Mark Sampson, head coach of the English women’s team, spoke about how vital the rise of the WSL has been to the success of his Lionesses. At the Women’s World Cup, 22 of the 23 players on the English roster came from WSL clubs. The odd one out was striker Jodie Taylor, who plays with the Portland Thorns of the NWSL.

Those seats had been reserved for FIFA delegates. But hundreds of delegates who were supposed to be in those seat  decided to stay away from the Women’s World Cup opener — as it came just days after Swiss and American authorities made arrests of FIFA officials on racketeering and fraud charges.

Now, the issue is finally out, with much of it dedicated to a look back to the biggest soccer tournament ever played on Canadian soil. As well, look for features on Cyle Larin, Chaim Roserie and a look at the history of the Jackson Cup.

We begin our look back at the 2015 Women’s World Cup with a salute to the champions — this tournament was held on Canadian soil but, by the time the final kicked off, the Americans had made it theirs — on the field and in the stands...

When I read through the indictment from the United States Department of Justice, what was striking wasn’t the amount of money or that votes could allegedly be sold so easily. What was shocking was how little was hidden from plain sight.

Then, the replay; it showed Haber was a step ahead of those three defenders when the ball was struck. The linesman had got the offside call correct. We couldn’t even have the cold solace of a conspiracy theory.

“Explain this to me,” said Miller. “We play in Fort Lauderdale Saturday, and tomorrow we’ll be flying through Tampa on the way to San Antonio. Then, we’re back in Tampa on Saturday. How does that make sense? Only in this league does this happen, I guess. I’m not sure about the stadium availability, but how does this happen?”

But, that doesn’t mean the Canadian scene was dead when it comes to the North American first and second divisions. This weekend, Bruno Zebie made his NASL debut, coming on as a sub for FC Edmonton in its 1-1 draw with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. But, what makes it all the more interesting is that his brother, Allan Zebie, started the game.

Canadian midfielder Mozzi Gyorio is suing Minnesota United and the North American Soccer League. The Prince Edward Island-raised Gyorio claims the team breached the terms of the contract, and that the league allowed it to happen.

Now, two years later, it’s looking like the cabal of Miller critics owe the man an apology — at least for the criticisms of how he handled the national side. While Canada flounders through another goalless Gold Cup (as Morrissey once sang: Stop me if you think you’ve heard this one before), Miller’s FC Edmonton leads the NASL in goals scored.