Canadian forward Evelyne Viens amassed an impressive list of accomplishments in her first season with AS Roma, including winning the league scoring race and a pair of trophies.

But there’s one more title she has picked up while living in Rome: pasta connoisseur.

“I'm trying to stay away from it because it's too good. But honestly, my Instagram Explore page is just carbonara,” she joked.

Viens is back with Canada’s women’s soccer team for a pair of friendlies against Mexico as part of the Summer Send-Off Series. The CONCACAF rivals will face off in Montreal on Saturday before travelling to Toronto for a rematch on Tuesday at BMO Field.

These are the final matches before head coach Bev Priestman names her roster for the Paris Olympics, with Canada, the defending gold medallists, kicking off against New Zealand on July 25.

Viens enters this summer in red-hot form. In her first season in Italy’s Serie A, she led the league with 13 goals in 24 matches, while also recording six assists.

She attributes her immediate success partly to her ability to adapt. Since being drafted fifth overall in the 2020 NWSL Draft by Sky Blue FC (now named Gotham FC), Viens has played for four different clubs in four different countries.

“I think you learn how to get out of your comfort zone and learn how to really handle different situations,” Viens told TSN. “Normally I take more time to adjust, like just to get to know my teammates and everything, but I think this club was already running… The people around me just helped me. They're so good that it helps you to look better.”

The native of L'Ancienne-Lorette, Que., made the jump to Roma after spending a year and half with Swedish club Kristianstad. In 2023, she led the team with 12 goals, but despite the success on an individual level, she felt ready for the next step in her career.

She cites Canadian teammate........

© TSN