BC Soccer News, Wednesday, January 18, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

Whitecaps FC select Spanish forward Jorge Gomez Sanchez in third round of MLS SuperDraft – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected Spanish midfielder/forward Jorge Gomez Sanchez in the third round (51st overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.

Whitecaps FC select Nazeem Bartman in fourth and final round of 2017 MLS SuperDraft – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC selected forward Nazeem Bartman on Tuesday morning in the fourth round (73rd overall) of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft.

Gomez Sanchez Selected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2017 MLS SuperDraft – Owl Sports
Making history for the Temple men’s soccer program, Jorge Gomez Sanchez was selected by Vancouver Whitecaps FC this afternoon in the third round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. He now stands as the first Owl to be selected in the SuperDraft after earning first team All-Conference and ranking ninth all-time for career points with 62.

Former Sounders forward Herculez Gomez retires, will join ESPN as studio analyst – Seattle Times
The veteran forward confirmed on Tuesday that he’s going out on top: retiring from professional soccer after 16 seasons to join ESPN as a studio analyst, having won a third MLS Cup championship with the Sounders last month.

Toronto FC adds four players in final rounds of MLS SuperDraft – Globe and Mail
Toronto FC was busy in the final two rounds of Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft. The club added four players – two in each round – as MLS teams concluded the draft by conference call on Tuesday.

Dom Dwyer says he’ll be eligible for US citizenship in February – MLS
Sporting Kansas City striker Dom Dwyer will be eligible for US citizenship next month, he told reporters at an MLS media event in LA on Tuesday afternoon.

Howard critical of Klinsmann’s use of foreign-born players – SBI
Tim Howard says he understands Jurgen Klinsmann’s job was to unearth new talent, but the U.S. Men’s National Team goalkeepeer says the team became too reliant foreign-born players that didn’t bring the passion required to represent the national team.

Bill Hamid sidelined 6 weeks after another knee surgery – Washington Post
D.C. United’s Bill Hamid will miss most, if not all, of training camp after undergoing knee surgery Monday — the second consecutive winter the standout goalkeeper has needed his right knee repaired ahead of the MLS season.

MNUFC Finalizes MLS Coaching Staff– Minnesota United
Adrian Heath officially named Ian Fuller and Mark Watson as his assistant coaches and Marius Røvde as the goalkeeping coach for MNUFC’s 2017 debut in Major League Soccer.

Cyle Larin staying with Orlando City…for now – Orlando Sentinel
One of the things that remains — despite rampant transfer rumors — is striker Cyle Larin, but even he underwent offseason changes.

Kaka planning to stay in Orlando after contract expires – MLS
Kaká is going nowhere. At least, that’s his plan. Reports from Brazil had surfaced about Kaká planning to leave Major League Soccer after his contract with Orlando City expired at the end of the season, but the World Cup winner labeled the accounts as, “something that’s a mistake.”

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BC SOCCER NEWS

A British Columbia PDL – Maple Leaf Forever
Our answer to League1 Ontario and the Première ligue de soccer du Québec, the league is awkwardly called the “BC Soccer Regional Tier 3 League” and let’s hope that’s a working title. The model resembles L1O: “an amateur league run professionally” with open-age competition but a developmental mandate.

Soccer will return to Swangard this summer – The Province
Score one for nostalgia. There’ll be soccer played at Swangard Stadium this summer. The TSS FC Rovers, a club founded by the Richmond-based TSS Academy, will compete in the USL Premier Development League, a move that brings the beautiful game back to one of the most beautiful grass pitches in Canada.

Burnaby gains USL development franchise – Burnaby Now
Swangard Stadium is going play host to the USL. The Burnaby stadium will be the new home pitch for the Total Soccer Systems (TSS) FC Rovers, who will be operating in the USL Premier Development League for the upcoming season.

FVSL All-Stars to face WFC2 in March – BC 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 Nominations – BCSA
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 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.

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

Tickets now on sale for Canada Soccer Women’s National Team celebration match 4 February in Vancouver – CSA
Individual tickets to the Canada v Mexico Women’s National Team Bronze Medal celebration match on 4 February 2017 in Vancouver are now on sale to the public. Complete ticket information can be found at CanadaSoccer.com/Tickets.

MWSL PHOTOS: Van United Primas 0, Fraser Valley Action 2, October 30, 2016 – BC 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.

BC Soccer Assoc. Delivery of Coach Mandate – BCSA
IMPORTANT:  If you are coaching in the ages U6-U12 you are required to complete the age appropriate course(s) even if you have a higher level of certification (ie. Soccer for Life, B pretest, C License, B License or A License). In order to enable our membership to deliver on the coaching mandate, BC Soccer Assoc. will be scheduling Learning Facilitator training sessions to assist organizations to have qualified individuals to deliver in-club coach certification courses to their coaches.

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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CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada Soccer honoured in annual CONCACAF awards – CSA
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team and head coach John Herdman have been honoured with the CONCACAF Outstanding Performance Award after a return to the podium in back-to-back Olympic Football Tournaments from 2012 to 2016.

Canada’s Men’s U-20 Team‎ prepares for Panama test – CSA
Canada will face Panama in a pair of away Men’s U-20 International Friendly soccer ‎matches on 19 and 21 January. The two matches provide Canada with another chance to build match fitness and assess player development ahead of the 2017 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship in February.

Recap of the 2017 SuperDraft from the Canadian perspective – Red Nation Online
Believe me when I say it does get tiresome writing the story of Canadians being treated unfairly when it comes to the game of soccer and especially within MLS. However, both the NWSL and MLS draft that took place at the end of last week (with the MLS draft wrapping up on Tuesday), and from  my perspective, I feel gave further examples of Canadians getting the short end of the stick.

Canada MNT continues preparations for Bermuda – CSA
Canada continues their January training camp ahead of a weekend away Men’s International Friendly match against Bermuda. Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team will face their CONCACAF rivals at the Bermuda National Stadium on Sunday 22 January, their first international match of the 2017 season.

Walking soccer an alternative sport for many – Oakville Beaver
If results in Great Britain are any indication, walking soccer could be the growth sport of the decade. Playing the indoor version of the game without all that running is proving to be quite popular.

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Fordyce on his move to FC Cincinnati; he plans to return to Edmonton, still committed to becoming a Canadian – the11.ca
It drives Daryl Fordyce nuts. Being part of FC Edmonton for the last four years, the striker has seen just what Canadian prospects are up against. He understands that it’s hard for a Canadian prospect to get the paperwork to play in Europe, and that the North American leagues are skewed to favour the young Americans over the prospects from this country.

Former Rowdies Midfielder Juan Guerra Joining New York Cosmos – Empire of Soccer
EoS has confirmed a report out of Venezuela over the weekend that former Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Juan Guerra will join the Cosmos for the 2017 NASL season. Guerra, 29, had interest from at least one other NASL club during the offseason but ultimately elected to sign with the Cosmos.

San Antonio Signs Brazilian midfielder Pecka – USL
San Antonio FC announced on Wednesday it had signed midfielder Wellington “Pecka” Paeckart for the 2017 USL season pending league and federation approval. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

NASL Moves: Deltas reach 11 with three more signings – Soccer America
Canadian international Karl Ouimette, who is in national-team training camp this week, comes to the Deltas after MLS stints with Montreal and the Red Bulls, who declined the option on his MLS contract in November.

Rowdies Announce Return of Suncoast Invitational – USL
The Tampa Bay Rowdies will welcome five MLS clubs to Al Lang Stadium for the second annual Rowdies Suncoast Invitational this February, with D.C. United, the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC, the Philadelphia Union and Chicago Fire all set to compete in downtown St. Petersburg ahead of the opening weekend of the MLS regular season.

What does the USL & NASL’s Division II status mean? – Waking the Red
A look into the recent reclassification and how it affects Toronto FC, MLS and Canadian soccer.

NASL’s Rishi Sehgal: ‘The task is not small’ – Soccer America
The NASL finished its sixth season with 12 teams in November. Within a month, it was looking at a league with as few as six teams. But will go forward with eight teams in 2017 after it received provisional Division 2 sanctioning from U.S. Soccer on Jan. 5.

HAO signs with Arsenal; NWSL future in flux – The Equalizer
Arsenal Ladies officially announced Heather O’Reilly on Wednesday and her future in NWSL is very much up in the air. The recently retired U.S. star was originally thought to be heading to the FAWSL on a short-term move but Arsenal now hold her contract and the 32-year old said she intends to put her all into the new venture. Her first match as a Gunner is expected to be Kelly Smith’s farewell match on February 19.

Reign FC Sign Rebekah Stott – The Bold
Seattle Reign FC announced today the signing of New Zealand international Rebekah Stott pending receipt of her P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The US soccer pay dispute: will a fix be found before the NWSL season begins? – The Guardian
The USWNT is again in a labor dispute that could delay their players’ appearances at NWSL pre-season camps – but a lack of urgency isn’t helping matters.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Asian champions banned from defending title over match-fixing – SN
Asian Champions League holders Jeonbuk Motors have been banned from continental competition in 2017 over a match-fixing scandal in the K-League, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced on Wednesday.

Manchester United agree £16m fee with Lyon for Memphis Depay – The Telegraph
Manchester United will have the option to buyback Memphis Depay after Lyon finally agreed a deal for the Holland winger following protracted talks with the Premier League club.

The time has come for Manchester City to make a Premier League statement – The Guardian
Spurs are at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday and Pep Guardiola needs the City team who overcame Arsenal to turn up not the one humbled 4-0 at Everton

Chivas are not obligated to win now, but a title will come under Almeyda – ESPN FC
This 2017 Clausura, it appears the team most obligated to win the title is Chivas — at least according to a quick look around the press. The storied Guadalajara club, which battles with Club America for the role of Mexico’s best-supported side, has gone over 10 years now without a title, but has invested heavily over the last few transfer windows in an attempt to rectify the situation.

Gabon 1 Burkina Faso 1: Spot-on Aubameyang makes his point –  Four Four Two
Group A at the Africa Cup of Nations remains wide open after Gabon and Burkina Faso played out the third consecutive 1-1 draw.

Ghana edge Uganda as Mali and Egypt share spoils – FIFA
Egypt and Ghana, the two most successful nations in the history of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations, made their grand entrance at Gabon 2017 on Tuesday, but only the Black Stars lived up to their lofty status, recording a hard-fought win over Uganda. The Egyptians, meanwhile, found the going tough against a lively Mali side and will likely be satisfied with a point in the end.

Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley proud of FA Cup ‘win for the people’ – The Guardian
The Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley claimed his non-league side’s historic FA Cup victory against Ipswich Town struck a blow for working-class fans.

FIFA mulls NASL-style shootouts for 2026 World Cup group stage – ESPN FC
Marco van Basten has said FIFA is considering using shootouts in group-stage games at the 2026 World Cup and may revive the old NASL-style penalties for the tournament.

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal backtracks on retirement – The Guardian
Louis van Gaal has backtracked on his suggestion on Monday that he has retired from coaching. The former Manchester United manager is still open to returning if he receives an attractive offer.

Manchester United to appoint full-time counter-terrorism officer – ESPN FC
Manchester United believe they have become the first sports club in the country to have a full-time counter-terrorism manager.

U.K. soccer sex abuse case grows to 526 potential victims, 248 clubs impacted – Toronto Star
The updated figures, which cover amateur and professional soccer, come two months after former professionals started to reveal historic abuse.

Former African footballer of the year added to Egyptian terror list – The Telegraph
Former international footballer Mohamed Aboutrika has been added to an Egyptian government terror list due to his alleged links to the country’s banned Muslim Brotherhood.

Using footballers’ wages as an example of excess is patronising and lazy – The Guardian
Top-flight football is one of the few engines of social mobility that still works and those who play to the gallery are too lazy or dim to formulate a proper argument.

How legends are made: You can keep the €4m payoff, says Fernandez – Inside World Football
Money can’t buy you love, sang the Beatles, but turning it down might do just that. Yaya Toure will have endeared himself even more to Manchester City fans for turning down a reported $430,000 a week salary offer from China. Sporting Gijon coach Abelardo Fernandez has gone a step further.

Here are the ‘missed opportunities’ soccer legend Landon Donovan sees with sports technology – Geekwire
Major League Soccer clubs, like many other pro sports franchises, are using data analytics and technology more than ever to help players prepare and perform at higher levels. But Landon Donovan thinks there are a few missing opportunities that teams haven’t quite cracked.