BC Soccer News, Monday, March 27, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC  vs.  L.A. GALAXY

MATCHDAY #4

SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017, 7:00 PM

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MLS Counterattack: Whitecaps need to ‘change it up’ – Sportsnet
“Everything at this moment is against us. We have to see what we can do to change it up,” noted Whitecaps defender Kendall Waston after the 2-0 loss at home to TFC. Vancouver has looked pretty suspect through the first three games of the season—five goals against, and genuine difficulties moving the ball through the midfield.

Vancouver Whitecaps:The anti counter intuitive argument – Soccer Shorts
It’s easy to sit and carp from sidelines of course (As Robinson himself can testify) and it’s probably too much to hope that the current two week break will produce fresh ideas and a bolder way of playing but it’s hard to imagine that many of the squad enjoy playing in a system that limits their talents so severely.

Vancouver Whitecaps News and Notes – Eighty-Six Forever
We cover the minor Vancouver Whitecaps news of the past few weeks.

MLS Weekend Rewind: Week 4 – SBI
While the majority of teams took off for the international break, several MLS teams remained in action over the weekend, producing a couple of surprising results.

Crew SC rave about Niko Hansen as rookie enjoys delirious debut vs. Timbers – MLS
A week after rookie Homegrown center back Alex Crognale put in a man-of-the-match performance in his MLS debut for Columbus Crew SC, the club found another rookie hero in their 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers.

Revolution fly by Loons for first 2017 win – Prost Amerika
The New England Revolution earned their first victory of 2017 on Saturday afternoon, as they beat Minnesota United 5-2 in the Gillette Stadium home opener in front of 11,571.

Red Bulls’ Lade: Big Bite in a Small Package – Empire of Soccer
Connor Lade was on top of the world on Aug. 7, 2016, playing some of the best soccer in his career. After years of fighting for a place in a star-studded line-up his time had come under Jesse Marsch, a coach looking for youth and pace. He was making his 18th appearance of the season only to have an knee injury ruin it. He was sidelined and wouldn’t return for seven months.

Seattle Sounders draw 1-1 with Club Necaxa in international friendly – MLS
The Seattle Sounders stayed busy on their bye week, hosting Mexican club Necaxa in front of yet another big crowd at CenturyLink Field on Saturday night, a festive occasion that ended in a 1-1 draw.

Montreal Impact: New Swiss DP may arrive before summer – MLS Multiplex
Already confirmed by the Montreal Impact owner, they may be able to get their latest DP signing onto the pitch sooner than originally thought.

What Makes the Montreal Impact Fan Culture so Unique? – The Link
The new MLS season is upon us, and even after an unfortunate draw against the Seattle Sounders in the last seconds of the game, fans were still chanting and cheering for their beloved players. The home opener against Seattle was the site of one of the noisiest and warmest crowds MLS has seen in recent years.

St. Louis has chance to be progressive with soccer stadium – St. Louis Today
Voting on April 4 for the soccer stadium — and also the MetroLink expansion — plants a seed in downtown in regard to development, declaring that St. Louis wants to be something more. It’s recognizing that this is our one shot to get Major League Soccer, a flourishing league for a sport that you might not love, but your kids sure do.

Episode 183 – The AFTN Soccer Show (The First Eleven – Biggest Moments In Whitecaps History) – AFTN
With Vancouver Whitecaps having a week off from MLS action, much to the relief of nearly everybody I’m sure, we thought we’d do something a little bit different for this week’s show and delve into the ‘Caps rich history, as we launch a new specially themed episode that we’re going to bring you a couple of times over the year – The First Eleven.

MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0 Toronto FC 2, March 18, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Train With Champions TWU Spartan Female Soccer Academy

BC SOCCER NEWS

VISL Final Results & Standings for 2016-17 – VISL
The Standings are now set, and they will go into history as one of the more exciting years in the VISL 1st Division. It took until Sunday evening to determine final placements – which in turn decided the fate of teams who were hopeful to earn the right to face other teams in the Province Cup – specifically vs the FVSL & VMSL.

Stoke City Coaches Returning to Kamloops – KYSA
The Kamloops Youth Soccer Association has announced that three coaches from Stoke City FC of the English Premier Soccer League will be returning to Kamloops for the fifth consecutive year to instruct at the association’s High Performance Soccer School scheduled for August 8-11.

BC Soccer Assoc. Pleased to Support KidSport BC with $10,000 – BCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is pleased to announce that for the third consecutive year we have been able to support KidSport BC with a $10,000 contribution! BC Soccer acknowledges the incredible work that KidSport BC does for sports in communities all over British Columbia specifically their contributions to soccer. The $10,000 will be distributed to  KidSport BC community chapters with the highest soccer specific KidSport applications to assist them in their efforts to support young soccer players and athletes in their respective communities.

BC Soccer Assoc. Scholarships – BCSA
BC Soccer is proud to award scholarships every year to players and referees proceeding on to post-secondary education. The Scholarships are presented at a special Scholarship Celebration at a Whitecaps FC match in June/July each year. Applications must be received by the British Columbia Soccer Association Office by March 31st.

REVIEW: The Miracle Mile. Stories of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – BC BookLook
Author Jason Beck is curator of the BC Sports Hall of Fame in BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, and convenor two years ago of an excellent exhibition about the 1954 Games. In his first book, he proves to be a meticulous researcher, a compelling story-teller, and a crafty realist who knows how to hook his readers. Watch how, two pages into the book, he uses filmic technique to evoke the arriving athletes’ youthful buzz and give period colouring and costuming, but then smartly moves his camera in to introduce his stars.

TSS Rovers launch website & 2017 Season Ticket Campaign – TSS Rovers
TSS FC Rovers play their inaugural season in the PDL at iconic Swangard Stadium. Season Tickets are $70 for Adults, $49 for U12 Youth.

Becoming a BC Soccer Referee – BCSA
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!

To our Readers: A Choice – BC Soccer Web
Soccer has brought us to the United States many times. It’s a great place with decent people. We especially look forward to our Cascadia trips to Seattle and Portland. They’re incredible cities with wonderful supporters. That’s why it was so disheartening to see chaos and fear take hold in the airports and borders of our neighbours to the south.

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.

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.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada earns gritty 1:0 win over Uzbekistan in U-23 series – CSA
Octavio Zambrano has a “W” from his first match in charge of Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Program. Zambrano and team led Canada to a 1:0 victory over Uzbekistan in the first of two matches at a U-23 series in Qatar.

Canada gets win in Zambrano’s first game in charge of men’s national soccer program – CTV
Caniggia Elva scored as Canada edged Uzbekistan 1-0 in an under-23 game Saturday in Octavio Zambrano’s first game in charge of Canada Soccer’s men’s national team program.

Canada Soccer completes National Referee Assessor Clinic – CSA
Canada Soccer’s National Referee Assessor Clinic was held March 17-19 in Toronto. John Nielsen, Manager of Assessing, CONCACAF led the sessions along with Canada Soccer Manager, Referee Department Isaac Raymond, and special guest Sandra Serafini, PRO Strategic Initiatives Manager.

GRU Meets with Gill Heidary and Jeff Hughes from KW United! – Grand River Union
Levi, Adrian, and Nathan were excited to sit down on March 9th with Gill Heidary-Director of Club Operations and Co-Owner of KW United, as well as Jeff Hughes-Community Liaison, to discuss ways which Grand River Union and KW United can work together to make a professional soccer team in Kitchener-Waterloo a reality. Gill and Jeff were both open to GRU’s suggestions, and want to continue to develop a close relationship between the club and the supporters.

Edmonton table soccer champion heads to World Cup of Foosball – Edmonton Journal
Team Canada foosball player Zoe LaBelle is off to Hamburg, Germany, to play table soccer at the international level.

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UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

L.A. GALAXY II  2   WFC2  0

SATURDAY, MARCH 25, 2017

STUB HUB CENTER, CARSON, CA.

Whitecaps FC 2 lose 2-0 in season opener at LA Galaxy II – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC 2 opened the 2017 USL regular season on the road on Saturday afternoon, losing 2-0 versus LA Galaxy II at StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium.

WFC2 open season with loss to La Galaxy II – Eighty-Six Forever
Playing in LA, WFC2 couldn’t get much going in the way of offense, as they fell by a final score of 2-0.

New Era, Same Result for Galaxy II – USL
Prior to Saturday’s opening game of the 2017 USL season, and his first as the LA Galaxy II’s Head Coach, Mike Muñoz described the contest with Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 as the start of a new era for Los Dos. After a 2-0 victory at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium that saw new and returning faces all play a role, though, the new era had a very familiar look to it.

TFC II win opening game of the season at Phoenix Rising FC – Waking The Red
Toronto FC II got their 2017 USL season off to a marvellous start on Saturday night with a 1-0 win over Phoenix Rising FC in Arizona.

Sounders FC 2 falls 2-1 to Sacramento Republic FC in season-opening match – Sounders FC
Despite a fifth-minute goal from 2017 MLS SuperDraft selection Brian Nana-Sinkam, Sounders FC 2 (0-1-0, 0 points) opened its third USL campaign with a 2-1 home loss to Sacramento Republic FC (1-0-0, 3 points) on Sunday afternoon. The contest marked the third consecutive season S2 has faced Republic FC in the season’s first match at Starfire Stadium, with the visitors winning each of the past two fixtures.

I-4 Derby Lives Up to Billing – USL
A hallmark of the USL’s growth and fan support has been the budding regional rivalries that have coalesced. Heading into the 2017 season, much anticipation surrounded Saturday’s opening match between newcomers the Tampa Bay Rowdies and second-year Orlando City B in this I-4 Derby.

NASL Week 1: Back on the Field – Empire of Soccer
After a tumultuous off-season that saw the league tottering on the brink for weeks, six of the eight remaining teams in the North American Soccer League returned to the field on Saturday for the start of the league’s 16-game Spring Season.

Deltas get Deserved Point in Inaugural Game – Midfield Press
The SF Deltas finally kicked off their inaugural NASL campaign with a 1-1 home draw against Indy 11 at Kezar Stadium. This was definitely a game of two halves. The Deltas clearly fed off the home crowd’s energy in the first half, but seemed to feel the pressure of the opening night in the second half. “At the end of the day, the result was fair. We didn’t deserve to win, but we didn’t deserve to loose,” said Head Coach Marc Dos Santos. “We were the better team, more under control in the first half. In the second half, they were the better team.”

Crowd Count: Three USL teams set records in openers – Soccer America
Three USL teams set club attendance records on opening day, topped by the Richmond Kickers, who opened up their 25th season with a 1-0 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders in front of 8,021 fans at City Stadium.

Sitting down with Shireen Ahmed: Battling the misconceptions about Muslim women in sports –  McGill Daily
After having brunch at Bagel Etc during her visit to Montreal last February, Shireen Ahmed sat down with The Daily to discuss the experiences of Muslim women in sports and sports writing. Hailing from Halifax, Ahmed is a Toronto-based freelance writer, sports activist and lifelong soccer player. Many began to follow her work during the 2016 Olympics, where her Tweets and articles offered a critical analysis of the politics behind the games.

In Camp, Sky Blue Looks Strong – Empire of Soccer
Last March, Sky Blue’s new coach, Christy Holly, was using the National Women’s Soccer League preseason to simply find pieces that fit together to compete for a playoff spot. A year later, Holly’s aspirations for his squad are higher.

Women’s FA Cup: Man City host Liverpool, Chelsea visit Birmingham City – BBC Sport
Manchester City Women will host Liverpool Ladies in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals, while Chelsea are to visit Birmingham City.

FA Cup quarter-final – Liverpool 2-0 Notts County: Reds ease into semi-finals – Vavel
An error from Carly Telford gifted Liverpool  an opening and the Reds never looked back after taking the early lead in their FA Cup quarter final against Notts County.

McLaughlin focused on Kilkenny positives despite UCD defeat – Irish WNL
Getting a result against any Dublin team on their home turf is an arduous task, and Jackson Park is no different, Kilkenny United WFC departing the game with a 5-0 defeat.

3f Liga – Play-off preview: Brøndby IF and Fortuna Hjørring to battle it out once more – Vavel
We have reached crunch time in the Danish top flight. Before 2016 turned to 2017 the eight 3f liga teams played 14 regular season matches to determine the order of the table before heading into the crucial play-offs.

Yanks instrumental in European clubs’ successes – The Equalizer
It was a clean sweep of wins for members of the U.S Women’s National Team in Europe this week, with Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Crystal Dunn all enjoying victories in three different competitions.

Sundhage: We have high expectations for Sweden – FIFA
When asked what is the best thing about the Sweden women’s national team, Pia Sundhage does not need to think twice. “They bring out the best performances in each other,” she responded in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com.

Notts County Ladies: HMRC winding-up case adjourned again until July 2017 – BBC Sport
A winding-up petition against Notts County Ladies has been adjourned for a second time, with the club given until 3 July to pay their debts.

Megan Rapinoe: ‘God forbid you be a gay woman and a person of color in the US’ – The Guardian
Megan Rapinoe will no longer kneel during the national anthem. In accordance with the US Soccer policy released earlier this month – a policy that was aimed in her general direction – Rapinoe will stand with both feet planted, squared up to the flag. But Rapinoe won’t be entirely silent about it.

Manchester United ‘preparing £173m summer bid for Barcelona superstar Neymar’ – The Telegraph
Manchester United are preparing a £173million (€200m) summer bid for Barcelona superstar Neymar, according to reports.

UEFA WCQ Rewind: Spain dominates Israel, Bulgaria shocks Netherlands, and more – SBI
With domestic leagues off this weekend, the fifth round of UEFA World Cup Qualifiers kicked off on Friday with nine matches across Europe.

Louis van Gaal linked with Netherlands after Danny Blind sacking – ESPN FC
Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is being linked with a return to the position of Netherlands manager. On Sunday, Netherlands sacked coach Danny Blind in the wake of their World Cup qualifying loss to Bulgaria.

U.S. Victory Over Honduras Is Truly One for the Ages – American Soccer Now
The teenage playmaker, the veteran forward fighting a health issue, and the second-time coach who wants to book his third trip to the World Cup all came up big on Friday night at Avaya Stadium.

Bruce Arena’s simplified approach is just what the U.S. need right now – ESPN FC
Let us not debate how the U.S.’s 6-0 beatdown of an absolutely abysmal Honduras side will change the way people think about the sport in this country. Instead, let’s just rejoice in the simplicity and clarity that Bruce Arena has brought to the U.S. men’s national team, and let’s be thankful that when confronted with the potential horror of not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup, U.S. soccer had the good sense to pull an old card out of their wallet and dial 1-800-BRUUUCE.

Sevilla move unlikely as Man City tell Nasri to find new club – SN
The France international had appeared to have won over City boss Pep Guardiola last summer but there is now no chance of him returning to the Etihad Stadium as City are ready to entertain any offers for the midfielder, who is currently on loan at the Primera Division club.

Sydney FC clinches first place in A-League – NBC Sports
Sydney FC won the Premiers Plate as regular-season champions after the second-place Melbourne Victory lost 1-0 to Brisbane on Saturday, when Sydney had a night off.

Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri wins coach of the year award for Serie A – Sportsnet
Napoli’s Maurizio Sarri was voted coach of the year in Serie A on Monday, beating Massimiliano Allegri and Eusebio Di Francesco.

Nigeria cancel London friendly after Burkina Faso players fail to get UK visas – Inside World Football
Nigeria’s friendly with Burkina Faso in London tonight has been called off after several Burkina Faso players failed to gain visas in time.

Former Liverpool coach was trapped in Ghana due to AFCON payment problems – SN
Despite the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations finishing in February 5, Ghana assistant coach Gerard Nus was not able to return home to Spain until this weekend due to a disagreement over pay with the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

Montagliani stakes claim to 3 automatic slots at 2026 North American World Cup – Inside World Football
If the United States, Canada and Mexico jointly bid for the 2026 World Cup and are successful, all three should be allowed automatic berths in the competition according to the region’s top administrator.

In defence of the corner, a much-maligned set piece – The Guardian
Fans still get very excited when their team win a corner but, in the Premier League, only three per cent lead to a goal. Maybe taking one isn’t so easy after all.

Andorra’s soccer squad ends 11-year losing streak – Toronto Star
Scoreless draw against Faroe Islands comes after 58 competitive defeats in a row.