Sports – Brandon Sun

Soccer

NSL PHOTO
Halifax Tides’ Julia Benati (second from left) had a beauty of bending boot last Saturday in the club’s 2-0 shutout of the Calgary Wild.

Around the NSL: Bending it like Benati; Calgary’s collapse; Rapid and Roses still on top

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

Welcome back to the View from Row Z, Northern Super League superfans!

While yours truly has been caught up in all things FIFA World Cup since the men’s tournament kicked off June 11 during the NSL’s well-deserved bye week, Week 8 kicked off two days later with a doubleheader last Saturday.

Get your footy-lingo hats on and let’s take a look back at the storylines from last weekend.

Highlight of the week

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Soccer

Carrie Serwetnyk photo
Fans give the thumbs up in Vancouver after Canada’s historic first World Cup win. Over 52,000 fans packed in to BC Place to watch the match between Canada and Qatar.

Vancouver festivities spilled into the streets after Canada’s historic first men’s win

Carrie Serwetnyk 6 minute read Preview

Vancouver festivities spilled into the streets after Canada’s historic first men’s win

Carrie Serwetnyk 6 minute read Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

The soccer gods finally smiled down on team Canada Thursday as the home side hammered Qatar 6-0. To boot, it was the first win in World Cup history by Canada’s men.

What a spectacle. Over 52,000 fans, most donning the Maple Leaf, got their money’s worth — and that’s saying something given the ticket prices — as Canada put shot after shot on net at Vancouver Stadium.

It was a dream come true.

Canada came out strong, was up by three goals and a man at halftime — after Homan Ahmed was shown a red card — then cruised to victory on the back of a Jonathan David hat trick — another first for Canada at a World Cup.

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Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

Soccer

Ashley Landis / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cristiano Ronaldo did not score the lone goal for Portugal in the country’s Group K opener on Wednesday in Houston, Texas.

The Ronaldo debate continues

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Preview

The Ronaldo debate continues

Jerrad Peters 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

It is dividing families, splitting cities and carving a nation in two. There’s a generational component and, because it’s a 21st century matter, an online venue. International observers are being asked to pick a side.

Should Cristiano Ronaldo start Portugal’s upcoming match against Uzbekistan?

Some facts to consider: Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer in men’s international football; his international goals-per-match average is better than Lionel Messi’s; he’s won five Ballons d’Or and has claimed top-player honours in England, Spain and Italy; 10 years ago he captained his country to a first European Championship.

That’s the argument, or most of it, in the Verde-e-Brancos parts of Lisbon, among the highest and lowest age categories of Seleção supporters, and in Portugal’s central and southern regions, generally speaking.

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Friday, Jun. 19, 2026

Soccer

Abbie Parr / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jonathan David’s (left) teammates celebrate his hat trick in Vancouver on Thursday. Canada’s 6-0 route of Qatar made history as no CONCACAF team has scored more than four goals in a single game at the World Cup.

Midfielder’s injury gives Canada a greater purpose to succeed

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Preview

Midfielder’s injury gives Canada a greater purpose to succeed

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Thursday, Jun. 18, 2026

Some important questions needed answering in Canada’s second game of the 2026 World Cup. Well, consider them answered. And how.

Perhaps the most practical query involved striker Jonathan David, whose disappointing club season at Juventus seemed to seep into the national team’s Group B opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

After his early substitution in Toronto, would he start in Vancouver?

The answer: yes.

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Thursday, Jun. 18, 2026

Soccer

Kevin Sousa / REUTERS
Canada’s Cyle Larin’s tying goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina Friday gave life to co-host’s knock-out round push.

Canadian men have momentum in Group B after late Larin goal

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Preview

Canadian men have momentum in Group B after late Larin goal

Jerrad Peters 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

It was a draw that felt like a win.

Had Canada lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina Friday afternoon, its home World Cup would not have been guaranteed beyond next week.

Instead, the pressure is a little bit less. And in a tournament where margins matter, less is preferable to more.

Just contemplate what almost was.

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Friday, Jun. 12, 2026

Soccer

Moises Castillo / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spain is one of the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup. But even if the team cruises to a Group H win, history tells a different tale about tourney juggernauts.
Thomas Padilla / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Head coach Didier Deschamps (right) looks to lead World Cup co-favourite Kylian Mbappé (left) and France to football’s promised land.

May the best team win… maybe

Jerrad Peters 7 minute read Preview

May the best team win… maybe

Jerrad Peters 7 minute read Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

The best team doesn’t always win the World Cup.

The Netherlands knows this; Hungary, too. And Brazil, the only country with five stars on its shirt, might be forgiven for wanting seven.

Those are the most famous examples, and we’ll get to them. But a number of others deserve recognition as well — none of it detracting from the teams that actually lifted the trophy.

Like Austria, for example.

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Wednesday, Jun. 10, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO FILES
Kaylee Hunter’s (right) breakaway strike for AFC Toronto against her hometown club on Sunday was a beauty off perfect tick-tack-toe passes from teammates April Lantaigne and Nikayla Small.

Around the NSL: Heavyweight clashes; a passing clinic; and the new race for first place

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Heavyweight clashes; a passing clinic; and the new race for first place

Grace Anne Paizen 4 minute read Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Remember the early edition of this column from last week? Well, how ’bout that thrilling clash between the Halifax Tides and Ottawa Rapid?

The saves from Kitchener, Ont., product Rylee Foster and Swedish phenom Mollie Eriksson alone were worth the watch.

Then the Rapid’s Jyllissa Harris banked in a rebound off a perfectly placed high boot from teammate Jung Min-Young. Then came Dorchester, Ont., native Julia Benati’s ball that bent over the fingertips of Eriksson as the home side tied the game at one-all.

Then in the chaos of the 88th minute, with Foster scrambling for a stop, the goalkeeper fumbled the save in front of Delaney Baie Pridham’s foot — who made sure to launch a strike into the net for Ottawa to take control of the game in the dying minutes.

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Friday, Jun. 5, 2026

Soccer

NSL PHOTO
Halifax Tides’ Cho so-Hyun (left) and Ottawa Rapid’s Jung Minyoung race to the ball in Week 1 action. The two club’s clash for the third time this season in a much-anticipated Friday matinee tilt.

Around the NSL: Vancouver rising; a tale of three strikes; Tides turning

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Preview

Around the NSL: Vancouver rising; a tale of three strikes; Tides turning

Grace Anne Paizen 5 minute read Thursday, May. 28, 2026

Welcome to an early edition of View from Row Z! There’s a fantastic Friday night match-up in the works and it would be remiss to not give the contest a proper hype up before kickoff.

Before getting into that, let’s give some credit where credit is due: Vancouver is finally rising in the ranks.

Once again head coach Anja Heiner-Moller threw Jessica Wulf into the net and again the Japanese phenom proved the right choice.

Wulf withstood 16 shots from AFC Toronto with the Rise managing just six. The young goalkeeper also survived all five corners from the Mighty Maroons and only relinquished a goal in the second minute of added time to Richmond Hill, Ont., product Cloey Uddenberg’s foot.

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Thursday, May. 28, 2026