WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS
Vancouver makes post season with FC Dallas draw – Red Nation Online
The Vancouver Whitecaps clinched a berth in the 2015 MLS playoffs for the second consecutive season under Manager Carl Robinson. All Vancouver needed was a win or draw vs FC Dallas. Neither side was able to grasp any goals in a tightly contested match that finished 0-0 in front of 19,339 supporters at BC Place.
Whitecaps tie FC Dallas, clinch MLS playoff spot for second straight season – Metro
The Vancouver Whitecaps limped into the playoffs on Wednesday night — both on the field and in the standings. David Ousted made a couple of big saves in an uninspired 0-0 draw with FC Dallas as the Whitecaps clinched a spot in Major League Soccer’s post-season for the second straight year while also losing two more key players to injury.
Wounded ‘Caps happy to clinch playoff spot: ‘We’re down to the bare bones’ – Whitecaps FC
With Pedro Morales and Nicolas Mezquida already sidelined, the ‘Caps lost the influential Cristian Techera to a tight hamstring late in the match. He was quickly followed by Mauro Rosales, who was forced out with a groin injury.
What does road ahead look like for Whitecaps? – Sportsnet
It wasn’t nearly as dramatic as last season’s post-season clincher, but the Vancouver Whitecaps have officially claimed a spot in the 2015 MLS Cup playoffs.
A Silver Lining at BC Place – Eighty-Six Forever
The Vancouver Whitecaps secured their 3rd playoff berth in their 5 years in MLS with a 0-0 draw at BC Place Wednesday evening. In doing so, the Whitecaps also tied their point total from last year, with two games remaining on the schedule to surpass that mark. However, is this a game that should be celebrated or is it a sign of the struggles of the Whitecaps of late to score goals.
Vancouver Whitecaps glad to clinch playoff spot, but are worried about injuries piling up – MLS
There were mixed emotions in Vancouver on Wednesday night after the Whitecaps were held to a goalless draw at home to FC Dallas. The result guaranteed the ‘Caps a playoff spot for the second straight year, but it may have come at a cost, with their chances of a first round bye in the postseason disappearing fast and with some injuries to a couple of key players.
FC Dallas pleased with defensive performance in road draw with playoffs approaching – MLS
FC Dallas felt the early playoff energy as well, playing the Vancouver Whitecaps to a gritty 0-0 draw at BC Place on Wednesday that inched the visitors back into a tie with the LA Galaxy atop the Western Conference.
Red Bulls take East, Shield lead after win over Impact – Empire of Soccer
The New York Red Bulls managed to fend off the Montreal Impact in a wild 2-1 victory that saw three penalty kick calls from referee Ted Unkel.
Match Report: 10-man Impact falls 2-1 to the Red Bulls in New York – Montreal Impact
The Montreal Impact fell 2-1 to the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday night in a wild affair at Red Bull Arena, after playing over 75 minutes down a man, following an ejection early in the first half. Despite the loss, IMFC is still holding on to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, one-point ahead of Orlando City SC with one game in hand.
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BC SOCCER NEWS
Corner Kicks: West Coast rivalry reignites between Vikes and T-Birds – Canada West
It will be a match between the Canada West’s top teams on Oct. 9 when the University of Victoria Vikes women’s soccer team visit hostile territory and match up against their CIS No. 5-ranked rivals the UBC Thunderbirds. The T-Birds sit atop the Canada West with an 8-1 record, while the Vikes have rocketed to third place in their division and made their first appearance on the CIS Top-10 polls this week, ranking in at No. 9 with a 6-2-1 record.
Senior soccer star O’Neill gears up for final home game as a Cascade – UFV
Colton O’Neill is the soft-spoken sort. So as he prepares for the final regular season home game of his much-decorated university soccer career this weekend, you’re unlikely to hear anything even remotely boastful from him about how much he’s meant to the UFV Cascades over the past five years.
WolfPack Men’s Soccer Set For Showdown With UBCO – TRU
It’s the renewal of their fiercest rivalry. The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack and the University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat always have spirited affairs in any sport. This weekend: it’s in soccer.
WolfPack Women’s Soccer Return to Canada West, Set To Battle UBCO – TRU
After a week off to regroup and give their injured players some down time, the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s soccer team returns to action in the Canada West this weekend (Oct 9-10).
Boys U-16 Cup: Surrey United SC prevail in battle of coastal clubs – CSA
On opening day of the 2015 Sport Chek National Club Championships U-16 Cup, coastal clubs were pitted against one another in Group A as Surrey United SC of British Columbia prevailed over Fieldians Athletics of Newfoundland & Labrador by a score of 3-0. Goals from Sammy Kajzarek, Noah DaSilva and Dilkaron Kular would ensure a comfortable victory for the provincial hosts. (Note: Matches are held at South Surrey Athletic Park all weekend)
Boys U-14 Cup: Surrey United FC opens tournament with win – CSA
On opening day of the 2015 Sport Chek National Club Championships U-14 Cup, Surrey United SC of British Colombia ended their first game of the tournament with a victory against Fundy United of New Brunswick by a score of 3:1.
Girls U-18 Cup: Manitoba upset BC to win on Day 1 – CSA
FC Northwest of Winnipeg made the perfect start to the U-18 Cup at the Sport Chek National Championships in Prince Edward Island with a 1-0 win over Surrey United of BC.
CONCACAF 2016 OLYMPIC QUALIFYING
SEMI-FINAL
CANADA vs. MEXICO
3:00 PM, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015
RIO TINTO STADIUM, SANDY, UT.
(TV: TLN, LIVESTREAM: CANADASOCCER.COM)
FIFA World Cup Qualifying – Canada vs. Honduras at B.C. Place, Fri. Nov.13 – Buy Tickets Here
CANADA SOCCER NEWS
Aird gets his foot in Canadian soccer door – Sportsnet
Would he play for Canada or Scotland? For the longest time, that was the question surrounding Toronto-born Fraser Aird, a 20-year old winger with Scottish club Rangers.
Ethan Gage Interview – Some Soccer Playing Canadians
Ethan Gage is a 24 year old midfielder currently playing for Bærum SK of the Norwegian First Division. A grad of the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Reading Academy, Gage is a former Canada U-20 Player of the Year winner.
Concacaf Olympic Qualifying: Day 6 – Soccer America
The USA will face Honduras, a 2-1 loser to Mexico on Wednesday night, in Saturday’s semifinals at the Concacaf Olympic qualifying tournament at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Mexico, which won on goals by Raul Lopez and the Houston Dynamo’s Erick Torres, will face Canada in Saturday’s second game. The semifinal winners will advance to the 2016 Olympics.
USA U-23s to face Honduras, Canada to face Mexico in CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship semifinals – MLS
The road to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics is down to four CONCACAF teams, and they will determine the confederation’s two automatic berths on Saturday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
Durham United F.C. and Oakville Blue Devils Clinch League1 Ontario Titles – OSA
It has been an incredible and exciting season in both the Men’s and Women’s Division of League1 Ontario, and titles were claimed this past week in both divisions. Durham United clinched the inaugural title in the Women’s division after a 4-0 away win against ANB Futbol, while the Oakville Blue Devils secured their title, after a successful first season in League1 Ontario.
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NASL & USL NEWS
LA Galaxy II will travel to face OKC Energy FC in USL Western Conference Final on Sunday – LA Galaxy
LA Galaxy II will face OKC Energy FC this Sunday, Oct. 11 at Taft Stadium in the USL Western Conference Final. The match, which will be streamed live on www.lagalaxy.com, will kick off at 4 p.m. PT.
Cincinnati Unveils Jersey, Major Sponsorships – USL
FC Cincinnati unveiled its primary uniforms for the club’s inaugural season in the USL, and also announced four major sponsorships at an event on Wednesday night at the University of Cincinnati.
Cosmos Attack Comes Alive in 3-0 Win over Silverbacks – Empire of Soccer
The New York Cosmos finally found their scoring shoes on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Silverbacks, dispatching their hosts 3-0 on goals from Sebastian Guenzatti, Gaston Cellerino and Leo Fernandes. The thorough drubbing is the first time that the club has scored multiple goals in a match in six straight tries.
Eddies will be Laing-less for big weekend match against the Cosmos – the11.ca
For the sixth time this season, Lance Laing will miss an FC Edmonton match because of international duty. But this time might be the most important absence of all.
Indy Eleven owner Ozdemir wants to build soccer dream in Indy – WTHR
In their second season, the Indy Eleven are a hit, filling Michael Carroll Stadium with a North American Soccer League leading average of 9,896 fans. That strong support is despite obvious stadium deficiencies – like no locker rooms, and temporary restrooms, concessions and souvenir stands.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
WNY FLASH TRIO LOANED TO AUSTRALIA, CYPRUS CLUBS – NWSL
The Western New York Flash has announced that three players will head out on loan for the 2015-16 National Women’s Soccer League off season. Jasmyne Spencer and Michelle Heyman will play in Australia’s W-League, while Ashley Nick will feature in the Cypriot First Division.
Sky Blue FC 2015 Season Review – Empire of Soccer
Sky Blue FC’s season can be split into halves; the first, a disappointing one, the second, a playoff dash that fell just short of success.
Doncaster Rovers Belles to go full-time with new training ground – BBC Sport
Doncaster Rovers Belles are set to offer a number of their players full-time contracts after securing promotion to Women’s Super League 1. They will also build a new multi-million pound training complex.
NCAA Weekly: Irish lose, Daly sets Red Storm marks – The Equalizer
The weekend in women’s college soccer saw Notre Dame knocked off by Miami and while multiple records fell at St. John’s.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Lionel Messi and father ordered back to court over tax fraud charges – The Guardian
Although the prosecutor has argued Lionel Messi should not have to answer the charges as his father oversaw his finances, a court document published on Thursday showed the judge in the case had ruled he must still appear as a defendant.
Reform activist Collins: FIFA at risk of collapse – Goal
“The suspension of Sepp Blatter is an absolutely necessary step in changing FIFA but it is not the end,” he said. “This is a moment of crisis for FIFA where the magnitude [is such that], if they don’t get this right the whole organization could collapse. I think it’s that serious.”
FIFA suspends president Blatter, UEFA’s Platini – Sportsnet
Sepp Blatter and UEFA President Michel Platini, the former France great who had been favoured to take over as FIFA leader, were both suspended for 90 days Thursday, plunging soccer’s governing body deeper into crisis.
Fifa crisis: IOC president Thomas Bach says ‘enough is enough’ – BBC Sport
The International Olympic Committee has called on world football’s governing body Fifa to reform urgently after its president Sepp Blatter, vice-president Michel Platini and secretary general Jerome Valcke were suspended.
No new broom for Fifa after Issa Hayatou ascends to head of table – The Guardian
Issa Hayatou, 69, the acting president of Fifa following the 90-day suspension of Sepp Blatter, is a prime example of a long-serving Fifa chief whose career would have been curtailed had time limits for service, which are now being proposed, been in place.
Stadium names for 2018 World Cup in Russia confirmed despite another turbulent day for FIFA – The Mirror
The stadium names for the grounds that will be used at the 2018 tournament have been released, on the day that FIFA’s Ethics Committee confirmed they had suspended Sepp Blatter, Michel Platini and Jerome Valcke for 90 days.
Fifa executives who voted for Russia and Qatar – where are they now? – The Telegraph
A gallery of the Fifa suits who voted for Russia and Qatar to host the next two World Cups… and where they are now.
Honduras football boss Yankel Rosenthal charged in US – BBC
The president of one of Honduras’s most famous football clubs has been charged in the United States with drug trafficking and money laundering. Yankel Rosenthal, a former minister of investment, was arrested on Tuesday after landing at Miami airport. His cousin Yani and uncle Jaime Rolando, a four-time presidential candidate and newspaper owner, were also charged.
Sport is at a “defining moment”, says ICSS chief, calling for neutral integrity body – Inside World Football
The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has issued a statement from its executive director Chris Eaton reacting to media reports of the impending suspension of FIFA president Sepp Blatter saying this “represents a defining moment for world football and wider sport” and calling for a “independent and neutral global oversight body” to take on the monitoring of sport governing bodies.
Euro 2016 Forecast: Will Netherlands, Ireland miss out? – ESPN FC
Though only five berths have been officially claimed (Austria, Czech Republic, England and Iceland, plus host France), most of the top teams have nearly sewn up their spots. That means the remaining drama lies largely in teams jockeying between second place (and an automatic berth) and third place (and a playoff), or among countries fighting simply to make the playoffs.
Jordan shock Australia to lead World Cup qualifying group – The Guardian
Jordan have embarrassed Australia by taking top spot in their World Cup qualifying group with an impressive 2-0 victory in Amman.
CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying Preview: First round of action kicks off without much star power – SBI
The two-year slog is about to begin in South America, and there is again one more team vying for the highly-coveted World Cup berths.
U.S. vs. Mexico — what it’s like to play in the game – ESPN FC
In this guest blog, U.S. defender Michael Parkhurst writes about what it’s like to play vs. Mexico, citing a certain “Dos a Cero” 2013 win as a specific example.
USA is better off without the hysteria surrounding El Tri – Soccer America
Counting interim head coaches, Juan Carlos Osorio will be the sixth man to lead Mexico since U.S. Soccer hired Jurgen Klinsmann in the summer of 2011, and represents yet another example of how strident, over-the-top scrutiny of a national team does more harm than good.
Premier League offers excellent value – Richard Scudamore – BBC Sport
The Premier League has released data which it states calculates the average price paid by adult season-ticket holders is £32.50 per game. Supporters from all top-flight clubs united last weekend to protest about the cost of ticket prices.
Jurgen Klopp will make Liverpool’s academy thrive, says Robert Lewandowski – The Mirror
For Lewandowski, one of his former manager’s greatest qualities is to spot talent no matter the age or source – and he believes that means the Acadamy at Liverpool will get an instant shot in the arm, and the best young players a chance to shine.
Football manager sacked for doing TV punditry… while his team were playing – The Guardian
FC Ilves’ English manager Keith Armstrong picked a good day to provide expert analysis on the Finnish television channel MTV Sport. It’s just a pity that his bosses expected him to be somewhere else: on the sidelines, taking charge of his team at they played an important league match against SJK.