FIFA CORRUPTION CRISIS
FIFA’S INTEGRITY ON “BLACK WEDNESDAY” EXPOSED – BC Soccer Web
“It’s certain that the players who make it to the Women’s World Cup Final, along with those who competed up to that stage, won’t disappoint. Meanwhile, in the luxury boxes above the pitch, there’ll be men who’ll enjoy all of the perks of FIFA privilege, yet some might not be able to travel an hour down Highway 99 without finding themselves in a U.S. prison. They’ve reaped these rewards and risks by exploiting the game we love to an obscene degree, and by dropping all pretense to integrity.”
Why some FIFA officials might not set foot in Canada – TSN
In almost every instance since Canada rewrote its extradition law in 1999, the Canadian government has agreed to international extradition requests, the vast majority of them filed by the U.S. government.
Successful Qatar bid for World Cup aroused suspicion among U.S. officials – Washington Post
In November 2010, former president Bill Clinton and then-Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. traveled to Zurich to lobby soccer’s world governing body in support of the U.S. bid to host the 2022 World Cup. The Americans were not successful. Instead, Qatar — a small, wealthy emirate on the Persian Gulf — became the first Arab country to be awarded the event.
Is this the beginning of the end for the Fifa that Blatter built? – The Guardian
The stylish lobby of the five-star Baur au Lac hotel on the shores of Lake Zurich is where Fifa’s secrets have traditionally gone to die. If Fifa’s $255m (£166m) black and chrome HQ high above Zurich is where the official business is done from Sepp Blatter’s presidential suite and the Dr Strangelove-style subterranean boardroom, then the foyer of the downtown hotel is where its most senior officials have met to discreetly plot and plunder down the decades.
Now is the time to right FIFA’s 2022 Qatar World Cup decision gone wrong – Goal
The world’s most powerful leagues must stand up to FIFA, and they have to do it now, while there still is time to do something about the massively damaging World Cup in seven years.
FIFA scandal represents tipping point for Blatter – Sportsnet
If you’re going to launder money, don’t launder it within the United States’ financial system. The Yanks have been touchy about that kind of thing ever since the financial crisis, and in the age of the Patriot Act and RICO laws, they’ve become rather aggressive in their investigative methods.
Jack Warner, ex-FIFA vice president, surrenders to police in Trinidad – ESPN
Warner appeared in court, where a judge read 12 charges against him and then granted him $2.5 million bail on certain conditions, including that he surrender his passport and report to police twice a week. Warner did not enter a plea and is scheduled to appear in court again July 12.
FIFA Busts at Baur au Lac: Inside the Five-Star Takedown – The Province
The raid marked the culmination of a U.S. investigation into what the Justice Department calls decades of corruption at the highest levels of global soccer. Prosecutors accuse senior FIFA officials of racketeering, money laundering and wire fraud. Jeffrey Webb, a native of the Cayman Islands and one of eight FIFA vice presidents, was among those charged.
Impact of FIFA criminal probe being felt in USA – Goal
With CONCACAF squarely in the middle of the federal investigation into corruption charges involving FIFA officials, the ramifications of the criminal investigation are already being felt in the United States.
Gary Lineker slams ”nauseating” and ”sickening” FIFA in wake of latest corruption scandal – The Mirror
“What is needed now is that the leaders of the FA, and other major federations like France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Brazil, get together and agree enough is enough. They are all together in Zurich this week and need to decide it’s high time to start again, to break away from FIFA.”
FBI’s FIFA investigation, indictment spawns new slew of questions – SI.com
FIFA’s membership, stakeholders and corporate backers have lacked the conscience, the will or the tools to do anything about the widespread corruption now synonymous with soccer’s governing body. The U.S. government, however, harbored no such inhibitions.
The beginning of the end for FIFA as we know it? – 24th Minute
The unthinkable has happened. Many high ranking football executives, including the man many thought would be the next president of FIFA, Jeffrey Webb, have been arrested on racketeering and bribery charges.
WHITECAPS FC & MLS
Fan voting underway for 2015 MLS All-Star Game – Whitecaps FC
Media members nominated a total of 160 players to the fan ballot – eight from each team. The eight Whitecaps FC players on the ballot are right back Steven Beitashour, midfielder Matias Laba, forward Kekuta Manneh, forward Darren Mattocks, midfielder Pedro Morales, goalkeeper David Ousted, striker Octavio Rivero, and centre back Kendall Waston.
Are the Vancouver Whitecaps slumping? Carl Robinson says recent form just matter of “fine lines” – MLS
With just two wins and eight points from their last eight games, it’s certainly been a tough spell of recent results for the Vancouver Whitecaps. But are the Whitecaps in a bit of a slump after their excellent start to the season, or are they simply regressing to the mean?
Seattle Sounders 1, Colorado Rapids 0 – MLS
A 16th-minute golazo by Marco Pappa was all the Seattle Sounders needed Wednesday night, as Seattle struck early then comfortably managed their lead to a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids at CenturyLink Field.
Pappa’s game winner propels Sounders to top slot in MLS – Prost Amerika
The win gave Seattle 23 points on the season. The Sounders now have a two-point edge over FC Dallas in the West and a one-point lead over D.C. United in the Supporters’ Shield standings.
Portland Timbers 1, DC United 0 – MLS
The Portland Timbers got their captain back and returned to the win column in the process with a 1-0 victory over league leaders D.C. United at Providence Park Wednesday night.
Manchester City defeats TFC 1-0 at BMO Field – Toronto FC
23, 169 were on hand to witness the likes of Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and David Silva take the field, but the Reds more than held their own.
Miami Mayor on MLS/UM Stadium: ‘Running Out of Time’ – CBS Miami
Is David Beckham finally going to concrete a plan to build an MLS stadium in Miami and potentially team up with Canes football?
Steven Gerrard’s MLS debut with LA Galaxy set for mid-July – The Guardian
The Galaxy coach, Bruce Arena, already has the International Champions Cup at home to Mexico’s Club America in mind for Gerrard’s first appearance.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP 2015
Soccer clubs from coast to coast get set to participate in FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ Youth Programme – FIFA
More than 50 soccer clubs across Canada have been selected to participate in the FIFA Youth Programme at this summer’s highly anticipated FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™. The Youth Programme highlights the importance FIFA places on enabling children to connect with the sport from an early age by inviting them to participate in the competition as a member of the Player Escort Team, Ball Crew or as a Flag Bearer.
Solo ‘in the best place’ after off-the-field issues – Goal
Legally speaking, Hope Solo isn’t out of the woods yet regarding domestic violence charges. But from a mental perspective, the U.S. goalkeeper is doing her best to put the matter in the past.
BC SOCCER
Oak Bay looks to end title drought at girls soccer provincials – Times Colonist
Several times the bridesmaid and never the bride, the Oak Bay Breakers senior girls soccer team is hoping to hitch itself to a provincial triple-A championship as the tournament begins today at the University of Victoria.
Highlanders End Vancouver Trip with Draw – Victoria Highlanders
Following a 2:0 defeat to Vancouver United Saturday, Victoria Highlanders FC carried play in a fast paced, entertaining match Sunday for the first sixty minutes, then held on with clutch goal keeping to draw Vancouver Thunderbirds (UBC) 1:1 in Pacific Coast Soccer League action.
WORLD OF SOCCER
Carlos Bacca double breaks Dnipro hearts for Sevilla to make history – The Guardian
In the end, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk’s sense of their own destiny was not enough. Sevilla, playing their familiar attractive football, became the first side to win the Europa League for the fourth time – astonishingly only nine years after they won it for the first time.
The Palestinian Schoolboy Dreaming of an International Soccer Career – Vice Sports
Standing on the goal line, Omar Mohammed bounces on the balls of his feet. An 11-year-old Palestinian schoolboy, he finds sanctuary on the rugged pitch in Beirut’s Shatila refugee camp.