BC SOCCER WEB WORLD CUP CENTRAL
Every day, we’ll bring you all of scores, news and best writing from around the web from the 2018 World Cup.
England vs. Croatia tale of the tape – Winnipeg Sun
The Sun’s Kurt Larson might be on the ground in Saint Petersburg, but he still found time to break down Wednesday’s other semifinal between England and Croatia, a pair of sides deemed long-shots to reach this point of the competition.
Southgate, England ready to face music of soccer history – TSN
Gareth Southgate and England are ready to face the music. No other soccer nation dwells on decades of failure quite like the English. Southgate was so demoralized by his penalty kick failure against Germany in the 1996 European Championship semifinals, he avoided The Lightning Seeds “Three Lions,” the team’s official song when it hosted the tournament.
Forget culture: in London, World Cup is only show in town – Ottawa Citizen
Deepika Divya Goordin was excited to go see Justin Timberlake perform in London on Wednesday night. But that was before England made it to the soccer World Cup semi-finals in Russia. Now she’s trying to sell her 100-pound ($130) ticket because all that matters is to see whether her country’s team can win and take one more step toward sporting glory.
Defence, midfield carries France into World Cup final – Sportsnet
France is back in the World Cup final for the first time since 2006 after edging Belgium 1-0 in their semifinal match on Tuesday.
Didier Deschamps answers the hard questions and frustrates Belgium – The Guardian
France executed the manager’s game plan perfectly and in Kylian Mbappé they had a player who was almost unplayable at times
With World Cup title, France could launch a dynasty – Vancouver Sun
It’s good the French make lots of Champagne, because with the trophy-winning potential of its team that will play in the World Cup final on Sunday, they could be bathing in the stuff for years to come.
Belgium are stifled and Roberto Martínez is found wanting for answers – The Guardian
Manager took a fluid approach to semi-final against France, with Kevin De Bruyne in a third different role in three games.
Google Translate: the unlikely World Cup hero breaking barriers for fans – The Guardian
The search company has reported queries containing ‘World Cup’ have gone up by 200% and those involving ‘beer’ by 65% as technology helps fans in Russia cross cultural divides.
Emphasis on sudden cardiac arrest in Russia – FIFA
During the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, the FIFA Medical Office will be placing an emphasis on and raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
World Cup fever grips Edmonton soccer fans as final approaches – CBC
There were plenty of gasps and cheers at the Garneau Theatre on Tuesday. But it wasn’t a classic old horror film on the big screen, it was soccer.
The Samba soundtrack to World Cup fever in Canada – Yahoo Sports
As the Selecao tried in vain to win a sixth World Cup, we met up with T.Dot Batu, Toronto’s premiere Samba Reggae band, to hear about the history of the music, its connection with soccer, and the essential role it plays in supporting the Brazilian national team. “Soccer and music goes hand-in-hand,” said French-native Chris Branco.
BC NDP 2026 WORLD CUP SCANDAL
EXCLUSIVE: City of Vancouver documents disprove NDP “Blank Cheque” for Vancouver 2026 World Cup – BC Soccer Web
Documents obtained by BC Soccer Web show that the BC NDP never faced a “blank cheque” scenario on the 2026 World Cup bid, and that FIFA negotiations would be ongoing with all three governments through 2020.
CONCACAF boss ‘disappointed’ with B.C. bailing on 2026 tournament – Toronto Sun
“The BC NDP had assurances,” Montagliani added. “If things weren’t to their liking from a documentation standpoint (they could have walked away by 2020). The reality is they paid no attention to the file,” Montagliani suggested. “They put a junior person on the file. They didn’t pay attention until the eleventh hour.”
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS
D.C. UNITED vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
MLS MATCHDAY #20
SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2018, 5:00 PM PT
AUDI FIELD, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TV: TSN 1 RADIO: BNN/BLOOMBERG 1410 ONLINE: TSN DIRECT
Fifteen days, five matches, four cities: ‘Caps set for busy stretch – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC are preparing for a busy two weeks with five matches in four different cities between July 14-28.
Whitecaps looking to ‘be spoilers’ in expected Wayne Rooney MLS debut – SN
The Vancouver Whitecaps plan to spoil DC United’s party.
Can opening of Audi Field translate to on-field success for DC United? – MLS
While Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at Audi Field represented the joyful end of many years of stadium uncertainty, D.C. United coach Ben Olsen knows Saturday’s opening match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC must also be a new beginning.
Are the Whitecaps willing to sell? Could it be youth or leadership leaving in the future? – Red Nation Online
The MLS secondary transfer window opened on Tuesday, signalling what could potentially be the start of the silly season for MLS clubs. Every team wants to improve, and stock pile assets for the dog days of summer, and a MLS cup playoff run. How active will Vancouver Whitecaps FC Manager Carl Robinson be?
The Transfer Strategy of the Vancouver Whitecaps – Eighty-Six Forever
It’s just over half way through the 2018 MLS season. The Vancouver Whitecaps have been wildly inconsistent both in terms of results and style of play. One month they’re to boring and defensive, the next month they’re leading the league in scoring but leaking goals like a sieve.
MLS Week 20: A Midweek Look Ahead – SBI
It’s an abbreviated midweek of MLS action but Wednesday’s matches could have major implications on the Eastern Conference playoff race.
MLS Week 20: Ranking the games – AJC
Ranking this week’s MLS games from best to worst.
Impact to visit Yankee Stadium in New York on Wednesday – Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact head to the Bronx to face NYCFC on Wednesday night.
Minnesota United signs forward Ángelo Rodríguez as second designated player – Pro Soccer USA
Minnesota United FC has signed Colombian forward Ángelo Rodríguez as its second-ever Designated Player, the club announced Tuesday. MNUFC issued a release stating it reached an agreement with Colombian first-division side Club Deportes Tolima for Rodríguez’s services, pending receipt of a P1 Visa and and International Transfer Certificate.
Chicago Fire permanently acquire Aleksandar Katai from Alaves – MLS
The Chicago Fire have permanently acquired midfielder Aleksandar Katai from La Liga club Alaves, a source confirmed to MLSsoccer.com on Wednesday. The news was first reported earlier Wednesday by a Serbian outlet.
Derby defeat not even the apex of a grim week – Once a Metro
From a departure to an injury, a costly error and an unhappy player, the Red Bulls had their worst week of the season.
Real Salt Lake 1, Eintracht Frankfurt 1 | Int’l Friendly Match Recap – MLS
Real Salt Lake drew 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt in an international friendly on Tuesday evening, RSL academy product Andrew Brody scoring on the occasion of his promotion from Real Monarchs before Nicolai Müller netted a late equalizer for the German visitors at Rio Tinto Stadium.
New Orlando City centerback Shane O’Neill eager to earn his place on the pitch – Pro Soccer USA
Shane O’Neill isn’t looking to just provide depth at centerback for Orlando City.
Seattle defeat Atlanta 5-1 in US Soccer Development Academy U16/17 final – MLS
The Seattle Sounders won the U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s Under-16/17 national championship on Tuesday evening, capping a sterling season with a 5-1 win over Atlanta United at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri.
NYCFC U19s Win DA National Championship – NYCFC
New York City FC U19s are US Soccer Development Academy champions! James Sands struck home the winning penalty to give the Club its second-ever piece of silverware in Kansas City, MO.
MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps 3, Chicago Fire 2, 2018 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
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BC SOCCER NEWS
West Vancouver club dominates BC Soccer provincials – North Shore News
Three golds, two silvers for WVFC Rangers during huge weekend at A Cup youth championships.
Whitecaps FC U-19s wrap-up season in fourth place at the Academy Championship – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-19 Residency wrapped up their season with a 2-1 defeat versus Columbus Crew SC Academy in the third place match on Tuesday.
Prospect Lake/Peninsula win U18 Provincial B Cup – Saanich News
Extra-time win over Terrace provides squad with first provincial soccer championship since 2008.
2018 Youth Provincial Cup Results – BCSA
The 2018 BC Soccer Provincial Cups came to close on Sunday, July 8th as 18 more teams were crowned provincial cup champions.
Soccer club wants to get everyone registered – Nanaimo News Bulletin
Harbour City FC, Nanaimo’s minor soccer association, is holding registration now for the fall.
VIDEO: Vancouver Whitecaps defender Jose Aja visits Nelson – Nelson Star
Jose Aja didn’t always understand that a good defence means running his mouth more than his legs. The Vancouver Whitecaps defender was in Nelson on Thursday to speak with young players at the club’s annual skills camp at Lakeside Park.
Call for interest for 2018 TD Diploma course – BCSA
Based on the level of interest, BC Soccer is planning to host a 2-day Technical Director’s course in late November or early December of 2018 (dates and location TBA). If you are interested in this course, please let BC Soccer know so they can update you.
PHOTOS: BC Provincial Men’s A Cup: BCT Rovers Tigers Utd. 5, Langley Utd. 2 (XT) – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
PHOTOS: 2018 BC Provincial Cup Parade of Champions – BC Soccer Web
See the winners from the 2018 BC Provincial Cup.
TSS Rovers release Season Tickets for the 2018 season – TSS Rovers
A great summer of soccer is in store at Swangard Stadium with the PDL & WPSL TSS Rovers. Season tickets are only $70.
Victoria Highlanders FC 2018 Season Tickets now on sale – Victoria Highlanders
Spend your summer with the PDL Highlanders at Centennial Stadium for only $75.
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!
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.
CANADA SOCCER NEWS
Labbé heads to Sweden – The Equalizer
Former Washington Spirit goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé will be joining Linköpings FC in Sweden, currently in the middle of their 2018 season. The 2017 champs are in 5th place on the Damallsvenskan table and is the current home of former Boston Breakers striker Natasha Dowie. She will be replacing Swedish keeper Hilda Carlén.
Who’s who: A look at the Atlantic Selects squad – CanPL Hub
A breakdown of the 26-man squad for next month’s friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Jubilee Trophy soccer: Kirby blanks Mount Pearl – The Telegram
Sydney Walsh recorded her sixth shutout in seven games and Destiny Mitchell scored twice as C.B.S. Kirby United defeated Mount Pearl 3-0 in Breen’s Jubilee Trophy women’s soccer play at the Gushue Complex.
Challenge Cup soccer: Holy Cross, Strikers look to move up – The Telegram
The standings are pretty tight among the first four teams in the Johnson Insurance provincial men’s soccer league.
Voyageurs welcome recruits – Sudbury Star
With one signing announcement last week, the Laurentian Voyageurs women’s soccer team addressed several of their needs ahead of the 2018-19 season.
Peterborough City U15 Blue girls reached finals of Robbie International Soccer Tournament – Peterborough Examiner
The Peterborough City U15 Blue girls reached the final of the 52nd Robbie International Soccer Tournament at Scarborough’s Birchmount Stadium on July 2.
Cape Breton players to compete at Unified Cup soccer tournament in Chicago – Cape Breton Post
Two local athletes will team up to represent Canada on the international stage next week in Chicago.
Special Olympian Jeremy Gallant of Whitney Pier and Cyril MacDonald of North Sydney, regional co-ordinator for Special Olympics in Cape Breton, are the only Nova Scotians selected to play for Canada at the inaugural Unified Cup international soccer tournament. After a brief training session for the Canadian squad in Toronto, they’ll head to the Windy City for the event that runs July 17-20.
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USL & LOWER DIVISION NEWS
USL’s Week Ahead – Conference Races Tighten as Second Half Kicks Off – USL
The second half of the 2018 USL regular season gets underway in Week 18, with the races at the top of the Eastern and Western Conference both having tightened in the past week ahead of an 18-game slate of games through this Saturday night.
Match Recap: Sacramento Republic FC 3 Swope Park Rangers 1 – Indomitable City Soccer
Sacramento Republic FC faced off against Swope Park Rangers Tuesday night at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. It was a quick turnaround for the Quails considering they played on Saturday and had to travel half way across the country and play in hot, humid weather. Swope Park’s last match was July 5 in a 2-0 win at Sounders 2.
Reno 1868 FC Forward Brian Brown Named USL Player of Week – KTVN
After one of the best weeks of his career, Reno 1868 FC forward Brian Brown earned his first USL Player of the Week award Tuesday.
Hartford Joins USL For 2019 Season at Dillon Stadium – USL
The United Soccer League today announced that Hartford, Connecticut will be the next market to join the league for the 2019 season. Hartford Sports Group will own and operate the new club, which will be named Hartford Athletic.
Building A Better Mousetrap For Pro Soccer In The USA – Part II – A Hypothetical Path For Independent Pro Soccer in 2019 & Beyond – Midfield Press
In Part I, we looked at why it would be difficult to build a national soccer pyramid that gets the most out of the country’s talent from closed league systems of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL).
NWSL & WOMEN’S WORLD SOCCER NEWS
North Carolina Courage vs Washington Spirit Preview: The Courage look to remain unbeaten – Vavel
The current league leaders have only lost one game this season while the Spirit have lost more games than they have won.
Dash look to break season series tie with Orlando Pride – MySA
After almost three weeks on the road, the Dash return home Wednesday to take on the Orlando Pride.
Utah Royals-Seattle Reign match preview – Salt Lake Tribune
After beating the Houston Dash 3-1, the Reign have won back-to-back matches.
Hat-trick hero Kerr named NWSL Player of the Week – FFA
Westfield Matildas star Sam Kerr has been voted the NWSL Player of the Week after her heroics for Chicago Red Stars at the weekend.
Diana Matheson suspended for one game by the NWSL – Vavel
The Utah Royals midfielder received a retrospective ban for a late challenge on Margaret Purce during Utah’s last game against Portland Thorns FC.
It’s Time for Sky Blue to Start Making Concrete Promises – Backline Soccer
Compared to many of the other NWSL teams, Sky Blue offers a far less impressive support infrastructure for its players and a less impressive gameday experience for its fans. With discussions swirling about raised standards, there have long been low-level conversations about whether (and how) they might work to raise their standards.
McDonald makes St Johnstone history as first woman to win Player of the Month – Scottish WPL
Jade McDonald has been voted as the winner of the Scottish Building Society SWPL Player of the Month for June 2018, gaining just over 45% of the public vote.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Riyad Mahrez: Manchester City sign winger from Leicester for £60m – BBC Sport
Manchester City have broken their club record to sign winger Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City for £60m.
Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus: Breakup comes at right time for Madrid – SN
Hall of Fame baseball executive Branch Rickey once said, “trade a player a year too early rather than a year too late.” The parallels between baseball and soccer aren’t numerous, but in allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to leave for Juventus, Real Madrid has abided by Rickey’s ethos.
Matteo Guendouzi: Arsenal sign France Under-20 international midfielder – BBC Sport
Arsenal have signed France Under-20 international Matteo Guendouzi from Lorient for an undisclosed fee.
Lenglet set to complete €35m Barcelona move – SN
Barcelona are set to complete the signing of Sevilla centre-back Clement Lenglet in a deal worth €35 million (£31m/$41m), Goal understands.
West Ham sign Andriy Yarmolenko – NBC Sports
Ukrainian star Andriy Yarmolenko is the latest to join Pellegrini’s revolution at the London Stadium, with the striker arriving from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth $23.1 million and signing a four-year contract.
Maurizio Sarri: Chelsea move closer for ex-Napoli boss as Jorginho linked – BBC Sport
Maurizio Sarri is in final negotiations with former club Napoli as he edges closer to taking charge at Chelsea, says the Serie A club’s president.
Manchester United return to training before beginning United States tour – ESPN
Anthony Martial, Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind have returned to training at Manchester United amid doubts over their futures at Old Trafford.
Klopp defends Karius after preseason mistake – NBC Sports
Liverpool beat Tranmere Rovers 3-2 in their latest preseason friendly but Karius spilled a routine second half free kick which led to Tranmere making it 3-1.
When is a transfer embargo not an embargo? Birmingham City sow confusion in England – Inside World Football
The transfer window is open, but not for everyone, at least theoretically. Birmingham City, who have reportedly been placed under a transfer embargo by the English Football league, have nevertheless continued to pursue players currently under contract at other clubs.
Elliott Management becomes new owner of AC Milan – Sportsnet
Elliott Management has promised to inject 50 million euros ($66 million) in capital after taking over Italian club AC Milan.
MediaPro affiliate in US DoJ corruption case handed $24m fine. Investigations ‘ongoing’ – Inside World Football
As the World Cup reaches its climax in Russia, the FifaGate scandal has reared its head again with The Imagina Group, parent of Spanish broadcaster MediaPro, agreeing to pay $24 million after its US-based affiliate US Imagina pleaded guilty to charges of corruption.