Does it kind of feel like the Canada Women’s National Team (aka CanWNT/CanXNT) just got bad overnight? Or was it more of a gradual process?

In the few starting chapters of the Casey Stoney era, the team has suffered four straight losses and haven’t scored any goals since June.

When Stoney was first hired, there was great promise as he inherited a team that had just tied Spain, ended the previous year with many goals scored and had brought in new, rising talent.

Emma Regan was soon announced as a signing for Northern Super League‘s AFC Toronto and played every minute for them, becoming a critical piece of the team. AFC Toronto went on to win the Supporters’ Shield, made the NSL final and Regan herself has been discussed as an heir apparent to Desiree Scott.

Back at CanWNT, huge expectations existed to take the team to new heights after a very difficult Paris Olympics.

Early Results Masked Underlying Issues

When the CanWNT headed to the Pinatar Cup, they played as they should have. The squad wasn’t really challenged, playing teams that were ranking around 20-30 in the world, which made for a relativelty painless cup victory.

Playing teams like Haiti and Costa Rica, they scored the necessary goals while showing flashes of vulnerabilities that would be exposed against top-tier opponents they hadn’t yet played against.

Then came the second half of the year, June and beyond.

The CanWNT Identity Crisis Under Casey Stoney

In 2025, Casey Stoney had limited time with the team, seeing only six windows over the year. There was then the unfortunate news of her mother being terminally ill from cancer, which had Stoney taking an leave of absence to be by her side.

Throughout the year, a major point of discussion had been, does anyone know what the team’s identity is under Stoney?

The squad had looked not only uninspired but lacklustre. Missing an airtight defence, physical presence and losing duel after duel, they were not the CanWNT they once were not long ago.

In the attacking phase, if they are creating chances, they’re not finishing them. They appear wasteful, untidy in possession, and look unsure of themselves.

This is such a talented group with bags of experience and at times, it’s like they’ve forgotten how to play together with a glaring disconnect between what Stoney has wanted and the execution that follows. This has left the team nowhere near its standards collectively or individually.

Individual Form Reflects the Bigger Problem

Individually, some players are not only struggling at the national level but also at club level.

Even midfielders like captain Jesse Fleming don’t look like the same player we saw a year or two ago during their ascension. But that’s a microcosm of the issues facing the CanWNT.

The CanWNT lost 3-0 to Japan but we know it could have been more. Japan carved them wide open and looked to be on a completely different level, leaving us likely to slip out of the top 10 and looking like lambs walking to the slaughter upon entering the pitch.

Simply put, the underlying performances since June have been difficult for the team, and difficult to watch for fans.

Is the Rest of the World Catching Up?

As the women’s game continues to rise, concern for the CanWNT doesn’t have to be long-term as the Northern Super League goes into its second year of developing players on home soil. However, we may not see the full NT benefits of that for another year or two.

As other countries across the globe take women’s football more seriously, the sport is going to get so much more competitive.

Gratefully, this was a year without a major competition but now we’re less than a year out from Women’s World Cup qualificiation. There’s still time to tinker.

As other countries take the women’s game more seriously, it’s going to get more competitive.

What’s troubling is Casey Stoney has been disdainful about the NSL and players from that league. While key players on the CanWNT roster play there, Stoney has justified others not being called up because they play in the NSL.

She’s also talked about the player pool being quite small which is reductive and unhelpful.

Canada may not have the depth of the US, but the player pool is deeper than she believes. Previous regimes were also loyal to certain players, to the detriment of expanding the pool.

Nikki Small from AFC Toronto, for example, stands out immediately as the heartbeat of AFC Toronto. She was clever on the ball, a creator, a league leader in tackles, scored goals, played wide or inside, rotated across the front line, and caused problems for defence.

There are rumours she’s eligible for Jamaica. If she doesn’t get a look soon, she may choose international football elsewhere which would be disappointing for Canada.

Passport Issues = Missed Opportunities

DB Pridham won’t be available to play for Canada due to passport issues.

She was included in a provisional roster in 2022 but never officially called in. Born in the US to Canadians, she never got her Canadian passport despite there being three years of time.

The blame can be shared.

Jessie Fleming and the Portland Question

Back to Jessie Fleming, she’s 27 and in her prime. She moved to Portland after not getting minutes in the WSL, but was it a bad move? Maybe not.

She got a better contract and the promise of being a nailed-on starter. You understand wanting to play but it just didn’t last long.

Portland is physical. Canadians there, even legends, have been scapegoated late in their careers.

It’s not necessarily a wrong move. It’s a move, but Jesse’s quality, ability to boss a midfield, and pull strings for Canada hasn’t been there for a while.