WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS
Kudo scores first goal as Whitecaps FC earn 3-2 preseason win over New England– Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeated New England Revolution 3-2 in an entertaining preseason fixture on Saturday night at the Kino Sports Complex. Newcomer Masato Kudo, Deybi Flores, and Kekuta Manneh provided the scoring for Vancouver.
New Whitecaps winger Bolaños a ‘happy guy’ with a fierce desire to win – The Province
Some things in life just aren’t meant to be. Like Christian Bolaños playing in England. The new Whitecaps winger was 21 when he helped Saprissa, the storied Costa Rican club he joined as a youth, to reach the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.
After making first team debut, “tough decision” to uproot reaping dividends for 15-year-old Vancouver Whitecaps striker Alphonso Davies – AFTN
Christian Bolanos has finally joined up with his new teammates, Blas Perez is with the squad as an, ahem, invitee, and the ‘Caps notched their first win of the year with a 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, thanks to a Darren Mattocks double. Amidst all that excitement, and going a little under the radar, was the Whitecaps first team debut in that Sounders match of 15-year-old Residency striker Alphonso Davies.
The MLS winter loan is dying – in part because the league is so physically taxing – The Guardian
Landon Donovan and David Beckham chose to spend their off-season in Europe. But today’s crop of stars are preferring to rest and recuperate before a hugely demanding season of play.
Vancouver Whitecaps: Same as it ever was – Soccer Shorts
The thing about paradigm shifts is that we tend to think the world around us has changed when all that has really altered is the way we see that world.
Orlando City draftee Hadji Barry nets two goals in Lions’ preseason opener – MLS
Orlando City opened their 2016 preseason with a 4-0 win over Eastern Florida State on Sunday afternoon at Titan Soccer Complex in Melbourne, Florida. The No. 13 overall selection in the 2016 SuperDraft, Hadji Barry (highlight reel above), scored two goals in the 8th minute (off an assist from No. 7 overall pick Richie Laryea) and 31st minute, the strikes bookending a Tyler Turner tally (24th minute) for a 3-0 halftime lead.
New York City FC ring in Chinese New Year with special illustration – MLS
The Chinese New Year officially begins on Monday, February 8, but the celebrations have already kicked off in many parts of the world. New York City FC joined the festivities with a special illustration showcasing the Year of the Monkey which will run through January 27, 2017.
A couple of soccer players were in Super Bowl commercials this year – LA Galaxy
Football meets football. This year’s Super Bowl featured more commercials starring soccer players not named David Beckham than ever before.
View from 253: How I became a supporter (and how you can become one too) – Eighty-Six Forever
When I was ten years old, my father got a job transfer which sent us as a family from Toronto to Cheshunt, a small town just north of London in the UK. The first day I stepped out of my house I was greeted by a small group of boys in shorts, hands on hips staring at me.
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BC SOCCER NEWS
PHOTO GALLERY: Imperial Cup – FC Tigers-Van Rino’s 2 North Delta Olympics 3, February 6, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Monique Lamoureux.
VISL Final Standings & Week 18 Results – VISL
It took all 18 weeks to figure relegation out – a first for Division 1 in many years, but that is the story line from this past weekend as the top half was virtually taken care of.
Heading for greener indoor pastures – Richmond News
After enduring a long process of finding a new home, TSS Academy co-owner and managing director Colin Elmes is looking forward to moving the soccer training business to new surroundings as part of the Drummond Club athletic complex on Savage Road in east Richmond.
Whitecaps FC delivery system streams seven local high schoolers to NCAA Div. 1 soccer futures – The Province
It’s pretty hard not to call the path Vana Markarian is taking towards a professional soccer career a smart one, because when the Vancouver Whitecaps’ residency program grad comes out on the other side, he’s going to have an Ivy League degree in his back pocket.
VIPL Riptide Spring Soccer Academy Announced – BC Soccer Web
The VIPL Riptide and the Vancouver Island Soccer Academy are pleased to announce the details for the 2016 Spring Soccer Academy have been arranged. The Vancouver Island Soccer Academy will transition into the VIPL Riptide Spring Soccer Academy for the fourth year of operation, which is something we have been working on from the inception of the VISA Spring Soccer Academy.
Bald eagle plays ball on UBC Thunderbird field – CBC
Mitchell Barnett was walking past the Thunderbirds playing field on Thursday afternoon when he saw a juvenile bald eagle swoop down to the field. “How do I rate its soccer skills? Definitely better than me,” he said. “To me, it seemed like it was trying to pick up the ball.”
Introducing BC Soccer Web Syndication – BC Soccer Web
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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 vs. MEXICO, March 25, 2016 @ BC PLACE STADIUM. Buy Tickets Today!
CANADA SOCCER NEWS
PODCAST: Episode 146 – The AFTN Podcast – “There’s Still Time” (Road To Rio with guests John Herdman, Rhian Wilkinson, Allysha Chapman and Harjeet Johal) – AFTN
The Road to Rio begins for Canada’s women’s national team on Thursday when the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament takes place in Texas. Canada looks well placed to make it to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil and we have you covered with a special podcast dedicated to the women’s team.
Canada wraps up California camp – CSA
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team has wrapped up a 13-day camp to kick off the new calendar year, falling 0:1 to rivals USA in Carson, CA. The 2016 camp and international match are part of Canada’s preparations for the upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers in March.
Report: Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield to be called up for Canada’s World Cup qualifiers vs. Mexico – MLS
Canada’s midfield could have used some help against the United States on Friday night – and it looks like that help will arrive just in time for next month’s 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Mexico.
Jozy Altidore Again The Hero As USA Defeats Canada 1-0 – Waking the Red
In a difficult international friendly across typically peaceful North American borders, it was once again Jozy Altidore who provided the winning goal. Once again, it was Toronto FC’s Designated Players creating chances, looking confident, and elevating the USMNT’s play through their presence and vision. They just weren’t doing it for Toronto FC.
Maxime Crepeau draws rave reviews from Canada national team debut in loss to US – MLS
It was just one game, but Canada may have glimpsed the future on Friday night with Maxime Crépeau in goal. The Montreal Impact Homegrown Player, making his first senior appearance for the Canadian national team, made six saves and nearly had a shutout on the road in his debut, only for Jozy Altidore’s 89th-minute goal to give the US national team a 1-0 win Friday in a friendly at StubHub Center.
Next generation of youth selected for national camps in Burnaby – CSA
Canada Soccer’s men’s national youth program has called in 55 players from two age groups for a dual camp in Burnaby, BC, CAN. The integrated camp features both a U-17 evaluation camp led by Paul Stalteri and a U-15 western identification camp led by Ante Jazic.
18 Whitecaps FC Residency players called up to Canada Soccer camp – Whitecaps FC
Canada Soccer announced on Sunday that 18 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency players have been called up to a national U-17 evaluation camp led by Paul Stalteri and U-15 identification camp led by Ante Jazic. The dual camp is taking place in Burnaby BC.
Canadian Premier League: What’s The Worst That Could Happen? – Waking the Red
Canadian soccer supporters work in worst case scenarios, so here is a look at what those would be for the Canadian Premier League to be launched within the next few years.
BC Youth Soccer Player Development
(Editor’s Note: Welcome to our new section on BC Youth Soccer Player Development; a new resource designed to help youth coaches and players. Throughout the week, we’ll feature news, drills and videos from the most noted professionals in the field of player development. If you have any articles or resources you enjoy, send them our way, and we’ll share them with the BC Soccer community.)
Soccer 101: The Positions Within Positions – Orlando City SC
While there are common formations that are used by each soccer team, the positions within remain fluid and dynamic. The terms Forward, Midfielder, and Defender seem fairly basic, but they do not confine players to specific thirds of the field. Let’s take a look at the different variations of these three types below.
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WFC2, USL & NASL NEWS
2016 U.S. Open Cup Format and Schedule Set – USL
The 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup format and schedule were revealed Friday afternoon by the U.S. Soccer Federation. The tournament kicks off May 11, with USL teams entering the tournament’s Second Round on May 18.
MLS Veteran Jeremy Hall Joins Tampa Bay Rowdies– Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have strengthened their defensive ranks with the addition of Jeremy Hall on a one-year contract with a club option for 2017. Per club and league policy, further contract details were not disclosed.
2016 Top 20 overlooked players by MLS – Waking the Red
This is the third year publishing the Top 20 Players Overlooked by MLS, and although the title might be somewhat controversial, I feel it’s a good way to look at the development of soccer in MLS and North America on an annual basis.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
U.S. Soccer Lawsuit Disclosed Players’ Personal Information – NY Times
The players’ discovery that U.S. Soccer’s court filing included detailed personal information about many of them — including the home addresses of more than two dozen players and the personal email accounts of some of the team’s most prominent players — brought a different reaction: outrage.
Opinion: US Soccer has some ‘splaining to do – Prost Amerika
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) last week filed a lawsuit against the US Women’s National Team (USWNT) for, from what we can surmise, is the USWNT’s ability to strike. It essentially stems from the fact that the two organizations had an “understanding” that the two entities would continue to abide by a prior Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) despite the fact that said CBA expired in 2012.
Could the ‘greatest female player ever’ join the WSL? – BBC Sport
Brazilian legend Marta says she would not rule out a move to the Women’s Super League in the future.
Asllani debuts, lauds Manchester City’s future – The Equalizer
Swedish international Kosovare Asllani says a move to Manchester City is the right one for her because of the ‘world-class’ facilities that the club offers its players.
Goals galore in SSE Women’s FA Cup third round fixtures – The FA
After eight months of waiting for another crack at the SSE Women’s FA Cup, Sheffield Ladies stormed into Monday’s fourth round draw in style with a 5-1 win over Leicester City – thanks largely to Jodie Michalska’s rapid second-half hat-trick.
Round-Up: Wexford win to stay on top – Continental Tyres Women’s National League
Wexford Youths WFC remain top of the Continental Tyres Women’s National League following a 4-2 victory over UCD Waves in the weekend’s big game. Linda Douglas opened the scoring for Will Doyle’s side after 20 minutes, but UCD hit back just two minutes later through Republic of Ireland women’s international Aine O’Gorman.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
European top 5 leagues’ international transfer spend down on last year – ESPN FC
Spending on international transfers in Europe’s big five leagues during the 2016 winter window dropped 26 percent compared to the same period last year, according to new data released by FIFA.
Jürgen Klopp admits Liverpool need to find ‘a solution’ to ticket price revolt – The Guardian
Jürgen Klopp has admitted that Liverpool need to find “a solution” to the growing opposition to the club’s hike in ticket prices following Saturday’s mass walkout of 10,000 fans.
Leicester’s run continues, Spurs and Arsenal also impress, Van Gaal angry – ESPN FC
How is this happening? How are Leicester doing this? There are only two possible explanations.
Claudio Ranieri reveals the secrets behind Leicester City’s Premier League success – The Telegraph
The Leicester City manager has offered an intriguing insight into his side’s unlikely challenge for the Premier League title by opening up about tactics, diet and even days off .
Arsenal recruit Leicester City’s top scout Ben Wrigglesworth – ESPN FC
Arsenal can already boast a small victory over Leicester this week after poaching their Premier League title rival’s top scout.
Omar Gonzalez scores first Liga MX goal, saves Pachuca – SBI
Omar Gonzalez headed in the game-tying goal for Pachuca in the 88th minute, forcing a 1-1 tie on the road at Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
Talking points: FFA cannot win after trouble flares once again in A-League – The Guardian
Yet more lighting of flares over the weekend perpetuates a vicious cycle for Football Federation Australia that shows no sign of resolution.
Gay 4 Soccer founder: The “Puto” chant is unacceptable – Prost Amerika
I’ve spent years presenting reasonable arguments on the matter, and I wasn’t sure I was up for writing yet another. And furthermore, I am getting quite a bit tired of being polite about the matter. I’m tired of being polite when people are presented with the opinions of linguistic experts and government agencies and they make tired excuses. I’m tired of being polite when people are simply asked to stop doing something that causes hurt to others and they just don’t care.
The great windfall of China: a football revolution that may lead to World Cup – The Guardian
Although buoyed by their mega TV deal, Premier League clubs and even the big two in Spain may soon struggle to compete financially with the riches on offer in the new eastern powerhouse despite the market turmoil.
North Korea Football: For the love of the Great Successor – The Roar
More is known about middle-ranking leaders of ISIS and Al Qaeda than is known of Kim Jong-un (the ‘Great Successor’), the leader of a nuclear-armed state with one of the world’s largest standing armies. This dearth of knowledge extends to North Korean football.