Friday, January 1, 2016
2016: A Year of Community & History at BC Soccer Web – BC Soccer Web
2016 marks a milestone for us as BC Soccer Web turns 20 years old. We’ve spent months thinking about how to appropriately mark BCSW’s two decades. In the end, the answers came from the ways you use the website.
Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani assesses program after “very successful” 2015 – MLS
At the end of a busy and exciting year for Canadian soccer, we caught up with Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani for a one-on-one chat about the successes and disappointments of 2015, as well as what footie fans up north can expect in the year ahead.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
What a National Professional League Would Mean for Soccer in Canada – Waking the Red
Canada hasn’t had much success with professional soccer leagues, but with a World Cup bid around the corner they are trying again.
Imminent Ashley Cole transfer indicative of larger problems within the LA Galaxy – LAG Confidential
According to recent reports in the LA Times, the LA Galaxy’s move for Ashley Cole is nearing completion, and, while details are sparse, it appears the Galaxy will be using the $800,000 in targeted allocation money awarded to them at the beginning of the year, to do so.
Report: Veteran MLS free agent Jeff Larentowicz set to sign with LA Galaxy – Goal
The LA Galaxy are on the verge of signing their latest MLS veteran reclamation project, with sources telling Goal USA the club is finalizing a deal with the free agent.
Portland Timbers Exploring Expansion of Providence Park Capacity – Willamette Week
Portland Timbers and Thorns fans may get a late holiday present: expanded seating at Providence Park. Officials at the city of Portland, which owns the 21,144-seat stadium, and the adjacent Multnomah Athletic Club say Timbers officials have contacted them about possibly adding seats at the south end of the field.
Sources: Cosmos not signing Georgios Samaras – SBI
Following the departure of Raul, the New York Cosmos are in the market for another big-name forward. That forward will not be Georgios Samaras.
Klopp told to calm down by police officer after war of words with Allardyce – The Guardian
Jürgen Klopp was instructed to calm down by a police officer after trading insults with Sam Allardyce and his backroom staff in the wake of Jeremain Lens’s nasty second-half tackle on Mamadou Sakho at the Stadium of Light.
Pavel Srnicek: the Ostrava woodcutter’s son who became a geordie – The Guardian
There was a sombre soundtrack to Newcastle United’s home defeat against Everton on Boxing Day. The repeated choruses of “Pavel is a geordie” from a packed St James’ Park served as a grim reminder of Pavel Srnicek’s plight.
The mother of all years– FIFA
There has surely never been a bigger year in women’s football than 2015. The FIFA Women’s World Cup™ proved to be a glittering showcase for the game, with massive interest underpinning a fine month of competitive and high-quality football. Elsewhere, there were countless major indicators of its growth at senior and grassroots level, as well as positive moves on an administrative front.
2015 Year in Review: NCAA women’s soccer – The Equalizer
Although it’s difficult to succinctly recap a season in women’s college soccer, three words seem to sum up the 2015 season perfectly: youth, change, and international.
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
The Vancouver Whitecaps have announced the signing of striker Masato Kudo on a free transfer from Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol.
According to Global Premier Management and several others on Twitter the Portland Timbers hold the discovery rights to Panamanian international Armando Cooper. By itself this is not significant, but with the increasing reports of the Vancouver Whitecaps’ intent to sign Cooper, 28, the Timbers find themselves in position to profit from the Whitecaps signing, unless they intend to make an offer of their own for the play.
A week after selling defender Omar Gonzalez and midfielder Juninho to Mexican clubs, the Galaxy appears close to filling one of those vacant roster spots with former English national team defender Ashley Cole.
Guus Hiddink has reiterated his desire to lure Didier Drogba back to Chelsea, but wants him as a coach rather than a club ambassador.
January 1st is a time to plan and not follow through on a series of unrealistic and ambitious goals. It is a time to fool yourself that this year is finally going to be different. How are you going to make sure that happens? You’re just going to do it, that’s all.
A half-dozen MLS players have switched to Liga MX this winter or been linked to moves. It’s a trend that should be seen as positive instead of worrisome, writes Ives Galarcep.
The Canadian Soccer League (CSL), a little out-of-the-way semi-professional outfit that operates out of Ontario, made headlines across the globe recently when the International Centre of Sport Security leaked a copy of their report to the United Kingdom’s Telegraph. The 31-page document includes allegations that 42 percent of this year’s CSL games showed signs of suspicious betting activity and that all of the league’s 12 teams participated in at least three potentially fixed games in 2015.
You can usually sum up a year for the Canadian national team in one of two ways: A.)It began with optimism and ended in heartbreak, or…B.) It began with pessimism and ended with newfound hope. It’s safe to say that 2015 fits into the latter category.
Canadian ‘keeper McLeod has bone bruise, should be ready for Olympic qualifier – Metro
Canadian goalkeeper Erin McLeod has a bone bruise but should be ready for the women’s Olympic soccer qualifying tournament in Texas in February. McLeod had to leave the Dec. 20 final of an international tournament in Brazil after falling awkwardly on her right leg in a collision with Brazilian star Marta.
Year of the woman, soccer champions Lynch, Allard and Dodd (and the ’15ers) – Soccer America
The USA not only regained the Women’s World Cup title that had eluded it for 16 years, but the ’15ers did so in the most spectacular manner possible, beating Japan, 5-2, in a game it led, 4-0, after 16 minutes before a crowd of 53,341 fans at Vancouver’s B.C. Place and a record U.S. television audience of 26.7 million television viewers on Fox and Telemundo.
2015 Year in Review: National Women’s Soccer League – The Equalizer
NWSL’s third season had its share of ups and downs, but when the final whistle was blown Oct. 1 in Portland there was absolutely no doubt the third try at a sustainable, U.S. based league for female soccer players was ready to press forward into a fourth season, and likely beyond.
2015 was a year of discontent & regression for USMNT – MLS
If you’re a US men’s national team fan, then 2015 offered the winter of your discontent. There was the record-tying home winless streak against CONCACAF foes; the disappointing Gold Cup performance (both aesthetically and results-wise); the constant lineup tinkering; and the crystal-clear indication that Mexico have retaken the title of kings of CONCACAF.
USL Stories of 2015: Fondy Leads Goal Rush – USL
When Orlando City SC’s Kevin Molino set a single-season record for goals in a season, and in turn became the first player in USL history to reach the 20-goal mark, it was likely there were those who wondered when we’d get to see a similar feat again.
When Leicester’s ewoks stood up to Manchester City’s Death Star – The Guardian
For Leicester this was a night of celebration whatever the score, the greatest pound-for-pound attack against the most powerfully resourced
Fifa scandal: Swiss prosecutors hand bank documents to US – BBC
Swiss justice officials say they have handed to US investigators documents relating to bank accounts allegedly used in the Fifa corruption scandal.
ESPN join fray inviting FIFA candidates to a TV debate in London – Inside World Football
The US sports television network ESPN has invited all five candidates in FIFA’s presidential election to participate in a round-table debate on how they would solve the scandal-hit organisation’s problems.
Premier League club-by-club guide to the January transfer window – The Guardian
We look at each Premier League club, what they need to strengthen and who they are hoping to sign in the January transfer window
Timewasting: AFTN’s Must See Football TV In 2016 – AFTN
Not coming soon to a television screen near you, AFTN brings you another new season of must see football TV. Vancouver’s cable station of the imagination.
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
According to the website of Kudo’s J-League club, Kashiwa Reysol, the 25 year old attacker has agreed to move to Vancouver, pending a physical.
According to a report in the Panamanian press, Carl Robinson’s recent scouting trip to the Central American country may be about to bear fruit.
Options such as Techera, from outside MLS, are not the only options for the Whitecaps roster going forward. There are plenty of players already in the league that could prove to be useful for the Whitecaps this season.
The San Jose Earthquakes, who missed the playoffs and had the league’s third-fewest goals scored in 2015, added some punch to their attack on Monday with the signing of free-agent forward Chad Barrett.
The moment — from a Junior Hoilett cross down the left side with two Canadian attackers in the box, a Will Johnson header rolls off Cyle Larin’s back and over the line for a 1-0 lead over archrivals Honduras in 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers at BC Place. Canada explodes into celebration, with captain Julian de Guzman the first to jump his way into Johnson’s arms.
As the Premier League campaign closes on its halfway point, the top flight is seeming to ring out the old and in the new.
Former Newcastle United goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek has died at the age of 47, nine days after suffering cardiac arrest in his native Czech Republic.
This is my third annual NCAA Division 1 All-Canadian team. Over the past couple of years forwards, most notably Cyle Larin, and center backs, including Skylar Thomas, were the most prominent players on the list. However, in 2015 the most notable players are wingers and keepers, and to create an even more Canadian team, in traditional Benito Floro fashion I’m picking a 4-1-4-1 formation this year.
Barcelona moved swiftly on Monday to cancel the contract of Sergi Guardiola just hours after signing the 24-year-old due to social media messages that he posted, dating back to 2013, that were offensive towards the club and Catalonia.
A regular season that lacked mystery, suspense or intrigue has drawn to a close, and City will enter the finals series as firm favourites. Whatever happens, it is hoped that this season will be a pivot. The W-League faces a choice between the neglect and blinkered mediocrity of the past, and the hope and opportunity of the future.