BC Soccer News, Wednesday, May 10, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

 HOUSTON DYNAMO vs. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC

MLS MATCHDAY #10

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2017, 6:00 PM

BBVA COMPASS STADIUM, HOUSTON, TX.

TV: TSN 1  RADIO: TSN 1410  ONLINE: TSN GO

Whitecaps thrilled to sign ‘exciting’ Ibini – SN
Vancouver Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson has claimed Bernie Ibini has “great upside” and will provide the MLS side with a different option up front after signing the Australian from Club Brugge.

Ibini adds pace, athleticism to Whitecaps attack – Red Nation Online
The Vancouver Whitecaps added some much-needed depth just before the MLS primary transfer window closed on Monday night. The Caps were able to acquire Bernie Ibini from Belgian Pro League side, Club Brugge KV. The 24 year-old Nigerian born and Australian raised Ibini was on loan with A-League side, Sydney FC.

Brek Shea’s return for Vancouver seems heroic, and it’s fitting – MLS
For most of this past Friday night’s match at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, a match-up between the Colorado Rapids and the Vancouver Whitecaps, the proceedings stumbled along glacially. The entire affair yielded a whopping three total shots on target. Probably, somewhere in the stadium’s rafters, the owl who makes its nest up there softly hooted the saddest bird song.

Brek breaks through on and off the pitch – Red Nation Online
Spring is in the air, the weather is turning around in Vancouver. People are checking off things on their to-do list so they can get out and enjoy life. Professional athletes are no different. They’re often left juggling a lot of things at once, while must-tasking to keep sport, and family life balanced.

Whitecaps v Rapids: What did we learn?– Soccer Shorts
So I was beginning to develop an embryo of a theory which vaguely posited the assertion that Major League Soccer had evolved from one form of creature to another.

Dynamo’s Eric Alexander to miss 8-12 weeks with knee injury – Houston Chronicle
Dynamo midfielder Eric Alexander will miss at least two months while he rehabs the knee injury he suffered Saturday night against Orlando City SC.

BBVA Compass Stadium celebrates five-year anniversary this Friday – Houston Dynamo
On Friday, May 12 when the Houston Dynamo host Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 6 p.m. PT, a special milestone will take place: BBVA Compass Stadium will celebrate its five-year anniversary. The stadium officially opened its doors on May 12, 2012 for a Dynamo home game against D.C. United.

Columbus Crew SC vs. Toronto FC | 2017 MLS Match Preview – MLS
Toronto FC have won four straight after a 1-1-4 start. The way their May schedule looks, though, that might be some difficult momentum to maintain.

TFC will keep Columbus guessing Wednesday night – Toronto Sun
The Reds stayed unbeaten (3-0-2) against Western Conference sides following a stunning win in Seattle last weekend and have, once again, been deemed the “team to beat” in the East after surging to four wins in three weeks.

Toronto FC visits Columbus Crew with all hands on deck – Toronto Star
Reds had peripheral distractions — the heart irregularity of defender Drew Moor and coach Greg Vanney grieving the death of his mother — during their prior visit to Columbus.

Chapman making most of opportunities on ‘incredibly deep’ TFC – Sportsnet
Could Jay Chapman be the answer to Toronto FC‘s midfield quandary? That’s the question Sportsnet asked back in January during pre-season camp.

‘I wanted this challenge,’ new Impact midfielder Blerim Dzemaili says – Montreal Gazette
Swiss international Blerim Dzemaili arrived on a flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to a much smaller audience, walking through sliding doors — just like every other passenger from an international flight. Indeed, if not for the phalanx of cameras and media, the 31-year-old, dressed casually in jeans and white sneakers, could have inconspicuously drifted off into the terminal with ease.

After 9 Games, NYCFC Is Potent and Confident – Empire of Soccer
Back-to-back wins against conference contenders Columbus Crew and Atlanta United are enough to inspire hot takes and superlative declarations about New York City FC’s status as a contender for MLS Cup, but it’s only been nine games so let’s not go there. Instead, NYCFC (5-3-1, 16 points) is coming together like a contender but the board doesn’t look like the picture yet.

What’s the highest-pressure coaching gig in MLS? – MLS
Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson certainly doesn’t shy away from the strong opinions, and he was on fire during last week’s appearance on ESPN FC’s Max and Herc Podcast, claiming there’s “more pressure on the head coach of the Portland Timbers than there is on the head coach of the LA Galaxy.”

Liga MX club owners set to approve cup with MLS this month – Atlas chief – ESPN FC
Scheduling issues had postponed an announcement, but with Mexican teams no longer participating in the Copa Libertadores, a deal for a new tournament appears close.

David Beckham ready to buy last parcel for Miami soccer stadium – Miami Herald
With a deep-pocketed investor aboard, David Beckham appears ready to buy the three acres needed to complete his stadium site in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood.

Phil Rawlins is leaving Orlando, and it’s a much better place than he found it – Orlando Sentinel
Phil Rawlins, the father and founder of Orlando City Soccer Club, is leaving us and moving across the country. Phil didn’t just put the Beautiful Game on the map in Orlando; he drew the damn map. And then he made us believe in that map. And then he convinced us to follow his kooky, crazy directions and took us on this unbelievable, inconceivable journey to where we are today.

Derek Rae: Perception of MLS in the UK has come a long way – Prost Amerika
If anyone is qualified to talk about how MLS has evolved, it is Derek Rae. He was there at the very start and called Major League Soccer games for the New England Revolution between 1996 and 2001. He took a year out in 2000 to work for the MetroStars and also called Los Angeles Galaxy games in 1996.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

BC SOCCER NEWS

2017 BC Soccer Adult Provincial Championships – BCSA
The Road to Burnaby continues! Complete brackets and results from the weekend’s games in the BC Provincial Cups.

Alberni U15 Girls defend Invitational Cup Championship title – BC Local News
The Port Alberni Athletics U15 Girls soccer team accomplished their goal of defending their title of Vancouver Island Invitational Cup Champions.

Local players cross the Atlantic – Salmon Arm Observer
Skill on the soccer field led to a once-in-a lifetime experience for four Shuswap Youth Soccer Association players.

Mini World Cup brings over 1,200 soccer kids to Campbell River this weekend – Campbell River Mirror
Over 1,200 young soccer players and their families are coming to town this weekend (May 13 and 14) for a tournament modeled after the largest sporting event in the world as Campbell River hosts the Mini World Cup.

KYSA round-up to May 7, 2016 – Kamloops This Week
Mathew Murphy and Eric Swaine tallied for Kamloops Blaze Orange in a 2-0 victory over Kamloops Blaze Blue in under-14 Thompson Okanagan Youth Soccer League play on Sunday.

3V3 LIVE NATIONAL SOCCER TOUR COMES TO ABBOTSFORD – 3v3 Live Canada
3v3 Live Soccer Tour and Holbrook Sports Management are excited to announce the expansion of the 3v3 Live Soccer Tour into the Canadian soccer market.  With the first event previously announced to take place on the August 19/20 weekend in Surrey, BC, the 3v3 Soccer Tour will expand to Abbotsford, BC, on August 20 and will include men’s and women’s open divisions.

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.

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.

 Premium Classified Advertising on BC Soccer Web Starting at 50 cents per day!

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

FC Edmonton need win in second leg of Canadian Championship – Edmonton Sun
FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller can take solace in his club nearly climbing out of a much deeper hole after the first leg of the Canadian Championship last year.

Fury FC Set for Tough Road Clash – Ottawa Fury
Ottawa Fury FC returns to the Battle of the North on Wednesday night at Clarke Stadium in Edmonton as it looks to earn a place in the semifinals of the 2017 Canadian Championship and eliminate the Eddies for a second consecutive year.

Eddies look to rally against Fury, while the city’s eyes will be on the Oilers – the11.ca
If a soccer game happens during the height of the NHL playoffs, will anyone hear (or see it)? Wednesday marks the umpteenth time a Canadian Championship game will be upstaged by hockey. Yet, season after season, the Canadian Soccer Association plows forward with a schedule that sees what’s supposed to the marquee soccer event in this country get drowned out during the sports media’s busiest time of the year.

FIFA 2026 World Cup joint bid by USA, Canada, Mexico could face competition – MLS
The joint 2026 World Cup bid that will see the USA, Canada and Mexico join forces in a quest to host a 48-team FIFA World Cup in North America could potentially face competition in the coming months.

Valencia CF and New York Cosmos will square off in soccer friendly at Regina’s new Mosaic Stadium – Regina Leader Post
Spain’s Valencia CF and the New York Cosmos will play in a “friendly” game on July 22, as the Riders are away in Calgary. Soccer is Saskatchewan’s second-fastest-growing sport, and the new stadium may see more futbol games in the years to come.

Regina’s soccer community welcomes international match – Regina Leader Post
Local soccer players, coaches and fans were on hand for Tuesday’s announcement at the Credit Union EventPlex that the New York Cosmos and Valencia FC are to play a friendly match at Mosaic Stadium on July 22.

State of the game in Canada: 2017 League1 Ontario – Red Nation Online
Now in it’s fourth season, League1 Ontario continues to expand and has established itself as a league that helps players in advancing their careers, but also is a legitimate soccer league across the province of Ontario.

WSA Winnipeg Pre-Season Primer 2 – 2017 Preview – Northern Starting XI
The 2017 season is less than 2 weeks away for WSA Winnipeg. The good news is that the majority of the 2016 players are returning this year. That makes them a year older, wiser, and more experienced. That experience will be important to keep up with their Heartland Divisions competitors.

Ontario Soccer Webinar – Player Development – Why kids quit sports – YouTube
A lot of things are changing in the youth soccer world, but one thing has remained sadly consistent: Soccer loses 70 per cent of youth players by the age of 13.

Register for the UBCO High-Performance Summer Training Camp in Kelowna

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

WFC2  vs. COLORADO SPRINGS SWITCHBACKS FC

SUNDAY, MAY 14, 3:00 PM

BUY TICKETS

THUNDERBIRD STADIUM, VANCOUVER, BC

ONLINE: WHITECAPSFC2.COM

The Domizator: University of Calgary standout Dominick Zator finding his feet quickly with WFC2 – AFTN
There’s a lot of talent in CIS soccer (or U Sports now to give it it’s new-fangled name that nobody thinks of it by). But it’s an often overlooked talent to when it comes to professional teams in North America.

USL Discipline Report – Week 7 – USL
There are four players who enter their upcoming matches one caution away from an accumulation suspension.

SF Deltas add MLS player Maxim Tissot – SF Gate
The San Francisco Deltas announced today the signing of Canadian International Maxim Tissot on Tuesday from DC United.

Soccer: Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup begins Wednesday – NewsOK
A record 99 U.S. soccer clubs will compete in the 104th U.S. Open Cup tournament, the only competition in major American professional sports where amateur and lower-division (minor league) clubs can compete against clubs from the top professional league.

Cosmos Set Exhibitions in Canada and Saudi Arabia – Empire of Soccer
The New York Cosmos are trying their best to live up their reputation around the globe as the most recognizable soccer brand in United States soccer Hours after announcing a July 22 exhibition against La Liga’s Valencia in Canada, the defending champions of the North American Soccer League sandwiched in a match on May 20 against Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, in the middle of their Spring Season schedule..

Reno 1868 FC’s Dane Kelly named USL Player of the Week – My News 4
Reno 1868 striker Dane Kelly was honored as the USL Player of the Week following his dominant performance in the team’s first ever win last Saturday in Phoenix. Kelly tallied a hat trick, scoring two of his goals in the first 10 minutes in 1868’s 4-0 win over Rising.

NPSL continues to expand and aims to prevent exits – Soctakes
The NPSL is preparing for a strong year. The league just kicked off their season with 96 teams, and that number is expected to rise significantly this year, based on a strong set of expansion teams.

USL PHOTOS: WFC2 0 Sacramento Republic FC 0, April 29, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Olympique Lyonnais reign supreme in France once again – Vavel
An emphatic 9-0 win over ASJ Soyaux gave OL their record 15th Division 1 Féminine title and they won it in some style.

Scottish Women’s Cup: Hibs meet Motherwell, Glasgow City take on Spartans – BBC Sport
Holders Hibernian take on Motherwell and Glasgow City face top-flight rivals Spartans in the second round of the SSE Scottish Women’s Cup.

Carli Lloyd skips Man City game to promote FIFA in Bahrain – Sportsnet
Manchester City allowed FIFA Player of the Year Carli Lloyd to miss a domestic league match in England on Tuesday, breaking off from preparations for the FA Cup final, to fly to the Middle East to promote world soccer’s governing body.

Carli Lloyd: Unbelievable to live, train alongside Manchester City stars – ESPN W.
If Carli Lloyd doesn’t get enough of a reminder that she’s part of one of the world’s best known soccer clubs while she’s at work, her neighbors make it difficult to forget. Lloyd, who is on a short-term deal with Manchester City’s women’s team, shares an apartment building with City stars like David Silva and Gabriel Jesus, as well as manager Pep Guardiola.

FA Cup final beckons for Stanway – Cumbria Crack
MANCHESTER City young starlet Georgia Stanway has the footballing world at her feet and a bright future in the game, according to current FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd.

Women’s game gets second wind in Morocco – FIFA
After having played at two CAF Africa Women Cup of Nations tournaments in a row, at Nigeria 1998 and South Africa 2000, Morocco have since managed to miss out on all the rest. They were eliminated by Mali in 2016, after which those responsible for women’s football in the North African country made qualifying for continental and global competitions a top priority.

UCL Tuesday Rewind: Juventus defeats Monaco to book spot in final – SBI
After a strong first leg showing in Monaco a week ago, Juventus took care of business on Tuesday to book a spot in the UEFA Champions League final.

Juventus in Champions League final after Dani Alves’ special delivery – Toronto Star
Brazilian playmaker delivers a vintage effort as Juventus has no trouble taking another step toward a treble.

FIFA investigating Paul Pogba’s record transfer to Manchester United – ESPN FC
It is not yet clear what aspect of the Frenchman’s £89 million move transfer FIFA is investigating. Some news outlets hypothesised that it could surround agent Mino Raiola, who reportedly pocketed £41m from the deal.

La Liga run-in: Real Madrid & Barcelona locked in title battle – SN
The two rivals are locked on 84 points each at the top of the table but Madrid have the edge due to the game in hand they will play in between the final two weekends of the campaign.

FIFA reform process in tatters after elimination of FIFA’s Ethics chiefs – Inside World Football
FIFA’s entire governance apparatus – or lack of it – has come crashing down after the two men mainly responsible for cleaning up the organisation were ousted from their positions today in what will be regarded by many as the ultimate purge orchestrated by Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Ousted FIFA ethics prosecutor: ‘Several 100 cases’ ongoing – Sportsnet
Hundreds of prosecutions of suspected wrongdoing by soccer officials will be affected by President Gianni Infantino firing FIFA’s top judge and prosecutor.

Playoffs, the other season, set to kick off in Liga MX – Prost Amerika
Of the 18 Liga MX teams, there are only eight left in the fight for the 2017 Clausura title. What happened during the regular season matter very little now.

Shakhtar have Returned to the Pinnacle of Ukrainian Football – Futbolgrad
Shakhtar Donetsk have returned to the pinnacle of Ukrainian football. A 3-2 victory over Zorya Luhansk at the weekend was enough for the Hornyaki to secure their 10th title with four matches remaining in the season.

AFC Champions League Round of 16 line-up confirmed – AFC
The 2017 AFC Champions League group stage drew to a close on Wednesday as the final eight places in the Round of 16 were confirmed after the conclusion of the six rounds of fixtures.

Premier League to write to Accrington Stanley chairman after criticism – BBC Sport
Accrington Stanley chairman Andy Holt has criticised Premier League clubs over the amount of money they spend – prompting a robust response.

Soccer, politics, and oil intersect in Venezuela’s dire tailspin – This is Cosmos Country
Politics and sport have not only intersected for Guerra and Savarese, but for the players currently in Venezuela as well. The Venezuelan government already holds a vested interest in soccer.

Lionel Messi takes snapshot of massive kit collection – NBC Sports
When the final whistle goes on a Barcelona game, the opponents often search out Lionel Messi in an attempt to barter for the shirt on his back. It’s an honor to be selected by Messi to swap. Little do we think of the shirt going in the other direction.