Key Storylines from the Northern Super League's First Half

Last year, Toronto was starting to run away with the Shield around this time. This season, at the halfway mark there’s a clear one and two in the standings, and they’ve occupied that spot since week 2. 

Ottawa has been the picture of consistency. Both in their style of play, and in their player selection. Powered by their midfield magicians Melenhorst and Min-A, backstopped by in-form Dagenais, and relying on a diverse supporting cast around the league’s best player - it’s evidently a recipe for success and one they are not inclined to change up too much right now. 10 wins and 30 goals tells the story of a team that knows exactly what they’re about. Their style is characterized by elite technical ability, dominance in possession, a mix of precise short- and long-range passing, and creating constant threat, whether that’s through midfield build-up play, late runners in the box, or balls over the top. Most of all, they’ve found ways to win games even when they’re the second-best team on the day - a mark of true champions.

What impresses me the most, beyond superstar DB Pridham’s ability to replicate last year’s success, is how quickly the newly assembled midfield has gelled and put their stamp on the Rapid’s style of play. Keera Melenhorst is second in the league in points (9) contributing both goals and assists from midfield. Her excellent level of fitness allows her to be omnipresent and highly influential in Ottawa’s game. She is among the top 10 league wide in touches, tackles, and minutes played, and leads the league in fouls won. What a signing!

A lot of the team’s success comes down to the excellent coaching of Katrine Pedersen and her staff. Unfortunately, Pedersen announced this week that her adventure in Ottawa will be over following the conclusion of the season due to personal/family reasons. A big loss for the league but an even bigger loss for the Rapid. Nevertheless, her departure could set the stage for an epic second half of the season and playoff run. The Rapid are flying and they’ll have the confidence to see this thing through.   

Here’s a look at how Pedersen has set the team up through the first half of the season:

More than most other teams, the Rapid been able to keep a consistent eleven while smartly managing minutes. Substitutes coming in to start or change games are not only maintaining the level of play, but elevating it. The prime example of this is Sadie Waite, who has scored 3 goals and can slot in at fullback or across the midfield.

Montreal has quietly been putting together a stellar season. From once again thwarting Toronto at BMO in Week 3 to their current three-game win streak, they’ve managed to show resilience despite a but of a dip in June. First and foremost, their formation change clearly worked out. Going to three in the back and sending wingbacks forward to join the attack has made them more dangerous. 

Plus, they finally have that high scoring striker they’ve been looking for ever since Abdu’s departure last summer. NWSL alumni Elyse Bennett is second in scoring and generally a menace for NSL defenders. She has shown her quality throughout the season, and has taken the pressure off other offensive players like Boychuk, Pechersky, Paquin, and Badu, who have blossomed with more freedom.

Another area of improvement is midfield. The load on Bilbault and Hess was massive last season, and cracks began to show in the later half of the year. Minas has adequately filled the void left by Hess, her engine and reliability provide stability, and her set pieces add another type of offensive threat. 

As mentioned, the Roses recent form is promising and the Summer signings of Alidou and Perisset are a clear signal that they want to give Ottawa a run for their money. Alidou will likely slot right into the XI in one of the forward positions behind Bennett, allowing her to play more centrally than she did with the Thorns. Perisset will need some time to return from injury, but could give either the excellent Seto some competition at RCB, or push Boychuk further up the pitch.

Check out the Roses’ eleven through 13 weeks of action:

It’s evident from the above graphics that Robert R has rotated quite a bit in the wingback and forward positions, while keeping his core relatively stable. The spine of Karpenko-Cappadona-Minas and Bilbault-Boychuk has been integral.

If you had predicted that both of last year’s finalists would be this far away from first place people might have called you crazy. Halfway through the season, that’s the reality we are living in. Meanwhile, last year’s wooden spoon, the Halifax Tides could realistically push either Vancouver or Toronto out of a playoff spot. Who would have thought.

Fans may give Vancouver some grace given the number of key players that left the club after their Championship win, but the team and staff have high expectations of themselves. This season so far can be described as another up and down one, marred by injuries and an inability to stabilize the backline. Not dissimilar, to how things went down in 2026, to be fair, so there’s certainly still hope moving forward.

Over the first half of the season, eight different players have made up the back three (initially back four), including 16yo Myla Ewasiuk. Shannon Woeller and Ariel Young remain on the SEI list and standout defender Jess Cowart recently broke her collarbone. In addition, the Rise have used all of their goalkeepers for multiple games this season, further adding to defensive instability. All of that adds up to 28(!) goals conceded in 12 games played. This HAS to be an area of the team they reinforce this summer.

Focusing on the positives, wingbacks Pante and Bout have both been outstanding, the new midfield pivot of Quinn and Reyes is promising (yet not always being available at the same times), and the front three remains dangerous despite Abdu’s recent absence. Jess De Filippo is rounding into form nicely, with 5 goals + 1 assist on the season, young Algerian-Canadian Anais Oularbi is balling out, and Colombian wonderkid Maithe Lopez has been electric when available (only 8 appearances, 2 starts).

All in all, there are reasons to be optimistic, but just like last season the Rise have to clean things up in the defensive phase and pray that the injury troubles ease (see exhibit A below) if they want to repeat last year’s successes.

The formation change after week 3 made a big difference and paved the way for a three-game win streak. As you can see by the third graphic, injuries piled up after week 8 and another slide in results ensued. It’s no coincidence that once Quinn came back, the team turned things around.

Toronto has had the opposite problem. Sarah Rollins has grown into a top NSL defender and has marshalled the backline beautifully. Up until last week, AFCT had conceded the fewest goals league-wide (10), but a 3:0 home loss to Vancouver saw them drop to 4th and further cemented their struggles playing at home this season. Despite improved defensive stability, the team has been naive at times, conceding multiple set-piece goals in recent weeks.

Which brings us to the bigger problem - the goals have dried up and they can no longer outscore defensive lapses. Despite rolling out nearly the same personnel as last season, Toronto is struggling to create and finish chances. Esther Oronkwo was missed during her six week absence due to injury, and with Kaylee Hunter being double-marked she has not to been able finish consistently despite plenty of shots (39 shots, 18 on target, 4 goals) and looks frustrated. Fortunately, Lauren Rowe has had a breakout campaign, with 5 goals scored and being named June’s Player of the Month, because Okoronkwo has departed for WAFCON and will likely be gone for a while given Nigeria’s typically deep runs in the tournament. Replacement Lena Silano was brought in as a free agent and brings NWSL experience (27 appearances, 2 goals for Washington Spirit) but may need time to integrate.

Another notable issue has been the midfield, where there is an Emma Regan sized hole that no combination of midfielders has been able to fix so far. Stratigakis missed a few games due to injury, Pickett has been out even longer, and Small can’t do it all by herself. The switch from a 3-5-2 to a 3-4-2-1 in week 11 didn’t help either. First Ottawa’s midfield overran them, then Quinn and Camila Reyes decided to put on a masterclass in their last match at York Lions stadium.

The good news is that two gold medallists were brought in to help. The addition of Shelina Zadorsky and Sabrina D’Angelo will lift give this young team still looking for answers a huge lift. Both are expected to slot straight into the XI, at LCB and between the sticks, respectively. Despite their addition, it remains to be seen whether Toronto can reach last year’s successes, especially given Esther and Linda’s absence in coming weeks, and Hunter and Chisholm’s (more than likely) trip to the U20 World Cup in September.

Last year’s tactics have not been as successful as anticipated. Teams have caught on the gameplan and have learned how to exploit the gaps in Toronto’s game. A formation change in week 11 is yet to yield results.

Halifax is looking to exploit any slip-ups by Toronto and Vancouver as they set their sights on their first playoff berth. Overall, the quality of the team and play is much improved, and it’s safe to say that the off-season rebuild has been a resounding success. To go from barely competing last season, to a genuine thorn in the side of top teams, is impressive. 

For me the standout addition has been South Korean midfielder Cho who elevates the standard play every time she touches the ball. Others such as Cardoza, Benati, and Rhodes have had a major impact as well, but are not yet as consistent as they need to be. Specifically, Rhodes has been firing (2 goals, 15 SOT, 33 total shots) but not converting enough chances. Cardoza has been fantastic, but struggled with injuries that kept her out of four games.

You cannot talk about the Tides’ success without mentioning their fullback duo of Vallerand and Allen. Their aggressive style of play allows the Tides to nullify opposition wingers and their two-way ability means they can pin teams in effectively. Vallerand has been the best fullback in the league, and it isn’t particularly close. She leads the league in tackles, and has scored four goals (the most of any defender). 

 Unfortunately, coach Stephen Hart has missed a few games due to a family emergency, and his absence has been felt in recent weeks. The Tides will look to reverse a three-game losing streak this weekend when they travel to Vancouver to take on the Rise.

Take a look at how the Tides have rolled out over the course of the season:

The Tides have kept a consistent identity, but have heavily rotated in midfield. While Cho’s name is written in pen, Moe, Pedersen, Lemire, Benati, and Taylor have all been rotated in at different times of the season. Finding a consistent XI might be a good idea as the playoff race begins in earnest.

Last but not least, Calgary’s season can really only be summed up by one word. Mediocre. It’s only year two of the NSL, but  it’s historically bad. 32 goals conceded. Only 9 scored. 2 points = worst season on record.

Ultimately, we can’t be that surprised given that Coach Bedford left right before the season, and a permanent replacement wasn’t found until recent weeks. Plus, there’s also the mysterious disappearance of Sporting Director Alix Bruch in the off-season. The questionable off-season transfers make more sense knowing that there was no replacement hired. 

Nevertheless, Aussie Leah Blayney is now tasked with the responsibility of righting the ship and the good news is it can’t get much worse. The former Japanese WNT assistant coach comes with plenty of international experience, but not much time spent as a club or head coach. She inherits a team that may have some major gaps (GK, CB, LB, CM), but also has a few key strengths (Stordy, Moore, Jones, Sawicki, MDH, Thurton).

The Wild has cleared out a bit of roster space as Race, Harvey, and Romero have departed the club, and have already signed their first new player in midfielder Hannah Boughton who saw her first minutes last night. Expect more announcements in the coming days. New majority owner Alyssa Mitchell, daughter of AFCT majority owner Mark Mitchell, has hopefully had the chance to check out a matchday at McMahon, because, it must be said, the fan support continues to be strong and they deserve a dignified second half of the season. 

Here’s a look at the Wild’s starting XI’s in the first half of the season:

The lineup has been a bit of a mess as you can see above. Between defensive and midfield, it’s clear to see how much rotation there has been. Honestly, teenage Torah Betteridge playing 8 games in a key position tells you everything you need to know (to be fair, she did quite well).

Winnipeg here we come! The newest NSL’s team based in the Center of Canada, has the motto “destroy doubt”, a nod to Desi Scott’s involvement as the inaugural VP of Community and Player Experience. Scott is joined by Rob Gale who assumes the role of Chief Sporting Officer.

Winnipeg becomes the 7th NSL franchise, the first NSL expansion team, targeting a 2027 kick-off.  Little other information has been released, but all signs point toward the Ralph Cantafio complex being the new home of the team, given recent announcements of renovations totaling $1.5 Million to install new turf and lighting. 

The league office, including Winnipeg native and President of the NSL Christina Litz, were strongly hinting at a possible franchise in WPG, and the league will own the team in the interim until another ownership group is identified. There already several minority owners on board as well. This expansion was only made possible by private equity investment by Portuguese firm APEX, starting with $20 Million and potentially rising to $30, per the Globe & Mail’s reporting. 

By the way, the name Winnipeg Destroyers is, sadly, off the table, per Shireen Ahmed, but there is currently a mascot drawing contest ongoing, check it out.

It was always going to be difficult to match the inaugural year hype - something NSL Leadership would have been acutely aware of before the season began. Without the shine of “first” we’ve seen a noticeable dip in attendance for all teams but one. 

Only the Halifax Tides have been able to maintain their average attendance, and are currently hitting league targets of ~3700 fans per game. An average of 4K fans are rolling up to the Wanderer Grounds week-to-week, which has the Tides sitting first overall in total and average attendance. Not surprising considering the support the team received last season, while they were struggling for results.

The rest of the teams are all down between ~10-30%, with top teams Ottawa and Montreal seeing almost a 30% drop in average attendance year to year. There are likely multiple reasons for this. For example, Ottawa has played multiple weekday home games, which always impacts turnout. A deep Montreal Canadiens playoff run and competition from new CPL club FC Supra have likely affected the Roses turnout as well. 

The decision to play during the World Cup could also have affected fan interest, as NSL games coincided with multiple group stage and knockout stage games, and people were generally at maximum soccer capacity. That being said, the post-WC phase could be an opportunity to capitalize on momentum around the beautiful game. 

Lastly, several keen observers of the league have noted that marketing efforts aren’t exactly where they need to be. Personally, I get a lot of social media ads from the league and my local club, but I haven’t seen much physical promotion around the city. It’s hard to say how much the league is investing in marketing and visibility now, but the funds mentioned above are also earmarked for this purpose. Anything they can do to drive visibility and brand awareness would be huge.

Attendance per Wikipedia (July 19)

One obvious way to increase visibility is to bring in well-known stars. AFC Toronto and the Montreal Roses did just that this off-season, and as the transfer window opens in coming days, expect more players to make the move to the NSL. 

Signing Olympic Gold Medallists Shelina Zadorsky and Sabrina D’Angelo is not only an astute sporting move, from Sporting Director Billy Wilson, but also a great marketing tactic. Both are north of 30, but still have plenty of quality and remain firmly in the CanWNT picture as they target participation in the 2027 World Cup. It’s hard to see a reality where the two trustworthy leaders are not part of next summer’s CanWNT squad.

The same can be said about Marie-Yasmine Alidou, who has been on a long pro journey through Norway, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, and the US, and returns home to Montreal. Alidou immediately becomes the best attacking midfielder in the league (okay, I’ll hear arguments about Min-A) and her name recognition could go a long way in addressing the Roses attendance woes. 

The league was always going to be a natural draw for Canadians who have spent the last decade plus abroad, first chasing their dreams in the NCAA, and then bopping around the States and Europe, since their late teens. Eventually, the time comes to come home, play in front of friends and family, and give back to their communities.

That’s why signing well-known internationals who aren’t Canadian is an encouraging sign for the NSL. Eve Perisset’s decision to join Montreal speaks to the NSL’s growing reputation worldwide. Players talk, and they’re saying that Canada is a great place to play. Unfortunately, Perisset.

Fans have been waiting for the women’s equivalent of the Voyageurs Cup. Fantastic to see progress in this.

The two amateur teams competing will be the Simcoe County Rovers and CSMRO Griffons, last year’s League1 Inter-Provincial Championship finalists.

As part of the schedule, two NSL league-matches will serve as quarter-finals, which is hopefully down to tight scheduling rather than becoming a regular feature of the competition.

Semi-finals and Final will be played in 2027. Based on the Concacaf W Champions Cup format released earlier this May, the Canadian Champion will play in the preliminary stage of the 2027 Continental tournament in July.

The prelims will be a 2-leg match vs a team from Costa Rice, El Salvador, Jamaica or Panama.