BC Soccer News, Wednesday, June 29, 2016

2016 AMWAY CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC  vs. TORONTO FC

VOYAGEURS CUP FINAL, 2nd LEG

(TFC LEAD 1-0 ON AGGREGATE)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 7:00 PM

TICKET INFO

BC PLACE, VANCOUVER, BC

TV: TSN 1  RADIO: TSN 1040  LIVESTREAM: TSN GO

Whitecaps and Toronto ready for final showdown – Goal
Vancouver needs to overcome a one-goal deficit versus Toronto FC to successfully defend the Canadian Championship title it won last year.

A test of depth for TFC and Vancouver, with the Voyageurs Cup on the line  – Red Nation Online
The Voyageurs Cup is up for grabs tonight at BC Place as the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC will look to claim win the coveted trophy. The visitors come into the Canadian Cup Championship Final with a 1-0 first leg victory.

Match Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps v Toronto FC – A finely balanced final – AFTN
Vancouver Whitecaps are returning from a two game trip out east in Toronto and Philadelphia, trying to defend the Voyageurs Cup. Down a goal, they will have to dig deep and play well if they want to return to last year’s heights.

Three storylines: ‘Caps, Toronto FC battle for right to hoist Voyageurs Cup tonight – Whitecaps FC
The Voyageurs Cup will be hoisted at BC Place tonight as Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Toronto FC battle in the second and decisive leg of the Amway Canadian Championship Final.

Canadian Championship: Caps coach Robinson could again turn to 15-year-old Davies – The Province
Beyond the required marketing hype from the clubs and Canada Soccer, and the cries from the patriots to take this competition more seriously than any other, there is a rather obvious formula at play for the coaches involved in the Amway Canadian Championship. They want to learn as much as they can about their next wave of talent while still winning a trophy.

The Final Test: Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps Voyageurs Cup Final Preview – Waking the Red
Can Toronto FC overcomes some setbacks and win their first Voyageurs Cup since 2012 today?

Amway Canadian Championship final match 29 June – CSA
Canadian champions Vancouver Whitecaps FC host four-time champions Toronto FC in the second leg of the 2016 Amway Canadian Championship Final at BC Place Wednesday night. Toronto leads 1-0 on Sebastian Giovinco’s goal in the 43rd minute of the first leg 21 June at BMO Field.

Toronto FC’s Michael Bradley undergoing medical evaluation on injured knee – MLS
As if losing Clint Irwin to injury wasn’t bad enough, now comes word that Toronto FC might have to make do without Michael Bradley.

Toronto FC Sign Raheem Edwards To Short-Term Agreement – Toronto FC
Toronto FC announced Wednesday that the club has signed Toronto FC II midfielder/forward Raheem Edwards to a short-term agreement ahead of Wednesday evening’s 2016 Amway Canadian Championship Final second leg match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Whitecaps FC to host 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League group matches on August 23 and September 28 – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC will host their group stage home matches in the 2016-17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) on Tuesday, August 23 against Sporting Kansas City, and Wednesday, September 28 against Central FC.

2016/17 CONCACAF Champions League schedule announced – MLS
Five teams from MLS are among the 24 who will take part in the 2016/17 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League, the elite club team competition for the confederation of North and Central America and the Caribbean. Group play will begin the first week of August, with games scheduled through October.

David Choinière signs MLS contract with Impact – Montreal Impact
The Montreal Impact announced on Tuesday that FC Montreal midfielder David Choinière has signed as an MLS Homegrown Player.

Chicago, Seattle First Clubs to Punch 2016 U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal Tickets – USSF
The first night of the 2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 saw the Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders FC become the first two sides to book their tickets to the tournament Quarterfinals.

Jeff Attinella stones RSL, Sounders advance to Open Cup quarterfinals – SBI
Just days after something resembling a historic nadir, the Seattle Sounders may have breathed more than a bit of life into their season. And they can thank a second-string, rookie goalkeeper for delivering a stunning performance in front of 17,087 at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday night.

Chicago Fire 2, Columbus Crew SC 1 | US Open Cup Match Recap – MLS
The Men in Red extended their long-running USOC hex over their Ohio counterparts on Tuesday, outlasting Crew SC 2-1 at Toyota Park via a David Accam brace to run their all-time Open Cup record vs. Columbus to 6-0-0.

NYCFC in need of season-defining win against Red Bulls – SBI
Through all of the criticisms that have surrounded New York City FC in their first year-and-a-half of MLS play, the team’s greatest struggle has been finding a way to overcome newfound rivals New York Red Bulls.

Tim Howard officially joins Colorado Rapids – Empire of Soccer
The Colorado Rapids officially unveiled U.S. national team goalkeeper Tim Howard as the newest member of their team on Tuesday.

MLS Countdown: Howard anxious for Rapids debut – Soccer America
By some divine convergence, one of the best players to ever pull on a USA jersey is about to start a new phase in his career with the top team in MLS and could make his debut on the Fourth of July.

The inside story of how Colorado Rapids landed Tim Howard – Denver Post
The gulf between the Rapids and Tim Howard was bigger than the Atlantic Ocean. Why on earth would one of the best goalkeepers on the planet leave England for a last-place team in Major League Soccer best known for being cheap with the payroll?

ECS sitting out West Ham friendly, but ‘this is not a protest` – Sounder at Heart
When the Seattle Sounders host West Ham United in a friendly next Tuesday, the stands will probably be a bit more subdued than normal. Emerald City Supporters, the Sounders’ largest supporters group, has announced they’ll be sitting that game out. They’ll be donating the 50 tickets they collectively own as a group to the Boys & Girls Club of King County, as well as inviting individual members to do so as well.

Carl Craig: the man with the punk past leading Minnesota United into MLS  – The Guardian
The Loons are joining MLS as an expansion team, and leading them into the promised land is a coach whose approach is best described as open-minded.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

TOFC girls hoist Premier Cup – Kelowna Capital News
Members of the Thompson Okanagan Football Club U13 girls team can forever look back at June 26, 2016 as the day they had a hand in making history. The TOFC squad secured the regional program’s first ever B.C. Soccer Premier Cup title on Sunday at the Apple Bowl with a 3-1 victory over Coastal FC.

Penticton soccer product helps hometown Pinnacles – Penticton Western News
Xavier Araujo learned from the best in his second season with the UVic Vikes. “It was good to play sort of in the shadow of the CIS Player of the Year, Cam Hundal,” said Araujo, a second-year player with the Penticton Tim Hortons Pinnacles, who red-shirted his first year with UVic.

MIRACLE MILE: Stories of the 1954 British Empire & Commonwealth Games Book Event – BC Soccer Web
The Victoria Public Library is hosting author & BC Sports Hall of Fame Curator Jason Beck for a special presentation of his book The MIRACLE MILE: Stories of the 1954 British Empire & Commonwealth Games. Full of colourful & well-researched stories from the 1954 games, Jason Beck brings Vancouver of the 1950s to life as the young city hosts its first global sporting event. Admission is free to the presentation at the Greater Victoria Public Library on Wednesday, June 29.

BC Soccer Assoc. Releases their 2015-2016 Year in Review – BCSA
After another successful year of soccer in British Columbia, BC Soccer Assoc. is pleased to release their 2015-2016 Year in Review.  The creation of the BC Soccer Club Charter Program, delivery of a FIFA Live Your Goals Festival, along with the numerous Grassroots Festivals across the province and Coach Education highlight some of the major successes this past year.

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.

Victoria Highlanders 2016 Season Tickets Now Available – Select Your Seats
The Victoria Highlanders are ready to return to the PDL for 2016. BC Soccer Web encourages all soccer fans on Vancouver Island to get behind their team. Season tickets are now on sale and extremely affordable. Support Local Soccer!

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.

EPIC presents the 2016 Western Canada College ID Camp

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada’s vets to show youngsters the way at Olympics – Sportsnet
For 12 of the 18 players selected to the Canadian women’s team for the Olympics, their time in Rio is going to be a brand new experience and they’ll be looking to the veterans for guidance.

Beckie nominated for Canadian national team – Daily Toreador
Texas Tech forward Janine Beckie was recently nominated for a spot on the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team that will compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games this August.

Ottawa soccer player suspended – Ottawa Citizen
Cape Breton University Capers award-winning soccer forward Justin Maheu of Ottawa has been suspended for the 2016 CIS men’s soccer season for an anti-doping violation surrounding the use of ephedrine.

Ontario bests Quebec in Danone Nations Cup Canadian Championship – The Suburban
The Danone Nations Cup Canadian Championship was held last Saturday at high noon on the main pitch of the Bois du Boulogne Soccer Plex in Laval pitting Team Ontario against Team Quebec with a berth in the Danone Nations Cup International final this coming October in Paris, France.

City offers support for soccer nationals – Lethbridge Herald
A national youth soccer championship will be hosted in Lethbridge this fall and organizers will receive some grant funding from the city. The 2016 U16 Canadian National Soccer Championship is set for Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 5-10, at the Lethbridge Sports Park and the U of L Community Stadium.

Plastic Pitch is BACK! Issue 9 out now! – the11.ca
Thank you for being patient. As we reorganized Plastic Pitch, you have shown us great support. And, now, the good news. The App is back live on Google Play, iTunes and Amazon. And issue 9 is out!

Memorial soccer tournament in Cape Breton set for July – Chronicle Herald
The sixth edition of the Connor Timmons Memorial Soccer Tournament hits Cape Breton in mid-July. The tournament, named after a young soccer player who died in a car accident in 2009, is the largest of its kind on the island.

Former Thompsonite marks milestone in Manitoba Major Soccer League – Thompson Citizen
A former R.D. Parker Collegiate soccer team member achieved a milestone in his latest foray into football when he scored his first goal as a member of the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Division 4 Portage Fusion June 14.

Melfort Soccerfest has positive energy – Melfort Journal
The Melfort Youth Soccer Association (MYSA) wound down their outdoor season this weekend. They hosted their annual Soccerfest on Saturday, June 25. According to the MYSA the event has a positive energy.

WFC2, USL & NASL NEWS

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

REAL MONARCHS  vs. WFC2

SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2016, 7:00 PM

RIO TINTO STADIUM, SANDY, UT.

USL Week 15 Preview: Playoff Rematches for New York and LA – Empire of Soccer
Week 15 marks the halfway point in the USL season and the storylines have taken shape in both conferences. Out West, the chaos continues as competition heats up for the six playoff spots and those under the red line continue to play spoiler to heavy favorites. In the East, the titans have pulled away from the pack with Louisville, New York and Cincinnati appearing like the heavy favorites atop the table.

FC Edmonton announces release of defender Eddie Edward –  FC Edmonton
FC Edmonton announced Tuesday that veteran defender Eddie Edward is leaving the team to attend to family matters.

Fury FC sign Ottawa native Eddie Edward – Ottawa Fury FC
After playing in front of family and friends at TD Place for three years wearing the blue of FC Edmonton, Ottawa Fury FC announced Tuesday that veteran NASL defender Eddie Edward will now don the red and black of his hometown Ottawa Fury FC.

Real Monarchs’ Fernandez Named USL Player of the Week – USL
Eight-save shutout led Monarchs to victory against Switchbacks.

Energy FC Edged by Chivas in Start of USL Friendly Season – Empire of Soccer
OKC Energy FC kicked off an ambitious schedule where USL teams will play teams in the top divisions from around the world. Their task? A match against C.D. Guadelajara, where they lost 1-0.

Energy FC Revels in Historic Night against Chivas – USL
Electric atmosphere leaves players, crowd of 6,687 fans elated after international exhibition.

Player’s soccer dream becomes an immigration nightmare – Yahoo Sports
Toronto brought Buba Jobe in for a tryout and signed him to a contract with its TFC II club in the USL, the third-tier of American men’s pro soccer where many MLS reserve teams play. Maybe they’d stash him, develop him, and who knows after that. There was, however, one problem: TFC II plays many of its games in the United States, where Buba is still banned.

Sources: Gabriel Farfan set to join Miami FC – SBI
Multiple sources tell SBI that Gabriel Farfan is the latest player to join a Miami FC team currently in the midst of a mid-season rebuild. The 28-year-old midfielder/left back most recently featured for the New York Cosmos, who he joined on loan from Liga MX side Chiapas FC. Farfan will join Miami FC on a free transfer after negotiating a settlement with Chiapas.

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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

Crystal Dunn: The Call – The Player’s Tribune
Driving down the highway is no one’s first choice for the moment when they find out if they’ve made the World Cup roster. But hey, you don’t really get to choose when Jill Ellis, the U.S. head coach, is going to call.

Jessica McDonald named NWSL Player of the Week – Yahoo Sports
Western New York Flash forward Jessica McDonald was named the National Women’s Soccer League’s Player of the Week on Tuesday for her hat trick against the Boston Breakers.

U.S. WNT Unveils New Nike Home Kit for 2016 Olympics – USSF
The U.S. Women’s National Team will debut a new home kit this summer at the 2016 Olympics that has been developed exclusively by Nike for the reigning Women’s World Cup champions to wear in Brazil.

Jordan Angeli pens retirement letter – Equalizer
After 25 years, I decided to hang up my boots for good. It isn’t a decision I took lightly, but was something I felt was right for me.

Breakers sign French midfielder Ghoutia Karchouni – Boston Breakers
The Boston Breakers announced today the signing of French midfielder Ghoutia Karchouni, pending receipt of her P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Iceland’s men became heroes at Euro 2016 – and emulated their women’s team – The Guardian
The world was startled when Iceland made it to Euro 2016, but their women’s team played in the quarter-finals of a European Championship as far back as 1995.

Bill Plaschke: I regret marginalizing Pat Summit’s greatness – LA Times
If you have a daughter who is an athlete, or a daughter who used athletics as a springboard to fulfillment elsewhere, you should remember and honor Pat Summitt. I have two daughters who directly fall into those categories, yet I professionally ignored Pat Summitt.

TSN’s Euro 2016 TV Schedule – TSN
The most up to date resource for upcoming Euro 2016 Matches on TSN.

Euro 2016 quarterfinals: Cream finally rises in France – Soccer America
Iceland’s upset for the ages over England made headlines across the world, and sees a country with a population less than that of Honolulu joining a Euro 2016 quarterfinal that finds Europe’s best teams having finally decided to play like it.

Germany and Italy raise standard at Euro 2016 after group-stage mediocrity – The Guardian
By expanding the tournament Uefa has sacrificed quality for quantity and the deserved progress of Wales and Iceland to the quarter-finals should not obscure how bad much of the football has been.

Ronaldo aims for Euro record but faces tough Polish defence – Toronto Star
Portuguese superstar has scored eight goals from four championships, one shy of Platini’s nine.

Injured De Rossi a major doubt to face Germany – Four Four Two
Italy have concerns over the fitness of Daniele De Rossi and Antonio Candreva ahead of the Euro 2016 clash with Germany.

Euro 2016: Wales at ‘another level’ for Belgium, says Gareth Bale – BBC Sport
Gareth Bale says Wales have lifted their game to “another level” ahead of their European Championship quarter-final against Belgium.

Euro draw more balanced than people think – 24 Hours
Euro 2016 has been a tournament of agonizing twists and turns. Some of the traditional teams have failed to impress — several even failed to qualify (think Netherlands or Bosnia and Herzegovina or Greece, three of UEFA’s top teams). That got me thinking about the “tough side” of the draw versus the so-called “easy side.”

Euro expansion to 24 teams is a hit and has sparked dreams, says Theodoridis – Inside World Football
Iceland’s fairytale progress to the quarterfinals of the European Championship proves it was a good idea to expand the tournament to 24 teams and has provided just the boost required, according to UEFA’s interim secretary general Theodore Theodoridis.

England’s next manager: How Gareth Southgate and the other contenders measure up – The Telegraph
If the recent Toulon tournament was his audition, Southgate’s timing was impeccable as he guided the England youngsters to victory.

Republic of Ireland fans to be awarded Medal of the City of Paris for behaviour  – ESPN FC
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that Republic of Ireland fans are to be honoured for their “exceptional” behaviour during Euro 2016 by being awarded the Medal of the City of Paris.

“They put the gun to my head” – Brazil goalkeeper details ordeal in Turkey Terror Attack – Goal
Ex-Gremio shot stopper Andrey Nazario has revealed that he was caught up in the terrorist attack on Tuesday night and was even suspected as a potential suicide bomber by police.

The boy who lived for football and died for hate – ESPN FC
Not long ago, I met a grieving mother so she could tell me about her dead terrorist son. This can be a strange job sometimes, and few moments have been stranger than sitting on a quiet Sunday morning, a little rain falling outside, talking to Geraldine Henneghien. The neighborhood around us, known in Europe as the breeding ground for radical Islam, looked quiet and even quaint.

Michy Batshuayi’s perfect audition paves way for £33m Chelsea move – The Guardian
From his childhood in Brussels’ notorious Molenbeek district, the Belgium international has developed into one of Europe’s most promising strikers and could be the long-term replacement for Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge.

Man Utd: Zlatan Ibrahimovic deal close to completion – BBC Sport
Zlatan Ibrahimovic should complete his long-anticipated move to Manchester United by the end of the week.

Barcelona agree deal to sign Lyon’s Samuel Umtiti for £24.6m – The Guardian
Samuel Umtiti looks set to join Barcelona from Lyon after the French club’s president confirmed he has agreed a deal for the defender to move to La Liga.

Lionel Messi: How will his Argentina career be remembered? – BBC Sport
The line that Messi never reproduces his club form for his country now seems a little spurious.

Lionel Messi, forgiveness and the retirement that divided Argentina  – The Guardian
The Barcelona forward is one of the greatest to have have played the game. But his international career highlighted the fraught marriage between football and country.

Australia-Japan Russia 2018 qualifier crucial, says Postecoglou – AFC
Head coach Ange Postecoglou believes the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier between his Australia side and Japan will be one of the most important in the qualifying period and that host city Melbourne will provide the Socceroos with the best opportunity for success as they strive to qualify for Russia 2018.

Editorial: Assessing the USMNT in an angry soccer culture – Prost Amerika
It used to be rather easy to assess the United States Men’s National Team. Remember the heyday when the USMNT would go into a tournament, put in one good performance, one mediocre performance, and one terrible performance and there would be no hand wringing and no divide among supporters. No matter the performance there was always the little orphan Annie attitude of the sun coming out tomorrow. Sadly those days are long gone.

Infantino flies back into ethics storm as FIFA opens preliminary investigation – Inside World Football
After some respite with media attention focussed on events on the field at Euro 2016 in France and the Copa America Centenario in the US, the pressure is back on FIFA president Gianni Infantino following yet more speculation that he is to be investigated by FIFA’s ethics committee over possible conflict of interest.

Former England player Paul Gascoigne to stand trial – Sportsnet
Former England player Paul Gascoigne will stand trial after pleading not guilty to a racially-aggravated public order offence. The former Tottenham and Lazio midfielder is alleged to have directed the abuse at a black security guard in November at his stage show, “An Evening with Gazza,” in Wolverhampton, central England.

FC United of Manchester: The protest club at war with itself? – BBC Sport
On the pitch there have been successes, notably reaching the FA Cup first round for the second time in their history, where they were beaten 4-1 by Chesterfield. Off it, however, the period has been marked by rows, allegations, resignations and recriminations.

VIDEO: The other Joe Hart suffers fans’ rage – BBC News
After England’s humiliating exit from Euro 2016 at the hands of Iceland, disappointed fans bombarded @JoeHart with insults, advice and inspirational messages on Twitter. The problem was that the account belongs to Joe Hart a stand-up comedian, rather than Joe Hart the English team goalkeeper.