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MUNICH — Jamal Musiala is still using crutches after breaking his leg at the Club World Cup, but Bayern Munich hopes he’ll be back by the end of the year. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder was stretchered off in pain after colliding with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma as his team lost 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarterfinals this month. “Jamal still has crutches but the process is very, very positive,” Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said Thursday at an event to present new signing Luis Díaz. Eberl added that the club expects Musiala could return around the same time as wing back Alphonso Davies. The Canadian player has been out since sustaining a severe knee ligament injury with his national team in March, but Eberl said he had his “first exercises on the field” Thursday. “So far, there have been no complications with both of them. We need to knock on wood that it stays that way and then we obviously hope th...

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Lionel Messi had two assists, including one in the final seconds of the match, to help lift Inter Miami over Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener on Wednesday night. It was Messi’s first game since he and teammate Jordi Alba were suspended one match by Major League Soccer for skipping its All-Star game. He connected with Marcelo Weigandt for the winning score in the final minute of stoppage time. “It’s a competition that we always do well in,” Messi said in Spanish during a post-match interview with Apple TV. “I think we did a great job against a great team.” Messi also assisted on Telasco Segovia’s goal that opened scoring. He received a through ball from Sergio Busquets and sent it to Segovia for an easy finish in the 58th. Rivaldo Lozano scored the equalizer for the Guadalajara club in the 80th minute before Weigandt’s goal in the 96th that had to be confirmed by VAR after he was originally ruled offside. That meant five assists in July for Messi, who was...

The Colorado Rapids have loaned Canadian winger Kimani Stewart-Baynes to Lexington SC of the USL Championship for the remainder of the 2025 season.  Colorado took Stewart-Baynes fourth overall in the MLS SuperDraft in December 2023. The 20-year-old from Toronto has made 16 MLS appearances for the Rapids’ first team. His four appearances this season have all been off the bench, totalling 28 minutes. He’s made 18 appearances for Rapids 2 in MLS Next Pro play, with four goals in 12 appearances (742 minutes) this season.  Stewart-Baynes, who has represented Canada at the under-20 level, was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023 at the University of Maryland, scoring three goals and adding seven assists in 14 games As part of the loan agreement, the Rapids can recall Stewart-Baynes at any time.    “This is a perfect fit for Kimani at this point in his career and we are excited to see him make the most of this opportunity,” Colorado sporting director Fr...

BARCELONA, Spain — Spanish soccer club Barcelona is paying tribute to NBA legend Kobe Bryant with its second uniform launched Tuesday. The five-time European champion said its  new jersey  will replace the usual Nike swoosh logo “with the ‘Kobe Sheath’ — the sword in the sheath logo that identifies the Kobe Bryant brand.” Barcelona said the club had a special relationship with Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in Southern California in 2020. He made appearances alongside club members and first-team players during his visits to Barcelona and when the club visited the United States. “The shorts are black with Persian violet details and a textured snakeskin outline, a reference to the Black Mamba alter ego of Kobe,” Barcelona said. The change, made in collaboration with Nike, will last three seasons. “All in all, it is part of a brand collaboration between the NBA legend and FC Barcelona that is born out of a shared culture of sporting excellence that ch...

CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman has been fined by Major League Soccer for violating the league’s policy regarding simulation/embellishment. The amount of the fine was undisclosed. The incident occurred in the 73rd minute of Montreal’s 3-1 win over the New England Revolution on Friday. Waterman was shown a yellow card along with New England midfielder Carles Gil. More from Sportsnet CF Montreal beats Revolution, snaps four-game skid Reports: Thomas Muller agrees to two-year deal with Whitecaps

Bev Priestman, who lost her job as Canada coach in the wake of the Paris Olympic drone-spying scandal, is set to take over the Wellington Phoenix FC women’s team in New Zealand, according to local reports. The club hinted at the hire with a social media post showing a hand knocking on a door with the sign “Wellington Phoenix A-League Women’s Head Coach” and the tagline “Tomorrow.” Wellington finished ninth in Australia’s 12-team A-League last season at 7-13-3. In May, Wellington announced that assistant coach Amy Shepherd would serve as interim head coach until a permanent appointment is made in late July, which coincides with the end of Priestman’s one-year FIFA ban. Priestman, assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi were all handed one-year suspensions by FIFA in the wake of New Zealand’s Olympic Committee filing a complaint with the International Olympic Committee’s integrity unit, alleging drones were flown over a pair of pre-tournament practice sess...

Canadian international winger Tajon Buchanan made his loan move to Villarreal CF permanent Tuesday, signing a five-year contract with the Spanish club. The 26-year-old from Brampton, Ont., joined Villarreal on Feb. 1 from Italy’s Inter Milan on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent. Buchanan joined Inter in January 2024 from Belgium’s Club Brugge but found playing time hard to get in the star-studded squad with 17 appearances in total. A broken leg suffered in training with Canada at last year’s Copa America did not help. Still Buchanan made history as the first Canadian goal-scorer in Serie A when he scored off the bench in May 2024 in a 5-0 win over Frosinone. The permanent move should help Buchanan get playing time ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The elusive winger has already made 13 appearances for Villarreal, scoring one goal and adding two assists. Villarreal, which plays at the 23,00-capacity Estadio de la Ceramica, finished fifth in the 20-t...

MANCHESTER, England — Joao Felix took his total transfer cost to around C$358 million Tuesday when completing his latest move — this time to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr. The Portugal forward has teamed up with compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo, joining from Chelsea for a reported initial fee of 30 million euros (C$47.7 million) and signing a two-year contract. “I’m here to spread joy. Let’s win together,” Felix said in a video announcing his arrival, shared on Al Nassr’s social media channels. He is the latest star player from Europe to move to Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom’s bid to become a major force in soccer. But his transfer from Club World Cup winner Chelsea is the latest in a long line of moves for a player who holds the record for the fourth most expensive signing in history, but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him so early in his career. Still only 25, Felix has time to hit the heights he seemed destined for when joining Spanis...

Canadian international midfielder Mathieu Choiniere is returning to Major League Soccer, joining Los Angeles FC on loan from Grasshopper Club Zurich through the end of the year. The 26-year-old from St-Alexandre, Que., made 18 appearances for the Swiss club, including eight starts, since arriving last August on a transfer from CF Montreal. “Mathieu is a proven performer in our league whose experience, intelligence, and versatility in midfield will be a tremendous asset to our group,” LAFC co-president and GM John Thorrington. “We’re thrilled to welcome him to LAFC as we strengthen our roster in pursuit of more trophies.” Choiniere, whose older brother David plays for Forge FC in the Canadian Premier League, has won 17 caps for Canada. Mathieu Choiniere was the first player in CF Montreal franchise history to have progressed through every stage of the academy, which he joined in 2011. He signed his professional contract on July 17, 2018, making his first-team debut the ne...

BASEL, Switzerland — England thrived in the high drama yet again to take down Spain in a penalty shootout and win another Women’s European Championship title on Sunday. Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give defending champion England a 3-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time. It’s the second straight Women’s Euros final decided by Kelly scoring. England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved spot kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmati, before substitute Salma Paralluelo dragged her shot wide of goal. The defending champion won the only way it knew how at this thrilling Euro 2025. England fell behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes – just as it did against Italy and Sweden previously in the knockout rounds. England levelled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo’s header from a cross by Kelly after Mariona Caldentey had given Spain the lead in the 25th, finishing Ona Battle’s cro...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Idan Toklomati and Kerwin Vargas each scored a second-half goal, Kristijan Kahlina had three saves and Charlotte FC beat Toronto FC 2-0 on Saturday night to win their fourth Major League Soccer game in a row. Kahlina has six shutouts this season for Charlotte (12-11-2), which is unbeaten in five straight. Brandt Bronico chipped an entry from the right corner of the box to the back post and a wide-open Toklomati headed home the finish to open the scoring in the 60th minute. Vargas made it 2-0 in the 65th. Wilfried Zaha dispossessed Toronto in its defensive half and immediately played a ball-ahead that led a streaking Vargas for a low finish from the right-centre of the area that deflected of goalkeeper Sean Johnson into the top corner of the net. The 20-year-old Toklomati has all of his six career goals this season, his second in MLS. The Israeli forward scored a goal in back-to-back games and has five goals in his last seven contests. Sean Johnson stopped two sho...

LIVERPOOL, England — Liverpool will have a permanent memorial sculpture at its Anfield stadium to honor Diogo Jota, who died in a car crash earlier this month, the English club said Saturday. The Premier League champion said that recyclable material from “thousands of physical tributes, including flowers, works of art, cards, banners and opposition jerseys” left by fans at a spontaneous tribute site for the Liverpool player will be used to make the sculpture. Jota and his brother André Silva died when they crashed while driving in northwestern Spain on July 3. Liverpool fans honored their passing by leaving flowers and other objects outside Anfield. The club said that the floral arrangements left for Jota would be composted and used in flower beds at club properties, including its stadium. Liverpool had already said that it is retiring Jota’s No. 20 jersey number. More from Sportsnet Liverpool players, fans pay tribute to Jota in first game since for...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Prince Owusu, Dante Sealy and Olger Escobar each scored a goal on Friday night to help CF Montreal beat the New England Revolution 3-1 to snap a four-game winless streak. Montreal (4-15-6) went into the game with 15 points this season, fewest in MLS. Caden Clark tapped a one-touch pass from just outside the area toward the penalty spot and Sealy slammed home a first-timer to give Montreal a 2-1 lead in the 36th. Clark, a 22-year-old midfielder in his fifth MLS season, has a career-high tying four assists this season. After Jonathan Sirois punched away an arcing cross near the right post and fell to the ground, Luca Langoni skipped a shot from the right-center of the area that was blocked at the goal line by Joel Waterman in the 85th. New England (6-11-7) is winless, with five losses, in its last six. Sirois had one save, a diving one-hand stop of a shot by Chancalay, that was deflected by Bugaj, in the 53rd. Tomás Chancalay gave the Revolution a 1-0 lead with ...

Another major injury is forcing the Vancouver Whitecaps to once again rotate their lineup as the club tries to climb back atop the standings.  The ‘Caps (12-5-6) announced Tuesday that stalwart centre back Ranko Veselinovic will miss the rest of the season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.  “It’s, of course, horrible for Ranko. I feel, we all feel, with him and for him, because getting an ACL rupture is very bad,” said Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen. “Ranko is doing OK. But of course, we have to figure out what to do without him, because he’s also been a key part of the season so far.” The injury means Sorensen will field a different defensive corps when Vancouver hosts Sporting Kansas City (6-11-6) on Saturday.  The ‘Caps head into the game sitting second in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference standings, just one point behind San Diego FC — a club they battled to a 1-1 draw last week. Lineup changes have become routine for Vancouve...

Samantha Chang’s two first-half goals was all Vancouver Rise FC needed in defeating AFC Toronto 2-1 on Thursday in Northern Super League action. Chang scored in the 19th and 35th minutes to tie the game, then put Vancouver (5-5-3) ahead in the contest. Kaylee Hunter opened the scoring, putting Toronto (8-5-1) on the board just nine minutes into the game. Toronto, which sits atop the NSL standings, has now lost two in a row on the heels of a five-game winning streak. Vancouver, meanwhile, has won two straight having entered Thursday’s match coming off a 6-0 win over Halifax last Saturday. Vancouver next hosts Ottawa Rapid FC on Aug. 2, while Toronto next visits Calgary Wild FC on Aug. 2.

LONDON — Crystal Palace confirmed Thursday that New York Jets owner Woody Johnson’s purchase of Eagle Football’s shareholding in the Premier League club has been completed. “I am honoured and privileged to be joining the ownership group of Crystal Palace Football Club,” Johnson told the club website. Palace announced last month that Johnson had signed “a legally binding contract” to buy the shares of fellow American John Textor, who had a 43 per cent stake in the London club, with reports at the time placing the price between $220 million and $260 million. The latest club statement gave no financial details. Johnson joins chairman Steve Parish, Josh Harris and David Blitzer as a partner and director of the club, and has also signed the Premier League’s Owners’ Charter. “It is an organization with a proud history, tradition, and deep roots in English football in South London, which I came to admire during my time as US Ambassador to the United Kingdom,” Johnson said. Pala...

LONDON — Cristhian Mosquera became Arsenal’s fifth signing of the off-season on Thursday after completing a move from Valencia.  The Spain Under-21 defender cost a reported 13 million pounds ($17.5 million) and signed a five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.  “We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future,” Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta said.  Arsenal, which has finished runner-up in the Premier League for the last three seasons, has been active in the market this summer.  The move for Mosquera comes after deals for midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard, forward Noni Madueke and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. The London club is also widely expected to sign a striker, with Viktor Gyokeres a reported target.  The 21-year-old Mosquera was born in Spain and is also eligible to play for Colombia. He won gold at the Par...

AUSTIN, Texas — Lionel Messi missed the Major League Soccer All-Star Game against Liga MX on Wednesday night. Messi’s teammate at Inter Miami, Jordi Alba, also missed the game. An MLS spokesperson said Inter Miami informed league officials that the two players will not appear in the match at Q2 Stadium. Both could face a one-match suspension for missing the All-Star Game without a credible injury report. The league will speak with Inter Miami officials before providing an update on possible suspensions. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday before the match that no decision has been made about suspensions for Messi and Alba. Inter Miami faces Cincinnati on Saturday. Garber did say that the league should have known earlier than it did that Messi and Alba would not appear. Messi missed the All-Star Game last year with an injury. Messi is tied with Nashville forward Sam Surridge for the MLS lead in goals scored with 18. Messi has scored two goals in six of his last seven matche...

ZURICH — Aitana Bonmatí scored in extra time to send Spain to its first-ever Women’s European Championship final with a 1-0 win over Germany on Wednesday, setting up a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final. A stubborn Germany performance had seen it take the world champions to extra time and Spain needed a superb strike from the two-time Ballon d’Or winner to secure a first-ever win over Germany. Spain moved closer to adding the European Championship trophy to its collection after winning the World Cup and Nations League in the past two years. Montse Tomé’s side will face defending champion England on Sunday in a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final, which Spain won 1-0. England also needed extra time to snatch a 2-1 win over Italy on Tuesday. More from Sportsnet England breaks Italy’s hearts in extra time to advance to Euro 2025 final England’s Jess Carter reveals racial abuse at Euro 2025, FA has contacted police

MADRID — Atletico Madrid has reached a deal to sign David Hancko after the defender reportedly was turned away by Al-Nassr when he arrived at the Saudi team’s training camp. Atletico said Wednesday it has an agreement with Dutch club Feyenoord for the transfer of the Slovak player. The deal was pending a medical, and financial details were not disclosed. Spanish and Dutch media said Feyenoord had originally reached an agreement with Al-Nassr for Hancko’s transfer, but the Saudi team — where Cristiano Ronaldo plays — reportedly backed away at the last minute. The defender had already arrived in Austria, where Al-Nassr was training, but was told there by Al-Nassr that the deal fell apart. Atletico, the third-place finisher in the Spanish league last season, has been boosting its squad in recent weeks. It signed 22-year-old right back Marc Pubill from Almeria, 24-year-old Argentine international Thiago Almada from Brazilian club Botafogo, midfielder Álex Baena...

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ranko Veselinovic will miss the rest of the Major League Soccer season after suffering a knee injury.  The 26-year-old centre back left the field after getting hurt in the 34th minute of Vancouver’s 1-1 draw with San Diego FC on Saturday, and did not return to the game.  The club announced Tuesday that he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an injury that will end his season. The Whitecaps say Veselinovic and the club’s medical staff will determine next steps “in the coming days.” The Serbian defender is in his sixth year with the ‘Caps and has acted as captain for much of the campaign, filling in for midfielder Ryan Gauld who has been recovering from a knee injury since early March.  Veselinovic made his 200th appearance for Vancouver on Saturday, equalling Jordan Harvey for the second most in the MLS era.  Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster says the injury is “genuinely heartbreaking.” “(Veselinovic) ha...

The Vancouver Whitecaps have added a new playmaking midfielder to their roster, acquiring Kenji Cabrera from Peruvian club FBC Melgar.  The club announced the news Tuesday morning, less than a week after the ‘Caps officially transferred midfielder Pedro Vite to LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM.  Cabrera, 22, has signed a contract through 2028 with a club option for 2029, and will officially join the roster pending receipt of his international transfer certificate, visa, work permit and medical.  Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster says the team has started the immigration process and hopes to have him join the club by mid-August.  The five-foot-seven, 160-pound athlete previously played in the Peruvian Liga 1 with FBC Melgar, where he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists across 122 appearances for the club, including nine goals and four assists over 26 games this year. Cabrera, who can play as a winger as well as a midfielder, was born in Japan to a Japanese ...

LEEDS, England — Leeds, back in the Premier League this season, has signed former Germany defensive midfielder Anton Stach from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim. Leeds said on Tuesday the 26-year-old had been given a four-year contract. Financial details were not disclosed but according to media reports the fee is 17.4 million pounds ($23.5 million). “The biggest target is to stay in the league and personally just develop, adapt to the league, to the speed of course, and then get many good experiences hopefully,” Stach said. Stach, who also previously played for Mainz, has made 122 Bundesliga appearances since 2021. He has two Germany caps, the last of which came in 2022. Stach is the sixth new signing made by Leeds ahead of the club’s return to the Premier League.

MANCHESTER, England — Bryan Mbeumo became Manchester United’s second major signing of the transfer window on Monday after completing a move from Brentford for 65 million pounds ($87 million). Mbeumo follows the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers as United coach Ruben Amorim looks to overhaul his squad following United’s worst ever season in the Premier League. “As soon as I knew there was a chance to join Manchester United, I had to take the opportunity to sign for the club of my dreams; the team whose shirt I wore growing up,” Mbeumo said. “My mentality is to always be better than I was yesterday. I know that I have the spirit and character to reach another level here, learning from Ruben Amorim and playing alongside world-class players.” The fee for the 25-year-old Cameroon international was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person with knowledge of the deal. The person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because details have not been mad...

HAMBURG, Germany — Israel goalkeeper Daniel Peretz is joining promoted Hamburger SV from Bayern Munich on loan for next season. “Daniel has continued to develop at FC Bayern over the past two years, and we are very pleased with him,” Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund said Monday. “He has really good skills and an outstanding character. He’s always reliable in our goalkeeping team led by Manuel Neuer. Now he’ll gain further experience and plenty of Bundesliga minutes at Hamburger SV.” That’s not a given, as established goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes is a club favorite at Hamburg after helping it to promotion last season. The 32-year-old Heuer Fernandes showed he’s in fine form with several saves in a friendly game at Austrian team Sturm Graz on Saturday. The 25-year-old Peretz made seven competitive appearances for Bayern since joining from Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2023, but found it hard to break through with Neuer still preferred as No. 1 and Bayern signing the 21-year-ol...

LONDON — Former England midfielder Paul Gascoigne is back home and “doing well” after being hospitalized over the weekend, his representative said Monday. “Paul voluntarily went into A&E on Friday after struggling with a throat condition he has had for a while,” Carly Saward at The MNT talent agency told The Associated Press in an email. “He is already back home and doing well.” British newspaper The Sun reported that the 58-year-old Gascoigne had been found “semi-conscious” at home by a friend on Friday in Poole in south England and initially been admitted to an intensive care unit. Gascoigne helped lead England to the semifinals at the 1990 World Cup and 1996 European Championship and was widely considered one of the most naturally talented players of his generation. But he has battled alcohol addiction for decades and has also had other health problems in recent years.

MADRID — Barcelona’s already impressive front line is about to be boosted by the signing of Marcus Rashford. Rashford is in Barcelona to complete a move from Manchester United, a person with knowledge of the transfer told The Associated Press on Monday. The person did not want to be named because they were not authorized to speak about it publicly. The loan deal would give the 27-year-old England forward, once considered among Europe’s top talents, a chance to revive a career that stalled in recent years after falling out of favor at United and ending last season on loan at Aston Villa. Spanish media said the one-year loan agreement with United would give Barcelona an option to buy Rashford for about 30 million euros ($35 million). Barcelona had the best attack in Spanish soccer and one of the most prolific across Europe last season, but had been trying to add another piece to the frontline to go along with young star Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and veteran Robert Lewandowski. Rashfor...

NYON, Switzerland — José Mourinho will take his Fenerbahce team to Feyenoord in the Champions League third qualifying round after the draw was made Monday. Fenerbahce, which finished runner-up in the Turkish league, will go to Rotterdam for the first leg on Aug. 5 or 6 and host the return in Istanbul on Aug. 12. The winner will advance to a qualifying playoffs round in August with a place in the lucrative 36-team league phase at stake. In other pairings between teams that did not win their domestic league, Benfica will play the first leg at Nice and the winner of the second qualifying round clash between Salzburg and Brann will host Club Brugge in the first leg. Benfica and Salzburg — which plays the first leg against Brann in Norway on Wednesday — have an early start to their European season after returning from the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Benfica’s season ended June 28, losing to eventual champion Chelsea in the round of 16, and Salzburg played until June 26 in...

HARRISON, N.J. — Lionel Messi had two goals and two assists, Telasco Segovia also scored twice, and Inter Miami beat the New York Red Bulls 5-1 on Saturday night. It was Messi’s sixth multi-goal game in his last seven matches. Messi became the fifth player in Major League Soccer history to record at least 35 goals and 25 assists over a two-year span, joining Robbie Keane (2013-14), Sebastian Giovinco (2015-16), Carlos Vela (2018-19) and Cucho Hernández (2023-24). Miami scored two goals in three minutes midway through the first half to take the lead. Messi’s beautiful pass to Jordi Alba tied it at 1-all in the 24th minute. Then Messi’s lofted pass over the defence led to Segovia’s first goal. Messi scored on a breakaway in the 60th and he chested down Luis Suárez’s pass for a left-footed blast in the 75th for his 18th goal of the season. Miami (12-4-5) has dominated the past three matchups with the Red Bulls, winning 6-2 on May 3, 2024 and 4-1 on May 3, 2025. New York (9-...

Hugo Cuypers and Jack Elliott scored for Chicago and CF Montreal lost its 15th game on the season, falling 2-0 to the Fire at Stade Saputo. Montreal (3-15-6) remains on pace to complete their worst season in the club’s 32-year history. Montreal controlled the rhythm of the Major League Soccer match in the opening stages as Chicago (9-9-5) settled into a defensive block and looked to hit back on the counter, using that to open the scoring in the 13th minute. After escaping from several Montreal chances without conceding, two quick passes forward led to Leonardo Barroso breaking away and hitting the post, leaving Cuypers to mop up the rebound. Montreal’s response for the remainder of the first half was a microcosm of its season as the squad continued to dominate the ball and pin the Fire back, but could not find any breakthrough. To make matters worse, Fabian Herbers exited the game with what appeared to be an injury for the fourth time this season. Herbers has already missed a doze...

Florence Belzile and Delaney Baie Pridham scored first-half goals 10 minutes apart and the visiting Ottawa Rapids went on to defeat the Calgary Wild 3-0 in Northern Super League play at McMahon Stadium on Saturday. Meikayla Moore was given credit for the Wild’s own goal three minutes into the second half — the ball bounced off Wild goalkeeper Stephanie Bukovec and into the net — as Ottawa improved to five wins, four losses and two draws, while the Wild slipped to four wins, six losses and two draws. The Rapids controlled possession for 52 per cent of the match and outshot the Wild 14-8 (and 3-2 on-target). “We are obviously really upset to concede two set pieces, but our play didn’t create that much, and they did dictate the tempo of the game,” said Wild head coach Lydia Bedford. “We really struggled to get a foot hold. I think the players kept fighting which is important. They tried to solve problems at the half, but just were less successful, and too far off it on the whole today...

Latifah Abdu and Mégane Sauvé each scored a goal to lift Montreal Roses FC past AFC Toronto 2-1 in a battle between two top Northern Super League teams Friday. Abdu, a 23-year-old from Montreal who has one senior international cap with Canada, pounced on a loose ball in the box to give Montreal (6-3-3) a 1-0 lead in the 31st minute. Roses co-captain Sauvé doubled the lead in the 69th with her first in the NSL when she smashed a curling shot from outside the box into the net. Victoria Pickett cut into the lead in the 78th minute, floating a shot from well outside the box over the arms of keeper Anna Karpenko for Toronto (8-4-1) at York Lions Stadium. Second-place Montreal now has 21 points in the NSL standings and trails Toronto by only four with one fewer game played. The two sides split their previous two meetings. Montreal defeated Toronto on the road in the first fixture for both franchises April 19 at BMO Field. Toronto then handed Montreal a 2-0 loss at Stade Boréale on May ...

The Northern Super League’s inaugural final will be played at Toronto’s BMO Field on Nov. 15, the league announced Friday at halftime of a match between Montreal Roses FC and AFC Toronto. The long-awaited Canadian women’s professional soccer league kicked off a 25-game regular season in April with six founding franchises: Montreal, Toronto, Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, Ottawa Rapid FC and Vancouver Rise FC. The regular season’s top four teams advance to a home-and-away semifinal series. The two clubs with the highest aggregate scores advance to the championship. Toronto hosted Montreal in its first fixture on April 19 at BMO Field, the 30,000-capacity home of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC and the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts. The club has otherwise played its regular-season matches at York Lions Stadium. BMO Field will also host six games at next summer’s FIFA World Cup. Before Friday’s action, Toronto (8-3-1) topped the NSL standings with 25 points, seven more than...

The Vancouver Whitecaps will be without one of their top scorers this weekend as they seek to retake the No. 1 spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference. The club announced Friday that 23-year-old midfielder Pedro Vite has been transferred to LIGA MX side Pumas UNAM.  Terms of the deal were not released, but Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement that the club will invest the transfer fee to “strengthen our roster, for both immediate impact and long-term success” and Vancouver will receive a percentage of any future transfer fees.  “Pedro arrived in Vancouver at 19, living outside of Ecuador for the first time. Year after year, he continued to progress, and this season he’s emerged as one of the top midfielders in MLS and a key contributor to his national team,” Schuster said. “We explored several options with Pedro and, ultimately, we respect his decision. We’re grateful for everything he brought to the club and wish him all the best in the n...