BC Soccer News, Tuesday, April 11, 2017

CANADA IN JOINT BID FOR FIFA 2026 WORLD CUP

2026 FIFA World Cup™: Canada, USA and Mexico declare intention to submit unified bid – CSA
CONCACAF member nations Canada, USA and Mexico have declared their intention to formally submit a unified bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The historic unified bid, which would represent the first time that three nations would jointly host a FIFA competition, was announced by CONCACAF and Canadian Soccer Association president Victor Montagliani, U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, and Mexican Football Federation president Decio deMaria.

Canada would host 10 World Cup games if joint bid for 2026 is successful – the11.ca
It’s funny that, a couple of years ago, the Canadian Soccer Association was telling one and all that it was not going to share its bid for the 2026 World Cup.

US, Canada, Mexico say they made joint World Cup bid for region’s sake – MLS
The US could have taken its chances and gone at it alone. Mexico and Canada could have done the same. In the end, they all came together for the benefit of the region.

World Cup soccer in Canada might be just the start – Toronto Star
North American joint bid for 2026 men’s World Cup could spark interest in building mega-stadium in Toronto, the kind you host an Olympics around.

CONCACAF to ask FIFA to fast-track U.S.-led 2026 World Cup bid — sources – ESPN FC
Lost amid the pageantry of Monday’s glossy announcement of the bid by the U.S., Mexico and Canada was any significant discussion about what steps the bid will take next, and according to multiple high-ranking officials, regional body CONCACAF is planning to make a proposal at May’s FIFA Congress that could accelerate the entire process, which would normally be expected to last until 2020.

Which Canadian cities would host World Cup 2026 games? – Waking the Red
If the hype video that accompanied Monday’s announcement of a joint World Cup 2026 bid between the USA, Canada and Mexico was anything to go by, the organizers are keeping their options open when it comes to host cities.

What we learned from Canada’s World Cup bid – TSN
What a magnificent day for Canadian Soccer. The dream of Canada hosting a men’s World Cup took a gigantic turn toward reality on Monday after CONCACAF announced their official plans of a joint bid for World Cup 2026.

Mayor says 2026 FIFA World Cup is event city has been keeping an eye on – CHED
The City of Edmonton has not been involved in any formal discussions yet about 2026 World Cup bid. Canada’s portion of the event would see 10 games played here. Ten other games would be in Mexico with 60 games in the U.S.

Joint bid Gulati’s way of stacking the deck for 2026 World Cup – Four Four Two
Suppose someone gave you a lovely vacation home. Just handed you the keys and said, “Knock yourself out,” but with two conditions. First, you only have access to it three-fourths of the year. And second, you can never tell people the place is yours alone. You always had to acknowledge co-ownership. Would you huff and puff about what you weren’t getting? Or would you just say thanks and enjoy a sweetheart of a deal?

CONCACAF World Cup bid is bad news for Mexican soccer – Prost Amerika
Mexican soccer is already being dragged down by CONCACAF by not being able to send clubs to participate in Conmebol’s Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores and now this ‘historic’ World Cup bid is only dragging Mexico further down into the confederation’s mediocrity.

Waste of a World Cup – Maple Leaf Forever
To the Canadian this is a mixed blessing. Should we get an automatic spot Canada’s players will probably be humiliated, because after thirty years getting worse at men’s soccer there’s no sign we’ll be any better in the next nine.

Hosting the 2026 World Cup would be shot in the arm for Canada – Sportsnet
If this joint bid is successful, and even with only 10 games taking place in Canada, it would be a massive shot in the arm for soccer in this country.

Despite criticisms, joint CONCACAF World Cup bid the right deal for all sides – SN
“I don’t know what they’re unhappy about,” Montagliani said of Mexican critics of the joint bid. “One guy (from Mexico) asked me, ‘Canada’s not a soccer country, (Mexico) is, but you get 10 and we got 10?’ I said, ‘The last time I looked you’ve won the same number of World Cups as we have: none.’ So I said, ‘Listen, you can’t look at it that way,’ I think we all need to be pretty happy about it.”

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The Holy Trinity or the Three Stooges? – An analysis of Vancouver Whitecaps’ untimely switch to a 3-5-2 – AFTN
Italian football fans of the 90’s rejoice! The 3-5-2 is back baby.

Sounders calm despite dropped points in San Jose, Torres hamstring injury – ESPN FC
Injuries and absences have forced Seattle to juggle their starting assignments throughout 2017. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer drew up his fifth different lineup in as many matches to face the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

Dax McCarty admits ‘crazy thought’ of taking sabbatical after trade to Fire –  ESPN FC
Chicago Fire midfielder Dax McCarty said he briefly had the “crazy thought” of taking a sabbatical from his playing career following his surprise trade from the New York Red Bulls in January.

Montreal Impact unveil $3 million in improvements to Stade Saputo – MLS
With the Montreal Impact’s home opener against Atlanta United coming up this weekend, the club and new food concession partner Spectrum Canada on Monday unveiled $3 million in improvements to Stade Saputo.

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PHOTOS: Whitecaps FC 1 Tigres UANL 2, April 5, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

BC SOCCER NEWS

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.

WolfPack Men’s Soccer Signs Striker From Coquitlam MF – TRU
John Antulov has signed a highly touted striker/wing from Surrey, BC. He and the WolfPack are pleased to announce that 6’1”Joshua Penny has agreed to attend Thompson Rivers University effective September. Penny is graduating this June from Surrey Christian School. He will be taking courses aimed at earning at Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Thompson Rivers.

Whitecaps FC U-15s to face top European sides at Rotterdam Football Cup – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-15 Residency head overseas to compete in the Rotterdam Football Cup, starting this coming weekend. Organized by AcademyTrips.com in cooperation with Dutch side SBV Excelsior Rotterdam, this elite youth tournament hosts some of Europe’s most storied clubs. The team departed this past Monday, April 10 with matches beginning on Saturday, April 15 and concluding on Monday, April 17.

Women’s soccer league welcoming teenagers – Prince George Citizen
There’s a youth movement going on in the Prince George Women’s Soccer Association. For the first time in history, the league is allowing girls as young as 15 to play in the league this season. As long as they turn 16 by Dec. 31 they’re eligible to play.

Get To Know Your TSS Rovers: Mamadi Camara – AFTN
One of the hottest prospects on the SFU Clan squad right now is Mamadi Camara. The Montreal-born midfielder will be a TSS FC Rovers player for the upcoming PDL season and a definite player to watch as he makes his first appearance at the higher level.

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.

REVIEW: The Miracle Mile. Stories of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games – BC BookLook
Author Jason Beck is curator of the BC Sports Hall of Fame in BC Place Stadium, Vancouver, and convenor two years ago of an excellent exhibition about the 1954 Games. In his first book, he proves to be a meticulous researcher, a compelling story-teller, and a crafty realist who knows how to hook his readers. Watch how, two pages into the book, he uses filmic technique to evoke the arriving athletes’ youthful buzz and give period colouring and costuming, but then smartly moves his camera in to introduce his stars.

TSS Rovers launch website & 2017 Season Ticket Campaign – TSS Rovers
TSS FC Rovers play their inaugural season in the PDL at iconic Swangard Stadium. Season Tickets are $70 for Adults, $49 for U12 Youth.

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!

To our Readers: A Choice – BC Soccer Web
Soccer has brought us to the United States many times. It’s a great place with decent people. We especially look forward to our Cascadia trips to Seattle and Portland. They’re incredible cities with wonderful supporters. That’s why it was so disheartening to see chaos and fear take hold in the airports and borders of our neighbours to the south.

Victoria Highlanders 2017 Season Passes now on sale – Highlanders FC
Support local soccer on Vancouver Island. Join the excitement of Highlanders FC PDL Soccer!

PHOTOS: CANADA WEST WOMENS FINAL, UBC 3, TWU 0, NOVEMBER 6, 2016 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

2016 BC Soccer Provincial Cup Photo Galleries – BC Soccer Web
Westhills Stadium & Goudy Park in Langford hosted the 2016 BC Soccer Adult Provincial Cup Finals. It was a thrilling weekend of soccer on Vancouver Island that saw seven champions crowned. Richmond FC & Surrey Pegasus qualified for the National Championships this Fall in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Both Coquitlam Metro-Ford Masters & Classics sides qualified for the Western Canadian Masters Championships in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In all, it was a clean sweep for teams from the VMSL & MWSL. Monique Lamoureux & Bill Currie from BC Soccer Web were on location that weekend, capturing the all the action.

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.

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UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

PORTLAND TIMBERS 2 vs WFC2

SUNDAY, APRIL 16, 2017

PROVIDENCE PARK, PORTLAND, OR

LIVESTREAM: WHITECAPS2.COM

USL PHOTOS: WFC2 3 SOUNDERS2 0, Saturday, April 8, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

Deklan Wynne named to USL Team of the Week – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC 2 defender Deklan Wynne was honoured with a selection to the USL Team of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.

VIDEO: USL Goals of the Week – Week 3 – YouTube
USL shows off its best goals from Week 3.

Carmelo Anthony Plots His Team’s Future: His Soccer Team in Puerto Rico, That Is – NY Times
Tom Payne, the president of Puerto Rico F.C., is too anxious to sit during his team’s soccer matches. So he paces the concourse here at Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel, a converted baseball stadium in a commercial neighborhood about 10 miles from San Juan, and fields text messages from his boss.

Unclear Atlanta situation shows clarity in NASL’s new vetting process – Soctakes
Given the importance of rapidly finding four new expansion teams, Sehgal’s announcement that Atlanta wasn’t one of the advanced bids left us wondering why. While Brantley declined to comment on this, Soc Takes was told by a source that the league is wary of competing with the instant success of Atlanta United.

Optimistic Spirit Bolsters NWSL as Season 5 Begins – American Soccer Now
Some big-name stars have moved overseas but a new TV deal with Lifetime, an expanded schedule, and a big bump in player salaries have put wind in the sails of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Sky Blue FC season preview: No longer starting from the bottom – The Equalizer
Sky Blue underwent arguably the most tumultuous off-season of the league, starting with the departure of head coach Jim Gabarra for the Washington Spirit and ending with nine players from the 2015 squad, including a number of starters, leaving the team either to trades, expansion, retirement, injuries or personal reasons. After a lengthy search for a new head coach, assistant coach Christy Holly was promoted just days before the NWSL draft.

Albania women’s football team beat Greece to qualify for 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Group Stage – ATA
The Albania women’s national football team qualified for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Group Stage after a 2-1 home win over Greek side on Tuesday.

Borussia Dortmund team bus involved in explosion before Monaco tie – The Guardian
Borussia Dortmund have confirmed their team bus was involved in an explosion ahead of their Champions League quarter-final against Monaco with defender Marc Bartra reported to have been taken to hospital.

Dortmund match postponed after explosion near team bus – BBC Sport
Police confirm there were three explosions in the area of the Borussia Dortmund team bus.

UEFA Champions League Preview: Juventus hosts Barcelona, Real Madrid faces Bayern, and more – SBI
After a thrilling Round of 16 back in March, eight teams remain with a chance to clinch a spot in May’s UEFA Champions League Final.

Confirmed: Neymar will miss Clasico with three-match ban – SN
Neymar’s hopes of playing in the Clasico against Real Madrid are over after he received a three-match suspension for sarcastically applauding after his red card against Malaga on Sunday.

Arsenal’s latest bruising beating leaves Arsène Wenger at point of no return – The Guardian
The Arsenal manager received support from one of his former players following the 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace but so bad was his team’s display and so vitriolic the abuse from away fans that he is now surely done at the club

Argentina fires coach Edgardo Bauza after recent qualifying struggles – Sportsnet
Argentina has fired its newly appointed national head coach Edgardo Bauza after just eight months in the job, as the team struggles in qualifying matches for next year’s World Cup in Russia.

Chelsea bracing for double departure of Hazard and Costa this summer – ESPN FC
Chelsea braced for ‘body blow’ of double departure They may be clear at the top of the Premier League but not everything in Chelsea’s garden is rosy.

Mexican National Team’s road to the Gold Cup includes July 1 stop in Seattle at CenturyLink Field – Sounders FC
The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF), Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and Seattle Sounders FC today announced that the Mexican National Team is coming to CenturyLink Field on Saturday, July 1, with kickoff slated for 5:00 p.m. PT. The match is the squad’s final fixture before attempting to defend its title in the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup – the region’s official international competition – after Mexico won the 2015 tournament. Mexico’s opponent for the July 1 tune-up match is being announced at a later date.

Russia worried by slow ticket sales for Confederations Cup – Sportsnet
Russia’s top sports official said Tuesday he is worried by slow ticket sales for the Confederations Cup.

Dr Joe Machnik: American soccer’s renaissance man – The Guardian
He’s best known as Fox Soccer’s refereeing expert, but Machnik has spent a lifetime in the game – as a player, coach, ref, and much more besides. Michael Lewis talks to a true American pioneer