BC Soccer News, Weekend, June 2-4, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC  vs.  ATLANTA UNITED

MLS MATCHDAY #13

SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2017, 2:30 PM

BUY TICKETS

BC PLACE, VANCOUVER, BC

TV: TSN 1 & 4   RADIO: TSN 1410    LIVESTREAM: TSN GO

‘Caps host high-flying expansion side Atlanta United FC on Saturday – Whitecaps FC
The new kids are coming to town. Vancouver Whitecaps FC host high-flying expansion team Atlanta United FC on Saturday at BC Place .

Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Atlanta United | 2017 MLS Match Preview – MLS
The Whitecaps’ up-and-down season continued last week against D.C. United, as they dropped all three points at home to the Eastern Conference bottom-feeders. There were obviously some extenuating circumstances, but it’s obvious that the team would have liked to continue their good vibes after winning three of their previous four games.

Fredy’s not fretting: Montero’s five-game slump doesn’t have him down – Vancouver Sun
Montero, the striker from Colombia the Whitecaps aded in off-season to bolster their attack, tallied four times in his first seven MLS games this season but hasn’t scored in his past five contests.

Going left is right for Atlanta United’s Almiron – AJC
The 23-year-old has shown what he can be … and do, particularly in the past two games with five goals, two MLS player of the week awards, and an ability to skip away from most tackles as he moves left for a pass or shot. Atlanta United will play at Vancouver on Saturday.

Beyond the Lens – Striking the Right Balance – Eighty-Six Forever
Let’s face some facts: The Caps are 6 weeks into an 8 week stretch where they are the only professional sports team playing in Vancouver. After having spent over a month on the road, they finally returned home to a busy stretch that concludes on Saturday after playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday with the last Tuesday match a trip to Montreal. Sure, the two Tuesday games saw heavily rotated squads but it’s still games that supporters and fans will watch.

MLS Week 14: A Look Ahead – SBI
Week 14 doesn’t have the appeal last weekend’s rivalry-laden schedule had, but there are certainly some intriguing storylines to follow in the final match weekend before the June international break.

Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls | 2017 MLS Match Preview – MLS
The Montreal Impact will meet the New York Red Bulls on Saturday for the first team since the Impact eliminated the then-No. 1 seed Red Bulls from the Eastern Conference playoffs in a feisty series last fall.

Sizzling Impact attack faces stern test against Red Bulls – Montreal Gazette
One thing is clear, Montreal Impact head coach Mauro Biello wanted a strong lineup on the pitch against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the decisive leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal on Tuesday.

Rejuvenated Fire face test in Orlando – Chicago Tribune
With the Chicago Fire in Orlando on Sunday for a nationally televised game that could determine how good they really are, a question: Is it possible the Fire are a team reborn, with fans excited and lusting for wins and daring to think of the playoffs and MLS Cup?

Kamara finding form as he adjusts to role in Revs system – SBI
Kei Kamara has never really been a player short on confidence. It’s easy to see. Anyone who has followed his career has seen a player that believes in his game and believes in his own ability to score goals.

Rapids having ‘real conversations’ with Leon’s Luis Montes – sources – ESPN FC
The Colorado Rapids are in talks with Leon midfielder Luis Montes, multiple sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.

D.C. United’s top forward will have knee surgery, another blow to MLS’s worst attack – Washington Post
Patrick Mullins, D.C. United‘s first-choice forward, is slated to undergo surgery on his left knee next week and, depending on the extent of the damage, miss either six weeks or four to six months.

LA Galaxy goalie Brian Rowe out 6-8 weeks with groin injury – USA Today
LA Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe will be sidelined six to eight weeks by a groin injury. The Galaxy announced their latest major injury Thursday.

Nice striker Alexy Bosetti on trial with the Red Bulls – Prost Amerika
The New York Red Bulls camp is no stranger to handling matters in a quiet fashion. Throughout the years trialists have come and gone without much hype or information surrounding their presence in training. Yet something is different about this one and it looks as if New York fans should be excited given the player’s pedigree.

MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0, D.C. United 1, May 27, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

BC SOCCER NEWS

B.C. Girls High School Soccer: Panorama punches finals ticket with OT win over Centaurs – Varsity Letters
Surrey’s Panorama Ridge Thunder are the only undefeated team here at the B.C. girls high school soccer championships. Yet ask them if it’s been an easy ride to Friday’s championship final and co-coach Derek Duke shrugs his shoulder and takes a deep breath.

Whitecaps FC again sweep Northwest Division titles in Development Academy, look towards playoffs – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC Residency teams headed down the I-5 for road matches against rivals Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday, completing their sixth regular season in the Development Academy.

Highlanders Face Foothills For Double-Header Weekend Of Action at Centennial Stadium – Highlanders FC
Highlanders FC (1W-0D-1L) welcome Calgary Foothill U-23 (3W-0D-1L) to Centennial Stadium for a pair of key Premier Development League (PDL) matches, beginning Friday, June 2 at 7:00 p.m. PST.

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’s Kadeisha Buchanan lifts Champions League trophy – Toronto Star
Kadeisha Buchanan made soccer history Thursday, becoming the first Canadian to hoist the Champions League trophy as Lyon defeated Paris Saint-Germain 7-6 in a penalty shootout in the final of European women’s club soccer showcase.

City, Ticats clash over pro soccer rights at Tim Hortons Field – Hamilton Spectator
The city’s newly announced professional soccer team has an owner in the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, a website and even a Barton Street Battalion fan club. But whether it has permission to play at taxpayer-owned Tim Hortons Field is suddenly up in the air.

National soccer coach Zambrano high on veteran Bernier ahead of Curacao friendly – CFJC
As excited as he is about Canada’s young soccer talent, national team coach Octavio Zambrano has a special fondness for 37-year-old midfielder Patrice Bernier. And there is a good chance that Bernier will be wearing the captain’s armband when Zambrano, who was hired in March, coaches the squad for the first time on Canadian soil in a friendly June 13th against Curacao at Saputo Stadium.

FC Edmonton Academy Combine identifies next generation for youth ranks – FC Edmonton
Players in the U-15 age group will be assessed and evaluated through training and inter-squad matches, with the top 2003-born players being offered a contract to be a part of the next generation of the Academy.

KW United, Lifted by their Fans, Open their Stadium with a Bang! – Northern Starting XI
On Sunday May 28th, in front of a crowd that leaned toward 1000; the boys in blue played with their hearts on their sleeves. Spectators could see the determination that the support players felt, despite the heat that would have slowed down a lesser team.

Tiny Manitoba farm community draws hundreds to weekly soccer nights – CBC
Nestled next to Manitoba’s two-lane Highway 2, about 30 kilometres south of Brandon, Nesbitt is like many other farming communities — sleepy, quiet places where usually not much happens. But the Wednesday soccer games have broken that trend.

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 Week 11: A Look Ahead – SBI
After US Open Cup play dominated the midweek action, there’s a full slate of USL matches ahead this weekend. The Rochester Rhinos will be looking to find consistency in their match with FC Cincinnati but it wont be easy as Cincy has won two straight.

NASL Week 11: What to Watch For – Empire of Soccer
Week 11 of the North American Soccer League’s Spring Season has an enticing matchup at the top of the standings. The Jacksonville Armada (4-1-4, 16 points) is looking to usurp Miami FC (5-1-3, 18) in the first meeting this season between the intrastate rivals.

Derrick Etienne wins USL Goal of Week 10 – Once a Metro
Just as it appeared New York Red Bulls II could be counted out of any serious defense of the USL regular-season title it won in 2016, the slumping II team bounced out of a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over Charleston Battery – the top team in the USL Eastern Conference.

Building new league for America’s professional soccer pyramid  – Charlotte Post
The American soccer pyramid is still growing. USL Division III will enter the professional sphere in 2019, joining the first-division MLS, second level NASL and USL, and fourth tier NPSL.

Lyon beat PSG on penalties to win women’s Champions League – France 24
Olympique Lyonnais keeper Sarah Bouhaddi netted the decisive penalty as they beat Paris Saint Germain 7-6 in a shootout to retain the women’s Champions League trophy on Thursday after her opposite number Katarzyna Kiedrzynek missed from the spot.

Lyon beats PSG to claim 4th women’s Champions League title – ESPN W.
Lyon goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi turned goal scorer to clinch a record-equaling fourth Champions League title for the holders with a penalty shootout victory over Paris Saint-Germain on Thursday.

Lyon match Frankfurt’s record – UEFA
Lyon’s fourth UEFA Women’s Champions League final victory means they have equalled FFC Frankfurt’s record and they have become the first team ever to twice retain the trophy.

Alex Morgan feels ‘complete’ after winning UWCL – Soccer America
Less than three weeks after suffering a hamstring injury that seemed to end her campaign at French club Lyon with the French Cup and UEFA Women’s Champions League finals still ahead, U.S. star Alex Morgan returned for the UWCL final — only to go off after reinjuring her hamstring in the 23rd minute.

Lyon wants Norwegian player for life – News in English
Top Norwegian football player Ada Stolsmo Hegerberg has made such a great impression on the president of Lyon’s football club, which won its second Champions League in a row Thursday night, that he wants her to stay with the club for the rest of her career.

Ada Hegerberg: BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2017 – BBC Sport
Norway and Olympique Lyonnais striker Ada Hegerberg has won the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year 2017 award. The 21-year-old won the treble in France last year, capturing the Division 1 title, Coupe de France and the Champions League.

Sky Blue Hosts Portland in NWSL – Empire of Soccer
Everything may be starting to fall into place for Sky Blue at the beginning as May turns to June.

Players of the Month honoured – Irish WNL
Outstanding player performances from the first three months of the 2017 Continental Tyres Women’s National League season were honoured as three players received a ‘Player of the Month’ award for their efforts during March, April and May.

Real Madrid look to confirm dynasty status with Juve standing in their way – ESPN FC
Real Madrid won the European Cup three times in the five years between 1998 and 2002. On Saturday, they can make it three in four years, becoming the first back-to-back European champions since Arrigo Sacchi’s legendary Milan side in 1990.

The Juventus guide to building the best team in Europe – SN
“A cyclone” is how Beppe Marotta describes ‘Calciopoli ‘, a swirling scandal that swept through Italian football in 2006 and reduced Juventus to rubble. When he arrived in Turin four years on from the club’s relegation to Serie B, the Old Lady was back in the top flight but still struggling with a sense of loss.

Real Madrid vs. Juventus final will be a sports war – Sportsnet
If battle-hardened teams featuring athletes who thrive in pressure situations, and who have all tasted the agony of defeat and bathed in the euphoria of victory is your cup of tea, then Saturday’s Champions League final is probably for you.

Cult of Cristiano Ronaldo distracts from Real Madrid’s brilliance – The Guardian
Madrid are on the verge of a third Champions League title in four years, yet Ronaldo’s smothering persona is obscuring an exceptional event.

Bob Lenarduzzi: Juventus tipped to topple Real Madrid’s title hopes – The Province
The Champions League final goes Saturday in Cardiff, as Real Madrid takes on Juventus — a huge game between two huge clubs.

Chelsea paid £150.8m by Premier League after winning 2016-17 title – BBC Sport
Chelsea were paid £150.8m by the Premier League after winning the 2016-17 title – 50% more than the top earners in 2015-16.

Falcao extends Monaco deal – Ligue 1
Ligue 1 Champions AS Monaco have announced that talismanic captain Radamel Falcao has inked a contract extension through to June 2020, putting paid to rumours of an imminent departure for the Colombian international.

Yaya Toure: Manchester City midfielder signs new contract – BBC Sport
Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has signed a new one-year deal with the Premier League club.

‘The chapter is already closed’ – Nice will not allow Favre to leave for Dortmund – SN
Nice have stated that they have no interest allowing coach Lucien Favre to join Borussia Dortmund amid reports linking the former Borussia Monchengladbach boss with becoming Thomas Tuchel’s successor.

Mohamed Salah: Liverpool in talks with Roma for Egypt forward  – BBC Sport
Liverpool are holding talks with Roma in an attempt to sign Egypt forward Mohamed Salah after having a £28m bid turned down.

Lionel Messi theme park set to open its doors in China in early 2019 – ESPN FC
The Messi Experience Park (MEP) will open in Nanjing in early 2019 and will boast over 20 attractions that will “enable visitors to immerse themselves [in] all things Messi.”