BC Soccer News, Monday, January 16, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

Scouting report: What are the ‘Caps getting in Jakob Nerwinski and Francis de Vries? – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected right back Jakob Nerwinski and centre back Francis de Vries in the first two rounds of Friday’s 2017 MLS SuperDraft.

Whitecaps’ Manneh savours first taste of U.S. national team – Sportsnet
Kekuta Manneh’s days of commuting to work from the U.S. are over. The electric Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder/forward, a native of the Gambia, had been living in Point Roberts, Wash., in order to build up the residency needed to qualify for American citizenship.

Loan update: Adekugbe makes league debut with Brighton in EFL Championship – Whitecaps FC
Sam Adekugbe turns 22 on Monday. Today he got an early birthday present, making his league debut with Brighton & Hove Albion FC in the EFL Championship. The Seagulls fell 2-0 to Preston North End, but Adekugbe once again earned positive reviews – just as he did a week ago in his FA Cup debut.

Episode 171 – The AFTN Soccer Podcast (SuperDraft Extravaganza with Carl Robinson, Jakob Nerwinksi, and Francis De Vries) – AFTN
What number of offseason draft was this? We’ve lost count. But Friday was the big one, MLS SuperDraft. You know it’s special because it has Super in the title!

Shome says his SuperDraft slide will only serve as motivation to make an impression with the Impact – the11.ca
Shamit Shome says that seeing his stock slide in Friday’s MLS SuperDraft will only serve to motivate him when he arrives to the Montreal Impact’s preseason camp.

The start of a dream for Nick DePuy and Shamit Shome – Montreal Impact
Yesterday, the Montreal Impact made its choices for the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, in Los Angeles, adding forward Nick DePuy (UC Santa Barbara) and midfielder Shamit Shome (FC Edmonton, Generation Adidas Canada) to its squad. While DePuy will join the team for preseason training, Shome has been called up by Canada U20 for their training camp in Panama and for their U20 World Cup qualifiers.

D.C. United expected to sign Hermann Trophy winner Ian Harkes – Washington Post
D.C. United has reached agreement in principle with Hermann Trophy winner Ian Harkes, multiple sources said Sunday.

Team captain Patrice Bernier signs a new contract with the Montreal Impact – Montreal Impact
“We are very happy and proud to confirm that our captain will be back for another season,” said Impact president Joey Saputo. “There was never the shadow of a doubt that Patrice would stay with us, as he belongs to a category of players from Québec who will always have a place in our club. He is an example and a role model for all our players, on the field and outside of it as well.”

TFC was in position of strength at this year’s MLS draft – Canoe
The Reds selected highly-touted centreback Brandon Aubrey (Notre Dame) as the first round came to a close. Then they were out the door.

2017 International Call-Ups: MLS players on national team duty – MLS
In addition to the annual US national team camp and January camp for the US U-20s and Canadian senior national team, two international competitions taking place in January will also see MLS players feature prominently.

MLS SuperDraft 2017: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction – Bleacher Report
Expansion club Minnesota United made UCLA forward Abu Danladi the top overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Friday at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. Syracuse defender Miles Robinson was the second player off the board to fellow expansion team Atlanta United.

MLS Expansion: Garber high on San Diego – Soccer America
As a market with a strong pro soccer following — for Mexico’s Tijuana across the border — San Diego has often been written off as an MLS expansion market. But MLS commissioner Don Garber says he’s always looked at the Xolos support as a positive — and the Chargers’ impending exit only makes San Diego a stronger pro soccer market.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

FVSL All-Stars to face WFC2 in March – BC Soccer Web
January snow and ice in the Lower Mainland put the brakes on the annual clash between the Fraser Valley Soccer League All-Stars and the best from the VISL this year. That hasn’t stopped the FVSL from planning an ambitious All-Star series in March.

BC Soccer Assoc. is Now Accepting 2016-2017 Awards Nominations – BCSA
We are pleased to inform everyone that BC soccer Assoc. is currently accepting Awards nominations until the submission deadline date of March 31, 2017. Selection of the award recipients is based on many factors including the individual’s commitment, community involvement and willingness to give back to the game. This year any BC Soccer Assoc. member and their affiliate clubs may submit a nomination.

2017 BC Soccer Assoc. is accepting candidates for its Board of Directors – BCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is accepting candidates for its Board of Directors for terms commencing June, 2017 (following the BC Soccer Annual General Meeting).

Victoria Highlanders 2017 Season Passes now on sale – Highlanders FC
Support local soccer on Vancouver Island. Join the excitement of Highlanders FC PDL Soccer!

PHOTOS: CANADA WEST WOMENS FINAL, UBC 3, TWU 0, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

VMSL PHOTOS: Richmond FC Hibs 1, ICSF Columbus FC 0, November 5, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Tickets now on sale for Canada Soccer Women’s National Team celebration match 4 February in Vancouver – CSA
Individual tickets to the Canada v Mexico Women’s National Team Bronze Medal celebration match on 4 February 2017 in Vancouver are now on sale to the public. Complete ticket information can be found at CanadaSoccer.com/Tickets.

MWSL PHOTOS: Van United Primas 0, Fraser Valley Action 2, October 30, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

PHOTOS: GNAC Women’s Soccer: SFU 1 Concordia U. (Ore.) 0, October 20, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

BC Soccer Assoc. Delivery of Coach Mandate – BCSA
IMPORTANT:  If you are coaching in the ages U6-U12 you are required to complete the age appropriate course(s) even if you have a higher level of certification (ie. Soccer for Life, B pretest, C License, B License or A License). In order to enable our membership to deliver on the coaching mandate, BC Soccer Assoc. will be scheduling Learning Facilitator training sessions to assist organizations to have qualified individuals to deliver in-club coach certification courses to their coaches.

2016 BC Soccer Provincial Cup Photo Galleries – BC Soccer Web
Westhills Stadium & Goudy Park in Langford hosted the 2016 BC Soccer Adult Provincial Cup Finals. It was a thrilling weekend of soccer on Vancouver Island that saw seven champions crowned. Richmond FC & Surrey Pegasus qualified for the National Championships this Fall in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Both Coquitlam Metro-Ford Masters & Classics sides qualified for the Western Canadian Masters Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In all, it was a clean sweep for teams from the VMSL & MWSL. Monique Lamoureux & Bill Currie from BC Soccer Web were on location that weekend, capturing the all the action.

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 Syndication – BC 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.

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CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Five players take next step on pathway to Men’s National Team – CSA
Five young Canadian soccer players have earned their first call ups to the Men’s National Team. The young footballers have all come up through the national youth program before taking that next step in their international careers.

Awuah And Reid Picked Up By MLS Sides’ New York City FC And FC Dallas At SuperDraft 2017 – League1 Ontario
After a busy week of combine play and endless speculation about the future of the 250 players eligible for selection by MLS clubs at the 2017 SuperDraft, two former League1 Ontario players – ANB Futbol’s Adonijah Reid (2015 Young Player Of The Year/ 2015 Joint-Golden Boot), and Sigma FC’s Kwame Awuah (2016 League1 All-Star) – were among those successful in getting their first professional contracts.

Tancredi, Wilkinson and Nault to retire from Canadian women’s national soccer team – Toronto Star
Three veteran members of Canada’s national women’s soccer team will make their final appearance with the team Feb. 4.

Tomer the Rover: Canadian keeper Chencinski opens up about his decision move to Ireland – the11.ca
Tomer Chencinski is one of the most lay-it-on-the-table, honest players in Canadian soccer. After his Helsingborgs side was relegated out of the Swedish top flight, he accepted an offer to make the move to Ireland, where he’ll feature this season for Shamrock Rovers.

Men’s EXCEL Program identifies new talents – CSA
Canada Soccer’s Men’s EXCEL Program continues to identify players as a result of their scouting and collaborative work with provincial and territorial partners as well as the professional clubs and academies. Six more players have been invited to the Men’s U-20 camp in Toronto for two days of training.

Kicking around the idea of a Halifax pro soccer franchise – Local Xpress
Sports & Entertainment Atlantic president Derek Martin answers questions on how the proposal for a team, stadium site is going.

From the sports arena to the office, how winning teams get it right – Globe & Mail
Sports metaphors aren’t ground-breaking when we discuss the workplace, but there’s a lot we can learn about strategic employer branding from how the most successful sports teams attract and retain the best talent. When I look back on 2016’s high-performing teams, Canada’s national women’s soccer team stands out.

A fresh pair of eyes for Varsity soccer – The Medium
Rick Titus has been named the new men’s varsity coach, a position previously held by coach Robert Brown for two seasons. Titus has big shoes to fill, with Brown now gone to spend more time with his family. Brown led UTM’s Men’s indoor team in 2015 to a Sheridan Invitational tournament win. He then led the team to even greater success in their inaugural season, taking them to the 2015 fall OCAA Provincial Championships.

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NASL needs to focus on fans not politics, says Miami FC owner Riccardo Silva – The Telegraph
At the moment this end-of-season play-off between the rival champions is just an idea – and has yet to be even discussed with the USL – but it is indicative of how the NASL wants to take a proactive approach in creating an exciting experience for fans and driving revenue forwards.

Demba Ba, Eden Hazard Part of Effort to Bring NASL to San Diego – Empire of Soccer
One of the rumored expansion groups looking to enter the North American Soccer League has some star power behind it.

Rowdies Bolster Defense with Lowe’s Addition – USL
The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Monday they had completed the signing of defender Damion Lowe, pending league and USSF approval. Per club policy, further contract details were not disclosed.

Hearing Set in Bill Edwards’ Lawsuit Against Fort Lauderdale Strikers Ownership – Empire of Soccer
For the first time in several years, supporters of the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Fort Lauderdale Strikers do not have any on-field matchups between the historic rivals to look forward to. The Rowdies have decamped from the NASL for the USL and the Strikers are set to take the entire year off as they look to secure new ownership.

Morgan notches two assists in Olympique Lyonnais debut – The Equalizer
Alex Morgan made her debut with her new club, Olympique Lyonnais of the D1 Féminine league, in their 3-0 win over En Avant de Guingamp on Saturday, January 14. Morgan started the match and played until being subbed out in the 73rd minute.

Alex Morgan: ‘If Fifa start respecting the women’s game more, others will follow’ – The Guardian
The American star striker is an active campaigner for women’s equality off the field and has set her sights on becoming the world’s leading player on it, having taken the plunge with a six-month loan spell at Lyon.

Crystal Dunn discusses move to Chelsea, future – The Equalizer
Crystal Dunn is on an 18-month contract with Chelsea Ladies and will join the English club at the conclusion of camp with the United States, she confirmed to a small group of reporters last week.

World Cup preliminary round draw live on Thursday – UEFA
The road to the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France begins with the preliminary round draw streamed live from Nyon at 13:30CET on Thursday, with 16 teams involved.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Real Madrid’s unbeaten streak ends, as Sevilla reignites La Liga title race – Fox Sports
There were times when Real Madrid did not play very well during its Spanish-record, 40-match unbeaten run; some games where it was reliant on the individual brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale to get a result. So there was some irony to the performance that ended the eight-month run; in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at second-place Sevilla, Real Madrid played some its best football of the 41 games. And still, it was not enough.

What has happened to Pep Guardiola’s project at Manchester City? – The Guardian
The club spent four years chasing the Catalan so why has he inherited an ageing squad with big problems in defence – and will he change his ways after the 4-0 drubbing at Everton?

Juventus lose to Fiorentina and Serie A momentum now lies with Roma – The Guardian
The Serie A leaders, Juventus, suffered a 2-1 defeat at mid-table Fiorentina as the title race came alive following a bad-tempered but pulsating match.

Why do Roma fans love Francesco Totti? – UEFA
With Francesco Totti having now appeared in Serie A for a 25th consecutive year, UEFA.com takes another look at what makes the 40-year-old forward the Giallorossi’s ‘King of Rome’.

Week 20 Review: Monaco, PSG gain ground – Ligue 1
AS Monaco took advantage of a stumble by OGC Nice to move to the top of the Ligue 1 table in Week 20 while Paris Saint-Germain also gained ground in the title race.

Ivory Coast stumbles, another big team held at African Cup – Metro
Ivory Coast stumbled in its African Cup of Nations opener, with the defending champion held by Togo to 0-0 on Monday in another twist to start the tournament.

China’s ‘irrational’ spending prompts FA to change foreign player rule – SN
Teams in the cash-rich Chinese Super League will only be able to name three of their foreign stars in starting XIs this season after the Chinese Football Association confirmed an amendment to its competition rules – prompted in part by “recent irrational club investment for domestic and international player transfer fees”.

Neymar most expensive player in Europe, not Lionel Messi – study – ESPN FC
Barcelona star Neymar is the most expensive player in Europe’s top five leagues ahead of his teammate Lionel Messi, according to a CIES Football Observatory study.

Lagardère beats IMG to CONCACAF’s international media rights – Inside World Football
Lagardère Sports have won the international sales rights to CONCACAF events including this year’s Gold Cup, taking over from last international sales reps IMG who held the contract for a year. No details were given on the deal or the size of the guarantee that Lagardère made.

Dwight Yorke talks World Cup and the future of the game – Prost Amerika
Tobagonian Dwight Yorke had a career that spanned from 1989 to 2009, playing for several teams including Aston Villa, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, and Sunderland. He was named Premier League Player of the Season in 1998-99, the same year his Manchester United squad pulled off a treble, winning the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.  A member of this years FIFA Legends squad, Yorke stopped to talk about the expansion of the world cup and the future of the game.

What do footballers do while recovering from long-term injuries? – The Guardian
Manchester City’s players were ridiculed for wearing “Gundogan” shirts as they lined up in the Etihad before their game against Arsenal in December. Ilkay Gundogan himself tweeted in mock response: “Don’t worry, I’m still alive.” Whether paying such a tribute to their stricken colleague was over the top or not, the City players displayed a degree of solidarity with Gundogan and showed an understanding of the long rehabilitation he faces as he recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament injury.