MLS MATCHDAY #3
SEATTLE SOUNDERS vs. WHITECAPS FC
SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 2016, 7:00 PM
CENTURYLINK FIELD, SEATTLE, WA.
TV: TSN1 RADIO: TSN1410 LIVESTREAM: TSN GO
WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS
Four ‘Caps called up to Canada U-20 for friendly versus England – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed today that Residency products Marco Bustos, Marco Carducci, Kadin Chung, and Alphonso Davies have been called up to the Canadian U-20 men’s national team for an upcoming camp and international friendly versus England U-20.
Canada under-20 team calls up 15-year-old Alphonso Davies from Whitecaps system – Daily Courier
With an eye to the future, Canadian under-20 soccer coach Rob Gale has called up 15-year old midfielder Alphonso Davies for an eight-day camp in England. Davies became the youngest signing in the United Soccer League’s history when, aged 15 years three months and three weeks, he became a member of Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 in February. Previously with the Edmonton Strikers, he joined the Whitecaps’ under-16 residency program last summer.
Time for Whitecaps coach to right the ship – 24 Hours
Two matches in and Vancouver Whitecaps FC have yet to win a game this Major League Soccer season. The ‘Caps did extremely well in 2015 and expectations for this season are high amongst the fanbase, but Vancouver – at the moment – is failing to live up to those expectations.
PODCAST: Episode 150 – The AFTN Podcast – “There’s Still Time” (Don’t Panic! – with guest Fraser Aird) – AFTN
Don’t panic Whitecaps fans. We’re not in Kansas any more. Well that’s the good news. The bad news is that a winless Vancouver side now has to head down the road to take on a pointless Seattle side. So now change there.
PODCAST: Radio Cascadia Ep. 78 – Prost Amerika
On the bright side, it’s the first Derby Week of 2016 and we have previews from both the Seattle and Vancouver perspectives. This is the week that kickstarts soccer in Cascadia. The question this week is, Seattle and Vancouver, who gets the kick start?
VIDEO: Is it time to panic for teams starting the season 0-2? – MLS
MLSsoccer.com’s Jillian Sakovits ask the question if it’s time to panic for the teams that started the MLS regular season 0-2.
Vancouver Whitecaps: Reasons to be Cheerful (Part One) – Soccer Shorts
The sun is finally shining, the cherry blossoms are in bloom and every breath of the breeze holds a hint of the warm scents of the Spring to come. So nothing to be gloomy about right? Not so fast if you follow the Vancouver Whitecaps however because their 0-2 start to the season has caused much anguish, heartache and gnashing of teeth among the fan base.
Seattle Sounders Notebook: Stefan Frei set to return against Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei returned to training on Wednesday after missing Saturday’s match at Real Salt Lake due to an elbow injury, and he’s expected to be available for the team’s match against Vancouver on Saturday.
VIDEO: Sigi Schmid on renewing the rivalry with Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC Head Coach Sigi Schmid speaks to media following training on renewing the rivalry with Vancouver Whitecaps FC, the focus of Wednesday’s extended training session and Stefan Frei’s injury status heading into the weekend.
Mattocks and Barmby arrive at training as Portland Timbers gear up for Real Salt Lake – Timbers.com
At training on Wednesday, the Portland Timbers welcomed two of their newest members, Darren Mattocks and Jack Barmby. “We’re always looking to add good players,” said head coach Caleb Porter after training. “[Mattocks] and Barmby now put us into a position where we have a lot of options and a lot of depth.”
Portland Timbers newcomer Darren Mattocks: ‘I like to score’ – Oregonian
It didn’t take long for Darren Mattocks to feel at home. The forward/winger, acquired from the Vancouver Whitecaps, was training with the Portland Timbers for the first time on Wednesday, surrounded by familiar faces.
MLS Countdown: Seattle and Vancouver dig early holes – Soccer America
It would be too early to call Saturday’s Seattle-Vancouver match a must-win game for both teams. After all, their Cascadia rival Portland went winless in its first four games a year ago and won MLS Cup. But 0-2 starts are certainly worrying for both teams that began the season with heavy expectations and have suffered a rash of injuries.
Orlando City forward Cyle Larin excited to play NYCFC after hat trick last season – Orlando Sentinel
Loud, boisterous, the city that never sleeps. New York City is nearly the opposite of Cyle Larin. Larin speaks quietly, almost with a half smile, exuding a boyish quality that doesn’t quite fit with his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame.
D.C. United loses another goalkeeper: Andrew Dykstra to have back surgery – Washington Post
D.C. United has lost another goalkeeper to injury, leaving the MLS club without an experienced netminder two weeks into the season.
MLS international call-ups for March FIFA window – MLS
Here’s a running list of MLS players called to their national teams for the March FIFA window. The list will be updated as squads are announced.
The Great Canadian Ratings Report: Toronto FC continues to struggle on TV – Yahoo Sports
Even in a period of puzzling, and not-so-puzzling, sports television ratings drops the case of Toronto FC stands out. It’s not that the Major League Soccer team has fallen from great heights — ratings have never been very good. But on the heels of the team’s first playoff appearance last season there are renewed hopes for more success this year both on the pitch and on the screen. So far, the numbers are simply awful.
From reality TV to Red Bull Arena: Gideon Baah’s strange trip to MLS – The Guardian
A journey that started on Ghanaian reality TV show back in 2007 now finds Red Bulls defender Gideon Baah plying his craft thousands of miles from home.
Capture the game in HD using aerial video, book now at www.gamevision.ca!
BC SOCCER NEWS
Annual Keg Spring Cup set to bring competitive opposition to Victoria – UVic
The Annual Keg Spring Cup hosted by the University of Victoria Vikes men and women’s soccer teams returns for another year this weekend, Mar. 19-20 at Centennial Stadium. The two-day tournament marks the end of Spring season soccer for the Vikes and features five separate schools, four men and women’s teams, including strong Canada West opposition in the Trinity Western Spartans, Fraser Valley Cascades, Alberta Pandas, and pacific rivals the UBC Thunderbirds.
Sports briefs: Villa plays Sunday; Riptide girls; Riptide boys – Powell River Peak
Powell River Villa’s final game of the Vancouver Island Soccer League (VISL) season, originally scheduled for Sunday, March 13, was postponed due to poor field conditions at Timberlane Park after heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the match. VISL has rescheduled the game versus Saanich’s Prospect Lake Lakers for this Sunday, March 20. Kickoff is set for 1 pm at Timberlane Park.
Soccer for everyone – Surrey Leader
Surrey Football Club launches Adapted Soccer program for kids with developmental disabilities.
KYSA round-up, March 15 – Kamloops This Week
The Kamloops Blaze captured gold in under-14 Division 1 girls’ action in the Surrey Mayor’s Cup on the weekend, defeating CMF Titanium 5-0 in the gold-medal final.
Victoria Highlanders 2016 Season Tickets Now Available – Select Your Seats
The Victoria Highlanders are ready to return to the PDL for 2016. BC Soccer Web encourages all soccer fans on Vancouver Island to get behind their team. Season tickets are now on sale and extremely affordable. Support Local Soccer!
BC Soccer Assoc. is Now Accepting Candidates for its Board of Directors – BCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is accepting candidates for its Board of Directors for terms commencing June 11, 2016. Prospective candidates are invited to review the information provided on the BC Soccer web site www.bcsoccer.net. Candidates who provide notice to BC Soccer Assoc. of their intent to stand for election by May 1, 2016 will have their applications circulated to the membership in early May.
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.
CANADA vs. MEXICO, March 25, 2016 @ BC PLACE STADIUM. Buy Tickets Today!
CANADA SOCCER NEWS
Canada Soccer selects players for England youth friendly – CSA
Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Youth Program has announced a 20-player roster for the upcoming Men’s U-20 International Friendly match against England. Canada Soccer’s technical staff, led by U-20 coach Rob Gale, has selected a squad of players born 1996 or later.
CONCACAF completes draw for Futsal Championship – CSA
CONCACAF has completed the Official Draw for the 2016 CONCACAF Futsal Championship, with 10 nations in attendance at the Hotel Barceló San José Palacio in San Jose, Costa Rica. Only eight nations will reach the finals, with Canada/USA and Honduras/Trinidad and Tobago still to meet in play-in series.
Weekly soccer games help bring refugees in Winnipeg together – CBC
A weekly game of soccer is helping to bring refugees in Winnipeg together. “They feel amazing,” said Fadel Alshawwa, who’s originally from Palestine and came to Winnipeg as a refugee last year. “All of them, even if they move out from Welcome Place, they still keep coming.”
EPIC presents the 2016 Western Canada College ID Camp
WFC2, USL & NASL NEWS
WFC2 earn 2-1 preseason victory over Cascadia rivals Sounders FC 2 – Whitecaps FC
On a sunny afternoon at Burnaby Lake Sports Complex, Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) maintained their undefeated preseason with a 2-1 win over USL rivals Seattle Sounders FC 2. Head coach Alan Koch had eight MLS players featured in his lineup, and four Canadians.
Aleksic, Shome selected to Canadian U-20 roster for England youth friendly – FC Edmonton
Canada Soccer Men’s National Youth Program has announced their roster for the team’s upcoming U-20 international friendly versus England. Included on the roster is FC Edmonton defender Marko Aleksic, as well as midfielder Shamit Shome. Canada will face England Sunday, Mar. 27, in Doncaster, England at Keepmoat Stadium (16.00 local kick off).
Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba makes impact on Republic FC – Sacramento Bee
Growing up in the Bay Area, Republic FC defender Emrah Klimenta would climb out of bed early on weekend mornings to watch his favorite team and one of his favorite players. So Klimenta said it’s been a surreal experience training since March 7 with former Chelsea FC star Didier Drogba, who now plays for the Major League Soccer Montreal Impact.
Under Armour Unveils First U.S. Professional Soccer Kit For New York Cosmos – Forbes
Earlier this month, Under Armour announced it signed its first soccer partnership in the U.S. with the New York Cosmos, the reigning champions of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The multi-year partnership came to life Wednesday at the Under Armour Brand House in New York City with the unveiling of the match kits.
Three Years On, Cosmos Remain Confident in Stadium Proposal – Empire of Soccer
This April, the New York Cosmos will be starting their fourth season in the NASL on the campus of Hofstra University at Shuart Stadium. But four years ago, they thought they would be in a very different place.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
THORNS FC SIGN MIDFIELDER AMANDINE HENRY – NWSL
Portland Thorns FC have signed French international midfielder Amandine Henry, it was announced today. She will be added to the roster pending the receipt of her P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Per league and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
NWSL: Thorns pull huge coup with Henry signing – Soccer America
The NWSL has all the current U.S. national team players under contract, many of the best Canadians and Australians and a smattering of other international players. But Portland’s signing of French midfielder Amandine Henry, winner of the Silver Ball at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, at the height of her career ranks as one of the biggest moves in the league’s short history.
The Amandine Henry signing and what it means – The Equalizer
After more than two months of speculation and anticipation, Amandine Henry finally has a signed contract to play in NWSL. The Silver Ball winner from last summer’s World Cup will join the Thorns when her Lyon contract runs out—possibly as early as June 1. The announcement brought with it the expected buzz, as did the initial reports in January. But what does it really mean?
Amandine Henry and the big deal for NWSL – Keeper Notes
The Portland Thorns finally announced the long rumored signing of French midfielder Amandine Henry today. While Henry will not join the team until after her contract with Lyon expires – which could mean June at the earliest and potentially not until after the Olympics – this is a significant signing not only for Portland but also for the league itself.
Women’s Super League: Sunderland striker Beth Mead says she is ‘no one-trick pony’ – BBC Sport
Sunderland striker Beth Mead wants to prove that she is “no one-season wonder” by again finishing as Women’s Super League One’s top goalscorer – and making her debut for England.
How To Sell A Soccer Team, Or The Rebirth Of The Boston Breakers – Vice Sports
Boston literally casts its sporting legends in bronze, and uses its teams to turn its defiance outward—against the big boys in New York and Los Angeles, and everyone else. But a love affair with any team in the city takes time. Boston is skeptical of new things—see the subway system, Fenway Park, elected officials—and women’s soccer and the Breakers, even though the team has been around in some form for nearly 15 years, are new.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Klopp and Liverpool breathe it in at Old Trafford – UEFA
Jürgen Klopp may be hoping Liverpool’s high-intensity style suffocates Manchester United once more, but only after his own team “breathe the stadium air” themselves.
UCL Rewind: Bayern rallies to beat Juve, Barca rolls over Arsenal – SBI
Bayern Munich endured a nightmare start to its decisive UEFA Champions League clash with Juventus on Wednesday, but a strong second-half rally helped the German champions avoid the upset.
Bayern vs. Juve: One epic game, two epic teams – Sportsnet
A pair of two-goal comebacks, a cast of goal-scoring heroes (that included players the calibre of Thomas Mueller, Paul Pobga, Robert Lewandowski, Paulo Dybala and Arjen Robben), countless twists and turns in the plot, and enough drama for an entire group stage worth of games made this Round of 16 tie one of the most entertaining in recent history.
Santos, Club America wrangle to scoreless draw – CONCACAF
Santos and visiting Club America settled for a 0-0 draw despite numerous chances for each at the Estadio Corona on Wednesday night in the first leg of their Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.
Why is Fifa pursuing some of its former executives through the US courts? – The Guardian
Chasing Jack Warner, Chuck Blazer and Nicolás Leoz, among others, for repayment of misappropriated millions looks a brassy move – and part of an effort to distinguish ‘new Fifa’ from ‘old Fifa’
What are the Top Soccer Markets in the U.S.? – Gilt Edge Soccer
Congratulations, Los Angeles, the #1 soccer market in the U.S. Results from the GESM Soccer Market Rankings Study – the first study of its kind – reveals the City of Angels as the top soccer market in the country.
Nicklas Bendtner fined by Wolfsburg after oversleeping and arriving late – The Guardian
Nicklas Bendtner has admitted he was fined by his club Wolfsburg for turning up to training 45 minutes late on Monday.
Who saved Fabrice Muamba’s life? – BBC iWonder
A person lying prostrate after a sudden cardiac arrest, surrounded by others frantically trying to revive them. This is a scene that became very real to me when I collapsed on the pitch during an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur four years ago, on 17 March 2012.
In Britain football is more important than sex, clubs more exciting than jobs – Inside World Football
A survey by Champions League sponsor Nissan has found that football gets Britons (56% of them) more excited than sex; and that they spend more time watching football than participating in sex.