What to make of the fierce race brewing up front for the CanWNT this fall?
As the CanWNT inch towards a return to action at the end of October, it’s been fascinating to follow one key battle that has been brewing within their ranks since their last camp in July - the race to lead the line.
All of a sudden, with the emergence of some new names, the continued success of some others, and the return of some key players from injury, Canada’s forward depth is quietly continuing to grow.
That’s good news for head coach Casey Stoney, who is going to have a litany of options to rely upon in attack when her team takes the field.
To be fair, that’s already been something she’s dealt with - since her arrival, she’s tried a bunch of different players out up front, including Evelyne Viens, Adriana Leon, Jordyn Huitema, Nichelle Prince, Deanne Rose and Annabelle Chukwu.
Plus, Stoney has also tried those players in different systems, too, as Canada has used a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2, with the former opening the door for two strikers, and the latter using just one.
Now, Stoney appears set to stick with that 4-2-3-1, having used that formation or a variation of it in Canada’s last five games, which leads to that battle from earlier - the race to see who starts up front and leads the line in that formation. 
Canada's preferred formations in 2025 - as seen here, while they've liked to use the 4-3-3, they've liked to use variations of the 4-2-3-1, including the 4-1-4-1 and the 4-3-3 (WyScout)
All of a sudden, between those options mentioned above, which doesn’t even include Olivia Smith, Clarissa Larisey, Marie-Yasmine Alidou and Cloé Lacasse, who can also start up front even if they’re likelier to play deeper in that 4-2-3-1, and Stoney’s got some tough decisions to make.
Because of that, it leads to the question - who has the best chance of winning that race?
In terms of goals, Leon and Alidou have been the most prolific scorers under Stoney, as each have scored three goals in 2025, with Viens, Huitema, Holly Ward, Julia Grosso and Shelina Zadorsky all also finding the net twice, which is a good place to start.
When looking at the attackers on that list, which are Leon, Alidou, Viens, Huitema and Ward, each has a very different profile. For example, while Ward could be an option up front, she’s played mostly as a winger, where she’s got a good shot at earning minutes based on her play for Canada and with the Vancouver Rise in the Northern Super League, where she’s got five goals and five assists in 2025.
Sticking with the more natural striking options, therefore, Leon is a good one to start with, as she’s arguably been Canada’s most prolific forward over the last few years - 29 of her 44 CanWNT goals have all come in this decade, including a whopping 10 in 16 games in 2024. When Leon’s been in form, she’s tough to stop, as she’s capable of scoring goals in different ways - and she knows how to create her own chances, too, with her dribbling ability.
Where she’s struggled has been with consistency at the club level - she’s scored 20 goals at the club level since the start of the 2020-2021 season, playing for five clubs across that span, which has impacted her at times with Canada. Amidst a season where she’s scored only four times with the San Diego Wave, with two of those goals coming in one game, that’s a worry.
GOAL π¨π¦π¨π¦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) May 31, 2025
...and just like that, Adriana Leon adds another to her tally – now 44 for country – and the #CanWNT are up 2-0 before the 10-minute mark π
π΄ Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/jgEjuOoqZJ
Plus, there’s the stylistic fit under Stoney, who wants her strikers to be a bit more involved on both sides of the ball - Leon’s only completed 14 passes per game with the Wave this year, making 2.04 recoveries and winning just 34.3% of her 12.57 duels per 90 minutes.
From there, Viens is always an intriguing option when fit and in form - even if she’s only scored three times for AS Roma in 2025 as she’s battled injuries, which have made it hard for her to follow up a remarkable 18-goal and eight-assist 2023-2024 season with the Italian club.
GOAL π¨π¦π¨π¦π¨π¦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) June 4, 2025
It’s three for the #CanWNT and a second for Evelyne Viens! Holly Ward turns distributor and sets up Viens with a well-weighted pass π₯
π΄ Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/XB9PxT5MjZ
The data is limited in terms of her AS Roma stats, so there isn’t much out there on how she’s defended and held up the ball, but she’s always a willing runner who can stretch a backline, which is why she’s sometimes also played as a winger. 
Speaking of more of a natural hold-up option, Huitema comes to mind - although she’s averaging just 16.43 passes per 90 with the Seattle Reign this season, she’s winning 49% of her 21.06 duels per 90, including 58% of her 7.97 aerial duels. She hasn’t been as prolific as hoped lately, scoring six times for the Reign since the start of 2024, after scoring seven goals in 2023, which is worth noting.
Plus, for whatever reason, she’s sometimes struggled to find a fit in Canada’s system, which doesn’t always capitalize on her aerial ability, something the Reign do quite well by comparison.
GOAL π¨π¦π¨π¦π¨π¦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2025
The #CanWNT put one hand on the 2025 Pinatar Cup as Jordyn Huitema scores off a corner kick to go up 3-0 over Chinese Taipei π―
π΄ Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/wrXrreXvvN
Lastly, that leaves Alidou, who has been a rock for Canada, but has mostly played as an attacking midfielder. That’s proven to be a great role for her, although she could be pushed further forward, a role she played at Benfica, as her ability to link-up with her teammates could get the likes of Smith, Ward and others involved from deeper positions.
GOAL π¨π¦π¨π¦π¨π¦π¨π¦
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) February 25, 2025
It's a #CanWNT HAT-TRICK for Mimi Alidou as she applies the deft touch on the outside of the boot to make it 4-0 over Chinese Taipei π©
π΄ Watch LIVE on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/7FsiefkLOs
Speaking of her club form, though, she’s struggled to carve out a regular role with the Portland Thorns since joining them earlier this year, which is something to watch - Stoney has pushed her players to earn regular minutes with their clubs as they battle to earn places with Canada, which could hurt Alidou in the short-term.
Of course, those are but a few of the names who have played up front for Stoney and been prolific - how about the others?
Nichelle Prince, for example, has scored for Canada this year, although it’s worth noting that she’s scored just twice at the club level since returning from an Achilles injury in 2023 - and none of those goals have come in 2025. Then, Deanne Rose has also struggled since picking up a similar injury that year, scoring just three times since the start of 2023-2024, which has pushed her to earn a move in England’s second tier, which might make it hard for her to make a return to the CanWNT in the short term - those two feel like the likeliest names to fall out in the short-term.
Therefore, who are some in-form options to watch, especially when considering Stoney’s comments?
From that regard, Clarissa Larisey could be a big one to watch, as she’s already scored since joining the Houston Dash this summer, where she’s playing as a striker after being deployed more as a winger earlier in her career. Armed with an ability to get behind defences, that could make her a unique profile to watch, as she could offer Canada the sort of verticality that would fit nicely in Stoney’s system.
First start, first NWSL goal π₯
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) September 8, 2025
Clarissa Larisey grabs the lead for the Houston Dash! pic.twitter.com/OrBjUHkkQL
Then, to that point, Annabelle Chukwu might be a huge wildcard, because while she’s still in college, she’s scored seven goals in eight games to start her sophomore year with Notre Dame - she had three goals in 16 appearances as a freshman, by comparison. After scoring for fun with Canada’s youth teams and having looked bright in her first few appearances with the CanWNT, she could be a name to watch long-term, as she's a true out-and-out #9.
π£οΈ ππππ πππππ!
— Notre Dame Women's Soccer (@NDSoccer) September 19, 2025
ANNABELLE CHUKWU PUTS THE IRISH UP 3-0! #GoIrishβοΈ | πΊ @accnetwork pic.twitter.com/eVbd1gDzJH
Otherwise, there are two uncapped names to watch, who both play in the Northern Super League - AFC Toronto’s Kaylee Hunter and Ottawa Rapid’s Delaney Baie Pridham, who both lead that league in goals, with Hunter having 12 goals and Baie Pridham 17.
Of the two, Hunter is the likelier name to be called up, as she’s still just 17 years old and in her first pro season, making it more impressive that she’s been the leading attacker on a Toronto side first in the NSL. Given her potential and the success someone like Ward has had with the CanWNT this year, it seems like a no-brainer that Hunter will be involved with Canada at some point this year, as she's already an excellent finisher.
Kaylee Hunter scores from wayyyyyy downtown π€― pic.twitter.com/ZIlinClLiE
— Northern Super League (@NorthernSuperLg) August 9, 2025
At the same time, don’t discount Baie Pridham’s chances of earning a call-up, as it’s pretty remarkable that she’s found the net 17 times in 21 games, which is elite output at any level. Even though she’s 28, she could bring something different to Canada’s front line, which could be of benefit to Stoney - and it’s not like Canada hasn’t been shy to try out late bloomers, such as Alidou or Lacasse.
Delaney Baie Pridham's league-leading ninth goal of the season opens the scoring for Ottawa πͺ pic.twitter.com/FlkTZE332k
— Northern Super League (@NorthernSuperLg) June 21, 2025
Yet, speaking of Stoney, that’s the challenge she faces - figuring out the best fit up front based on profile, form, age and more. For example, if Leon is the favourite now, given her consistency for Canada, it’s important to remember that she’s 32, and will be 34 by the time the next World Cup comes around in 2027.
On the other hand, it’s not as if Stoney can give the keys to younger players like Chukwu and Hunter and let them do their thing, as they’ll have to be eased into action before earning starts, the way the likes of Ward and Smith have done over the last year.
What this list of forwards shows, though, is that Stoney can be in a position to shake up her attacking group as she sees fit, as she pushes them to score even more. While they’ve done a decent job of doing that in her tenure, scoring those 24 goals across just nine games, that Canada was unable to score or look dangerous in a 3-0 loss to the US in July shows that her side still has another level to hit in the attack. 
The next time Canada meets the US, they’ll want to generate more than six shots and 0.6 xG, and it’ll be up to them to figure out the best way to do that, both with the attackers they select and how they deploy them. 
To help get an idea of how the CanWNT's attack is shaping up, here's a look at some of their options up front (the 2 top dots), out wide (the 2 middle dots) and at the #10 (bottom dot)
Between Smith, Alidou, Ward and Janine Sonis out wide and at the #10, and then the litany of options up front, finding that right mix will be a big goal in that October window and beyond, especially now that Canada appears to have found their shape, so keep an eye on this battle as Stoney’s side inches towards their next matches in just over a month.
