BC Soccer News, Tuesday, May 30, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

2017 CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINAL

MONTREAL IMPACT  vs.  VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

2ND LEG (1-2 AGGREGATE)

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2017, 4:30 PM

STADE SAPUTO, MONTREAL, QC

TV: TSN 1   RADIO: TSN 1410   ONLINE: TSN GO

‘Caps seek Canadian Championship Final berth Tuesday in Montreal – Whitecaps FC
A berth in the Canadian Championship Final is at stake on Tuesday when Vancouver Whitecaps FC visit Montreal Impact in the second leg of the tournament semifinal.

Episode 197 – The AFTN Soccer Show (Dirty Cheaters United – with guests Sem de Wit, Deklan Wynne, and more) – AFTN
So it turns out that cheaters actually DO prosper. At least in MLS under PRO referees they do. Vancouver Whitecaps’ 1-0 loss to D.C. United, thanks to a dodgy winning penalty call, is a hard one to take. At least we now know what the D.C. aspect of the team stands for. But it wasn’t all just down to that one call. The ‘Caps did enough to win the game and their finishing, good goalkeeping, and the woodwork, all conspired to prevent that from happening.

Can Whitecaps finish off Impact in Canadian championship semis? – Sportsnet
On Tuesday, the Vancouver Whitecaps visit the Montreal Impact after earning a 2-1 win at home last week.

Rested Impact feel they can roll Whitecaps in second leg of Voyageurs Cup – The Province
The Vancouver Whitecaps have the lead, but the Montreal Impact will have a lot on their side in the second leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal at Saputo Stadium on Tuesday night.

Montreal Impact banking on home cooking in Canadian Championship semifinal – Montreal Gazette
Dominic Oduro said there are times when the Impact needs to face adversity before they get into a game. “We need to get punched,” the forward said Monday as the Impact put the finishing touches on preparations for Tuesday’s Canadian Championship semifinal game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at Saputo Stadium. “Last year around the playoffs was like that. We got punched, but we got back up and played strong.”

Sluggish starts have been killing the Montreal Impact this season – Sportsnet
Patrice Bernier is the type of player who doesn’t need an invitation to stop and talk some soccer, especially when there’s a question that might require a more elaborate explanation.

Second leg scenarios: How the ‘Caps can advance to the Canadian Championship Final – Whitecaps FC
After an exciting 2-1 victory in last week’s semifinal first leg, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will advance to the Canadian Championship Final for the third straight year with a win, draw, or one-goal loss with at least two away goals vs. Montreal Impact tonight at Stade Saputo (4:30 p.m. PT on TSN).

De Jong, Teibert called up to Canada’s preparation squad ahead of June 13 friendly in Montreal – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Tuesday that defender Marcel de Jong and midfielder Russell Teibert have been called up to the Canada Soccer preparation squad for their upcoming international friendly versus Curaçao. Whitecaps FC Residency graduates Kianz Froese and Adam Straith were also named to the 27-man squad.

Kendall Waston and Christian Bolaños called up to Costa Rica for final round of World Cup qualifiers – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that centre back Kendall Waston and midfielder Christian Bolaños have been called up to the Costa Rican national team for the fifth and final round of qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, also called The Hex.

Carl Robinson and the Shadow of Forgotten Ancestors – Soccer Shorts
It’s only May in 2017 and Robinson has already trotted out a greater varieties of tactics than he did in all the previous years of his tenure.

Toronto FC vs. Ottawa Fury | 2017 Canadian Championship Match Preview – MLS
As well as Toronto FC are playing in MLS right now, riding an eight-match unbeaten streak, they’re in trouble in the Canadian Championship.

Injury Report: Sebastian Giovinco a possibility for Toronto FC against Ottawa Fury – Waking the Red
Toronto FC are likely to be without all three of their designated players once again when they face the Ottawa Fury in the second leg of their Canadian Championship semi-final on Wednesday night. The Fury took a surprise 2-1 lead at TD Place, leaving the Reds with work to do to overturn the deficit at BMO Field.

Le Tour de LeToux returned to Vancouver with DC United – Red Nation Online
Sébastien Le Toux is in his ninth MLS season, and the veteran midfielder has seen it all. The 33 year-old has played for Seattle, Philadelphia, Vancouver, New York Red Bulls, Colorado, and his current team, D.C. United.

MLS Cups are not minted in May – Prost Amerika
For those focused on results over process, there’s a palpable fear that the Timbers have peaked; the secret is out that Portland’s strong start was too hot and has transitioned into something undercooked.

LA Galaxy turning season around with “soccer our fans should be proud of” – MLS
A slow smile danced across the face of Curt Onalfo at the sight of a gaggle of reporters clogging an Avaya Stadium hallway while awaiting his press conference. “So now you guys want to talk to me,” the LA Galaxy coach joked.

Authenticity in Canadian football getting taken to new levels – AFTN
There’s a lot of things that piss me off with modern day football. This would be a very, very long article if I went through them all. But a lot of my gripes boil down to one aspect that overrides them all – how money is sucking authenticity out of the game.

Is it possible to manufacture a football rivalry? MLS has tried … – The Guardian
Football thrives on friction between clubs but is it inauthentic to create one? In a young league such as MLS the results can be interesting to say the least.

VOYAGEURS CUP PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 Montreal Impact 1, Semifinal, 1st Leg, May 23, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Sporting Kansas City 0, May 20, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

BC SOCCER NEWS

PCSL Results & Standings May 27-28 – BC Soccer Web
Here are the results & standings from the Pacific Coast Soccer League for the weekend of May 27-28.

Panorama Ridge soccer: Thunder cherish team ties in B.C. tourney run-up – Varsity Letters
The health of a team heading into the B.C. girls high school soccer championships isn’t always measured by its number of bumps and bruises. In fact, veteran coaches will tell you that one of the unique challenges of their sport is building a sense of team when culling together a roster of players from community teams of all different ages and abilities.

‘Caps U-14s return from first taste of international competition – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC U-14 Residency had their first taste of international competition this past weekend as they participated in the Lennart Johansson Academy Trophy tournament in Stockholm, Sweden.

Sounders Women open with WPSL win over North Shore GSC – GoalWA
The Sounders Women traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia to open the 2017 WPSL season on Friday, May 27th at Windsor Secondary School. The Sounders Women took down North Shore Girls Soccer Club by a score of 3-2 to win the opener.

BC PROVINCIAL MEN’S A CUP PHOTOS: Club Inter 2 Aldergrove United 0, May 14, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Monique Lamoureux.

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.

PDL PHOTOS: TSS Rovers 2 Lane Utd. 2, May 12, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

2017 BC Soccer Adult Provincial Championships – BCSA
The Road to Burnaby continues! Complete brackets and results from the weekend’s games in the BC Provincial Cups.

3V3 LIVE NATIONAL SOCCER TOUR COMES TO ABBOTSFORD – 3v3 Live Canada
3v3 Live Soccer Tour and Holbrook Sports Management are excited to announce the expansion of the 3v3 Live Soccer Tour into the Canadian soccer market.  With the first event previously announced to take place on the August 19/20 weekend in Surrey, BC, the 3v3 Soccer Tour will expand to Abbotsford, BC, on August 20 and will include men’s and women’s open divisions.

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, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

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.

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.

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.

 Premium Classified Advertising on BC Soccer Web Starting at 50 cents per day!

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada Soccer honours recent Women’s National Team retirees Josée Bélanger and Kaylyn Kyle – CSA
Canadian Women’s National Team player Josée Bélanger has announced her retirement, joining Kaylyn Kyle who announced earlier this month. Both players will be honoured, at the upcoming Canada Soccer Women’s National Team home match against Costa Rica on 11 June in Toronto. Additional retirement announcements are also expected prior to the 11 June home match.

Team Canada veteran Josée Bélanger retires from competitive soccer – Toronto Star
Fullback/forward is the second national team member to retire in the last month, following midfielder Kaylyn Kyle.

Zambrano names 27-man Canada squad for Curacao warmup game – Sportsnet
Orlando forward Cyle Larin leads a 27-man squad in head coach Octavio Zambrano’s first Canadian roster selection. Canada, ranked No. 108 in the world, takes on No. 70 Curacao on June 13 at Montreal’s Saputo Stadium in a warmup for the July Gold Cup.

Diana Matheson stops in Edmonton to promote women’s game – Edmonton Journal
Diana Matheson was mobbed Saturday by those she inspires most. The Canadian women’s national team midfielder was a special guest of FC Edmonton and was on hand to watch the local North American Soccer League team defeat the Indy Eleven 2-1 before a full house of nearly 4,000 spectators at Clarke Stadium.

Rocket Robin Report: May 27/28 League1 Ontario – Northern Starting XI
Result and details of the Saturday May 27, 2017 League1 Ontario game between Aurora FC and Woodbridge Strikers played at St Maximillion Kolbe HS in Aurora at 7:00pm.

Meet K-W United FC’s blue and white army – The Record
Like the anthem, the supporters — who call themselves “Grand River Union” — are also increasing in volume. What started out as a handful of soccer enthusiasts, now numbers more than 100 members from across Waterloo Region, Guelph and even as far as Chatham.

Thunder Bay soccer leagues take to the pitch in full force – Chronicle Journal
A busy week in the Thunder Bay soccer schedule as all the various leagues in the city have kicked off their new campaigns. Sunday saw the opening night of the Thunder Bay Men’s Division I season with the Chill JRM defeating Lakehead University 7-1 with the Chill getting two goals apiece from Ben Melchiorre and Jag Arena.

Kenora men hit pitch for new soccer season – Kenora Daily Miner
Kenora men hit the pitch last week as a new season of the Kenora Men’s Soccer League began.

Dad raises alarm about unanchored soccer posts after son’s death – CBC
An eastern Ontario father is calling for action after his 15-year-old son was killed instantly when an unanchored soccer goalpost tipped over and struck him in the head.

Register for the Western Canada College ID Camp at Shawnigan Lake

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

TIMBERS 2  vs.  WFC2

SUNDAY, JUNE 4, 2017, 2:00 PM

PROVIDENCE PARK, PORTLAND, OR

LIVESTREAM: WHITECAPSFC2.COM

USL PHOTOS: WFC2 1, Real Monarchs 2, May 28, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Guest photos for BC Soccer Web courtesy of Tom Ewaniuk & AFTN Canada.

Rich’s Reflections: Young WFC2 side “a little overwhelmed” at first in loss to strong Real Monarchs side – AFTN
A slow and sloppy start was to cost WFC2 dear at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley on Sunday as the ‘Caps went down to a 2-1 loss in front of 1,131 fans to a strong Real Monarchs side with a lot of MLS experience in their ranks.

USL Week 10 Rewind: Red Bulls II gets out of funk, Fury FC rolls, and more – SBI
The first double game week of the USL season brought some interesting results. New York Red Bulls II ended a three-game losing streak in impressive fashion. A game-winning goal from  Derrick Etienne saw Red Bulls II topple the Charleston Battery who came into the weekend leading the Eastern Conference. It was a surprising result given the recent form of the two teams but the Battery were unable to deal with Red Bulls II on set pieces.

NASL Week 10: Steinberger Steering Armada – Empire of Soccer
There simply is no stopping Zach Steinberger. The Jacksonville striker scored both goals on Sunday in the Armada’s 2-1 win as the club jumped over North Carolina and into second place in the North American Soccer League’s Spring Season standings. The win put Jacksonville within two points for first-place Miami, which picked up a point in a tie against Puerto Rico.

With lead investor on board, efforts to bring pro soccer to Omaha are gaining momentum – Omaha World-Herald
The USL, the American soccer equivalent of Triple-A baseball, has been trying to launch an expansion team in Omaha for more than a year. The 30-team league plays a 32-game schedule from March through October.

USL DIII Expansion Tour Visits Midwest – USLD3
Following a successful tour of potential Southeast markets, the United Soccer League’s Division III expansion team makes its way through the Midwest.

Christos FC: Amateurs named after liquor store who barely train on brink of dream MLS date – Four Four Two
Christos are a club started by a group of friends 20 years ago with the aid of sponsorship from their local alcohol outlet and they are on the brink of making a name for themselves on a national scale.

Randy Waldrum out as Houston Dash head coach – The Equalizer
The Houston Dash have parted ways with head coach Randy Waldrum. He was informed Monday morning, two days after the club’s fourth consecutive loss, all in nationally televised games on Lifetime. Officially, the club announced a mutual parting of ways. Assistant Omar Morales will lead the Dash this weekend in Washington.

WSL 1 – Week 7 Review: Mixed results for City and Chelsea – Vavel
Week seven could have been the turning point in the race for the Spring Series title as City and Chelsea played two fixtures – one against each other.

NWSL Week In Review: Safety First? Or Maybe Not? – The Equalizer
Across town from BBVA Compass Stadium at Minute Maid Park, the retractable roof was closed for Saturday night’s Houston Astros game with Baltimore, and with good reason. Who the heck wants to sit out in 90-degree heat for a few hours? In fact, the roof is rarely given a break in anything resembling the summer, having opened in August once last season for the first time in a decade on an unseasonably cool (for Texas at least) evening.

Renard on Lyon: from no shirts to European dominance – UEFA
The only player to have been part of all 11 of Lyon’s consecutive French title wins, Wendie Renard speaks about their evolution into a European powerhouse and Thursday’s final.

Barcelona confirm Ernesto Valverde as new manager at Camp Nou – The Guardian
Barcelona have confirmed Ernesto Valverde as their new manager following Luis Enrique’s departure.

Griezmann tells Atletico he wants move – Football Espana
Antoine Griezmann has informed Atletico Madrid he wants to leave the club this summer, say reports in Spain.

Gareth Bale fears he will not be fit to feature in Champions League final – The Guardian
Gareth Bale fought through the pain, obliged to take pills to get him through training and matches, but he concedes that the Champions League final in his home city might still have come to soon for him to start. Real Madrid’s Cardiff-born forward admitted that he returned too soon after surgery on an ankle ligament injury sustained in November and that he is not yet fully fit.

Coach Luciano Spalletti leaves Roma likely for Inter Milan – Sportsnet
Roma announced the departure of Luciano Spalletti on Tuesday in an expected move that frees the coach to sign with Inter Milan.

‘The worst season of my career’ – £30m Spurs flop Sissoko open to summer move – SN
Moussa Sissoko has reflected on the “worst season of his career” after becoming a £30 million flop at Tottenham.

Asmir Begovic: Bournemouth sign keeper from champions Chelsea – BBC Sport
Bournemouth have signed keeper Asmir Begovic from Premier League champions Chelsea for an undisclosed fee.

Borussia Dortmund fires Thomas Tuchel as coach – Metro
Borussia Dortmund fired Thomas Tuchel as coach on Tuesday, three days after he led the club to its first title in five years.

U-20 World Cup Rewind: Venezuela edges Japan; Portugal advances past South Korea – SBI
The knockout rounds of the 2017 U-20 World Cup have begun. There weren’t many goals in the early game between Venezuela and Japan, as the two sides needed extra time to sort out their differences after failing to find a goal in the opening 90 minutes.

Mali retain their crown to lead African challenge – FIFA
In the absence of two-time reigning world champions Nigeria, Mali backed up their status as runners-up at the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015 and defending continental champions by retaining their title at the 2017 CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

Huddersfield wins soccer’s richest game, promoted to Premier League – Sportsnet
Huddersfield Town will play in England’s top division for the first time in 45 years after beating Reading 4-3 in a penalty shootout on Monday in the League Championship playoff final, world soccer’s richest single game worth a minimum $220 million.

The David Wagner story, the next American to coach in the EPL  – Prost Amerika
Today, Huddersfield Town AFC is a Premier League club while the likes of Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Bradford City Middlesbrough and the rest of the clubs in Yorkshire toil in lower division purgatory. The Terriers survived a penalty shootout on Monday at Wembley against Reading to gain promotion for the first time in 45 years. How did this happen? Thank one very wise German-American named David Wagner.

Serie A season review: Juventus march on, Totti’s farewell, Mertens is prolific – ESPN FC
When the Scudetto is decided, the European places wrapped up and the relegated gone down, all that’s left to do is to reminisce and this season in Serie A sure has bequeathed us some indelible memories. Just take the tears shed at Francesco Totti’s final game for Roma and the beautiful gesture he made in passing on his armband to Mattia Almaviva, captain of the club’s under-11s.

For Naples: Marek Hamšík – The Players’ Tribune
In Naples, we don’t just have one football manager. We have three million.

Pogba makes ‘beautiful’ Mecca pilgrimage to say thank you for Man United season – SN
Paul Pogba is visiting Islam’s holiest city, Mecca, to pray, offer his appreciation for a successful season with Manchester United and mark the beginning of Ramadan.

Letter to My Younger Self: Rio Ferdinand – The Players’ Tribune
Dear 12-year-old Rio, Keep walking. Keep your head down. And just keep walking.

Immigrant Families Find Soccer Shockingly Expensive To Play In The U.S. – NPR
Across much of the globe, soccer is played by the rich and the poor. A Latino soccer club in New Hampshire is helping immigrant children in the U.S. play what has become an expensive sport.