In our NSL Era
April was historic. I am sure you all felt strongly about it and I still don’t have the words to describe the emotions around kickoff and the first few weeks of the season. I’ll leave the sentimentality to the pros. With 8 NSL games under our belt, the week-to-week routine of supporting this league is starting to crystallize. And that’s the magic of it. 10 pm ET kickoff times have been rough, but I’m not complaining.
Let’s chat about emerging trends and stories that have caught my eye.
Nerves prominent in “Firsts”
The occasion was BIG and it showed, understandably. There were five early goals (first 15’) and a couple of errors among them. There was a mildly chaotic energy in the first few games, but the teams grew into it quickly, often by the second half of their respective match. Calgary was UNDER it in the first half, struggling to stem the waves of Vancouver attacks orchestrated by Quinn and executed by Mariah Lee, Lisa Pechersky, and especially Holly Ward. A few smart changes in the second half, including bringing Serita Thurton and Taegan Stewart on and freeing up Jaclyn Sawicki in midfield, helped the Wild push on in the second half. Toronto was all over Montreal after the break and were unlucky to run into in-form Anna Karpenko, who made multiple key saves in front of her hometown GTA crowd, friends, and family. Halifax had an equally impressive turnaround at half, after conceding three times in the first 45’, Marika Guay scored the first goal in Tides history in the 54th, and the team was able to improve both their possession and compactness in the final stretch of the game. They looked even better against the Rise in their second match, keeping pace all match. It’s important to remember that these are brand new teams, front offices, pro referees, etc, so they’ll get a generous amount of leeway for at least a little while as things get going.
Montreal most tactically advanced, connected team
The teams that have done the best to start the season are the most tactically disciplined ones and generally are relying on a more mature core of players in midfield. Montreal, most of all, has been impressively resolute and organized defensively while making strategic use of strengths in offensive transition. The Roses were happy to allow Toronto more possession on an unfamiliar pitch in front of a raucous crowd. Capitalizing on one of two shots on target in the third minute, the rest of the match, they defended brilliantly and continued to frustrate Toronto’s offence. Veteran French midfielder Charlotte Bilbault won 7 tackles (11 total), 5 others won more than 3 each, including Tanya Boychuk, who scored the first non-penalty goal in league history, and Quebecoises Megane Sauve, Noemi Paquin, and Latifah Abdu. The team defending has been one of the Roses’ strong suits, as has their offensive players’ unpredictability and incisiveness in attacking transition. The games against Vancouver and Ottawa saw them assert more control over the game, scoring a brace quickly vs the Rise, and with a comeback win at their sold-out home opener at Stade Boreale. Latifah Abdu’s two goals have been absolute bangers. Boychuk’s movement in and out of the box has been fantastic, and she’s been fun to watch. Those two are the best forward duo in the league so far and have both scored twice already. Americans Haley Whittaker and Allie Hess, who both arrive with a few years of pro experience, have been impactful, as have the young centerback pair Leas and Cappadona. No wonder they are sitting at 9 points in three games. Bien joué!
Development Permits Explained
I have been intrigued by how the NSL would connect with other leagues in Canada to allow player movement. There is no USports draft or player agreement (similar to the CPL), although Universities have partnered with individual teams to share facilities (York, Dalhousie). There was no official news about official partnerships with CSB-owned and operated League 1 Canada as a whole or individual clubs. With key injuries being a factor early this season and most clubs leaving a few roster spots empty (presumably for the summer transfer window), it became even more evident that reinforcements would need to come from somewhere. Ottawa’s home-opener gave us a little more information when 16-year-olds Mia Ugarte and Naomi Lofthouse were activated on Youth Development permits. Lofthouse, who is committed to the NCAA’s Northwestern, made her debut in the home-opener when she replaced Desi Scott late in the game. Ugarte made her debut the following game against Montreal. Similarly, in Vancouver, 18-yo Sienna Gibson, a UBC standout playing for Altitude this season, was activated against Halifax and was subbed on at half. Based on my information, eligible players must be under the age of 19 and can sign two development contracts a year that include up to 3 matches (must enter the game to count) with the same or two different teams. They are not compensated, thus maintaining their collegiate eligibility, and do not count towards the salary or roster cap. It’s exciting to think that the next Christine or the next Jessie will likely appear in this league via the Youth Development mechanism. Keep an eye on this throughout the season.
16-yo Lofthouse replaces D. Scott | Photo Credit: Ottawa Sports Pages