BC Soccer News, Wednesday, April 5, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC  vs.  TIGRES UANL

SEMI-FINAL, 2nd LEG (0-2 agg.)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 2017, 7:00 PM

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BC PLACE, VANCOUVER, BC

TV: TSN 1  RADIO: TSN 1040  ONLINE: FACEBOOK LIVE

Carl Robinson: ‘This is about making history, and setting the future’  – The Province
“On Wednesday night at B.C. Place, we have a chance to make history. It’s not going to be easy. As I said to media after our win over LA Galaxy on the weekend, someone recently told me it was “Mission Impossible.” No one is giving us a chance, but guess what? No one probably gave us a chance to get to this stage of the competition. I like proving people wrong. Actually, I love it. And so do my players.” (Editor’s Note: In his letter, Carl Robinson reveals that he has become a Permanent Resident of Canada and considers himself Canadian. Bravo.)

Whitecaps pulling out all the stops for CCL “mission impossible” vs. Tigres – MLS
There’s no underestimating the task facing the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday evening, when they host Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal.

Possible scenarios for Wednesday’s Champions League semifinal at BC Place – Whitecaps FC
Here are the different scenarios that would send Vancouver to the tournament final, keeping in mind it’s a two-leg aggregate series and away goals are the tiebreaker.

Whitecaps ask fans to towel up, rock The Dome with tough Tigres in town – The Province
The Vancouver Whitecaps are calling Wednesday’s match with Mexican giant Tigres the most important game in franchise history and, if anything, they’re underselling the point as they prepare for the game of their lives.

Match Preview – Caps vs Tigres UANL – Eighty Six Forever
Whichever way you want to slice it, this is the biggest match in Caps history, for now. It is also probably the toughest. Is it Mission: Impossible? No. Mission: Unlikely? Most definitely.

Have Vancouver Whitecaps found a path to success? – AFTN
One of Carl Robinson’s many favourite sound bites is that he doesn’t care about formations, but rather about who, and how, the players are deployed. His actions have not spoken as loud as his words, however, as he has seemed to be forever tied to a 4-2-3-1 with two very defensive midfielders as the shield in front of his backline with only the odd departure, most notably with trying Pedro Morales as one of the two holding midfielders with less than exceptional results.

Pachuca stuns FC Dallas with stoppage time winner to book spot in CCL final – SBI
For years, MLS teams have struggled to find much success on Mexican soil. On Tuesday, that trend continued as FC Dallas became the latest to fall to Liga MX opposition, and they did so in one of the most painful ways possible.

Major League Soccer announces kickoff time changes for penultimate weekend on Sunday, October 15 – Whitecaps FC
In conjunction with Major League Soccer, Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Tuesday that the kickoff time for the club’s final regular season home match of 2017 on Sunday, October 15, against the San Jose Earthquakes at BC Place, has been moved to 4:30 p.m. PT.

Tosaint Ricketts’ slow start is not reason for concern – Waking the Red
The Canadian is not getting enough service up front and is a more effective player off the bench for Toronto FC.

TFC notebook: Bono thrust into goalkeeping spotlight – Sportsnet
Toronto FC was back in training today ahead of its home game against Atlanta United FC on Saturday. Here are some news and notes from Tuesday’s practice at the club’s training facility in Downsview.

‘We will get better,’ Impact’s Dominic Oduro says of blown leads – Montreal Gazette
The Impact will suggest last Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Chicago was a character-building game, with Montreal recovering from a halftime deficit and the emotional Major League Soccer debut of German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger.

St. Louis sees MLS hopes take big hit after stadium funding bid fails – SBI
Tuesday was going to be a monumental day for the future of MLS in St. Louis, for better or worse. Unfortunately for the fans, it was the latter as a city voters decided that public money will not be released to fund a soccer-specific stadium in St. Louis.

MLS releases statement after St. Louis votes down soccer stadium funding – MLS
St. Louis held municipal elections on Tuesday and a measure intended to secure public financing for a soccer-specific stadium was defeated, 53-47 percent, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, falling short by an estimated 3,000 votes.

Three MLS teams in need of answers — quickly  – Soccer America
Three MLS teams got off the schneid last weekend and in each case, defeated a team whose own issues are rather severe.

MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4 LA Galaxy 2, April 1 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Train With Champions TWU Spartan Female Soccer Academy

BC SOCCER NEWS

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.

SFU approves plans for covered, on-campus football stadium at Terry Fox Field – Varsity Letters
It’s actually going to happen. A covered athletic field house to stage football games at Simon Fraser University first reached the stage of artist renderings in the early 1990s. More recently, its monetary particulars had become a subject of debate between the school and its students. Yet after massive discrepancies in initial cost estimates versus actual project cost, a common ground has been reached, and on Tuesday the university announced plans for an 1,800-seat, roofed-stadium facility to be built on campus at Terry Fox Field, potentially operational by April of 2020.

VISL Cup Finals Weekend Results – VISL
The dust has settled, the Cup have been brought in to get engraved, the year end for local soccer League supremacy has come to an end ……….at least the 2nd of 3 seasons has!

Residency teams keep rolling with road wins over Portland Timbers – Whitecaps FC
Whitecaps FC Residency teams kept rolling over the weekend with a pair of wins on the road over Portland Timbers academy teams.

BCRT3: Where do BC’s PDL teams stand? – Northern Starting XI
2018 is promising to shake things up in Canada’s soccer world. We’ve had rumours circling for quite some time about the Canadian Premier League, and with BC Soccer announcing the creation of their BC Regional Tier 3 League (BCRT3), that’s a whole pile of new teams that need to be built.

Second facility a boon to Kelowna soccer – Kelowna Capital News
Another covered turf field to be built in Rutland will benefit the sports community .

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.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

European journey poses stiff test for Canadian women’s team – Sportsnet
The upcoming pair of international friendlies marks the toughest competition for the Canadian women’s soccer team since the Reds captured bronze at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

Impact finishes Development Academy weekend with six points – Montreal Impact
Last Saturday, the Impact U18 and U16 teams played their first game of 2017 at Centre Nutrilait. The games against Empire United were important ones as the U18s were trying to reinforce their playoff spot while the U16s were trying to climb in the standings for a playoff spot.

Private operator makes pitch for Sudbury soccer dome – CBC
Sudbury could finally have a domed soccer field by the end of the year. City councillors heard last night that a private operator is prepared to build one and just needs land from the city.

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UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

WFC2  vs.  SOUNDERS FC 2

SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017, 3:00 PM

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McLEOD ATHLETIC PARK, LANGLEY, BC

LIVESTREAM: WHITECAPSFC2.COM

OCB Earns First Victory of the Season Against Toronto FC II – Orlando City SC
In its third match of the 2017 United Soccer League (USL) season, Orlando City B (1-0-2, 3 points) defeated Toronto FC II (1-0-2, 3 points) 3-1 at Orlando City Stadium for its first win of the 2017 season. First teamers Hadji Barry and Pierre Da Silva contributed to two of the three goals of the game, with a goal and two assists, respectively, while Paul Clowes recorded his first career professional goal.

Rocco’s Ramblings: Cosmos’ New Owner Speaks Out – Empire of Soccer
Rocco Commisso is to be lauded for stepping in to save the New York Cosmos and probably the North American Soccer League, at least for another year. But the native of Italy, the soccer star at Columbia (where the soccer stadium is named for him) and the media mogul through his company Mediacom seems to have let the euphoria get the best of him in comments leading up to the Cosmos’ home opener at MCU Park in Brooklyn last Saturday.

Ireland women miss training as FAI agree to evening meeting with PFAI to discuss team’s grievances – The Independent (Ireland)
The FAI are set to sit down with the PFAI this evening to discuss the grievances outlined by the Irish women’s team at a press conference yesterday.

Comment: Ireland women’s soccer team revelations are mortifying for all involved – but there’s something more worrying at play – The Independent (Ireland)
The revelations which emerged during Tuesday’s press conference held by the Irish women’s team were mortifying for all involved. For the women themselves – forced to publicly reveal the indignities forced on them, despite their commitment to representing Ireland.

As CBA talks progress, Sauerbrunn eyes healing process between U.S. women, men – SI.com
U.S. women’s national team co-captain Becky Sauerbrunn told SI’s Planet Fútbol podcast, out on Tuesday, that the U.S. women’s players are “getting closer” to a new collective bargaining agreement with U.S. Soccer—and that she hopes there will be “a healing process” to ease tensions between the players on the U.S. women’s and men’s national teams.

European teams set out on road to France – FIFA
After Asian teams kicked off qualification for the 2018 AFC Women’s Asian Cup this week, 16 European sides begin their own quest to reach the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019™ on Thursday. The preliminary round of qualifying for the biggest tournament in women’s football will be played in Georgia, Albania, Lithuania and the Faroe Islands between 6 and 11 April, with the group winners and the second-placed side with the best record against first and third place moving forward into the group stage.

European Rewind: Hoffenheim edges Bayern, Man United ties Everton, and more – SBI
It was a memorable day for Hoffenheim, which saw it’s impressive season reach a new high after earning its first ever Bundesliga victory over Bayern Munich in a 1-0 home win. Julian Nagelsmann’s side is having a stellar season in 2016-17 after barely escaping a relegation playoff a season ago.

La Liga wrap: Bilbao, Villarreal rise; Atleti wins fifth-straight – NBC Sports
Three La Liga matches served as an appetizer for Wednesday’s tasty Barcelona-Sevilla encounter, with the Madrid Derby on tap for Saturday at the Bernabeu.

Arsenal fans keep suffering as Wenger Out protest goes worldwide  – ESPN FC
If there’s one thing that can unite people across the world in these trying times, it’s the belief that Arsene Wenger should no longer be Arsenal’s manager. The “Wenger Out” movement has taken the world by storm, with supporters advocating change from South Africa to Singapore.

Manchester City set to announce partnership with Uruguayan second division club  – The Guardian
Manchester City are set to announce the latest addition to their growing portfolio of clubs after signing a 10-year partnership with a second division club in Uruguay whose average gate is just 250.

Concacaf president wants unifying force – Royal Gazette
Victor Montagliani believes “isolationism” is a threat to the growth of football in the Caribbean and wants the region to be a unifying force within Concacaf.

How to be a professional footballer, by some of the best players in the game  – The Guardian
We sat down with some modern greats – including Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Gascoigne and David Beckham – to ask them what it takes to make the grade