So some of the fault lie with NASL, for not figuring out it should try not to stack the Eddies with so many road games later in July — and basically force a conflict with arguably the biggest soccer game this country will ever host. Does it make sense that the NASL is ballyhooing its July 4 opening weekend schedule, but having a Canadian team play at home? Seriously, if getting fireworks and hot dogs into the schedule was such a big deal, why not have the Eddies open the season on July 1 — Canada Day?

Before the BaoAn Cup, Canadian women’s team coach John Herdman mused that he could approach the game against China in one of two ways — he could play an experimental lineup that might keep the Chinese guessing all the way to June, or play a strong, first-choice team and get the psychological edge by beating the Chinese in their own stadium.

She’s Canada’s all-time leading scorer, but she only scored once for the national team in 2014.

Issue 4 of Plastic Pitch is out today! What will you find inside?

Canadian midfielder Desiree Scott has earned “Destroyer” as a nickname because of her aggressive nature. She will be a big part of Canada’s national team at the upcoming Women’s World Cup.

“The turf in Vancouver, in my opinion, is not good enough for the World Cup.”

“As significant as this case may be for the applicants, I do not find it appropriate to expedite an application where the applicants have not themselves acted expeditiously. I do not find it appropriate to expedite an application where the applicants did not file their application until 18 months or more after they reasonably would have been aware of the fact that gave rise to the application.”

I hate writing soccer-attendance stories. They remind me of the times I used to have to lobby and lobby editors to give a soccer story a little more space, or any space at all. So, just the writing this column is making me owly and growly. On Saturday, the Women’s World Cup champions from Japan came to Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium …

"But, after the World Cup, the options are open. But I did really enjoy it in England and, yes, I would go back."

In the minds of the CSA and its lawyers it’s “likely” that the HRTO does not have jurisdiction over what goes on in other provinces, and Hern says it’s a matter that will be argued.