Match Picks of the Week

Selected games to watch from British Columbia's top senior men's and women's amateur leagues.
Please check league schedules for late changes.

Pacific Coast Soccer League

Tuesday May 15

Surrey United SC vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Women
7:00pm Cloverdale Athletic Park

Vancouver Thunderbirds vs TSS Academy - Women
8:00pm Thunderbird Stadium Wednesday May 16

Coquitlam Metro Ford vs  Vancouver Thunderbirds - Women
8:00pm Charles Best

Thursday May 17

Vancouver Thunderbirds vs  Khalsa Sporting Club
8:00pm Thunderbird Stadium UBC

Saturday May 19

Coquitlam Metro Ford vs  Victoria Highlanders
2:00pm Coquitlam Town Center

Langley Athletic vs Victoria United
2:00pm Mcleod Oval Park

Sunday May 20

PoCo City FC vs Okanagan Challenge
2:00pm Port Moody Town Centre

Bellingham United vs Victoria United
2:00pm Civic Stadium, Bellingham

Langley Athletic vs Victoria Highlanders
2:00pm McLeod Athletic Park

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Major League Soccer

Wednesday May 16

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Toronto FC
7:00pm BC Place, Vancouver
Amway Canadian Championship - Voyageurs Cup

USL W-League

Friday May 18

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs Colorado Rush (Women)
7:30pm McLeod Athletic Park, Langley, BC

Canada's Other Teams

Waterfront Stadium

We can continue to dream!
Friends of Soccer
Stadium Now

BC League Schedules

CIS Canada West
Fraser Valley SL - Men
Lower Island Women's SA
Metro Women's SL
Pacific Coast Soccer League
PACWEST/BCCAA
SFU Clan - Men (NCAA II)
SFU Clan - Women (NCAA II)
Vancouver Island SL - Men
Vancouver Metro SL - Men
Youth Leagues - Boys
Youth Leagues - Girls

MLS, NASL & USL Schedules

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Toronto FC
Montreal Impact
FC Edmonton
Vancouver Whitecaps Women
Victoria Highlanders Women

International Tournaments

Today in Football History

16 May 1931
Scotland were defeated for the first time by a continental side when they lost 5-0 to Austria in Vienna. It was also the first meeting between the two countries. The Scottish side, in fairness, was not fully representative since it contained no players from Celtic or Rangers.
(Association of Football Statisticians)

Quotable

Manager: Kevin Keegan
"I came to Nantes two years ago and it's much the same today, except that it's completely different."

thursday, may 17, 2012

Hassli Rescues Whitecaps in Injury Time
In a well-contested first leg in the 2012 Amway Canadian Championship final, Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2W-0L-1D in ACC) earned a very late 1-1 home draw with three-time Voyageurs Cup winners Toronto FC (1W-0L-2D in ACC) on Wednesday evening.

wednesday, may 16, 2012

amway canadian championship - voyageurs cup

Caps look to avenge 'stolen' Amway - Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Whitecaps have global ambitions. The club no longer trumpets a desire to be one of the Top 25 soccer teams in the world, a goal it probably regrets making public, given its horrific debut season in Major League Soccer last year. But the team's official mission statement still sets a lofty goal — “to be one of the best small-market sports franchises in the world.”

Canadian Championship offers double reward for the Whitecaps - Vancouver Sun
The Voyageurs Cup may not be one of the most storied trophies in all of sport but if Vancouver can beat Toronto to lift that particular piece of silverware (the first leg is at BC Place this evening) the knock on effect could be significant for both the fans and the club itself.

National crown offers growth for Whitecaps, salvation for TFC - Globe and Mail
Their reasons may be quite different, but both the Vanocuver Whitecaps and Toronto FC will be desperate for a title when they meet in the final of the Amway Canadian Championship.

Game Preview: Whitecaps vs. Toronto - The Province
A rematch of last year's final that was almost won by Vancouver but — after lightning and rain forced a complete replay of the second leg — was won by Toronto.

What winning the Voyageurs Cup means to Vancouver Whitecaps - AFTN
The 2012 Voyageurs Cup final will be played out over the next two Wednesdays, hopefully with some good football on display and new Champions being crowned by the end of it all.

Counter Attack: Who will be the Canadian Champions? - Red Nation
What better time to come back with another edition than looking at the state of both the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC heading into the 2012 Canadian Championship finals. These two team, even with their recent results, are heading in completely opposite directions.

Canadian Cup clash set - Toronto Sun
rematch of last year’s Canadian Cup final should be viewed as a win-win situation for Toronto supporters. Whichever way tonight’s opening leg ends at BC Place, the two-match series will conclude the year-long lamenting by some Vancouverites who refuse to recognize TFC as the rightful Voyageurs Cup holders.

Whitecaps Martin Rennie wants his team to 'find that winning feeling' - The Province
When Martin Rennie arrived in November to coach the Vancouver Whitecaps, he talked about being in a “honeymoon phase.” With the club coming off a last-place season in MLS, not to mention missing out on a Canadian title and a CONCACAF Champions League spot, he could only do right in the early days.

Koevermans Returns From Injury - Toronto FC
Toronto FC will be able to count on another one of their Designated Players for the first leg of the ACC against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Forward Danny Koevermans, was back at full training on Monday and traveled with the team to Vancouver after being sidelined by a groin injury since mid-April.

Toronto Must Cope Without Captain - Toronto FC
Toronto FC traveled to Vancouver on Monday night without the company of captain Torsten Frings, who exacerbated his shoulder injury in the 10-man, 2-0 win over Montreal Impact last Wednesday in the ACC semifinals.

Toronto FC @ Vancouver Whitecaps: Keep trollin', trollin', trollin', trollin'. - Waking the Red
If you look at the evidence so far from the MLS season, with TFC at a record breakingly bad 0-8, and the Whitecaps sitting comfortably in a playoff position with 17 points, you'd have to say it would be unlikely, but hey TFC are clearly saving it for the cup games this year, and maybe they're just playing a really long game to absolutely perfectly troll Vancouver fans once again.

other soccer news

Goal! Whitecaps Invisible Man - that's a good thing - The Province
Jun Marques Davidson is the Vancouver Whitecaps' holding midfielder, a position that can go unnoticed by those seeking pure entertainment but one that is revered by soccerphiles.

Phil Robinson adds Welsh touch to Whitecaps - Canada.com
Everyone in Llandrindod, Wales, knew Phil Robinson's orange lorry. It's a small town, about 5,000 people, so an orange lorry stuck out. Phil Robinson drove that truck for almost 30 years. He could have played soccer for Cardiff or Swansea. He went on trials. They wanted to sign him. But Phil didn't want to cut his hair - "His glowing, long hair," said his son, Whitecaps assistant coach Carl - and he didn't want to quit smoking. So he drove his lorry instead.

Quips and Quotes: Impact players know what to expect from New York - Montreal Impact
“We know what they look like with or without Henry. We will just prepare as we do for all our games, but it will be easier now that we know how they play.”

No fireworks as Dynamo, Timbers battle to 0-0 tie - MLS
It was a match without many fireworks as the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers played to a 0-0 draw at BBVA Compass Stadium on Tuesday night.

Dynamo, Timbers play to scoreless draw - SBI
Tuesday night's game between the Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers will be memorable for it being the first night game at BBVA Compass Stadium. But that's about it. The two clubs combined for few chances in a sluggish 0-0 draw in front of a sellout crowd at MLS' newest stadium.

Obama jokes about Beckham’s age, celebrates Galaxy’s MLS Cup - Washington Post
President Barack Obama is ribbing soccer star David Beckham over his age and his outside interests, saying it’s a “rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear.”

Infographic: Pro Sports Compared - Pacific Boulevard
So where does the MLS rank amongst other North American sports leagues? Let's take a boo...

Richard Grootscholten talks Whitecaps Residency and the future of youth development in the Canadian game  - AFTN
When it was announced towards the end of last month that Richard Grootscholten was moving on from his role as the technical director and head coach of Vancouver Whitecaps' Residency program, it was met with genuine sadness.

More pie? Inherent and learned traits of elite players - Monday Morning Centreback
Something Joe Reid said on Twitter made me think that it would be interesting to perhaps first define what traits most of us would see an elite level player as needing or having. And by the way, when I say elite level, I mean being at least on the cusp of national team consideration.

What are the ingredients to make an elite soccer player? - Monday Morning Centreback
So much goes into making a really good soccer player. Beyond the players involvement are many other agents in the formula from coaches to parents to peers. Which ones matter and which ones matter most?

Richmond-based club asks for court injunction to stop BCSA-Whitecaps deal - The 11
Late last week, Sportstown B.C. Holdings and Total Soccer Systems Inc. filed their suit in the province’s Supreme Court which asks for an injunction that would prevent the provincial soccer body from continuing its partnership with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Fenway Park and the Waterfront Stadium - Back of the Net
The greatest perk of this job, aside from the whole getting-paid-to-watch-soccer thing, is that, on the road, when time permits (which is not too often, boss), I get to experience something special. Like going to Wrigley Field last year. And going to Fenway on Friday night.

Thierry Henry’s giant aquarium - Off The Post
Back in February, OTP told you that Arsenal legend Thierry Henry was planning to build a new London home around a 40ft aquarium centrepiece. For some reason this exciting news was obviously left off the agenda at the Arsenal Invincibles AGM, so it fell to OTP to inform Robert Pires of his former team-mate’s plans.

Happy birthday CSA, but don’t expect us to celebrate - The Footy Blog
What we’re being asked to celebrate isn’t the birth of Canadian soccer. It’s the birth of an organization, of a collective of bureaucrats and space-fillers who took a game that had already been prominent in this country for over twenty years, regimentized it, and has turned us into a fifth-rate soccer power so desperate that we fall over ourselves hoping for wingers from relegated Premier League teams.

2012 london olympics

Canadian women work on mixing up their attack as Vancouver camp continues - The 11
Two months to go until London 2012. It’s the big tournament the Canadian Women’s National Team has been waiting for since the disappointment of last year’s World Cup, in which Big Red crashed out in the group stage with three straight losses to Germany, France and Nigeria.

Beckham to bring Olympic torch to UK - CTV
Organizers of the 2012 Olympics say soccer star David Beckham is bringing the Olympic flame back from Greece as the torch begins an 8,000 mile (12,875km) tour across Britain.

Sinclair's doing what she loves - The Province
Long before Christine Sinclair became one of the world's leading soccer players, she was another kid from the suburbs of Burnaby playing sports in her backyard. Her older brother, Michael, played soccer and her father, Bill, coached the team. Christine tagged along, exposing herself to the ball around the clock.

Soccer star a role model for youth - Burnaby Now
It wasn't actually a day off, but Canada's premier women's soccer player will take it. Canada's national soccer team captain Christine Sinclair spent four hours on Saturday hosting a series of training sessions  giving back to the youth in her hometown community of Burnaby.

south of the 49th

Wrigley to host international friendly - ESPN
Wrigley Field will welcome the return of soccer this summer when Italy's AS Roma and Poland's Zaglebie Lubin face off in an international friendly at 2:30 p.m. CT July 22. Dubbed the "Friendly and the Confines," it will be the first soccer match at the nearly 100-year-old ballpark since the Chicago Sting beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in 1984.

canadians abroad

Across the Pond: May 13, 2012 - Red Nation
While most of the domestic leagues on the European continent wrapped up their season last weekend, there were still a few finishing up over the last few days, and there are some more still having a week to go.

world football

FIFA: Egypt, Libya WC qualifiers will be without fans - TSN
World Cup qualifiers involving Egypt and Libya next month will be played without fans, FIFA said on Wednesday, while security arrangements for matches in Mali, Nigeria and Kenya were being scrutinized.

English FA raises racism fears with UEFA boss - Sportsnet
The head of English football has raised concerns with UEFA President Michel Platini that players and fans could be racially abused at European Championship matches in Ukraine. English authorities have been warning that far-right football hooligans could spark racist violence at the June 8 to July 1 tournament, which is being co-hosted with Poland.

The Champions League: A Gamble That Paid Off Big - New York Times
The idea to combine sports, television and marketing was seen as a risk when it was floated two decades ago, but the tournament today is worth billions.

Ragtag Chelsea squad will hit field for Champions League final - Canada.com
Chelsea's caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo is hoping to avoid what he described on Tuesday as the "worst-case scenario" with reserves and youngsters on the bench for the Champions League final against Bayern Munich on Saturday.

Man City earns record $98M from EPL during title-winning season - Canada.com
Manchester City’s income from broadcast payments while winning the title hit a Premier League record £60.6 million ($97.6 million). Unlike many other leagues, the income is not skewed in favour of the top sides, with bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers earning £39.1 million ($62.3 million).

Manchester City fans line the streets for victory parade - CBC
In a city more accustomed to a sea of red during title celebrations, blue confetti fell over the streets. Manchester City paraded the Premier League trophy before about 100,000 fans Monday in celebration of its first English title in 44 years. Blue and white ticker-tape and streamers rained down on the team bus as City players displayed the trophy they had wrested from crosstown rival Manchester United a day earlier.

Manchester City apologizes for Carlos Tevez’s “R.I.P. Fergie” sign - Toronto Star
Star who left Man United after losing playing time under Sir Alex Ferguson causes stir before 100,000 fans at Premier League victory parade.

Manchester City begins quest to build dynasty - CBC
He could have been five minutes from being fired. He was given every advantage so coming up short might not have been an option. Now he's part of history and we'll never know. 

Villarreal and Auxerre – Victims of Uefa - Soccer Issue
Two good team were relegated in the same season they’ve reached Champions League group stage. Coincidence?

BPL may introduce goal-line technology midway through next season - Globe and Mail
The Premier League is planning to introduce goal-line technology during next season if football’s rule-makers sanction its use in July. League chief executive Richard Scudamore says “when we are ready to go, we can go with it.”

In Haiti, a New Stadium Will Rise - New York Times
From the rubble, literally, of the earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, plans to build the first professional soccer stadium in the country are taking shape. Construction will begin later this year on a soccer stadium in Cité Soleil, Haiti.

tuesday, may 15, 2012

amway canadian championship - voyageurs cup

Whitecaps FC host Toronto FC to open Canadian Championship final series - Whitecaps FC
Continuing their pursuit of a first-ever Voyageurs Cup title, Vancouver Whitecaps FC host Major League Soccer rivals Toronto FC in the first leg of this year’s Amway Canadian Championship (ACC) final on Wednesday evening.

Whitecaps focused on national title - Globe and Mail
TFC, Canadian champion each of the past three years, might need more than a torrential storm to beat Vancouver this year. The rematch starts Wednesday in Vancouver, with the second leg in Toronto next Wednesday, and the Amway Canadian Championship winner declared on aggregate goals.

Whitecaps FC to host Toronto FC in first leg of Championship final rematch - CSA
Vancouver Whitecaps FC will host defending champions Toronto FC in the first leg of the final of the Amway Canadian Championship at 19.00 PT on Wednesday 16 May at BC Place in Vancouver, BC.

Hassli hopes hot run extends to redemption vs. TFC - MLS
The big man has found his scoring boots once again. It took a while for Eric Hassli to get going this season, going seven appearances without a goal to start the year, but since then, the 31-year-old has been on a tear for the Vancouver Whitecaps, bagging goals in three of his last four matches in all competitions.

bc provincial cup

Surrey United ‘treble’ at Adult Provincial Soccer Championships - BC Soccer
The BC Soccer Adult Provincial Championships proved to be a memorable day for Surrey United Soccer Club as they took provincial glory in the Men’s A, Women’s A and Women’s Classics Finals.

Three VMSL Teams Capture Coveted Provincial Cups
hree VMSL teams captured the coveted Provincial Cup this past weekend as the Surrey United Firefighters lay claim to the ‘A’ Cup championship, while NVFC Campobasso and Westside FC won the ‘B’ Cup and the Masters’ Cup respectively. Needless to say, the entire VMSL ‘family’ would like to extend well-deserved congratulations to the 3 teams and wish them the best of luck in future endeavours.

SU Firefighters edge Delta in B.C. final - Surrey Now
The Surrey United Firefighters survived a late rally by the Delta Hurricanes to capture the Provincial Cup men's soccer championships with a 3-2 win in the final at Burnaby Lake Saturday afternoon. The win puts an exclamation point on three highly successful seasons by the Cloverdale-based club.

Columbus no match for Surrey United in women's soccer final - Burnaby Now
Three first-half goals took much of the wind from the sails of Columbus FC in the final of the B.C. Soccer women's A cup final. Surrey United scored early and often in the opening half to win its ninth consecutive provincial title following a 3-0 victory over Columbus at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex-West on Saturday.

other soccer news

Move over Kesler: It’s time for world-class Whitecaps - The Province
The Canucks may be out of the playoffs, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t pro sports going on in Vancouver. The Whitecaps have started their 2012 Major League Soccer season in style racking up wins while bringing an entertaining brand of soccer to the pitch.

Sounders say more Cascadia Cup games won't dilute the rivalries - Seattle Times
Starting Saturday in Vancouver, the Sounders play six Cascadia Cup games this season instead of the usual four. Will the two extra games played by Seattle, Vancouver and Portland dampen the excitement for the Pacific Northwest rivalries?

Former Cap still searching for a winner - Vancouver Sun
Terry Dunfield has seen this scary movie before. The Toronto FC mid-fielder plays for a club that still hasn't won an MLS game this season and has shuffled coaching responsibilities around to try to inject new life into a struggling squad. A year ago, the Vancouver native played for an expansion Vancouver Whitecaps team that didn't win its second game until mid-June and fired coach Teitur Thordarson after just 12 matches.

Toronto FC manager Aron Winter shapes up coaching staff, promotes Jim Brennan - Global
His team floundering with eight straight league losses, Toronto FC manager Aron Winter shook up his coaching staff Monday to take a more active role on the practice field.

De Klerk's 'promotion' takes the fiery assistant off the sidelines - 24 Hours
Former Toronto FC assistant coach Bob de Klerk didn’t sound like a man fresh off a promotion following yesterday’s training. “I think that’s a question for Aron Winter,” de Klerk said of the reasoning behind the club seemingly inventing a role for Winter’s former No. 2.

Canadian Cup silver lining - Sportsnet
As bitter a pill as the Montreal Impact's exit from the Amway Canadian Championship was to swallow, it may end up being a good thing for the squad's drive toward the playoffs. Last week's 2-0 loss to Toronto FC was nothing short of shocking, but the Impact have only themselves to blame.

Montreal Impact has impressed large crowds - Canada.com
Richard Legendre is aware that Montrealers love an event, but he's also hoping that they're learning to love soccer. Legendre, the executive vice-president of the Impact, said he was pleasantly surprised to see 60,860 fans turn out Saturday to watch Montreal play the Los Angeles Galaxy. The turnout at the Olympic Stadium represented a record for a professional soccer game in Canada.

Chester wants to tax the Union - Philadelphia Enquirer
Desperately seeking revenue, Chester has informed Philadelphia Union officials that it is considering a 10 percent tax on ticket sales and a 20 percent charge for parking at PP&L Park, the team’s home. The fees could add as much as $2 million to city coffers, but team owners see a “banana kick,” a soccer term for a deceptive shot designed to curve behind a goalie.

Drama of 'Survival Sunday' won't work in MLS - Soccer America
The incredible drama of ‘Survival Sunday’ presented by multiple American networks to showcase the final day of English Premier League play won’t be seen on these shores any time soon, if ever.

Eddies Defender Earns Player of the Week Honours
C Edmonton’s veteran centreback Paul Hamilton is easy to notice on the field. Whether his long, blonde hair is flying wildly in the air as he wins a header in the box or he’s throwing in a last-second slide tackle, taking the ball off an opposing attacker’s feet – Hamilton gets noticed.

NASL Players of the Week: Paul Hamilton & Pablo Campos - IMS
FC Edmonton defender Paul Hamilton and San Antonio Scorpions Forward Pablo Campos have been named the NASL Players of the Week.

Okanagan Challenge has tough weekend but help on the way - Kelowna Capital News
It was a tough start to the Pacific Coast Soccer League season for the Okanagan Challenge on the weekend, but help is on the way in the form of two stand-out defenders. The Challenge opened its PCSL season on the coast, dropping a 5-2 decision on Saturday to Khalsa Sporting Club before losing 5-0 to Bellingham United on Sunday.

Whitecaps, Williamson playing at McLeod Athletic Park - Langley Times
Langley's Alyssa Williamson, the Canada West rookie of the year in 2011 with UBC, is joining the Vancouver Whitecaps women's soccer team for the summer. The Vancouver Whitecaps W-League home opener is set for this Friday at Langley's McLeod Athletic Park.

Soccer governing bodies take run at new player development program - Hamilton Spectator
Hey, what do we have to lose? With the traditionally weak Canadian men’s team ranked No. 75 in the world by FIFA, now would seem to be the perfect time to shake things up and find a way to produce more talented players. And that’s what the Canadian Soccer Association is aiming to accomplish with its bold new Long-Term Player Development program (LTPD).

Soccer showdown heads to B.C. Supreme Court - The Province
A long-running battle between a Richmond-based, for-profit soccer academy and the governing body of the sport in B.C. is heading to a showdown in B.C. Supreme Court. Total Soccer Systems Inc. and its parent company Sportstown B.C. Holdings Ltd. have launched a lawsuit against the B.C. Soccer Association, claiming they have been treated unfairly.

The Evolution of a Soccer Mom - Lexington Patch
I’m a Soccer Mom. There, I said it. I am the same soccer mom I used to talk about when I was twentysomething and swore I’d never become. Well, I didn’t really. I am a cool soccer mom, as are many of us out there. And I am sure we could teach those twentysomethings a thing or two about moving on with your life and still having a life.

youth soccer

Cariboo youth league kicks off season in Quesnel - Quesnel Cariboo Observer
The Cariboo Youth Soccer League came together last Sunday, May 6, for the season's first meet. A total of 28 teams, coming from as far north as Prince George to as far south as 100 Mile, congregated at the soccer fields. "The games went well," one of the directors of the QYSA, Gilbert Schotel, said.

Pride on prowl for Island title - Times Colonist
Lambrick Park got off to a 2-0 start Monday at the Island girls double-A high school soccer championship taking place at St. Michaels University School.

Kelowna United soccer teams see plenty of action - Kelowna Capital News
Kelowna United soccer teams earned more wins than losses last weekend. Here's a look at the results from soccer matches last weekend.

Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academy: Week-long Summer ID Training Camp - South Fraser FC
South Fraser FC is pleased to host Dinamo-Zagreb Youth Academy, one of the top European youth academies, from July 2nd to July 6th at Hjorth Road Park in Surrey.

college soccer

South Africa: Van Wyk Leads Banyana Banyana to Victory in Potchefstroom - All Africa
The South African Senior Women's National team (Banyana Banyana) outplayed Canada's Trinity Western Spartans Women's team courtesy of a goal by Janine van Wyk in a practice match played on Sunday (13 May 2012) at the Potchefstroom University High Performance Institute Sports grounds.

High-scoring striker commits to Heat women's team - Kelowna Capital News
Looking to add some scoring punch, UBC Okanagan women's soccer coach Claire Paterson has signed a standout striker from the Lower Mainland. Kelsey Livingstone, the leading goal scorer for Vancouver FC in 2011, has signed on with the Heat for the 2012 PacWest campaign.

2012 london olympics

After losing World Cup final, U.S. aims at Olympic gold - Salt Lake Tribune
The soccer players who will play their Olympic send-off game at Rio Tinto Stadium next month needed plenty of time to recover from losing the dramatic final of the Women’s World Cup last summer to Japan on penalty kicks. But now, they’re back, and ready to go for gold at the London Olympics this summer.

world football

The £1billion title - BBC
Manchester City’s first Championship title since 1968 will certainly live long in the memory. Afterwards, as he sipped champagne in the press room, the club’s Italian manager Roberto Mancini summed it up perfectly: “A crazy finish for a crazy season”.

How sad that the true Premier League champion is Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment - Daily Mail
There was – and probably still is – an old playground retort when a worm finally turns, rounds on the habitual bully and vows revenge. 'Yeah,' comes the reply. 'You and whose army?' The answer finally arrived yesterday - across Manchester, across England, across much of the world - when the kids returned to school after a tumultuous footballing weekend: the Abu Dhabi army.

We Invest in Youth, City Pay Silly Money: Ferguson - Jakarta Globe
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said on Monday he wasn’t concerned by rivals and newly-crowned Premier League champions Manchester City’s ability to out bid them in the transfer market.

Di Matteo's journey shaped by Swiss roots - UEFA
Chelsea FC's Roberto Di Matteo has come a long way since starting out with hometown club FC Schaffhausen, whose former coach Rolf Fringer recalls his "outstanding football brain".

Salzburg win another Austrian title - Eurosport Asia
Salzburg won the Austrian Bundesliga for the fourth time in six seasons to extend the dominance they have enjoyed since being taken over by the Red Bull energy drinks manufacturer.

Olsen - Denmark's resilient double centurion - Football
Morten Olsen has taken service to his country to extraordinary lengths, having played for Denmark and now coached the national side more than 100 times. This year's Euro 2012 tournament is the fourth time he has guided the Scandinavians to a major championships since he took over in 2000 -- a remarkable run given the current longevity of most football managers.

Ukraine's hooligans - Sky
We've spent six months investigating a group of Shakhtar Donetsk fans with neo-Nazi links and discovered that they'll be targeting England fans when the tournament kicks off next month. Local officials hope that Euro 2012 will be a celebration of football but there remain serious doubts over their ability to safely deliver such a complicated event.

Money troubles raises corruption risk in football - AFP-Google
There are thousands of players like Mario Cizmek in football, professionals who never fulfilled their early promise yet whose passion for the game takes them to unfashionable clubs to earn a living from the game they love.

Team allow opponents to score after accidental goal - Yahoo!
Norwegian football doesn't often hit the headlines, but an amazing sequence of events in a top flight match at the weekend has got the entire sport buzzing after a fantastic demonstration of fair play.

Chelsea Soccer School Philippines officially launched - Phillipines Star
Spearheaded by former Chelsea Academy students and now Philippine Football poster boys Phil and James Younghusband, Asia's third Chelsea Soccer School was officially launched at the SM Mall of Asia today.

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