As the countdown to the Northern Super League kickoff hits 100 days, Diana Matheson likes what she sees.
"It feels like we're right where we need to be," Matheson, co-founder and chief growth officer of the women's professional league, said of Monday's milestone.There is still plenty of work to do before the April 16 opener.
"Picturing those opening games in every market, that's definitely the image I've had in my mind for two years-plus. So I'm really looking forward to those few weeks when all those teams have their home openers," said Matheson, who won 206 caps for Canada in a distinguished international career that stretched from 2003 to 2020.
And while the six clubs had only announced a little more than two dozen players prior to Monday, Matheson says many more have already signed with"some exciting" Canadian talent set to be announced this month. The league completed its coaching lineup Friday with England's Lydia Bedford confirmed as Calgary Wild coach.
A league spokesman said all league matches will be shown either on linear TV through its broadcast partners or on NSL and partner digital platforms. A"substantial number" will be shown on linear TV. The new league is owned equally by the clubs, with Matheson and league co-founder Tom Gilbert holding an ownership stake in the Ottawa franchise. Future expansion teams will also buy into the league with each franchise holding an equal share.
Matheson will also play a role in connecting with other women's pro leagues around the world. She and Jose Maria Celestino da Costa, the league's vice-president of soccer operations, are off to Spain later this month to attend the Women’s Leagues Forum, which represents some 16 women's leagues.AFC Toronto, for example, started with seven founders led by Ruken. More than two dozen investors have since joined, including track star Andre De Grasse and tennis star Milos Raonic.
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