There have already been 6 signings and 3 departures:
Tiffany Cameron and Amanda Allen sign for Halifax, Creighton departs
Cameron, a veteran Jamaican international from Mississauga, returns from a 16-year pro career abroad. She is a versatile attacking player who can play both centrally and out wide.
20-yo Amanda Allen, also from Mississauga, joins on loan from Orlando Pride. The talented winger was a captain for the CanW20s in 2024 and will add another dimension to the Tides’ attack.
Midfielder Gianna Creighton has departed the club by mutual agreement. The 24-yo from California made 8 appearances for the Tides and is leaving to pursue new opportunities.
Sarah Stratigakis, Zoe Burns, and Lauren Rowe sign for Toronto, Ashouri departs
Stratigakis signed for her hometown club after impressing in stints with Vittsjo, Bristol, and Saint Etienne. The 26-yo has 5 caps and can play as a midfielder or forward.
Burns, a former CanW20 standout, joins from French club Fleury. The 23-yo defender made 21 appearances for Utah in 2024 and is expected to play as either a wingback or midfielder.
21-yo Forward Lauren Rowe signs after impressing with AFCT’s unofficial affiliate, North Toronto, in League 1 Ontario. The Newfoundlander has already made three appearances as she was not subject to the same transfer rules.
Ashouri departed the club by mutual decision earlier in June, Amanda West returned to Houston following her injury, and Leah Pais and Sonia Walk were both placed on the season-ending injury list.
Olivia Mbala signs with Montreal
Olivia Mbala’s homecoming is another emblematic one. Originally from Toronto, she’s played in France since 2015. A decade later, the 33-yo central defender gets to play in front of friends and family for the first time.
Griffith departs Calgary
The forward was on a short-term loan from Chicago, and here for a good time, not a long time. She played 6 games with the Wild and contributed 2 assists.
The number 1, 2, and 6 teams have already made some pretty big moves. You can expect more movement in the coming weeks as teams look to address gaps in their rosters. Let’s take a look at each team’s needs:
Halifax
CM
Gunny has a lot of responsibility in midfield and while defender Lemire has looked good beside her, a dynamic box-to-box midfielder with quality could help fill a key gap in the Tides’ squad. With Creighton’s departure and Guay’s inability to break through so far, the Tides have a vacancy and only three midfielders remaining on the roster.
CF/False 9
Nakamura has looked good in recent games, but has also missed a number of key chances. With more speed arriving on the wing in Amanda Allen, a false 9 who makes smart runs into the box and consistently scores would be a gamechanger.
Toronto
CB
It’s probably the only area that Toronto has not been thriving in through the first 10 games. It was always clear that the team’s attacking style would at times leave the back open. That being said, AFCT is still searching for a true leader in the backline.
WB
Not sure how Colby Barnett is still okay after playing all 900 minutes at left wingback so far this season. Zoe Burns' addition will help, but she’ll also be needed to give Nikki Small some rest on the right side following Ashouri’s departure. Another experienced wingback would go a long way in providing the depth required for a Championship push.
Vancouver
RB
16 goals conceded in 11 games, and a -6 goal differential isn’t good enough. The Rise has been susceptible, especially down their right side. Wright has played most games but hasn’t always looked confident against the ball. The Rise need to sign someone who can match Jasmyne Spencer’s output on the left side.
CB
Shannon Woeller’s been a constant and leads the league in touches and passes, but the left centerback spot is far from set. Cowart, Faulknor, and Young have all played there at different points in the season, but have also struggled with injuries. The Rise have an opportunity to sign another CB this window, to help Woeller or facilitate a formation change.
FWD
With only 9 goals scored, the Rise need to find their scoring boots quickly. Having fallen to 5th place, in part due to a lack of scoring, it’s a real area of concern for the squad. They don’t have a lot of international spots left, so a Canadian attacker with a scoring pedigree could be just what the doctor ordered. League 1 standouts like Ally Rowe or Olivia Brown could be a low-risk option to their scoring problems.
Calgary
CB
You saw right away that when Moore and/or Roelfsma are out, Calgary doesn’t have enough coverage in central defense. Tilly James also got hurt, so Ally Green filled in, but you need her on the left. O’Neill also jumped and Talia White made her debut in week 9. Moore is on her 4th yellow and may soon be serving a suspension.
FWD
With Sarah Griffiths finishing her short-term loan from Chicago, the Wild have an additional international spot open to sign a forward. While young guns T. Stewart and Thurton have done well on the wings, Kahli Johnson’s absence was felt while she was dealing with an injury. Someone with a goal-scoring pedigree who can play centrally or across the front three would be ideal.
Ottawa
CB/FB
Jylissa Harris and Liv Scott make up the best CB duo in the league right now, hands down. Choo and Adamek have played nearly every minute at fullback, contributing to a back line that has been difficult to break down. Susanne Haaland has been the fifth player up, and Nicola Golen had a decent performance at LB, but is more dangerous higher up the pitch. Another addition could add another dimension to the Rapid’s stellar defense.
CM
When Desi Scott and Ellen Gibson weren’t on the pitch, the Rapid’s gameplan was not nearly as effective. Choo was a decent back-up option, but moving her centrally left the left side vulnerable. Most of the midfielders in the Rapid’s squad are more offensive - Benati, Belzile, etc, and teenager Lofthouse is not ready for a lead role yet. Miranda Smith is the only other CDM in the squad.
Montreal
CM
Bilbault and Hess are in the conversation for midfield duo of the season so far. They both bring the intensity needed to maintain a vicious midfield press and make very few mistakes on the ball, too. When Bilbault was out with a concussion, you immediately saw the effects on the pitch. There’s no guarantee that the 35-yo stays healthy all year, especially if she continues to play 85+ minutes per game on average.
LM/RM
Noemi Paquin and Megane Sauve have been outstanding for Montreal in their hybrid midfield/attacking roles in the classic 4-4-2 formation. Both have played over 800 minutes. Latifah Abdu also played there at times, but looked most dangerous up front when combining with Boychuk. There’s been a bit of a drop in quality when coach Rositoiu has gone to the bench so it could be an area to target this transfer window.
Now that we have a good sense of what type of reinforcements clubs need, let’s take a look at what Canadians are on the market.