her retirement. The Manitoba-born midfielder joins the Ottawa Rapid, a club co-owned by her former teammate Diana Matheson. In her media appearances, the Destroyer emphasized that she couldn’t give up the opportunity to play professionally at home. Her name recognition and leadership will benefit Rapid FC in year one and she’ll also have the opportunity to learn about off-field roles in the organization.
2. Over 90 players signed
The player signings kept coming all month. Beyond the big CanXNT names plenty more Canadians signed deals to come home. Over 90 players have been signed, meaning that somewhere between 60-70% of rosters are complete. Some of the big names include NWSLers Victoria Pickett, Jasmyne Spencer, and New Zealand wonderkid Milly Clegg. Nearly 30 internationals are ready to call Canada home in 2025, including Finnish keeper Sofia Manner, Nigerian playmaker Ngozi Okobi-Okeoghone, Norwegians Johanne Fridlund and Susanne Haaland, and experienced Swedish veteran Ellen Gibson. NSL players have been capped nearly 850 times for 11 different nations, including 449 for Canada (Scott, McLeod, Quinn, Woeller, Regan, Faulknor, Oduro, Pickett, Abdu, Chang). Overall there 63 Canadians signed, over 40% of them hailing from Ontario, 12 from Quebec, 10 from BC, 9 from Alberta, 3 from Nova Scotia, and 1 from Manitoba. The average age is 26, the oldest is 42 (Erin McLeod), and the youngest just turned 17 (Kaylee Hunter). Two thirds of the players have professional experience, the other third signing their first pro contracts. The majority developed in the NCAA, while 15 played their collegiate soccer in Canada, and 18 did not play college ball.
3. All six NSL coaches in place
Calgary saved the best for last. Lydia Bedford was announced as the Wild’s inaugural head coach in early January. The English manager has worked with Arsenal, Leicester, English YNTs and recently Brentford’s U18 boys. In an interview on the YYC Soccer Podcast, she spoke about her reasons for joining the NSL, her passion for making history and being part of a league with more parity, her vision for Calgary’s style of play, and childhood summers spent in Canada. Her pedigree in professional women’s soccer is one of the best in the league and her assignment made news in the UK.
“I knew the league was starting here and I didn't necessarily think I would be involved in it but I jumped at the opportunity. I thought, if I'm going to live somewhere else, it may as well be in an unbelievable country with nature and the outdoors. This place will be great.” - Bedford via the BBC
4. Pre-Szn Kicks off
NSL players reported for duty and hit (indoor) pitches across the country this week, AFC Toronto and Calgary the first to do so. Ottawa and Halifax are also set to get going this week, with Vancouver starting next Monday and Montreal yet to disclose their kick-off date. It’s going to be a long pre-season stretching 10 weeks. Per the league’s media release, 150 players will be reporting to camp with roster spots still up for grabs. Not much concrete information has been released except that both Toronto and Halifax will host open training sessions. The Tides are also headed abroad, crossing the pond to the UK where they will set up shop for just about 2 weeks in March. Teams will take part in “scrimmages and game simulations” and hopefully have the chance to play friendlies against top opposition as well. Vancouver held an unofficial scrimmage against UBC, while Calgary did the same with the University of Calgary Dinos. Additionally, pre-season will be interrupted by two international windows. A consideration for National team players such as Milly Clegg and Meikayla Moore who were called into NZ camp for matches against Costa Rica later this month.