VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS
Whitecaps FC acquire striker Anthony Blondell from Venezuelan Primera División side Monagas SC – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that the club has acquired striker Anthony Blondell from Venezuelan Primera División side Monagas SC.
Why the ‘Caps acted quickly to scoop up Venezuelan striker Anthony Blondell – Whitecaps FC
After leading the Venezuelan Primera División with 23 goals in 2017, Anthony Blondell had some clubs from Europe sniffing around for his services. But Carl Robinson got to him first.
Eight ‘Caps nominated for 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards – Whitecaps FC
On the men’s side, Alphonso Davies and Marcel de Jong are both up for the Canadian men’s player of the year after playing key roles in helping Canada reach the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup for the first time since 2009. Davies, who earned his Canadian citizenship in June, is also up for the Canadian U-17 men’s player of the year after winning the award in 2016.
Vancouver Whitecaps Overhaul Roster: What Does It Mean for 2018? – Eighty-Six Forever
On Monday, the Vancouver Whitecaps exercised 7 contracts while declining a further 14. What does this mean for the club going forward?
Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo | 2017 Conference Championship Preview – MLS
The Houston Dynamo entered the first leg of their Western Conference final perhaps sensing they had nothing to lose. They could hardly be blamed for approaching the second wondering what may already be lost.
Dynamo calibrating balance between aggression, defensive strength for Leg 2 – Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo know what to expect from the Seattle Sounders in Leg 2 of the Western Conference Championship series on Thursday night.
MLS Playoff Preview: Seattle Sounders vs. Houston Dynamo – SBI
The Seattle Sounders have one foot in the MLS Cup Final. They may even have a few additional toes in there as well. But there’s still work to be done on Thursday night if the club hopes to defend last year’s crown in the very same building in which they claimed it.
Toronto FC 1, Columbus Crew SC 0 | MLS Cup Playoffs Recap – MLS
Toronto FC had the most points in the history of the regular season and on Wednesday night they ensured that they will have a chance to lift another trophy, defeating Columbus Crew SC 1-0 in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship.
Altidore shows heart, battles through pain to deliver TFC an MLS Cup return – SN
Jozy Altidore dropped to the ground at BMO Field, reached for his ankle and winced in pain. After trying repeatedly to shake off the effects of having Harrison Afful fall on his leg just four minutes into the second half of Wednesday’s Eastern Conference finals second leg, Altidore limped toward the TFC bench. For a second it appeared as though he might have to leave a match that threatened to end Toronto FC’s season and add another emotional letdown in what has been a rough six weeks for the star striker.
Toronto FC haven’t rediscovered their summer form in the playoffs – and that’s okay – Waking the Red
All the worries that we had about Toronto FC going into this game were borne out. This time it was Gregg Berhalter, not Greg Vanney, who threw a tactical surprise into the mix, and it successfully stifled TFC. Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco were not at their best for much of the game after their long spell on the sidelines. To make matters worse, Altidore picked up an injury. And that big, statement home performance we’ve been waiting for? Well, we’re still waiting.
Impact’s Hassoun Camara retires from pro soccer – Montreal Gazette
The Senegalese defender, 33, ends his MLS career with seven goals and eight assists in 134 games — including 125 starts — and 10,979 minutes. He has most MLS starts and most minutes played in the club’s history.
MLS expansion update: Four finalists named – Whitecaps FC
Major League Soccer announced today that Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento have been named finalists for the two expansion clubs that are scheduled to be announced later this year. Owners and officials representing the four prospective expansion markets will make formal presentations to MLS Commissioner Don Garber and the League’s Expansion Committee in New York on Dec. 6.
FC Cincinnati receive local government backing for MLS stadium project – MLS
On the same day they were revealed as one of the four finalists for the first two MLS expansion slots that are scheduled to be awarded by the end of the year, FC Cincinnati received a double show of support from local government for the club’s prospective MLS stadium plans.
Detroit’s MLS bid banking on strength of ownership, market – Detroit News
Detroit is one of four finalists for two Major League Soccer franchises to be awarded in December, competing with three bids offering what the league seeks: new stadiums controlled by the prospective teams and designed specifically for soccer.
A look at the four MLS expansion finalists – SBI
Major League Soccer announced four finalists for the first round of two expansion slots to be announced next month. Sacramento, Nashville, Cincinnati, and Detroit will all make their final pitches to the league on Dec. 6, before the Board of Governors meets to discuss each city’s credentials eight days later.
BC SOCCER NEWS
TSS Rovers launch WPSL team – Twitter
TSS Rovers announced that they have launched a women’s team to begin play in 2018. This will be the second BC entry into the WPSL, along with NSGSC. You can follow them on Twitter at @TSSRoversWPSL.
Pringle, Baxter receive honours from United Soccer Coaches – SFU
Honours keep pouring in for Simon Fraser University women’s soccer players Emma Pringle and Jenna-lee Baxter, who today were selected to NCAA Division II United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Teams.
Eight GNAC Players Chosen For Men’s All-West Region Team – GNAC
Simon Fraser led all GNAC teams with four selections, including reigning GNAC Defensive Player of the Year senior Magnus Kristensen and junior midfielder Mamadi Camara to the first team.
Deep LMG team finds offence against Comox – Cowichan Valley Citizen
Cowichan LMG made history on Saturday. Always struggling to score during visits to the Comox Valley, the Vancouver Island Soccer League team set an all-time club record in a 3-0 win over Comox Valley United.
Canadian legends Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil team up for Individualized Coaching Program – Dasovic-Neil Coaching
Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil have teamed up to provide training programs for players & coaches. The programs specialize in individual, positional, age, and gender specific training for players, with a combined technical and physical focus while providing education and mentorship opportunities for coaches to improve their skills and deepen their knowledge base.
BC Soccer Web’s 2017 Soccer & Sports Book Recommendations – BC Soccer Web
Over the years, there have been many books on soccer and sport that have given us joy, laughter, and much to think about. We’re happy to share these with you. We’ll be updating this list as new titles become available, so keep checking.
PCSL CHALLENGE CUP PHOTOS: Vancouver Utd. 3, Mid-Isle Mariners 1, July 30, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.
2016-2017 BC Soccer Year in Review – BCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is proud to release their 2016-2017 Year in Review after another successful year of soccer. The #respectall initiative, High Performance License, Club Charter Program activity, along with the delivery of hundreds of coaching courses and referee clinics this past year highlight some of the successes.
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.
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.
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.
CANADA SOCCER NEWS
Women’s nominees for the 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards – CSA
Canada Soccer announced the list of nominees for the 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards, with voting open for both media and coaches from 28 November through 7 December. The list of 12 nominees from Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team features several familiar names as well as first-time nominees Rebecca Quinn and Deanne Rose.
Three Canadian NCAA soccer players up for women’s MAC Hermann Trophy – London Free Press
Canadians Jessie Fleming, Rebecca Quinn and Vanessa Gregoire are among the 15 semifinalists for the 2017 women’s MAC Hermann Trophy.
Men’s nominees for the 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards – CSA
Canada Soccer announced the list of nominees for the 2017 Canada Soccer Player Awards, with voting open for both media and coaches from 28 November through 7 December. The list of 12 nominees from Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team features several familiar names as well as first-time nominees Lucas Cavallini, Alphonso Davies, and Anthony Jackson-Hamel.
FC London’s academy changes look, adds programs with Toronto FC link – London Free Press
FC London Academy will now be called London TFC Academy to highlight the team that finished on top of Major League Soccer’s professional table this year.
Canada comes back from two down to beat Norway in error-filled friendly – the11.ca
Canada was terrible in the first half. Norway was even more terrible in the second.
The Impact U17 goes to Florida with ambition – Montreal Impact
It’s half-time. The first half of the Development Academy season is almost behind us. But just before we get there, the traditional Winter Showcase will be held from November 30 to December 4.
Alberta Soccer seeks new Directors – Alberta Soccer
At the upcoming Alberta Soccer Annual General Meeting in February, 2018, the Alberta Soccer Association Board will see five positions up for election.
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USL, NASL & LOWER DIVISION NEWS
Fury FC brings back player of the year Dixon and Obasi – Ottawa Fury
Fury FC announced on Wednesday that Jamar Dixon has re-signed with his hometown club, with defender Onua Obasi also agreeing to return for a third season.
Rhinos extinct in Rochester? – Sprectrum
The Rochester Rhinos are not giving up on saving the club from forfeiting next season. A community of supporters held a rally at Capelli Sport Stadium Tuesday night to help raise the much needed revenue the team needs to continue on.
Swope Park Rangers expected to promote Paulo Nagamura to head coach – Kansas City Star
The Swope Park Rangers are finalizing plans to promote Paulo Nagamura to head coach, sources told The Star on Wednesday.
Nashville SC signs goalkeeper Matt Pickens, 3 others to inaugural roster – Tennessean
The club’s first signee is goalkeeper Matt Pickens, who was a member of the 2010 MLS Cup champion Colorado Rapids.
Atlanta Silverbacks launch Fan Ownership – Atlanta Silverbacks FC Trust
The Atlanta Silverbacks Football Club and the Atlanta Silverbacks Trust have joined forces to offer an opportunity for partial fan-ownership of the Silverbacks. With this purchase, the Trust would own a 25% stake in the club and have a full voting representative on the Board of Directors of the club, giving the Trust a say in how the club is operated and developed.
The Proposed Amazon HQ2 Soccer Stadium Would Host A USL Expansion Team – Hot Time in Old Town
Last week, the Chicago Tribune reported that there is indeed a tenant lined up for the proposed soccer stadium at the abandoned Finkle Steel site near Bucktown, which would comprise part of the campus for Amazon’s second headquarters (HQ2). That tenant. That tenant is not the Chicago Fire. Instead, the stadium will serve as the home of a new USL expansion franchise.
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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS
Matildas star Sam Kerr named Asian player of the year – The Australian
The awards keep coming for Matildas star Sam Kerr, who has added the crown of Asia’s player of the year to her overflowing trophy cabinet.
FourFourTwo USA’s 50 Best American Women’s Players of 2017 – Four Four Two
Was 2017 the toughest year yet to pick a standout USWNT player? We sought answers.
Jess Fishlock re-signs with Seattle Reign FC – Vavel
The Welsh midfielder will play in her sixth season with the Reign in 2018.
UCLA looks to win 114th NCAA title, take back record this weekend – Daily Bruin
UCLA has an opportunity to reclaim its spot as the top athletic program in the country this weekend.
U.S. women’s soccer team to play in San Diego in January – San Diego Tribune
With a stadium crumbling but still standing in Mission Valley and a dedicated fan base surrounding it, San Diego remains a destination city for international soccer. The U.S. women’s national team is coming again, for the third time in two years.
Concussions Don’t Discriminate, As Central Missouri’s Women’s Soccer Team Found Out – KCUR
In a study released last spring, Northwestern University researchers found that at the high school level, only football has a higher rate of concussions than girls soccer. It considered any practice or game “an exposure,” and found that in football, there were 9.4 concussions for every 10,000 exposures. The rate for the girls soccer teams? 9.1 concussions.
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WORLD SOCCER NEWS
Wednesday European Rewind: Man City edges Southampton, Lille defeats Lyon, and more – SBI
Manchester City used a 96th-minute winner from Raheem Sterling to down Southampton 2-1 at the Etihad.
Gremio set for world stage after ending continental drought – FIFA
Gremio claimed their first Copa Libertadores title for 22 years with a relatively comfortable 3-1 aggregate win over Lanus on Wednesday.
Rooney explodes for three, goal of year candidate in Everton win – NBC Sports
Sam Allardyce is taking over the Premier League’s 14th place team after a Wayne Rooney hat trick led Everton to a 4-0 win over West Ham United at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
David Silva signs new Manchester City contract – SN
The Spain international, who has been at the Etihad Stadium since 2010, has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2020.
Mysterious player in FIFA corruption probe surfaces as prosecution witness after disappearing in 2015 – Toronto Star
Eladio Rodriguez, a key bag man, disappeared after the initial corruption arrests in Switzerland in May 2015. At trial Wednesday, Rodriguez offered jurors an insider’s account of a scheme that ran for more than two decades.
TyC bagman Rodriguez details $$$$m of bribes to Leoz, Grondona, Teixeira and Del Nero – Inside World Football
A former accountant working with Argentina-based marketing firm Torneos y Competencias has told the FifaGate trial in New York how he handled the payment of millions of dollars in bribes to powerful South American officials in exchange for the rights to broadcast tournaments and matches.
FIFA former VP questioned in 2022 World Cup probe – Sportsnet
French police have questioned former FIFA vice-president Reynald Temarii in their investigation of suspected corruption in the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
‘Sarrismo’: An ex-banker is revolutionizing Italian soccer – Metro
If Serie A leader Napoli is going to win its first title in nearly three decades, a large part of the squad’s success will be attributed to a manager who is the ultimate anti-establishment character.
Ronaldo earns a staggering £308,000 per Instagram photo – SN
While Ronaldo’s feed mostly consists of pictures of his ever-growing family, the 32-year-old also shares a number of sponsored photos, promoting everything from a mobile phone and a protective case to a nutritional health drink.
Russia prepares to dazzle as Moscow hosts World Cup 2018 draw show – ESPN FC
When the lights go down inside the State Kremlin Palace’s concert hall on Friday evening, it will signal the start of a show that has been more than 12 months in the planning and holds significance far beyond the announcement of next summer’s World Cup fixtures.
World Cup 2018 draw: how it all works and which teams England should avoid – The Guardian
The 32 teams who have qualified will be split into eight four-team groups, drawn from four pots. The groups will contain one team from each pot.
2018 World Cup venues on track but marred by costs, deaths – Metro
Cost rises, worker deaths, and corruption have marred the building of Russia’s World Cup stadiums.
2018 World Cup: A guide to the grounds hosting games in Russia – BBC Sport
Spread over 1,800 miles from the exclave of Kaliningrad on the coast of the Baltic Sea to Ekaterinburg, at the base of the Ural mountains, 12 stadiums across Russia will host the 64 matches that comprise the 2018 World Cup.
Amid troubled World Cup sales, FIFA set to hit $5.66B target – Sportsnet
Even taking a financial hit from Italy and the United States failing to qualify, FIFA’s top salesman insists the 2018 World Cup will make its income target.
Australia’s Kerr and Syria’s Khribin take top player awards at AFC night of stars – Inside World Football
Omar Khribin and Samantha Kerr have been named this year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Players of the Year in the men’s and women’s categories.
Fifa set to take over football in Australia after FFA’s proposal for reform rejected – The Guardian
Football Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy has refused to rule out legal action against Fifa should the world governing body decide to remove him and his board.
CONCACAF announces draw procedure for 2018 Champions League – MLS
CONCACAF announced the pots for the draw for the 2018 edition of the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday, revealing the potential matchups for the five MLS teams slated to participate in the tournament.
Ethnic minority coaches still face ‘barriers’ in English football – BBC Sport
Coaches from black and ethnic minority backgrounds still face “institutionally embedded barriers” in English football, according to a sports think tank.
A simple training technique with many benefits: running backwards – Soccer America
There’s a little bit of science supporting the benefits of backwards running, also known as retro running or reverse running. Not a ton of science but just enough for me to recommend that you give this some consideration in your training, regardless of sport.
‘He lived for football’ – Retiring Ze Roberto hailed by Elber – SN
Giovane Elber has paid tribute to Ze Roberto after the former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid star announced his intention to retire from football at the age of 43.
2017’s TOP SOCCER BOOKS