VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS
2016 MLS CUP
TORONTO FC VS SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 5:00 PM PACIFIC
BMO FIELD, TORONTO, ONT.
TV: TSN, RDS
Whitecaps FC exercise 11 contract options, announce roster moves ahead of 2017 – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Thursday that the club has exercised the 2017 contract options on 11 players.
Whitecaps pick up contract options on 11 players – Sportsnet
A day after cutting their captain loose, the Vancouver Whitecaps announced they have picked up the contract options of 11 players.
Whitecaps FC re-sign Erik Hurtado – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that the club has re-signed forward Erik Hurtado through 2018 with options for 2019 and 2020.
Is there any future for Fraser Aird at Rangers? – Got the Battle Fever On
After spending a season on loan at MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps, Fraser Aird has returned to training at Auchenhowie in the last few weeks as the 21-year-old Canadian international looks to fight for his place in Mark Warburton’s Rangers squad. Aird’s spell with the Whitecaps was, ostensibly, to allow him to play regular games at right back, a position he had very little experience in, although the signing of Lee Hodson this summer has added new competition to unseat James Tavernier at full back.
Episode 167 – The AFTN Soccer Podcast (That Was Then, This Is Now with Carl Robinson, Christian Bolanos, David Edgar, Fraser Aird, and Spencer Richey) – AFTN
Remember us? We thought we’d come out of winter hibernation to bring you a couple of end of year podcasts to round off what’s been a pretty miserable 2016 with a bang.
Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders | 2016 MLS Cup Preview – MLS
More than nine months after the 2016 season began, we’re finally ready to crown a champion. Two of the biggest clubs in the league will square off for a shot at their first MLS Cup on Saturday, Dec. 10, when Toronto FC will host the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field.
MLS Cup Preview: Toronto, Seattle, seek first Cup – Empire of Soccer
Major League Soccer’s 2016 season comes to a close on Saturday night, when Toronto FC hosts the Seattle Sounders in this year’s MLS Cup. Both teams are making their first appearance in the final, but only one will be able to lift the trophy when all is said and done. Even as capacity at BMO Field has been expanded to 37,000, tickets quickly sold out upon going on sale to the public this week. A contingent of 1,500 is expected from Seattle.
Can Toronto’s isolated back line cope with Seattle’s speedy attack? – ESPN FC
The wait has been long — 13 days for the Seattle Sounders and 10 for Toronto FC by the time kickoff comes around — but MLS Cup 2016 finally arrives on Saturday in Toronto.
Sounders defenders Marshall, Torres ready to battle surging Altidore – SBI
Containing Jozy Altidore is not a one-man job. He’s too big, too strong, too technical to simply man-mark. His game is too refined and, at this point in the season, he’s too hot to expect him to be a non-factor in any single game.
Sounders the team that ex-coach Sigi Schmid built – Toronto Sun
Most of us did a double take. Ex-Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid was sitting steps away from MLS Cup’s jam-packed news conference room moments before his former team — the Western Conference champs — arrived at TFC’s training ground.
Brian Schmetzer’s character helped push Sounders to MLS Cup – Sounder at Heart
One of the first things you notice about Brian Schmetzer is how well he listens. Lots of people in leadership do a wonderful job of making it seem like they care what you’re saying. Heck, a lot of them get into these positions exactly because of that skill. It’s very few who give a genuine impression that they are not only hearing the words coming out of your mouth, but attempting to understand what it is you’re trying say.
Longtime friends Marshall, Moor take parallel paths to MLS Cup final – SN
For the past 13 years, Chad Marshall and Drew Moor have shared a steady bond. That kinship was forged when the defenders met as U.S. Under-20 teammates in 2003, then nurtured by a decade-plus of mutual respect.
How Toronto and Seattle fans took support to a new level – MLS
Arguably, supporters’ groups for both teams brought fandom to new levels. That’s something that clearly became a central focus as I was researching my recent book, The United States of Soccer: MLS and the Rise of American Soccer Fandom. Each team’s fans tapped into strong local traditions of soccer culture, and elevated it beyond.
Armando Cooper keen on making move to Toronto FC permanent – SBI
Win or lose on Saturday, Armando Cooper wants to stay right where he is at. The MLS Cup Final is set for Saturday night at BMO Field, and the match between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders will officially mark the last game in Cooper’s current loan deal with the Canadian club. The 29-year-old midfielder was acquired back in mid-August via a loan deal from Panamanian outfit Arabe Unido that runs through the end of the year, but he wants to make the move a more permanent one.
Toronto FC ‘ready to battle’ in MLS Cup, former star Dwayne De Rosario says – CBC
He’s retired from professional soccer now, but De Rosario is still a TFC ambassador. He is gearing up for Saturday’s championship game against the Seattle Sounders — game time is 5 p.m. PT at BMO Field — more like a player than a casual fan.
I’m no soccer fan, but count me in – Toronto Star
To paraphrase the Tragically Hip, I ain’t no soccer fan, but I can get behind anything.
Canada ready for historic 2016 MLS Cup in Toronto – CSA
Canada will be watching soccer this Saturday night when Toronto FC tries to lift one more trophy before the end of the 2016 Major League Soccer season. The Canadian club will face Seattle Sounders FC in the league’s playoff championship final, with the Canadian television broadcast to kick off at 19.00 ET / 16.00 PT on TSN.
Impact already making moves for 2017 MLS season – Montreal Gazette
Impact president Joey Saputo and technical director Adam Braz held their season-ending news conference Friday morning at Centre Nutrilait with four snow-covered soccer fields visible through the conference-room windows.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber to hold State of the League address Friday – MLS
MLS Commissioner Don Garber will hold the annual State of the League address on Friday afternoon (12 pm PT) in downtown Toronto ahead of Saturday night’s 2016 MLS Cup final between Toronto FC and the Seattle Sounders (5 pm PT on FOX and UniMás in USA; TSN and RDS in Canada).
MLS will consider playoff format changes for 2017 season – ESPN FC
MLS will consider changing its playoff format in 2017, with regular season record serving as the first tiebreaker in the conference semis and finals among the possible tweaks, the league’s vice president of competition told ESPN FC on Thursday.
Attracting MLS to St. Pete? Orlando has the rights to soccer on the bay – Tampa Bay Times
Bill Edwards has been hinting at luring a Major League Soccer franchise to St. Petersburg for awhile. The owner of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, which plays in the second-tier North American Soccer League, has said he’d like to play in the big leagues. But there’s a wrinkle: Orlando City.
Eddie Pope’s remarkable rookie year: from college student to MLS hero – The Guardian
Twenty years ago, a tall 22-year-old was attending classes at UNC and dreaming of a career in pro soccer. By the end of the year, he’d scored the winning goal in the first ever MLS Cup final, and was an Olympic star to boot.
Houston Dynamo restructure youth programs – Houston Dynamo
Dynamo Youth Programs will now be separated into two categories based on the focus of the players and programming: Discovery Programs and Recreational Programs.
The rise of the Canadian clásico, a new twist on a long-standing rivalry – The Guardian
Nothing brings out the vibrancy of football like a rivalry. Things are no different in north America but, for the first time, the two clubs battling it out in the spotlight are Canadian. This contest did not start in football – the modern iterations of the two clubs have only been playing each other since 2007 – but Montreal and Toronto are not cities that had to learn to hate each other.
Train With Champions TWU Spartan Female Soccer Academy
BC SOCCER NEWS
VISL Division 1 Matches – Dec. 9 -11 – VISL
If we are lucky enough to get through the upcoming storm scheduled – here is what is on tap for the VISL Division 1 games this weekend; including our Game Of The Week.
Club makes soccer more accessible – New Westminster Record
Growing up, Fiona Doyle could always turn to soccer for an outlet to any frustrations that troubled her. It’s something her younger sister Siobhan would watch but could not join in to the same extent, as someone diagnosed with autism. Now the elder Doyle sister is helping spearhead a program that will give local kids ages 8 to 14 with special needs a chance to enjoy the soccer experience to the best of their abilities.
Delaying Robron field house would send ‘entirely wrong message’: mayor – Campbell River Mirror
City council will move ahead with a new field house at Robron Park in 2017 despite a warning from the city manager that the city is taking on a heavy workload.
Artificial turf field could cost up to $6.2M – The Pique
Does Whistler need to spend big bucks for more recreation opportunities? The question arose at a Committee of the Whole meeting on Dec. 6, in which the results of a turf needs assessment for a new artificial turf soccer field were presented by staff. The field is estimated to cost between $4.2 million and $6.2 million, and would extend the local soccer season by about 40 per cent, from 21 to 35 weeks.
Duncan player stars for Whitecaps Academy – Cowichan Valley Citizen
Duncan’s Zavier Hurson was named one of two 2016 players of the year for the Whitecaps FC Upper Island Academy Centre earlier this fall.
WolfPack women’s soccer signs home grown recruits – Infonews.ca
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s soccer team enjoyed a great deal of success in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association by utilizing home grown talent. Now that they are in USport/Canada West, they are hoping to continue that trend.
COPE NOT SEEKING RE-ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF KYSA – KYSA
At the December 19, 2016 meeting of the Kamloops Youth Soccer Association (KYSA) board, the directors will be electing a new President from within their ranks.
PHOTOS: CANADA WEST WOMENS FINAL, UBC 3, TWU 0, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
VMSL PHOTOS: Richmond FC Hibs 1, ICSF Columbus FC 0, November 5, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
Tickets now on sale for Canada Soccer Women’s National Team celebration match 4 February in Vancouver – CSA
Individual tickets to the Canada v Mexico Women’s National Team Bronze Medal celebration match on 4 February 2017 in Vancouver are now on sale to the public. Complete ticket information can be found at CanadaSoccer.com/Tickets.
MWSL PHOTOS: Van United Primas 0, Fraser Valley Action 2, October 30, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
PHOTOS: GNAC Women’s Soccer: SFU 1 Concordia U. (Ore.) 0, October 20, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
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.
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CANADA SOCCER NEWS
Samuel Charron named 2016 Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year – CSA
Samuel Charron named 2016 Canadian Para Soccer Player of the Year. The 18-year old international footballer from Ottawa, ON was honoured with the selection made by the Canada Para Soccer coaching staff.
Promoter sees pro soccer in Halifax as sport reaches ‘tipping point’ – CBC
A Halifax sports promoter says the time is right for the municipality to get its own pro soccer team. Derek Martin with Sports & Entertainment Atlantic said he met this week with an official with the new Canadian Premier League about the idea of bringing a franchise to Halifax.
Here’s the pitch: Sports promoter hoping to bring soccer team and stadium to Halifax – Metro
Derek Martin, president of Sports & Entertainment Atlantic, wants to bring a soccer team to Halifax, and put it in a small stadium on the Wanderers Grounds.
Accept it, soccer is cool now – CJME
As ridiculous as playing a soccer final on Dec. 10 may be, TFC and Seattle’s MLS Final is definitely noteworthy. The game sold out in minutes, while the Grey Cup took nearly an entire year to sell out in Toronto.
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WFC2, USL & NASL NEWS
Fury and Impact Announce Partnership – Ottawa Fury
Ottawa’s participation in USL and the partnership with Montreal will have no impact on the club’s participation in the Amway Canadian Championship. Fury FC will again take aim at the Voyageur’s Cup in 2017.
FC Edmonton remains defiant: Owner remains confident that there will be an NASL in 2017 – the11.ca
The message from FC Edmonton co-owner Tom Fath is the same as it was at this time last week — that he fully expects that there will be an NASL in 2017, and that Eddies will be playing in that league.
Ayoze: “Disastrous Management” Killed Off Reboot Cosmos – Empire of Soccer
A mainstay of the reboot New York Cosmos has gone on the record with some serious criticisms of the NASL team’s ownership.
What Does the Demise of the NASL Mean for Refereeing in the US? – Fifty Five One
It’s my job to convince you to care about this topic. And you should, because losing the NASL is going to be have a negative effect on referee development. And that negative effect is going to impact Minnesota United, who happens to now be playing in the US soccer pyramid’s top tier with more finances at stake. It’s kind of a big deal.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
Huw Williams steps down from FCKC post – The Equalizer
FC Kansas City general manager and assistant coach Huw Williams resigned from the club on Thursday. Williams assisted Vlatko Andonovski during the Blues’ inaugural season in 2013. He was promoted to general manager during the championship season of 2014. A native of Wales, Williams has been a Kansas City fixture since 1985 and owns the sports marketing and event company Global Sports International (GSI). It is GSI where Williams’s focus will go following four seasons with FC Kansas City and the Missouri Comets.
Westfield W-League – Round 6 preview – W-League
All the squad news for this weekend’s Westfield W-League round headlined by the Fox Sports/ABC TV match between Brisbane Roar and Adelaide United, while champions Melbourne City host Canberra United.
Scotland and Georgia to host Women’s U19 finals – UEFA
Scotland and Georgia have been selected as hosts of the UEFA European Women’s Under-19 Championship final tournaments of 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Women’s Super League: Relegation from WSL 2 to be introduced from 2017-18 – BBC Sport
Relegation from Women’s Super League Two will be introduced for the first time in the 2017-18 season when the WSL adopts a winter calendar.
Sports Minister laments poor management of Nigerian football, seeks ‘surgical operation’ – Premium Times
The Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalong, says the nation’s football governing body. the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, needs an urgent `surgical operation’ to restore sanity into the game of football. Mr. Dalong stated this while reacting to the sit-in protest embarked upon by the victorious Super Falcons over non-payment of their outstanding allowances and bonuses by the NFF.
Becky Sauerbrunn on the first women’s soccer cleats (ever!) – ESPN W.
“Shrink it and pink it” is a phrase that rings all too familiar with female athletes and sports fans alike. When it comes to both performance and casual gear, often we’re left with shrunken versions of men’s models with no thought paid to our body types — or sneakers so wide and flat that we’re forced to add our own insoles. And let’s not get started on all the glitter and rhinestones that often accompany women’s gear.
HK coach Chan Yuen-ting’s success highlights football’s gender divide – Channel News Asia
The story of the 27-year-old’s success of helping Eastern Sports Club win the Hong Kong Premier League is widely framed as a major step for women who take on managerial roles in male-dominated sports.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Bundesliga match day 14 preview – Prost Amerika
Teams sealed European places and another manager found himself unemployed. That and more on the Bundesliga weekly preview.
Premier League previews & team news – BBC Sport
The latest team news from every match this weekend in the PL.
Pep Guardiola not changing plans after Yaya Toure’s drink-driving charge – ESPN FC
Yaya Toure remains part of Pep Guardiola’s immediate plans despite the Manchester City having a drink-driving charge hanging over him.
David Moyes slams Swansea chiefs and says club has lost its identity – Vavel
The former Manchester United manager has launched an attack against the Swansea hierarchy.
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp unsure when Daniel Sturridge will be fit again – ESPN FC
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ruled Daniel Sturridge out of Sunday’s meeting with West Ham and admitted he does not know when the striker will be ready for action.
Europa League round-up: Dundalk’s adventure ends in Tel Aviv – The Guardian
Dundalk bowed out of their first Europa League group stage campaign after losing 2-1 at Maccabi Tel-Aviv in Group D although events elsewhere would have made their effort irrelevant had they won.
Romero: Let’s end the centenary year in style – FIFA
2016 is no ordinary year for Club America. The Mexican giants are celebrating their centenary, and would have liked nothing better than a league title to mark the occasion. When that failed to happen, they set their sights on some end-of-year success, with the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2016 providing them with the perfect opportunity to toast their 100th birthday in style.
Police confirm 83 potential suspects identified in football sexual abuse scandal – The Guardian
National Police Chiefs’ Council says 98 clubs named in alleged historical abuse of players aged from seven to 20
Atletico reveal new Wanda Metropolitano stadium and new club logo – SN
Atletico Madrid will play their home games from 2017 at the Wanda Metropolitano, after their new stadium’s name was confirmed on Friday.
Cristiano Ronaldo reveals £191m income after tax evasion allegations – The Guardian
The agency representing Cristiano Ronaldo has published details of the Real Madrid forward’s income as evidence that he has paid all of his taxes, with the former Manchester United player declaring an astonishing £191m in 2015.
Doping report casts darkening shadow over Russia’s World Cup credentials – Inside World Football
Russia’s staging of the 2018 World Cup has been plunged back into fresh controversy following today’s damning report that suggests more than 1,000 Russian sportsmen and women – including Olympic medallists – benefited from a state-sponsored programme across 30 sports – including football.
Coaching: New NSCAA course on LGBT Inclusion – Soccer America
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has launched a free online course to help educate coaches about the inclusion and support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) athletes. The course, “LGBT: Diversity and Inclusion,” is free for members and takes about 10 minutes.
MK Dons v AFC Wimbledon: What is the feeling among fans? – BBC Sport
They have played against each other in the FA Cup, League Cup and Football League Trophy – but there is something different about a league match. So BBC Sport wanted to find out what fans of both clubs feel going into Saturday’s match at Stadium:MK.