BC Soccer News, Weekend, July 3-5, 2015

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

Sunday, July 5

FIFA WOMEN’S WORLD CUP FINAL

UNITED STATES vs. JAPAN

4:00 PM – BC PLACE STADIUM, VANCOUVER

Saturday, July 4

THIRD PLACE MATCH

GERMANY 0 ENGLAND 1

(EXTRA TIME)

COMMONWEALTH STADIUM, EDMONTON

BC Soccer News, Weekend, July 3-5, 2015

Wambach: All I want to do is winFIFA
Abby Wambach responded to USA’s defeat to Japan in the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ by making a vow. “I’ll be back for more,” she said as she departed the scene that day, clearly dejected at not adding a winner’s medal to the adidas Silver Ball and adidas Bronze Boot she had collected.

USA prepares for Womens World Cup final grudge match against JapanPaste Soccer
If USA versus Japan sounds familiar it’s because the two teams have battled it out over recent years for soccer supremacy. Japan played spoiler to the Americans’ dreams of winning their third World Cup in 2011, but the Red, White and Blue soon exacted revenge in 2012 by beating Japan in the Olympic final. Now the U.S. has the genuine rematch they have been waiting for, a chance to defeat the reigning World Cup champs for the title.

Sasaki says pressure off Japan for World Cup final The Equalizer
Sasaki said that he hopes the final against the U.S. on Sunday in Vancouver will be exciting, like the 2011 final that went to penalty kicks was, in order to help to develop the game around the globe. Japan will have to play better than they did against England if they have any hope of defending their 2011 Women’s World Cup title, particularly since the U.S. played at a very high level in their semifinal win against Germany yesterday in Montreal.

Women’s World Cup: the US team have saved America from a sour year of sportsThe Guardian
Donald Sterling, Ray Rice, Roger Goodell, Adrian Peterson, Greg Hardy, Floyd Mayweather, Aaron Hernandez, Mark Emmert, DeflateGate, NBA stars getting injured, the Cardinals being investigated by the FBI, the Fifa official who chose to associate himself with Donald Trump by living in his building. When it comes to enjoying sports, it’s been a tough year for American sports fans.

Popp: Fourth place would be rubbish FIFA
Football is a mental exercise as much as it is a physical one. Players must be fully alert in crucial moments and ensure that they do not become distracted. Germany – and Alexandra Popp in particular – experienced this first-hand during their FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ semi-final against USA.

Defiant England ready to refocus after semi anguishFIFA
There was an understandable sense of anguish among the England players as they addressed the media after the match in the bowels of the Commonwealth Stadium. But equally there was stoicism, pride and defiance.

England World Cup heartbreak: Have they upset football gods? BBC Sport
Hands of God, penalty shoot-out traumas, untimely red cards, and now a last-minute own goal. English teams – male or female – seem to specialise in going out of World Cups in the cruellest of fashions. Mere coincidence? A national sporting trait? Or are the footballing gods against them?

Mexico coach Cuellar says he’ll leave, won’t say when The Equalizer
Mexico coach Leonardo Cuellar says he will leave his job at some point, but he would not give any exact time frame. Cuellar also identified former Mexico player Monica Vergara as a possible successor.

Johnston, Lloyd, Rapinoe up for Golden Ball award The Equalizer
Three United States players are among the eight finalists for the Golden Ball at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, an award given to the tournament. Midfielders Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe are on the list, along with defender Julie Johnston (her fellow centerback, Becky Sauerbrunn, is noticeably absent from the list).

Buchanan up for World Cup Young Player Award TSN
Teenage Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan has been chosen one of three finalists for the Hyundai Young Player Award at the Women’s World Cup. The 19-year-old centre back from Brampton, Ont., is up against Norwegian forward Ada Hegerberg and Chinese midfielder Jiali Tang.

Canada underachieved at Women’s World CupSportsnet
I feel almost ashamed to admit it, but I have come to the conclusion that it was not a success. In fact, it was far from it. If we separate the act of hosting the World Cup from Canada’s actual play on the field, the latter was a disappointment.

The Official Book of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. On Sale Now at Amazon.ca

WHITECAPS FC & MLS

Manneh finds the net again but Whitecaps FC fall short 2-1 at Colorado Rapids Whitecaps FC
Kekuta Manneh provided the fireworks again but it was not enough as Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10W-7L-2D) fell 2-1 versus Colorado Rapids (3W-6L-9D) on Saturday night at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

‘Caps set to conclude season-long five-match road trip Saturday vs. ColoradoWhitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10W-6L-2D) conclude their season-long five-match road trip on Saturday, when they visit Colorado Rapids (2W-6L-9D) in their annual Independence Day fixture.

Vancouver Whitecaps pleased with other contributors to supplement Pedro MoralesMLS
Last season it often felt that if Pedro Morales wasn’t firing on all cylinders and on his game, then the Vancouver Whitecaps’ offense stuttered.

David Ousted voted as MLS Player of the Month for JuneWhitecaps FC
Ousted, 30, takes home the honours after twice earning MLS Team of the Week this month while securing three straight road victories to take his league-leading win total to 10. In that time, Ousted earned his seventh clean sheet (tied for second most in MLS) in a 1-0 win at defending MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy, snapping their 29-game home-unbeaten streak in all competitions.

Let’s skip the award this month and support Ousted The Province
David Ousted is the MLS player of the month. His teammates hope he doesn’t have to be again.

Is David Ousted the best goalkeeper in MLS?Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC are fast running out of superlatives to describe the play of goalkeeper David Ousted this season.

Steve Nash: A New Role With The Same Goal8 by 8
Steve Nash has taken kindly to his retirement from the NBA, by investing in the family business—soccer.

D.C. United visits depleted Seattle SoundersWashington Post
Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins, Brad Evans and Marco Pappa among the missing at CenturyLink Field.

TFC defender Perquis fined againTSN
For the second week in a row, Toronto FC defender Damien Perquis has run afoul of the MLS disciplinary committee. The Polish international has been fined an undisclosed amount “for embellishment” in the 32nd minute of Toronto’s 0-0 tie with visiting D.C. United on the weekend. Perquis won a free kick on the play, going down after seeming contact with Luis Silva.

WFC2 & USL

Late Blasco brace propels WFC2 to thrilling 3-1 win over Sounders FC 2 at UBC Whitecaps FC
A late Victor Blasco brace propelled Whitecaps FC 2 (5W-8L-4D) to a thrilling 3-1 win over Sounders FC 2 (9W-6L-2D) on a sunny Saturday afternoon at UBC Thunderbird Stadium.

Preview: Whitecaps FC 2 host Sounders FC 2 in Cascadia clash on Saturday – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC 2 (4W-8L-4D) are back at home this Saturday as they face Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9W-5L-2D) in a highly-anticipated Cascadia rivalry tilt at UBC Thunderbird Stadium.

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CANADA – 2015 CONCACAF GOLD CUP

Toronto Needs to Show Up For The CONCACAF Gold CupWaking The Red
On July 14 the most important game in BMO Field history will be played. Having missed out on the Women’s World Cup, this is Toronto’s chance to do its part towards the greater goal of improving Canadian soccer.

Gold Cup: Toronto FC lament “devastating” loss of four starters to international dutyMLS
While many teams have lost players to the Gold Cup, are Toronto FC’s losses the most devastating?  “Definitely,” TFC head coach Greg Vanney said, when asked by reporters at training. “It’s two Designated Players and two other starters. It’s amongst the most devastating of any teams in the league.”

5 Canadians to watch at the 2015 Gold Cup Red Nation Online
With the 2015 Gold Cup tournament set to kick off in less than a week, the competition will provide a major test for a Canadian Men’s National Team side that easily saw off CONCACAF minnow Dominica in two World Cup qualifying matches last month and that has impressed in recent months under Spanish Head Coach Benito Floro.

After youthful spring, USMNT’s Klinsmann says veteran-laden roster about “getting results”MLS
In a lot of ways, it’s been a spring of youth for the US men’s national team. Head coach Jurgen Klinsmann admitted as much Thursday. “It’s a transition year. It was a chance to see fresh players, younger players,” he said. “We took a lot of good stuff from the last year and some lessons, too.” The Gold Cup, though, isn’t about building for the future

Reuniting of Bradley, Altidore and Dempsey headlines U.S. final Gold Cup tuneupGoal
The U.S. national team is riding the momentum of some recent big victories, but Friday’s tuneup vs. Guatemala is still an important step ahead of the Gold Cup.

Gold Cup: Once more unto the breach for Panama’s almost-golden generation MLS
Blas Perez is 34, Luis Tejada, Luis Henriquez and Jaime Penedo are 33, Gabriel Gomez is 31, and Felipe Baloy is already gone. Those six players are the generation that transformed Panama from a CONCACAF minnow into a legitimately terrifying team to play in any venue. Panama was a baseball nation before these guys arrived; now they live and die with soccer.

Thriving in a Barren Land – Soccer in Canada’s ArcticNY Times
Sports, like most aspects of life, are not easy in the Canadian Arctic. But a major youth tournament recently revealed soccer’s importance to the area.

BC SOCCER

BC Soccer Assoc. is Looking for a Director of Community DevelopmentBCSA
The Director of Community Development is responsible for the day-to-day management and oversight of community development activities which align with BC Soccer’s strategic objectives, including membership services, programs and resources, referee administrative support (referee clinics), events management, competitions and special initiatives.

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WORLD OF SOCCER

Copa America: Neighbours primed for ultimate testFIFA
The 2015 Copa America comes to a conclusion in Santiago on Saturday, with two of the pre-tournament favourites fighting it out for the trophy. Hosts Chile are on form and brimming with confidence as they seek to win the competition for the very first time, while star-studded Argentina, who turned on the style in their semi-final defeat of Paraguay, are aiming to lift their first Copa in over two decades.

The connection between Copa América and its hosts remains one of the tournament’s unique charms Soccer Gods
Rather regrettably, the success of modern soccer tournaments often seems tied to their isolation from the culture, history and political and footballing climates of the countries where they are held.

UEFA lifts Man City and PSG spending restrictions after FFP targets met ESPN FC
Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have had their restrictions on transfer spending and Champions League squad size lifted after meeting their financial fair play targets, UEFA has announced.

Chelsea signs Monaco striker Falcao on loanSportsnet
Radamel Falcao has clinched a deal to stay in the English Premier League at champion Chelsea on a season-long loan from Monaco despite a lacklustre stint at Manchester United.

‘It’s beyond beauty or ugliness’: Chelsea’s new stadiumThe Guardian
A medieval village is being built in the heart of London. Oliver Wainwright talks to the architects Herzog & de Meuron about their vast gothic design, making fans feel at home … and why a refined stadium would be absurd for Stamford Bridge.

Posted in BC Soccer Association, BC Soccer News, Canada Men's National Team, Canada Women's National Team, FIFA, FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2015, MLS, Whitecaps FC, Women's Soccer.