Form Guide: Nelson making Gold Cup case; St. Clair's strong form continues
As the European season reaches its final month, Canadians across the globe are looking to make their final case as far as club form goes to be included in summer competition for the respective national teams.
This week, Dayne St. Clair continued to cement his spot as the men’s national team’s number one, Jayden Nelson is making a strong case to get back into the squad this summer, and on the women’s side, Jordyn Huitema is back healthy and in top form.
Here is how Canadian footballers fared for their clubs this past weekend:
Is Jayden Nelson making a Gold Cup case?
After a promising start to his time in Vancouver was derailed slightly by injuries, Jayden Nelson is back on the pitch and making things happen with the Whitecaps. On Saturday against Real Salt Lake, he dribbled past several players to open the scoring for the Caps in a 2-1 victory.
Nelson now has two goals and four assists in seven MLS matches this season. He recently picked up an assist against Inter Miami in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final off the bench as well.
Back on Canadian soil this year, he is proving himself to be a genuine gamechanger, be that either in a starting role or as a substitute. Especially given the lack of form or fitness for several of Canada’s wide players including Liam Millar, Tajon Buchanan and Jacob Shaffelburg, it feels like calling up Nelson this summer is almost a no-brainer at this point.
Strong solo effort from Jayden Nelson to give @WhitecapsFC the lead!
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2025
📺 #MLSSeasonPass or Apple TV+: https://t.co/oVowASdu2e pic.twitter.com/3f03NZfk6J
Jordyn Huitema back in form for Seattle Reign
After missing out on last month’s friendlies with the Canadian women’s national team, Jordyn Huitema is back on the pitch for the Seattle Reign in NWSL and back in form as well.
After scoring her first of the season last weekend in a 1-1 draw with Bay FC, Huitema added an assist as she led the line for the full 90 in a 1-0 victory over top of the league KC Current.
If she can maintain her health, the 23-year-old is certainly making the case to remain in Casey Stoney’s plans during the women’s national team’s upcoming pair of friendlies against Haiti on May 31 and June 3.
Dayne St. Clair’s fantastic form to start 2025 continues
In his tenth game of the 2025 Major League Soccer campaign, St. Clair earned his sixth clean sheet and is now leading the league in that category.
Per Major League Soccer’s communications department, he is only the sixth keeper over the past decade to record six clean sheets in his first ten games of the season.
After looking like the number two option over the summer after Max Crépeau’s brilliant Copa América, St. Clair now appears to be the clear choice in net for Canada at the minute. Crépeau did get his second start of the season this past weekend, but it came in another 4-1 loss.
Crépeau still has never played a bad game for Canada, however, and this conversation isn’t entirely over, especially if he can get more consistent minutes. But St. Clair is the clear Gold Cup starter and for the foreseeable future at the moment.
In other action…
CanMNT
Jacen Russell-Rowe scored his fifth goal of the MLS season in a 4-2 victory over Charlotte on Saturday, starting and playing 89 minutes.
Switch the field 😮💨
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) May 4, 2025
Russell-Rowe finds a fourth for Columbus. pic.twitter.com/y8iZ87Z4E5
Jonathan David picked up an assist, and went the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Marseille on Sunday. Derek Cornelius was an unused sub in the match for Marseille.
Joel Waterman scored for CF Montréal in their midweek penalty shootout victory over Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship. He also went 90 minutes on the weekend in a 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Union. Theo Corbeanu had a goal and an assist for Toronto FC in that match.
GOAL 🔔
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 1, 2025
Joel Waterman ties it up for @cfmontreal in the TELUS #CanChamp with a great strike following a corner 🍁
🔴 Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/KL7BWn0OVB
Moïse Bombito returned from injury to earn a man of the match performance, going 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Riems.
Alistair Johnston was not in the squad for Celtic as they drew 1-1 with Rangers on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership.
Sam Adekugbe is back from injury for the Vancouver Whitecaps and came on in the 77th minute as a sub against Real Salt Lake. He also played the final 45 against Inter Miami on Wednesday in Concacaf Champions Cup action.
Niko Sigur started and played 50 minutes at right back against Dinamo Zagreb on Saturday in a 3-1 loss.
Stephen Eustáquio started and played 77 minutes as a midfielder, earning a yellow card in a 3-1 victory for Porto over Moreirense.
Ali Ahmed went the full 90 against Inter Miami in a 3-1 victory in the Concacaf Champions Cup on Wednesday. He then came off the bench in the 62nd minute this weekend against Real Salt Lake.
Jonathan Osorio was removed in the 21st minute of Toronto FC’s Canadian Championship loss to CF Montréal with an injury, he missed this weekend’s match in MLS and is listed as out with an upper-body injury.
Mathieu Choinière came off the bench in the 78th minute for Grasshoppers in a 2-0 loss to Winterthur.
Promise David played 82 minutes, missing a penalty and picking up a yellow card in a 1-0 victory over Genk.
Daniel Jebbison came off the bench in the 87th minute in a 2-1 win for Bournemouth over Arsenal.
CanWNT
Kailen Sheridan made a single save in a 2-1 victory for the San Diego Wave over Bay FC. Adriana Leon subbed in for the Wave in the 60th minute.
Sabrina D’Angelo started and made two saves in a 3-2 victory over West Ham for Aston Villa. For West Ham, Shelina Zadorsky started and played the full 90 minutes.
Jayde Riviere was subbed out in the 29th minute in a 2-2 Manchester derby against Manchester City.
Ashley Lawrence played the full 90 in a 1-0 victory for Chelsea over Tottenham.
Gabrielle Carle played 90 minutes for the Washington Spirit in a 4-3 loss to Angel City FC on Friday.
Emma Regan went 90 minutes for AFC Toronto in a 2-1 victory over Calgary Wild on Thursday night.
Julia Grosso played 89 minutes for Chicago Stars in a 0-0 draw with Gotham FC.
Marie-Yasmine Alidou started and played 71 minutes for Portland Timbers in a 1-0 victory over Orlando City FC. Jessie Fleming came on in the 71st minute in that match.
Janine Sonis played the full 90 in a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dash on Friday for Racing Louisville.
Olivia Smith played the full 90 for Liverpool in a 2-0 loss to Everton on Sunday.
