BC Soccer News, Thursday, October 6, 2016

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs. WHITECAPS FC

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2016, 2:00 PM

AVAYA STADIUM, SAN JOSE, CA.

TV: TSN 2  RADIO: TSN 1040  LIVESTREAM: TSN GO

Robinson expected to return next year despite critics – Red Nation Online
When a team struggles, the axe often falls on the manager. We all know it’s a lot easier to sack the manager instead of getting rid of an entire roster. However, there will be an exception to this theory. Carl Robinson will likely return as Whitecaps manager next season.

MLS Disciplinary Committee suspends Vancouver’s Blas Perez one match – MLS
The MLS Disciplinary Committee announced that it has suspended Vancouver forward Blas Perez for one game for an action taken in the Whitecaps’ 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

Beyond the Lens – Dirty Caps? – Eighty-Six Forever
By now, it should be no secret that the Caps have had their issues with discipline. What will surprise you, as it did me, that they are not at the top (or bottom) of the league-wide table. As of Sept 28th, they are 18th, ahead of Orlando and DC United.

Designated Report: Vancouver Whitecaps – Fifty-Five One
Jeff Rueter examines the history of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Designated Players in his ongoing series.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Effectively Managing MLS Cap – Eighty-Six Forever
When a team is officially eliminated from the playoffs, fan interest quickly turns to the off-season plans. After the Vancouver Whitecaps were mathematically eliminated on Sunday, be the Seattle Sounders, it was no different. Fans began to look ahead and determine who on the team needs to go and who should stay. Not surprising, after a disappointing season, many fans are calling for a complete revamp of the Whitecaps roster.

Bastian Schweinsteiger welcome in Major League Soccer – Don Garber – ESPN FC
Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber has told kicker that Bastian Schweinsteiger would be welcomed “with open arms” if the Manchester United midfielder seeks to prolong his career in the United States.

Portland Timbers believe MLS playoffs are still within reach – Oregon Live
The Portland Timbers (11-13-8, 41 points) fell two points below the red line with two games left in the regular season and put themselves in a difficult spot in the MLS standings Saturday after suffering a disappointing 1-0 loss at Colorado.

Orlando City can’t be okay with missing the playoffs – Playing for 90
With the talent on Orlando City’s roster, it can’t be acceptable missing the postseason two straight years.

Rare off weekend an opportunity for Revolution’s walking wounded to get healthy – New England Revolution
For the New England Revolution, an off weekend is a double-edged sword.

Atlanta United sign Chris Goslin to Homegrown Player contract – Dirty South Soccer
Atlanta United have announced the signing of Locust Grove native Chris Goslin as the club’s second ever Homegrown player.

Addressing supporter concerns over Atlanta United matches at Bobby Dodd Stadium – Dirty South Soccer
Atlanta United made a very interesting announcement on Wednesday. Instead of opening the 2017 MLS season with a strenuous and exhausting three-month road trip, they’ll begin the season playing their home matches at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium.

MLS: NYCFC buys land parcel for training facility – Soccer America
Rebuffed for years in its efforts to build a home stadium, New York City FC is projecting its training facility could be ready in 18 months.

MLS PHOTOS: Whitecaps FC 1, Seattle Sounders FC 2, October 2, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

 Capture the  game in HD using aerial video, book now at www.gamevision.ca!

BC SOCCER NEWS

UBC and UVic renew rivalry in division clash – UBC
It’ll be a short but tough weekend for UBC as they host their island foes – the UVic Vikes – on Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium. UVic (5-1-3) is just two points up on the (4-1-4) ‘Birds in the Canada West standings with just three weeks and three home games left in the Thunderbird’s regular season.

PREVIEW: Vikes and Thunderbirds meet in potential playoff clash – UVic
There will be just one game this coming weekend for the third-place UVic Vikes women’s soccer team. The Vikes will do battle against the UBC Thunderbirds, October 8 at 5:00 p.m. in Vancouver.

PREVIEW: Thursday and Saturday for annual TRU Derby – UBCO
UBC Okanagan men’s soccer team will play a mid-week evening match in Kamloops at 8 p.m. The return match of the annual derby with Thompson Rivers is on Saturday at UBC Okanagan with kick off at 2 p.m.

PREVIEW: WolfPack on tap for two matches – UBCO
The UBC Okanagan Heat women’s soccer team face long-time rival Thompson Rivers WolfPack. The yearly home-and-home opens in Kamloops on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. and closes on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Kelowna.

CIS TOP 10 | SPARTANS WSOC & WXC NO. 2, MSOC & MXC NO. 4 – TWU
After knocking off previously unbeaten Alberta as part of a two-win weekend, the Trinity Western women’s soccer team moved up to No. 2 in the latest CIS Top 10, while the other three in-season Spartans teams maintained their rankings from last week, with women’s cross country at No. 2 and both men’s soccer and men’s cross country at No. 4.

UFV’s MacMillan small in stature but giant for Cascades – Chilliwack Progress
Connor MacMillan has spent his entire soccer life playing with a chip on his shoulder and his emotions on his sleeve. You can see it in his eyes every time he steps on the pitch.  MacMillan plays every minute like he’s got something to prove, because usually he does.

UFV’s Levarsky lights up the pitch – Abbotsford News
It’s safe to say that UFV’s Monika Levarsky has bumped the slump. On Saturday, the third-year forward scored a hat trick for the second straight evening to pace the University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer team to a 3-1 victory over the Alberta Pandas at MRC Sports Complex. Levarsky’s scoring outburst came on the heels of a four-goal effort in Friday’s 6-0 win over the UNBC Timberwolves.

T-Bird Tell-All: Tyler Mertens – UBC
With only four games left in their regular season the UBC men’s soccer team is looking for big wins in a Thanksgiving Weekend home-and-home battle with the UVic Vikes. One of the players leading the charge for the ‘Birds will be Sauder School of Business student and fifth-year outside fullback Tyler Mertens.

VIU soccer scorers leading the league – Nanaimo News Bulletin
VIU Mariners player Billy Bagiopoulos said last week his team was gaining confidence in its goal-scoring abilities, and that seems to be the case.

Nanaimo United ties home game – Nanaimo News Bulletin
Nanaimo United was able to pick up a point in its home opener. The city’s Div. 1 Vancouver Island Soccer League side tied Comox Valley United by a 2-2 score on Saturday night at Merle Logan Field.

Powell River Villa suffers second straight loss – Powell River Peak
Powell River Villa soccer club fell to Prospect Lake Lakers in a second straight loss early in the season. Villa lost 1-0 in the away game of Vancouver Island Soccer League division two play on Saturday, October 1.

Fever pitch at the park – Nelson Star
The season is over for Nelson Youth Soccer players. The association’s playoffs were held over the weekend at Lakeside Park with teams competing for seven titles.

Employment Opportunity – KYSA Seeks Senior Staff Coach – BC Soccer Web
The Kamloops Youth Soccer Association is moving to hire a full-time Senior Staff Coach. Applicants for this new position must possess a minimum Canadian Soccer Association Provincial B License coaching certification.

Canada West to livestream over 100 Soccer matches in 2016-17 – Canada West
With the 2016-17 Canada West regular season set to open later this week, Canada West is proud to launch passes for Canadawest.tv – the official streaming home of the conference.

BC Soccer Assoc. Releases their 2015-2016 Year in Review – BCSA
After another successful year of soccer in British Columbia, BC Soccer Assoc. is pleased to release their 2015-2016 Year in Review.  The creation of the BC Soccer Club Charter Program, delivery of a FIFA Live Your Goals Festival, along with the numerous Grassroots Festivals across the province and Coach Education highlight some of the major successes this past year.

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.

Train With Champions TWU Spartan Female Soccer Academy

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada MNT to face Mauritania on Thursday – CSA
Canada will face Mauritania in a Men’s International Friendly match this Thursday 6 October. The 2016 match will be played at the Grand Stade de Marrakech with a 20.00 local kick off.

Canada vs. Mauritania | International Friendly Preview – MLS
In 2013, the Benito Floro era in Canadian soccer began with a match against Mauritania. In 2016, the post-Floro era will begin in the exact same way.

Expect to see fewer Canadian national-team games on neutral soil – the11.ca
Followers of the Canadian men’s national team have grown accustomed to schedules packed with neutral-ground friendlies. Canada playing Central American teams in Florida. Canada playing various European or Asian sides in Austria and/or Turkey. Games in empty stadiums. Closed-door games.

Jubilee Trophy finals open at St. John’s 2016 – CSA
Under sunny skies and gusty winds, eight of the ten women’s teams got things underway in St. John’s, Newfoundland Labrador at the 2016 Sport Chek National Championships. There were no apparent upsets on opening day of the 2016 Jubilee Trophy. Richmond FC, Edmonton Northwest United, Scarborough GS United, and Royal-Sélect Beauport were all winners on the opening day.

All-Newfoundland games Thursday in national senior championships – The Telegram
It’s a sure-fire guarantee that at least two teams from this province will pick up points Thursday in the Canadian senior soccer championships being played in the metro St. John’s area.

Former champions win on opening day at Challenge Trophy finals – CSA
Former national champions Ottawa Gloucester Celtic and Saskatoon HUSA Alumni were both winners on the opening day of the 2016 Sport Chek National Championships. So too were former runners up Edmonton Scottish while Group C sides Surrey Pegasus and Edmonton Green & Gold shared points in a scoreless draw.

Sport Chek National Championships kicks off – CSA
Ontario and Alberta are leading the way after the first matchday at the Canada Soccer Sport Chek National Championships. Ontario teams have won all of their matches while Alberta has only a tie as a blemish on its record. Teams from across the country kicked off the five days of competition in Moncton, NB, Lethbridge, AB, Vaughan, ON, and St. John’s, NF competing at the U-14, U-16, U-18, and senior levels respectively in both male and female completions.

Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock signs Junior Hoilett as he immediately bolsters his Bluebirds team – Wales Online
Winger once dubbed by FIFA as one of the young players to watch signs for Cardiff just 48 hours after Warnock took the helm.

Kyle happy to be playing pro soccer in Orlando – Star Phoenix
Kaylyn Kyle had been named an alternate for the Rio Olympics.  She was prepped and ready in case her country needed her.  Not travelling with the team to Brazil was a difficult choice, but the right one.  She is a leader at her pro club in Orlando and ended up playing four full 90-minute games over the Olympic tournament.

Oakville Futsal Club facilities a hit with soccer coaches, players – Inside Halton
Tom Milligan is among those who have a theory on how to increase Canada’s ranking in soccer, the world’s most popular sport. There are four ways to play the game — from the slowest surface, sand, to the fastest, futsal flooring. In between are artificial turf and grass.

Steffensen and Davis to make plea on Oct. 11 for charges of fraud – Whitecourt Star
Whitecourt residents Christopher Steffensen and Ellen Davis appeared before court again for several charges on Sept. 27 at the Whitecourt Provincial Courthouse. Steffensen appeared in relation to alleged frauds against the Rotary Club, the Whitecourt Minor Soccer Association as well as Steffensen’s former place of employment, Midtown Mall. Steffensen is alleged to have failed to forward registration fees to one of the groups involved.

Syrian Eagles: How soccer is helping refugees settle into new Toronto home – MLS
BMO Field, Toronto FC’s home stadium, is one of the first sights welcoming new arrivals to the city. It was only fitting, then, that Toronto FC would extend a warm welcome to their house to one of the biggest groups of recent arrivals to the city. Last week, they hosted a fellow soccer team, of a different sort — the Syrian Eagles, made up of refugees, and created to help the recent arrivals find community and settle in their new home.

PHOTOS: 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifier: Canada 3 El Salvador 1, September 6, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie

Connect with Soccer in British Columbia! Advertise on BC Soccer Web today!

USL Cup Playoffs Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 vs. OKC Energy FC – USL
After both earning upset victories in the Conference Quarterfinals, the No. 6-seed Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 and No. 7-seed OKC Energy FC will look to continue their runs in the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs on Saturday afternoon at UBC Thunderbird Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. PT.

‘We’re a big bunch of brothers:’ Davies, Levis excited for home playoff debut with WFC2 – Whitecaps FC
On Saturday afternoon at UBC Thunderbird Stadium, Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) will play their first-ever home playoff match in the United Soccer League. It’s a big milestone for the club. A win on Saturday would be even bigger.

Armada-Indy match postponed amid Hurricane Matthew concerns – Beaches-Leader
The North American Soccer League (NASL) has postponed the Jacksonville Armada-Indy Eleven match that was scheduled to be played at Community First Park in Jacksonville on Saturday night because of the impending weather concerns caused by Hurricane Matthew, the league office announced Wednesday.

Diakite, Fisk Highlight NASL Team Of The Week Selections – FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton’s Pape Diakité and Ben Fisk were selected to this week’s NASL Team of the Week after helping the Eddies pick up a crucial four points from contests versus Jacksonville Armada and Indy Eleven.

With playoff hopes slim, Fury FC keeps eye on the future – Ottawa Citizen
By the time its players step on the field for their next game Sunday, Ottawa Fury FC playoff hopes may have gone from slim to endangered.

Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 1 – 1 CD Guadalajara – Indomitable City Soccer
Sacramento Republic FC completed its 2016 season with a 1-1 draw at home in a friendly match against CD Guadalajara (“Las Chivas”). Marco Bueno opened the scoring for Chivas with a header from a corner kick in the 18th minute before Danny Barrera equalized for Republic in the 36th minute in front of a clearly pro-Chivas crowd.

Minnesota United Slump to a 2-2 Draw with the Rowdies – Fifty-Five One
Minnesota United broke their four match losing streak but still slouched toward a late draw with the Tampa Bay Rowdies as twice the Loons went up and twice they were pegged back. Even on points with the Rowdies, a win would have pushed Minnesota in the direction of the playoffs. A draw leaves them scratching for their NASL playoff future.

Preview: New York Red Bulls II faces USL nemesis, Rochester Rhinos, in Eastern Conference playoff semifinals – Once a Metro
New York Red Bulls II’s first-ever competitive game was against Rochester Rhinos: on March 28, 2015, the teams drew 0-0 at Red Bull Arena. They would play three more times that season, twice more in the regular season and once more in the playoffs: the Rhinos won them all, becoming the first team to knock NYRB II out of the post-season in the process.

Battery’s Experience Bodes Well for Playoff Run – USL
Having been welcomed by a crowd of 19,229 the first time they visited FC Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium, the Charleston Battery knew what to expect in Sunday’s Eastern Conference Quarterfinal clash at Nippert Stadium.

USL Teams Up with Sports Data Provider Opta – USL
The United Soccer League has agreed to a three-year partnership with Opta, the world’s leading provider of live, detailed sports data, to become the league’s Official Data Partner, providing the teams, fans and media with more tracked, recorded and databased action than ever before.

Buffalo Becomes United Soccer League AOR – O’Dwyer’s PR
Reston, VA-based sports shop Buffalo.Agency has been named public relations partner of North American pro soccer league the United Soccer League.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Operating a Division 4 Soccer Club (But Were Afraid to Ask) – Medium.com
It’s been almost 5 months since I published my original post about the origin story and motivation behind starting Stockade FC, our Division 4 (NPSL) soccer team in the Hudson Valley (“So, Let’s Build A Professional Soccer Team From Scratch”). I published that piece on May 8th, just a few hours before we kicked off the first match in club history (and just a few days before our daughter was born!)

Follow BC Soccer Web on Twitter and get news throughout the day!

WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

Barnes ends Sauerbrunn’s run as top NWSL defender – The Equalizer
Seattle Reign FC’s Lauren Barnes was voted the 2016 National Women’s Soccer League Defender of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday.

Though Thorns fell short of final, Portland franchise is model for success in women’s pro sports – ESPN W.
To be in Providence Park for the NWSL playoff game between the Portland Thorns and Western New York Flash was to experience a success story unlike any in women’s professional team sports. One wholly independent of the outcome.

France, England join Netherlands, Germany as top seeds – UEFA
The seedings have been confirmed for the UEFA Women’s EURO 2017 finals draw at 17:30CET on 8 November in Rotterdam’s Luxor Theatre.

This week in women’s college soccer – Soccer America
Three Pac-12 teams begin play this week among the top seven teams in Soccer America’s Top 25 rankings. No. 1 Stanford and No. 7 UCLA have been among the elite of women’s soccer for several decades.

UWCL: Lyon, Wolfsburg win on night of tight first legs – UEFA
Holders Lyon and last season’s runners-up Wolfsburg both produced impressive away wins as 12 round of 32 first legs were played with some dramatic finishes.

Chelsea Ladies 0-3 VfL Wolfsburg Frauen: Blues sing the blues at the Bridge – Vavel
Last year’s runners up, VfL Wolfsburg got their UEFA Women’s Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a comprehensive 0-3 win over Chelsea.

ROUND-UP: Wins for Shels, Wexford, and Galway – Continental Tyres WNL
Shelbourne Ladies continued their winning ways with an impressive 4-1 victory over Cork City WFC in Tolka Park.

Ellis Names NWSL Heavy Roster for Switzerland Friendlies – Backline Soccer
Jill Ellis, head coach of the USWNT, has named her 24-person roster ahead of friendlies against Switzerland.

Find a Team or Find a Player with BC Soccer Web FREE Classifieds!

WORLD SOCCER NEWS

International football: 10 things to look out for in World Cup 2018 qualifying – The Guardian
Gareth Southgate should have taken radical action over England captaincy, Hal Robson-Kanu may be needed by Wales and how long can Didier Deschamps do without Karim Benzema?

UEFA WCQ Preview: Italy takes on Spain, France faces the Netherlands, and more – SBI
The second and third match days of UEFA World Cup Qualifying are underway this international break, headlined by a clash of Group G titans.

Italy’s Buffon smells wind of change – Supersport
Gianluigi Buffon admits the prospect of losing his status as Italy’s undisputed No 1 goalkeeper has been brought closer by the arrival of Spain ahead of the sides’ 2018 World Cup qualifier on Thursday.

Injured Arjen Robben to miss Netherlands World Cup qualifiers – ESPN FC
Netherlands will be without captain Arjen Robben for their World Cup qualifiers against Belarus and France, coach Danny Blind has confirmed.

CONMEBOL WCQ Preview: Uruguay faces Venezuela, Brazil takes on Peru and more – SBI
While the top four all avoid one another, plenty of intriguing matches remain on the schedule for match day nine in 2018 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying.

Children’s commissioner warning on football ‘child exploitation’ – BBC
Scotland’s children’s commissioner has called for regulation to stop the exploitation of children by professional football clubs. His comments follow the decision by Celtic to feature 13-year-old Karamoko Dembele in its under-20 side against Hearts on Monday.

Infantino’s 48-team World Cup plan would be funny if it was not so serious – The Guardian
New Fifa president is taking a leaf straight out of Sepp Blatter’s book with his proposal to expand the competition and the way he is going about it

FIFA’s Gianni Infantino may face Ethics Committee investigation – sources – ESPN FC
FIFA president Gianni Infantino could find himself under investigation by the organisation’s Ethics Committee for the second time during his eight-month tenure over his role in a loan to the Slovenian Football Association (NZS) made during his previous position as UEFA general secretary, sources have told ESPN FC.

FIFA cuts ties with famed Baur au Lac hotel, site of Zurich raids – Fox Sports
The doormen at Zurich’s Baur au Lac hotel can put away their white sheets. There will be no FIFA executives to shield while being dragged out of the hotel into police cars again.

Son scores as Korea come from behind to beat Qatar – Yahoo Sports
South Korea got their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Qatar on Thursday as Son Heung-min maintained his red-hot club form by grabbing a second-half winner in Suwon.

Russia 2018 Asian Qualifiers Third Round: China 0-1 Syria – AFC
Mahmoud Al Mawas was on target to give Syria a vital 1-0 win in China as the West Asians earned their maiden victory of the third round of qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Shanxi Stadium on Thursday.

Japan snatch late winner against Iraq – Yahoo Sports
Japan’s Hotaru Yamaguchi scored five minutes into stoppage time at Saitama Stadium to give his side a 2-1 win over Iraq in 2018 World Cup qualifying on Thursday.

Kosovo footballers to make home debut – in Albania – BBC
The stands of the Rexhep Rexhepi stadium are not built for comfort. In fact, they are not completely built at all. But hundreds of people perch on concrete overlooking the pitch regardless, waiting to welcome the Kosovo national team.

A-League season preview part III: Melbourne City, Wanderers, Victory – The Guardian
Big-spending Melbourne City and Tim Cahill have attracted the media spotlight, but our writers still prefer Western Sydney and rivals Victory.

Marcelinho brace helps Delhi Dynamos overpower champions Chennaiyin FC – Indian Super League
Delhi Dynamos FC beat Chennaiyin FC 3-1 at in front of almost 22,000 fans at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai to kick-start their Hero Indian Super League 2016 season with a clinical showing against the defending champions.

How the Cuba vs. USA soccer game came together, and what it means – MLS
Friday’s friendly match between the US and Cuba (the universe and potential hurricane winds willing) forms a perfect, history-making peak of ascendant forces.

Mexico to appeal FIFA fine for fan chant, says it’s not discriminatory – Fox Sports
It was the third time in 10 months that FIFA has sanctioned Mexico’s national team for the habit of its fans yelling a gay slur during kicks by opposing goalkeepers. The latest fine, for $31,675 (30,000 Swiss francs), involves chants at qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup to be held in Russia.

Barcelona support gay Spanish referee, plan anti-LGBT events – ESPN FC
Spain’s first openly gay referee will be invited to attend a Barcelona game in the coming weeks as the Catalan club look to lead the fight against anti-gay behaviour in football.