VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS
Mock draft roundup: Who might the ‘Caps select on Thursday? – Whitecaps FC
On the eve of the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, let’s take a quick look to see who the pundits have Vancouver Whitecaps FC selecting with the fourth overall pick. The first round of Thursday’s draft will be streamed live on whitecapsfc.com, beginning at 9:30 a.m. PT.
Talent available but MLS draft diluted with clubs developing homegrown players – Delta Optimist
Talent is available Thursday but the MLS SuperDraft does not pack the punch it once did, with clubs focusing on developing their own talent via homegrown players.
THEY’RE ELIGIBLE: 140 players can be selected in MLS SuperDraft – Front Row Soccer
Major League Soccer has released the list of 140 players eligible for selection in the MLS SuperDraft.
Ranking the 2020 MLS Draft Prospects (By Position) – SBI
SBI ranks the players eligible for today’s MLS Superdraft by position.
Vancouver CEO Mark Pannes believes Whitecaps can be an international brand – MLS
The Vancouver Whitecaps historically have not been headline grabbers among their MLS colleagues. If incoming club CEO Mark Pannes has his way, that will soon change.
New Vancouver Whitecaps CEO on how to win back fans in 2020 – Daily Hive
The Vancouver Whitecaps have added to their executive team with the hiring of Mark Pannes as their new CEO. The Whitecaps’ global search was whittled down from 40 candidates, with the team picking the Norwood, Massachusetts native.
Goal-Setter: New Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Mark Pannes aiming to grow global brand, fill BC Place – BTS
With the latest Vancouver Whitecaps front office signing, CEO Mark Pannes, we look at his introductory press conference on Tuesday, and see how he’s going to play a role to help them grow their brand, fill the stadium and more, as the front office rejig continues.
LAFC signs Tristan Blackmon to extension through 2022 – Pro Soccer USA
Blackmon and LAFC agreed to an extension through the 2022 season, with an option for 2023.
Report: MLS discussing significant change to Designated Player Rule – NBC Sports
Currently, the league allows teams three Designated Players. Put too simply: a Designated Player is a player that is considered outside the team’s salary cap.
TFC hunt for designated player continues, Bono gets taste of English soccer – TSN
While GM Ali Curtis says his search for a designated player is progressing, Toronto FC has wrapped up another loose end by signing defender Chris Mavinga to a new contract.
Thierry Henry fleshes out Montreal Impact coaching staff – Sportsnet
Thierry Henry fleshed out his Montreal Impact coaching staff Wednesday with former Canadian international Patrice Bernier returning as an assistant.
Impact midfielder adds Canadian national team appearance to busy schedule – Standard-Freeholder
Shamit Shome has a lot on his plate, balancing a professional soccer career as a full-time university student.
MLS unveils 25th season activation plans – Sportbusiness.com
Major League Soccer has unveiled plans to celebrate its 25th season in 2020, including unique experiences, marquee events, new content and innovative programming.
PRO partners with CONCACAF to deliver Video Review training – PRO Referees
The Professional Referee Organization’s reputation as a global leader in Video Review has been bolstered by an agreement to provide advisory and training services to support CONCACAF.
PACIFIC FC & BC SOCCER NEWS
Port Coquitlam family among the dead in Tehran plane crash – Tri City News
A Port Coquitlam family of three was among 63 Canadian victims on board the Ukrainian Airlines flight that crashed shortly after takeoff Tuesday from Iran’s Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport. (Editor’s note: Our deepest condolences to their families, friends and teammates in the Tri-Cities soccer community.)
SFU Men’s Soccer Welcomes Five New Recruits to the 2020 Squad – SFU
The Simon Fraser University Men’s Soccer Team has announced five new student-athletes who will be joining the squad for the 2020 season: Liam Glennon, Kai Vockeroth, Jordan Thorsen, Brody Thomas and Nikolas Papakyriakopoulos. These are the first five recruits Clint Schneider has announced to join the upcoming class.
Purple Reign Podcast: Operation #SignFisk – Northern Starting XI
Welcome to the first Purple Reign Podcast of 2020! Both of us at Purple Reign wish you all the best in 2020. Our first episode of the new year is loaded with talking points.
Vikes seek nominations for UVic Sports Hall of Fame, Class of 2020 – UVic
Forty-nine individuals and nine teams currently reside in the Hall of Fame and the nominations committee is looking to build on the existing prestigious list. Vikes Athletics and Recreation are putting out the call for nominations to be inducted in one of the four categories – athlete, team, coach or builder/administrator.
Community Sport Champions Recognition Program – City of Vancouver
The Community Sport Champions Recognition Program is a Vancouver Community Sport Hosting Grant that recognizes and celebrates citizens who are making sport accessible in our community.
BC Soccer Web’s 2019-20 Guide to Soccer on TV and Online in Canada – BC Soccer Web
In our 2019-20 Guide to Soccer on Canadian TV, we do our best to sort through the leagues, service options and hardware needed to help you get the most out of your soccer weekends this season. The TV situation is constantly changing as leagues are added and Canadian broadcast rights are sorted out at the last moment, so come back for updates!
PCSL CHALLENGE CUP FINAL PHOTOS: FC Tigers Vancouver 4 Victoria Highlanders 4 (FC Tigers win 4-2 on PKs), July 28, 2019 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.
Power Soccer in BC – SportAbility BC
We believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to participate in physical activity. We currently have programs in Vancouver, Surrey, Nanaimo, Penticton, and are still looking to expand. We are always looking for more athletes, officials, volunteers, and sponsors. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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!
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.
CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE & CANADA SOCCER NEWS
‘A lot of factors’: Beland-Goyette bids Valour well after making switch to HFX – CanPL
Louis Béland-Goyette’s move to HFX Wanderers FC may be somewhat of a sore point for Valour FC supporters, but over on Canada’s eastern coast, there’s plenty of reasons to celebrate the signing of a top-tier midfield talent ahead of the 2020 season.
“It’s a dream come true for me.” | Antwi thrilled with new home – Valour FC
Solomon Kojo Antwi spent his Christmas in the air, flying from Accra, Ghana, to Amsterdam and Toronto before arriving in his new home here in Winnipeg on Boxing Day.
USL & LOWER LEAGUE SOCCER NEWS
Junior Gonzalez named LA Galaxy II head coach – USL
LA Galaxy II announced today that Junior Gonzalez has been appointed the club’s permanent head coach after most recently served as the interim head coach since July.
USMNT legend Tim Howard joins Memphis soccer franchise – NBC Sports
Former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard is taking a job with Memphis, the United Soccer League team in which he already has a stake as a part owner.
U.S. Soccer Announces Field for 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – USL
U.S. Soccer announced the official field for the 2020 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday with 25 teams set to represent the USL Championship in the historic tournament when they enter the tournament this April.
USL Championship Unveils 2020 National TV Schedule – USL
The 2020 national broadcast schedule for the USL Championship across ESPN networks was released today featuring 20-plus games on ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes in the league’s 10th anniversary season. Coverage runs from March through November and will include 19 regular season games and the 2020 USL Championship Final on ESPN linear television networks.
WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
Portland Thorns Trade Sonnett in Deal for No. 1 Pick in Draft, Capping Hectic Stretch in NWSL – SI.com
The NWSL offseason is prone to wild, blockbuster trades. The latest instance took place Wednesday, with the Portland Thorns sending Sonnett, coincidentally, to Orlando as part of a deal that gives the Thorns the first overall selection in the Jan. 16 draft in Baltimore. The Thorns also sent the Pride the rights to Australian striker Caitlin Foord along with the seventh and 14th picks in the draft.
Arsenal Women linked with Australia striker Caitlin Foord – The Short Fuse
Arsenal Women have been linked with a move for Australian forward Caitlin Foord. Foord, who turned 25 in November, was today traded by her NWSL team, the Portland Thorns, to Orlando Pride, in a larger move. The release from both teams, however, stated that Foord’s “rights” were traded, leaving an opening (in the NWSL, rights to international players are held by teams) with some reports that Foord would head to Europe, and specifically the FA WSL.
Sky Blue FC acquire Midge Purce in trade with Portland Thorns – Pro Soccer USA
The Thorns acquired midfielder Raquel Rodríguez in exchange.
VAR too expensive for the Women’s Super League, says Casey Stoney – The Guardian
Casey Stoney does not believe there will ever be enough resources to support VAR in the Women’s Super League. The Manchester United Women manager, a vocal critic of refereeing standards, added that women’s football “can spend its money on far better things than VAR” and rued the over-reliance on the technology as disadvantaging attacking football.
The Lowdown: XI wishes for the NWSL in the new year – The Equalizer
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: This is a big year for the National Women’s Soccer League.
Nigeria confirm interest in hosting Women’s Africa Cup of Nations – BBC Sport
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed its interest in hosting the 2020 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Leicester, Villa draw League Cup semi first leg – NBC Sports
Aston Villa had little of the ball but made one of its lone chances count in a 1-1 League Cup semifinal first leg draw with Leicester City on Wednesday.
Form clubs clash in first game of New Year – Ligue 1
Two clubs in excellent form meet on Friday evening as Rennes host Marseille in the first Ligue 1 Conforama match of 2020.
Real Madrid book spot in Spanish Super Cup final following Valencia win – Four Four Two
Real Madrid cruised through to the final of the Spanish Super Cup following a 3-1 win over Valencia in Saudi Arabia.
Spanish Super Cup: We are in Saudi Arabia because of money, says Barcelona boss Valverde – BBC Sport
Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde says he preferred the old format of the Spanish Super Cup and that the competition is only being held in Saudi Arabia because of the money on offer.
Lazio fined $22,000 for racist chants at Balotelli – NBC Sports
Lazio was fined 20,000 euros ($22,000) and at least temporarily avoided a stadium closure on Wednesday after its fans targeted Brescia striker Mario Balotelli with racist chants.
Points deductions and 100-year stadium bans: Let’s get serious about punishing racism in soccer – Yahoo Sports
If fans know that their bad behavior can have a direct effect on the prosperity of their team, then surely progress will be made. Who wants to be the idiot who got their team relegated or thrown out of a competition?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Statue ‘must be moved’ from Malmo say supporters – BBC Sport
The veteran striker has seen his legacy as a Malmo icon toppled, both figuratively and literally, as investment in rival Allsvenskan club Hammarby and the boast that he wants to make them “the biggest in Scandinavia” proved the breaking point in a relationship that stretches back 25 years to when he first joined the club as a kid.
Old-fashioned No. 9’s are back in fashion in Serie A – Yahoo Sports
Forget the false nine. Traditional No. 9’s are back in vogue in Serie A.
Preston sign Celtic forward Scott Sinclair for undisclosed fee – Four Four Two
Preston have signed forward Scott Sinclair from Celtic on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
FA in talks over ending exclusive Cup deals with betting companies – The Guardian
The English Football Association is discussing whether it can withdraw from the controversial arrangement which allows betting companies to show live FA Cup matches exclusively, amid a storm of protest.
Fifty for the future: UEFA.com’s ones to watch in 2020 – UEFA
Our correspondents pick out 50 of the best young talents who could be big news in 2020.
VIDEO: Styling Messi, Kaepernick & Jay Z: Meet the fashion fairy godmother – BBC Sport
Fashion stylist Rachel Johnson gives a makeover to Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and explains how she has styled Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James and Jay Z.