BC Soccer News, Tuesday, February 21, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

NEW YORK RED BULLS  vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

QUARTERFINAL, 1ST LEG
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2017, 5:00 PM
RED BULL ARENA, HARRISON, NJ
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New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | Champions League QFs, 1st LegMLS
Major League Soccer will be guaranteed a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals when the Vancouver Whitecaps and New York Red Bulls clash in a home-and-home series which starts at Red Bull Arena on Wednesday and wraps up at BC Place in Vancouver on Thursday, March 2. It’s the first time either club has advanced this far in the continental tournament.

Preview: ‘Caps kick off 2017 season Wednesday at Red Bull ArenaWhitecaps FC
“As a player you want to be a part of the club’s history,” Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted told reporters. “I think we all really enjoy being here. We all love this club. I think being a part of its history in that way would be huge as a player. For a team, this is a chance to get our season started in the right way.”

CCL Preview: Underprepared Red Bulls Host Vancouver Empire of Soccer
The preseason is all but over and an underprepared New York Red Bulls, in the words of Coach Jesse Marsch, will host the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first leg of their knockout stage series in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday night. It will be the teams’ first meaningful and competitive game in 2017.

Sneak Peek: ‘Caps short-handed for CCL matchSoccer America
The Vancouver Whitecaps will be without their two big offseason acquisitions — Yordy Reyna and Fredy Montero — when they open play Wednesday against the New York Red Bulls in the Concacaf Champions League. But they aren’t the only injury concerns on the eve of the 2017 MLS season.

Vancouver Whitecaps aim for good result in Champions League curtain-raiserMLS
With both clubs still very much in preseason form, the timing of Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal between the New York Red Bulls and the Vancouver Whitecaps (5 pm PT; UDN/Live on CONCACAF’s Facebook page) is far from ideal for either side.

CONCACAF Champions League may induce apathy amongst many North American fans and media, but the players understand its importanceAFTN
North American football fans love the Champions League. As long as it comes with a European accent. The one played in their own back yard, not so much.

Dear Nahla: A heartfelt retirement letter from Pa-Modou Kah to his daughterWhitecaps FC
“You never know when the day will come. How old you will be or if you are ready. I can tell you, you are never ready to retire from football. But because of you, my daughter, I can look back with a feeling of fulfilment and look forward to a new chapter. You are my greatest accomplishment and my biggest dream was to walk on the pitch with you. I got to do that, and for that I will forever be thankful. ”

Back in MLS, Fredy Montero ready for pressure of being Whitecaps’ go-to scorerSBI
“Obviously I was looking forward to getting another opportunity to come back to MLS,” Montero told reporters on Sunday. “Vancouver did everything possible to get to my contract, and they picked my option, and I’m just very happy to stay here.”

Tim Parker aims for bigger Whitecaps role, return to USMNTSN
Going into his third MLS season, Tim Parker can no longer be considered a neophyte.

MLS Moves: TFC goes with TAM to sign ex-Barca midfielderSoccer America
TFC has used Targeted Allocation Money to sign Victor Vazquez, a product of the Barcelona academy who comes to MLS from Cruz Azul, for which he scored one goal and registered one assist in 23 appearances.

Victor Vazquez signing is proof Toronto FC know their time is nowWaking the Red
Before the dust of the MLS Cup final had settled, there was a clear belief around Toronto FC that a new attacking midfielder would be the most significant item on the club’s winter shopping list.

Oyongo back at Impact camp after Africa Cup of Nations winSportsnet
It’s been a whirlwind two weeks for Montreal Impact fullback Ambroise Oyongo since helping Cameroon beat Egypt and win the Africa Cup of Nations.

Primed and ready – Seattle Sounders looking to start and stay strong in 2017 SN
For the 2016 MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders, nothing came easy.

Brian Schmetzer and the burden of repeating the Sounders’ MLS Cup winThe Guardian
The Seattle Sounders coach won the team’s first ever title within six months of taking charge. So how does he follow up an extraordinary first season?

SBI MLS Season Preview: Portland TimbersSBI
The Portland Timbers entered the 2016 season on top of the world. They had just captured an MLS Cup championship, and a majority of the team’s starters returned as they moved into their title defense. They felt confident that, if things went to plan, they’d contend once again.

Can Atlanta compete right away? United taking high risk, high reward approachFour Four Two
It can take up to three years for an MLS expansion team to truly compete. Atlanta United hopes to change that.

NYCFC Signs AwuahEmpire of Soccer
New York City FC announced the signing of draft pick Kwame Awuah on Monday. Awuah, a 21-year-old Canadian, was the 16th pick over all in the first round of the 2017 MLS draft. Awuah will take up a domestic roster spot because he is part of Generation Adidas Canada initiative as he awaits his P1 visa and international transfer certificate (ITC).

Buying and selling: Why it’s time for MLS to recalibrate it’s approachFour Four Two
If MLS is going to progress, it needs to start selling more players to earn respect in the global market.

FC Dallas’ “Homegrown” Reputation Doesn’t Tell the Whole StorySportsday
Almost from the moment Oscar Pareja took the head coaching reins in 2014, the go-to narrative for almost any national media coverage of FC Dallas centers on the club’s propensity for signing “homegrown” players from its prolific academy.

Houston Dynamo: 2017 Season PreviewMLS Multiplex
The 2017 MLS season is one where many Dynamo fans don’t know what to expect. After a dismal 2016 campaign, Coach Wilmer Cabrera is looking to turn things around with a lot of new faces in orange. Here is a look at all the transfers, offseason stories, and 2017 predictions.

Train With Champions TWU Spartan Female Soccer Academy

BC SOCCER NEWS

Highlanders hope off-season shopping brings more winsTimes Colonist
Coach Dave Dew and GM Marvin Diercks of the Victoria Highlanders realize it is young, yet fast, company they keep in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League.

Becoming a BC Soccer RefereeBCSA
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!

TSS FC Rovers Open TryoutsTSS Rovers
Vancouver’s newest team, TSS FC Rovers, is looking for Canada’s best up and coming players to play for their first squad in 2017. If you are a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, could possibly play for our national team one day, and meet the age requirment of 23 and under, we want to see you play!

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.

FVSL All-Stars to face WFC2 in MarchBC Soccer Web
January snow and ice in the Lower Mainland put the brakes on the annual clash between the Fraser Valley Soccer League All-Stars and the best from the VISL this year. That hasn’t stopped the FVSL from planning an ambitious All-Star series in March.

BC Soccer Assoc. is Now Accepting 2016-2017 Awards NominationsBCSA
We are pleased to inform everyone that BC soccer Assoc. is currently accepting Awards nominations until the submission deadline date of March 31, 2017. Selection of the award recipients is based on many factors including the individual’s commitment, community involvement and willingness to give back to the game. This year any BC Soccer Assoc. member and their affiliate clubs may submit a nomination.

2017 BC Soccer Assoc. is accepting candidates for its Board of Directors BCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is accepting candidates for its Board of Directors for terms commencing June, 2017 (following the BC Soccer Annual General Meeting).

Victoria Highlanders 2017 Season Passes now on saleHighlanders 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, 2016BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

VMSL PHOTOS: Richmond FC Hibs 1, ICSF Columbus FC 0, November 5, 2016BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

MWSL PHOTOS: Van United Primas 0, Fraser Valley Action 2, October 30, 2016BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

PHOTOS: GNAC Women’s Soccer: SFU 1 Concordia U. (Ore.) 0, October 20, 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 SyndicationBC 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.

Connect with Soccer in British Columbia! Advertise on BC Soccer Web today!

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada fails to qualify for FIFA under-20 World CupSportsnet
Canada will have to wait for another chance to compete in the FIFA under-20 World Cup.

Mexico advance and eliminate Canada at CONCACAF Under-20 ChampionshipMLS
Canada still have one game left in the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship. But it won’t mean much as the Canadians were eliminated from the competition on Monday night following a 5-0 loss to Mexico at the Estadio Nacional in San Jose, Costa Rica.

Mexico goes big, Canada goes homethe11.ca
With another early exit from a CONCACAF U-20 Championship, Canada’s program-record absence from the FIFA U-20 World Cup now extends to 12 years.

Canadian women’s team to play Costa Rica in Winnipeg, TorontoSportsnet
Canada’s women’s soccer team will host Costa Rica in a pair of June friendlies in Winnipeg and Toronto.

Jankovic leads Canada over Barbados at CONCACAF Beach Soccer ChampionshipMetro
Marc Jankovic scored four goals as Canada opened the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship with a 6-4 win over Barbados on Monday.

Canada Soccer invites 59 young players into National EXCEL 14-17 identification campsCSA
In it’s pursuit of great Canadian soccer talent, Canada Soccer has invited 59 young players to attend both East and West  identification camps for the National EXCEL program.

Canada Soccer holds positive Boys’ U-15 identification camps in east CSA
The first two of three regional Boys’ U-15 identification camps have wrapped up in Vaughan and Montréal, with the third camp scheduled next month in Burnaby. The three U-15 camps are part of an extensive Men’s EXCEL Program that looks to identify exceptional players at an earlier age and ensure that they are supported through a competitive environment.

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WFC2, USL, NASL & NPSL NEWS

Whitecaps FC appoint Rich Fagan as WFC2 head coachWhitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Monday the appointment of Rich Fagan as Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) head coach prior to the club’s third season in the USL. Fagan becomes the second head coach in team history after most recently coaching the Whitecaps FC U-18 Residency team. Assistant coach Steve Meadley and goalkeeper coach Raegyn Hall also return as part of the coaching staff.

Vancouver Whitecaps Name USL Squad Head CoachEighty-Six Forever
Well, the biggest problem in Vancouver Whitecaps land is no longer no coach for their USL squad Vancouver Whitecaps II (commonly referred to as ThunderCaps). 48 hours after we wrote that despite the USL season set to kick-off in one month’s time, the ThunderCaps were without a head coach, the Whitecaps announced that Rich Fagan would lead the team this season.

Portillo’s Love of Game Rekindled through RecoveryUSL
The manner in which his 2016 season ended was abrupt, diagnosed with acute appendicitis shortly before the Battery embarked on their sixth consecutive trip to the USL Cup Playoffs. What followed was a challenging recovery process to get ready for the first big test of the preseason against Seattle Sounders FC, and the journey has given the 24-year-old an even stronger feeling of connection to the game.

For Cosmos’ Savarese, a ‘Most Difficult Moment’Empire of Soccer
No parades. No celebration. Last November the New York Cosmos won their second straight North American Soccer League championship, the club’s third in four years. And then. …

How Rocco Commisso saved New York Cosmos from being ‘shut down’The Telegraph
Rocco Commisso has had plenty of chances to get involved in professional soccer in his time: in Italy, England, Major League Soccer – even the New York Cosmos four years ago.

Energetic Crowd Boosts 1868 FC at Inaugural ContestUSL
The San Jose Earthquakes may have been the winners on the field, but Reno 1868 FC’s inaugural contest on Saturday made the USL expansion club a winner as well as more than 6,200 fans packed into Greater Nevada Field to see the club begin its preparations for its first season.

Matildas target a gold medal at Tokyo Olympics as part of ambitious plan to overhaul gameFox Sports
Underpinned by the “60 @ 60” strategy, the blueprint ambitiously targets contracting 60 Australian players on a minimum of $60,000 for the next four years to create a talent pool capable of international success.

Grassroots to GreatnessSBS
The PFA’s proposal to make the W-League one of (if not the most) professional league in the world might seem ambitious, but it’s exactly what women’s football in Australia needs to fulfill its potential.

All four SheBelieves Cup rosters releasedThe Equalizer
The second annual SheBelieves Cup is quickly approaching, and as kick off nears, all four squads have finally unveiled their rosters. While the United States and Germany’s released their SheBelieves Cup rosters over the course of the past two weeks, France and England just announced their squads this morning.

Soccer star Lauren Holiday opens up about brain tumor health scare while pregnantYahoo Sports
Retired U.S. women’s soccer player Lauren Holiday took to social media over the weekend to open up about her life as a new mother and the obstacles she faced upon learning she had a benign brain tumor while six months pregnant.

Fiorentina Women’s FC close in on 15th consecutive winViolanation
It’s like being a Juventus fan, but you know? Better.

Frauen-Bundesliga Matchday 12 review: Little wiggle room at the bottomVavel
After two months away the Frauen-Bundesliga finally returned from its winter slumber this month, Frankfurt and Wolfsburg the biggest movers as the bottom teams scrapped two draws in the twelfth match week.

SWPL Cup – 1st Round round-upScottish WPL
A two-minute double from Ashley Carse saw SWPL 2 side Hearts knockout SWPL 1 Hamilton Academical 3-0. After a goalless first half where neither side managed to test the opposition goalkeeper, the game changed in the 57th minute when a defensive mix-up presented Ashley Carse with an empty goal to score into. The next minute, Carse won a penalty which she converted to double Hearts’ lead.

Chan flying the flag for female coachesFIFA
Wednesday 22 February 2017 will be a special day for the Asian Football Confederation (the organisers of the AFC Champions League), reigning Hong Kong champions Eastern Long Lions and their coach Chan Yuen Ting. It is a day that will see Eastern make their first appearance in the prestigious continental competition since it was revamped, having taken part in it 20 years ago, while for her part, Chan Yuen will become the first woman to coach a men’s team in a continental club tournament.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Man City’s chance to overturn fan distrust of the Champions LeagueESPN FC
To suggest that Manchester City and their supporters have a love-hate relationship with the Champions League would perhaps be pushing it too far. Quite simply, there is precious little love for the competition in the blue half of Manchester and it will take more than the visit of AS Monaco on Tuesday to change that.

Leicester must put poor domestic form aside and give it a real go vs. SevillaESPN FC
Leicester City embark on one of the biggest games in their 133-year history when they travel to Sevilla in the last 16 of the Champions League, but the Foxes won’t necessarily enjoy the occasion. The fearless Foxes of last season are suddenly looking forlorn and flirting with relegation.

Nice lose Pléa for rest of season Ligue 1
OGC Nice’s title hopes have been dealt a huge blow after leading scorer Alassane Pléa was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

What we learned from La Liga Week 23Football Espana
The La Liga leaders dominated from start to finish on Saturday afternoon against Espanyol, yet it took quite some time for them to seal the three points, even requiring Gareth Bale to come off the bench and add the decisive second goal upon his return from injury.

How much trouble is Neymar facing in his transfer corruption case?Fox Sports
On Monday, the Spanish High Court ruled that Neymar, along with his mother, Nadine Goncalves, the Neymar family company N&N, FC Barcelona and the Brazilian club Santos FC will stand trial accused of swindling DIS Esporte, a Brazilian investment group.

Red cards could prevent Balotelli from rejoining Italy squadSportsnet
Mario Balotelli’s chances of returning to Italy’s national team have not been helped by three red cards in the French league.

Heading footballs can injure adolescents’ brains as wellThe Guardian
Scientists at Purdue University found that when teenage girls head a football regularly there is a risk of low-level brain injuries which – in some cases – lasts for four or five months.

FIFA 17 Video Game Challenges Human Soccer for Audience Share Americanize Soccer
Last night, while channel flipping during the primetime hours, I came across the FIFA 17 Ultimate Team Championship Series regional final on ESPN2. I found out the promotion with EA Sports has 1.3 million dollars at stake in prize money for the video game winners of FIFA 17. Wow, just what MLS needs, one more soccer competition.

Sutton ready to return to normal after Arsenal and FA Cup circus leaves townESPN FC
Last Thursday, the world’s media descended upon Gander Green Lane, eager to hear the backstories of the builders, picture framers and fitness instructors who make up the first team. By Tuesday afternoon, the last of them will have left and life will return to normal. And for manager Paul Doswell, normality can’t come quickly enough.

Sutton keeper Wayne Shaw leaves club amid investigations over pie-eating stuntThe Guardian
Sutton United have accepted Wayne Shaw’s resignation after the Football Association and Gambling Commission confirmed they are investigating the reserve goalkeeper for admitting that he knew a betting company was offering odds of 8-1 against him eating a pie on the bench during the club’s 2-0 defeat by Arsenal in the FA Cup.

Barca and Real top home trained players list but Arsenal have most still at the clubInside World Football
Of the 16 teams left in the knockout rounds the Champions League, 86 of the 384 players registered (16 squads of 24 players) graduated to the first team via the academy of that club. However, 26 of those players were playing for different clubs than those that trained them.

Derby fan Ed Wood breaks world record time for visiting every league ground BBC Sport
Completing ‘the 93’ is something that often takes even the most die-hard of fans years to complete. But one supporter has managed to visit every Football League stadium in England in just over six months.

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