BC Soccer News, Monday, December 18, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS

New ‘Caps striker Anthony Blondell leads Monagas SC to first Venezuelan titleWhitecaps FC
New Vancouver Whitecaps FC striker Anthony Blondell played his final game for Venezuelan Primera Division club Monagas SC on Sunday. And it’s one he’ll never forget.

Man Utd face delaying trials for Vancouver Whitecaps striker Alphonso DaviesTribal Football
Manchester United must delay their planned trials for Vancouver Whitecaps striker Alphonso Davies.

‘Caps keeper coach Stewart Kerr delighted to land top target Brian RoweWhitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC acquired Rowe, 29, from LA on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Rowe would have been available for selection in Friday’s MLS Re-Entry Draft, but the ‘Caps – who have the 16th overall pick – didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

A Christmas Carl: Part Three-The Second of the Three SpiritsSoccer Shorts
Awaking in the middle of a prodigiously tough snore, and sitting up in his chair to get his thoughts together, Robbo had no occasion to be told that the fourth official’s board was still upon the number One.

Where MLS teams could be drawn in the CONCACAF Champions LeagueMLS
The five MLS teams participating in the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League will learn their Round of 16 opponents on Monday night, when the confederation holds the draw for the reformatted tournament.

CONCACAF Champions League is Toronto FC’s platform to go from ‘best ever’ to dynastyWaking the Red
It starts tonight, when the draw for the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions League is made in Miami at 4 p.m. PT.

Toronto FC Sign Ayo AkinolaToronto FC
Toronto FC announced Monday that the club has signed forward Ayo Akinola as a Homegrown Player. He becomes the 15th player in club history to sign for the first team from the Toronto FC Academy. The club has signed a total of 34 Toronto FC Academy players to professional contracts for Toronto FC, Toronto FC II and Toronto FC III.

DaMarcus Beasley on Dynamo: ‘They’re giving me time’Houston Chronicle
DaMarcus Beasley is not in a hurry to decide if he’ll play for the Dynamo again in 2018, which seems fitting because the Dynamo are not trying to rush him.

Chicago has been good, but now the work truly beginsProst Amerika
Last time I wrote for Prost, I wrote about how the Fire took the first seven steps back towards prominence. I also mentioned that there were three steps the club needed to take for 2018: 1) Sign a true #1, 2) Re-sign Schweinsteiger, 3) Get a true #10.

Kaka announces his retirement, wrapping an elite pro soccer careerWaterloo Record
Kaka announced his retirement Sunday, officially wrapping an elite pro soccer career that included a final stop helping Orlando City make the jump to Major League Soccer.

Incoming expansion club LAFC developing high-class roster “problem”MLS
Incoming expansion club LAFC are thrilled about their new Designated Player Diego Rossi. And why shouldn’t they be?

Former Impact defender Laurent Ciman ‘fell in love’ with Montreal Montreal Gazette
Shocked at being traded to the expansion Los Angeles FC this week, the defender thanked Montreal fans social media for their support.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

VISL Division 1 Results and Standings, December 15-17, 2017BC Soccer Web
The Final week of the 2017 year came to a close with just the one game being played in the top flight; Division 1.

Sign of history to honour First Nations soccer star Harry MansonTimes Colonist
Harry Manson, an early First Nations soccer star, will be recognized with a sign at the Nanaimo field where a memorable game was played 125 years ago.

VMSL Round-up: Rovers Tigers back to winning ways as fog and failure derails rivals (with video)AFTN
VMSL Premier Division leaders BCT Rovers Tigers United got themselves back on track last weekend, as fog and failure took care of their nearest challengers, and they head into the last round of matches before the Christmas break in a comfortable position, with a six point lead at the top.

Canadian legends Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil team up for Individualized Coaching ProgramDasovic-Neil Coaching
Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil have teamed up to provide training programs for players & coaches. The programs specialize in individual, positional, age, and gender specific training for players, with a combined technical and physical focus while providing education and mentorship opportunities for coaches to improve their skills and deepen their knowledge base.

BC Soccer Web’s 2017 Soccer & Sports Book RecommendationsBC Soccer Web
Over the years, there have been many books on soccer and sport that have given us joy, laughter, and much to think about. We’re happy to share these with you. We’ll be updating this list as new titles become available, so keep checking.

PCSL CHALLENGE CUP PHOTOS: Vancouver Utd. 3, Mid-Isle Mariners 1, July 30, 2017BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

2016-2017 BC Soccer Year in ReviewBCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is proud to release their 2016-2017 Year in Review after another successful year of soccer. The #respectall initiative, High Performance License, Club Charter Program activity, along with the delivery of hundreds of coaching courses and referee clinics this past year highlight some of the successes.

BC PROVINCIAL WOMEN’S A CUP PHOTOS: Surrey United 1 NSGSC Renegades 0, May 13, 2017 BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

2017 VISL JACKSON CUP PHOTOS: Nanaimo Utd. 2 Cowichan LMG 1 (XT), April 2, 2017 BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

FVSL PHOTOS: Pakenham Cup Final, PMO Rangers 1 PMO Lordco Gunners 0, April 1, 2017BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

Becoming a BC Soccer RefereeBCSA
Whether you are an experienced referee new to British Columbia or if you are new to the discipline of refereeing BC Soccer Assoc. has a clinic and a pathway for you. The minimum age to become a referee is 12 years old (small sided) and 14 years old (11-a-side). Please enjoy the short video showcasing some Referee programs that BC Soccer offers and continue below for more on how to become a referee in BC!

Free Physiotherapy Clinical Trial for Achilles Pain at UBC – UBC Centre for Hip Health & Mobility
Do you have Achilles pain? Interested in free Physiotherapy? If yes, join our clinical trial to look at the effectiveness of intramuscular stimulation (IMS), a form of acupuncture therapy, in treating Achilles tendon pain.

The BC Soccer Web Guide to Empire Field BC Soccer Web
Empire Fields and Plateau Sports Park is the lofty and formal name given to Vancouver’s newest addition to the soccer scene. Yet, anyone who’s ever kicked or carried both kinds of footballs around these parts knows the place by heart.

Introducing BC Soccer Web SyndicationBC Soccer Web
You can now add BC Soccer Web news to your website simply by adding our new RSS Feed! Find out more.

Send your Soccer News to BC Soccer Web! BC Soccer Web
BC Soccer Web is the hub for soccer in British Columbia. We want to share your soccer news with the entire province, and you can help by letting us know! We want your match reports, club news, league standings, and info on upcoming tournaments and clinics. Whether you submit links to existing news on the web, or your own original writing, we want to share it with the soccer community in B.C.

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

North America’s bid to host 2026 World Cup jeopardized by falling U.S. popularityDenver Post
The North American bid to stage the 2026 World Cup seems like a sure thing. From stadiums and infrastructure to commercial opportunities and organizational experience, the joint effort by the United States, Mexico and Canada appears to meet all the necessary requirements (and then some) to host soccer’s premier competition. No contest, right? Not so fast.

T.O.’s most inspiring women of 2017: Kadeisha BuchananPost City Toronto
On the field, Kadeisha Buchanan [player on the national women’s soccer team] is definitely a trailblazer right now for the sport across Canada. She has been shortlisted as a finalist for the FIFA Ballon d’Or, was named the Best Young Player in the 2015 Women’s World Cup and won the UEFA Women’s Champions League this year with her team in Europe.

Defender Doneil Henry departsWest Ham United
The Canada defender spent nearly three years in east London, making his sole first-team appearance in the UEFA Europa League defeat at Romanian club Astra Giurgiu in August 2015.

2017 Active Start Soccer Fests Season Reaches nearly 300,000 Canadians Coast-to-Coast!CSA
Canada Soccer’s Active Start Soccer Fests 2017 season has wrapped-up with more than 140 community soccer clubs hosting fun-filled festivals in every Province and Territory. In 2017, Canada’s largest grassroots soccer program connected 100,000 Active Start participants under the age of 12 and nearly 300,000 total on-site attendees; including families, volunteers and coaches, across the Canadian soccer community.

Tecumseh Sportsplex Moving ForwardBlackburn News
A new sports palace for Tecumseh has cleared a big hurdle. With the passage by town council last week of Tecumseh’s 2018 budget, $400,000 have been set aside to hire an architect to begin designing a new multi-use Sportsplex. The facility has been considered by the town for at least two years, with a feasibility study approved last year.

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USL, NASL & LOWER DIVISION NEWS

Get to know our new USL friends, Fresno FCEighty-Six Forever
With the MLS offseason heating up, Whitecaps fans can be forgiven for forgetting one major change to the team’s structure: the demise of the three year old Vancouver Whitecaps 2 side in favor of partnering with expansion USL team Fresno FC.

Orange County SC sign midfielder Christian DukeAngels on Parade
Box-to-box player moves from Swope Park Rangers.

USL Coaches Graduate Pro License CourseUSL
When the 2018 USL season kicks off next spring, three of the league’s current coaches will do so having earned the highest level of coaching license available through the U.S. Soccer Federation.


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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

Alex Morgan wins CONCACAF Player of the YearThe Equalizer
Alex Morgan’s summer goal explosion in Orlando plus her USWNT-leading seven goals earned her 2017 CONCACAF Player of the Year honors. It was the second straight CONCACAF Player of the Year for Morgan and third overall after she won the inaugural award in 2013. Americans have now won all five with Abby Wambach winning in 2014 and Carli Lloyd in 2015.

FIFPro report highlights the multiple gender gaps in professional football worldwideInside World Football
Even in the English Women’s Super League conditions are dire: 88% of the player in the top tier of the English women’s game earn under £18,000 a year and 58% of the league’s players are considering quitting for financial reasons. But the picture that emerges from around the world is even more shocking with vast disparities between the treatment of male and female football players.

Frauen-Bundesliga week 11 review: Hoffenheim continue fine run of formVavel
Following on from the postponements last week, both Jena vs Duisburg and Essen vs Freiburg were called off due to the weather leaving both SGS and USV with two in hand, a further four one match off of the pace.

W-League Week 8: Unstoppable Sam Kerr gets another hat trickThe Equalizer
Brisbane is alone at the top of the table after a 2-0 win over champions Melbourne City; Kerr scores a hat trick in Perth’s 3-3 tie at Newcastle.

Liga Iberdrola week 14 review: Barcelona finish the year at the topVavel
In the last match week of 2017 Zaragoza had little joy against Valencia as Atleti hit four past Levante before Athletic came from behind to scoop all three points in Albacete and Sevilla grabbed a tight win at home to Tenerife.

England women manager’s job: FA struggling for female candidates – Baroness Sue CampbellBBC Sport
The Football Association is struggling to find female candidates for the England manager’s job, says head of women’s football Baroness Sue Campbell.

Portland Pilots hire Michelle French as new Women’s Soccer Head CoachGoalWA
Former University of Portland All-American defender, Olympic medalist, and U.S. Women’s National Team assistant coach Michelle French has been named the new women’s soccer head coach at Portland, University.

Continental Tyres Cup quarter final round-up: Top seeds all progress from tiesVavel
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Reading comprise the last four.

Former woman football player of Manipur awarded FIFA Referee BadgeOutlook India
Tekcham Ranjita Devi became the only second woman referee from Manipur to be awarded the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Referee Badge, after Keilyani Chanu.


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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Ramos and Real make history in the EmiratesFIFA
Sergio Ramos has had the pleasure of lifting a trophy on five separate occasions in 2017, the last of them coming in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, as Real Madrid won the FIFA Club World Cup for a third time.

Sunday European Rewind: Lyon edges Marseille, Barcelona routs Deportivo, and moreSBI
Lyon continued their fine campaign on Sunday, defeating Marseille 2-0 at the Parc OL. Bruno Genesio’s team used goals in each half to earn their second consecutive league win. Mariano’s headed goal in the 51st-minute gave the hosts their insurance goal after Nabil Fekir opened the scoring early.

European soccer midweek: What to watch in the main countriesMetro
The League Cup has reached the quarterfinal stage and the biggest four clubs to get this far — Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal — were kept apart in the draw.

Man City prove they’re a class apart, Real and Barca ready for ClasicoESPN FC
It looked as if Manchester City’s title was going to be derailed — if it was going to be derailed — on consecutive December weekends. Manchester United away and Tottenham at home, if it was going to happen, this was it. Nope.

Messi misses penalty as Barca wins big to increase leadSportsnet
Lionel Messi had a penalty kick saved as Barcelona eased to a 4-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna to increase its lead at the top of the Spanish league on Sunday.

AC Milan’s miserable month continues with loss to VeronaToronto Star
AC Milan’s crisis deepened as it was humiliated 3-0 at struggling Hellas Verona in Serie A on Sunday.

Bailey stars but Leverkusen held to draw in high-scoring affairSportsnet
Jamaica striker Leon Bailey scored twice as a substitute but Bayer Leverkusen failed to hang on as Hannover grabbed a 4-4 draw in the Bundesliga on Sunday.

Week 18 Review: Neymar inspires, OL claim OlympicoLigue 1
Neymar was Paris Saint-Germain’s inspiration as the Ligue 1 Conforama leaders thrashed Rennes, while Olympique Lyonnais beat Olympique de Marseille in the Olympico as the race for the top three got hotter.

Liverpool are no Man City, but the exploits of Coutinho, Salah & Co. should still be enjoyedSN
For every top team not named Manchester City in the Premier League this season, the outstanding can be made to seem ordinary. Each setback, meanwhile, is magnified for those residing in the shadows of Pep Guardiola’s side.

Kaká retires: where does he rank among the Brazil greats?UEFA
A 2007 UEFA Champions League winner with AC Milan, Kaká has retired from football at the age of 35; see how he ranks among Brazil’s most successful European players.

Police investigate alleged assault of Man City’s Raheem SterlingSportsnet
Police are investigating the alleged assault of Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling at the club’s training ground.

CAS bans soccer player for 4 years in cocaine caseMetro
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has banned Ecuadorean soccer player Jose Angulo for four years after he tested positive for cocaine in the 2016 Copa Libertadores final.

Premier League football TV rights battle kicks offBBC
The current Sky-BT duopoly could be shaken up by new digital entrants, with WPP advertising executive Sir Martin Sorrell and Manchester United boss Ed Woodward among those predicting an entry into the bidding war by a tech giant such as Amazon, Facebook, Twitter or Netflix.

Russia 2018 spot on the line? FIFA warns Spanish government to keep out of footballInside World Football
It’s an unthinkable scenario but Spain’s participation in next year’s World Cup could technically be under threat if the Spanish government meddles in the election of a replacement for disgraced Spanish FA (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar, the former FIFA and UEFA bigwig who was forced to relinquish his posts over corruption charges.

Gabriel Jesus: Call Your MommaThe Players’ Tribune
Whenever I score for Manchester City, my mother calls me. As soon as the ball hits the back of the net, the phone rings. It doesn’t matter if she’s back home in Brazil or if she’s in the stadium watching me. She calls me every time. So I run to the corner flag, and I put my hand to my ear, and I say, “Alô Mãe!”

The Men Behind Man City: a documentary not coming soon to a cinema near youMedium
I have had an idea for the opening scene of Amazon Prime’s in-production fly-on-the-wall documentary about Manchester City’s 2017/2018 season. It begins with a sombre warning from a US TV news reporter from 2009: “A reminder that what you are about to see is extremely violent and disturbing.” The scene is now set for an incendiary analysis of modern football’s most sinister benefactors.

Bars on the Windows, Laughter Between the LinesNY Times
An Italian nonprofit organizes soccer matches inside the country’s prisons in an effort to foster healthy relationships between inmates and their children.

2017’s TOP SOCCER BOOKSAmazon.ca

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