BC Soccer News, Weekend, February 16-18, 2018

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS

Tables turned for Whitecaps’ Marinovic as he enters 2018 as starting GKMLS
When the Vancouver Whitecaps announced the signing of goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic last July, the addition raised a few eyebrows.

Vancouver Whitecaps 2018 season previewSN
The 2018 team looks to have added some serious firepower on both ends of the pitch, with Kei Kamara coming in to boost the attack and Doneil Henry brought in to bolster the defense. Will it be enough for Robinson and the Whitecaps to take the next step and possibly claim their first MLS Cup?

Whitecaps looking to lift the tarps for MLS home opener against MontrealNational Post
The Vancouver Whitecaps figure they can set a record March 4 when they open their Major League Soccer season at home against the Montreal Impact.

Toronto FC’s newcomers give coach Greg Vanney plenty of flexibilitySportsnet
It’s nice to have choices, and Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney certainly has plenty of them ahead of the start of the new Major League Soccer campaign.

Minnesota United looking to start new season without opening wobbleMLS
Minnesota United FC head coach Adrian Heath has probably talked about the first four games of the team’s MLS existence more than any in his life.

MLS Live to close up shop as U.S. streaming rights land with ESPN. So what about Canada?National Post
Tuesday’s announcement that Major League Soccer’s streaming rights will be shifting to the soon-to-be-launched online-only ESPN+ sometime this spring has left Canadians somewhat in the lurch.

Montreal Impact defeat Chicago Fire 2-1 in MLS preseason actionMLS
Goals from Ignacio Piatti and Matteo Mancosu paced the Montreal Impact to a 2-1 win over the Chicago Fire on Wednesday evening at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, with Dax McCarty netting a second-half consolation for the Fire via a set-piece header.

An Argument for the Fair Treatment of Canadians in MLSNorthern Starting XI
Since Toronto FC joined the league in 2007, Canadian teams and players have often been treated like second-class citizens in MLS. From Canadian teams not being eligible for MLS qualification spots into the CONCACAF Champions League to Canadian players, with the exception of a very select few starting in 2017, not counting as domestic, MLS has made it clear that the league is far more interested in the development of American teams and players at the expense of those above the 49th parallel.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

VISL – Opening Round – Sir John Jackson CupBC Soccer Web
The first competition was in the 1914/1915 season – that trophy and competition is still going strong 100+ years later.

VMSL Round-up: Rovers Tigers United crowned champions as fierce Provincial Cup and relegation battles rage onAFTN
What a weekend of action it was in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL). We saw champions crowned, some key points won in the fight for Provincial Cup spots, and the relegation battle saw a couple of teams do themselves huge favours and a couple fall deeper in the mire.

Grosso and Huitema named to Canada’s Algarve Cup rosterWhitecaps FC
Canada Soccer announced on Thursday that midfielder Julia Grosso and striker Jordyn Huitema from the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girls Elite Super REX Centre, in partnership with BC Soccer, have been called up to the Canadian women’s national team for the Algarve Cup.

North Delta soccer player signs NCAA deal with Simon Fraser University Peace Arch News
Soccer runs deep in Brandon Bassi’s blood. Following in the footsteps of both his father and his older brother, the 17-year-old North Delta Secondary senior first took to the pitch when he was six years old, though it was anything but love at first sight.

Port Hardy sisters contribute to fantastic soccer seasonNorth Island Gazette
The Upper Island Marine Harvest Riptide U18 Girls have gone undefeated with a record of 18-0-2. “Scoring 75 goals and only conceding 11 is an impressive feat when you are playing teams from Victoria, Cowichan and Nanaimo,” said Riptide coach Scott Harris.

Four Vancouver soccer fields identified as potential training venues for 2026 FIFA World CupGeorgia Straight
If the FIFA World Cup comes to Vancouver in 2026, competitors will be training at fields managed by the park board.

Canadian legends Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil team up for Individualized Coaching ProgramDasovic-Neil Coaching
Nick Dasovic & Andrea Neil have teamed up to provide training programs for players & coaches. The programs specialize in individual, positional, age, and gender specific training for players, with a combined technical and physical focus while providing education and mentorship opportunities for coaches to improve their skills and deepen their knowledge base.

PCSL CHALLENGE CUP PHOTOS: Vancouver Utd. 3, Mid-Isle Mariners 1, July 30, 2017BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

2016-2017 BC Soccer Year in ReviewBCSA
BC Soccer Assoc. is proud to release their 2016-2017 Year in Review after another successful year of soccer. The #respectall initiative, High Performance License, Club Charter Program activity, along with the delivery of hundreds of coaching courses and referee clinics this past year highlight some of the successes.

BC PROVINCIAL WOMEN’S A CUP PHOTOS: Surrey United 1 NSGSC Renegades 0, May 13, 2017 BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

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, 2017BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Richard Howes.

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!

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.

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Canada Soccer announces roster for 2018 Algarve CupCSA
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will return to the Algarve Cup, the prestigious annual international tournament in Portugal running from 28 February to 7 March 2018, for the third consecutive year. The tournament will mark newly-appointed Women’s National Team Head Coach Kenneth Heiner-Møller’s first competitive matches at the helm with Canada having won the 12-team tournament in 2016 and finishing as runners up in 2017.

NWSL allocation, Algarve Cup roster: New Canada coach puts heavy emphasis on offencethe11.ca
It’s been a busy day of announcements regarding the Canadian women’s national team. The roster for the Algarve Cup was unveiled, featuring seven forwards out of the 23 players named.

Canada Soccer announces 2018 NWSL allocationsCSA
Canada Soccer has announced the eleven Canadian Women’s National Team players allocated to the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), including nine returning players and two additions. The 2018 allocation list includes Rebecca Quinn, previously of Duke University, who was selected the highest of any Canadian in the NWSL College Draft at No. 3 overall.

#5 Canada to play #2 Germany on 10 June in HamiltonCSA
Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team will play Germany, ranked second in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, in Hamilton, Ontario on 10 June 2018. Canada, the two-time Olympic Bronze Medal winners and ranked fifth in the world, will welcome the reigning Olympic Champions to Tim Hortons Field for the Sunday afternoon match.

With no World Cup this summer, where does Canada’s U-20 team go from here?Sportsnet
A busy 2018 has already begun for the Canadian women’s soccer program. In late January, Canada failed to qualify for this summer’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup after losing a knockout game to Haiti at the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.

Canadian Premier League: What we’ve learned recentlyWaking the Red
The CPL is still is an enigma in that there are so many unanswered questions about the basics of the first national soccer league in Canada in decades.

2018 Canada Soccer Active Start Soccer Fests Hosting Applications Now OpenCSA
Canada Soccer is pleased to announce that hosting applications are now being accepted for the 2018 Active Start Soccer Fests program. As Canada’s largest national grassroots soccer program, community soccer club administrators, coaches and volunteers are encouraged to apply online today to bring a fun-filled event to your community and to help grow the game across the country.

Olympian Allysha Chapman inspires Special Olympics student athletes in PeterboroughPeterborough Examiner
Olympian Allysha Chapman of Courtice, who won bronze as a member of Canada’s women’s soccer team at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games and briefly played soccer in Peterborough as a teen, was on hand prior to the Special Olympics 4 Corners School Championships at the Lions Spiplex Sports Dome.

How 2 books helped CBC Olympics reporter Karina LeBlanc think like a championCBC
Karina LeBlanc is reporting for CBC at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, which take place Feb. 9-25, 2018. The two-time Olympian played goalkeeper for Canada’s national women’s soccer team for 17 years, making her the longest-serving player in Canadian soccer history.

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USL, NASL & LOWER DIVISION NEWS

Foxes Fall in Exhibition Against GalaxyUSL
Fresno FC took an early lead, but fell 3-1 to the LA Galaxy in a preseason exhibition at Harder Field on Thursday night as Sebastian Lletget and Chris Pontius both found the net for the Galaxy.

Republic FC falls to MLS’ Sounders, but coach is pleased with what he seesSacramento Bee
Republic FC isn’t a Major League Soccer team yet, but one of the MLS’ best squads from recent years visited Sacramento on Thursday.

Nashville SC Unveils Extensive Broadcast AgreementUSL
27 regular-season contests to air through partnership with Sinclair Broadcast Group.

WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

ISL and I-League shun second season of Indian Women’s leagueInside World Football
The forthcoming Indian Women’s League will have no participants from the Indian Super League and I-League, leaving the league in its second edition without the support of India’s highest profile men’s clubs.

Indian Women’s League lies in shambles, but who’s to blame?Times of India
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) may be miffed with the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League clubs’ refusal to participate in the second edition of the Indian Women’s League (IWL), but sources have told TOI that poor organisation of the tournament is the reason behind their non-participation.

Sky Blue FC allocated four U.S., Canada Federation PlayersOnce a Metro
The National Women’s Soccer League announced on Thursday the official list of 2018 allocated players. Sky Blue FC has four players that were allocated as Federation Players for the upcoming NWSL season. Carli Lloyd was allocated by U.S. Soccer, while Janine Beckie, Adriana Leon and Kailen Sheridan were allocated by Canada Soccer.

Jill Ellis: Alex Morgan hungry ahead of SheBelieves CupOrlando Sentinel
U.S. women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis on Wednesday announced a 26-player preliminary roster for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup, and Orlando Pride players Alex Morgan and Ashlyn Harris both received call-ups.

Lydia Williams has one eye on Matildas battle before W-League grand final clashSydney Morning Herald
Williams will be chasing her third W-League crown when City clashes against Sydney at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.

W-League: Newcastle’s Rhali Dobson set for grand final showdown with Melbourne CityThe Herald
Rhali Dobson thought she would be in the midst of renovating the house she and partner Matt Stonham had just purchased in East Maitland. Instead, the 25-year-old will be lining up for Melbourne City in her first ever W-League grand final.

W-League progress gets big ticknine.com.au
Players, coaches and senior staff agree – this year’s Australian domestic soccer competition has been a smash hit.

Matildas striker Sam Kerr hits back at sexist ‘keyboard warriors’Nine.com.au
Matildas striker and leading figure in women’s sport Sam Kerr has revealed some of the online abuse she receives from ‘keyboard warriors’.

Cameroon: FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – Cameroon One Step to UruguayAll Africa
The Cadet Lionesses of Cameroon will play against the Flamingos of Nigeria on Sunday February 18, 2018 at the Yaounde Omnisports Stadium. The encounter will be the second leg qualifier for the 2018 World Championship in Uruguay.

Liga Iberdrola Recap: 2018 so far in Andalucía, Castilla-La Mancha and ValenciaVavel
A club-by-club recap of how 2018 has been treating Albacete, Betis, Huelva, Levante, Sevilla and Valencia in Liga Iberdrola.


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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Bob Lenarduzzi: Coventry needs to channel its old days in FA Cup clashThe Province
The FA Cup fifth round goes this weekend, and the big David versus Goliath clash is Saturday as Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion hosts League Two outfit Coventry City.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/feb/16/fa-cup-fifth-10-things-to-look-out-for-this-weekend

FA Cup fifth round: 10 things to look out for this weekendThe Guardian
Of the remaining teams in this season’s FA Cup, it could justifiably be argued that only one is in a position to give the competition their full and undivided attention.

European Weekend Preview: Gladbach hosts Dortmund, Juve travels to Torino, and moreSBI
Round 23 of the German Bundesliga begins on Friday but the headliner will be the weekend’s finale from Borussia-Park on Sunday. Borussia Monchengladbach welcomes rivals Borussia Dortmund to town for the second Borussen Derby of the season.

Liverpool pull out of £62m deal for Roma’s AlissonSN
Liverpool have informed the representative of Alisson that they are no longer interested in pursuing a £62 million deal for the Roma goalkeeper.

Milan and Arsenal cruise, tough night for NapoliUEFA
AC Milan, Arsenal, Atlético and Marseille made comfortable starts in their round of 32 ties, but the second legs look set to provide serious headaches for Dortmund, Napoli and Zenit.

‘Mission accomplished’ as Napoli nears Europa League exitMetro
“Mission accomplished,” read the headline in the Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday. It perfectly captured the sentiment surrounding Serie A team Napoli’s 3-1 loss to visiting Leipzig in the first leg of the Europa League’s last 32. It’s a matchup that the Serie A leader is showing no interest in winning.

Marseille, Bordeaux meet in clash of form teamsLigue 1
There is a feel-good factor in both camps just now as Olympique de Marseille and Girondins de Bordeaux prepare to clash at the Orange Vélodrome on Sunday night.

Ligue 1 investigating alleged racist abuse of Mario BalotelliSportsnet
The French football league has opened an investigation after Nice striker Mario Balotelli complained about racist abuse from fans.

Alex McLeish appointed Scotland manager until 2020Sportsnet
Alex McLeish has been appointed Scotland manager for a second time, tasked with qualifying for the 2020 European Championship.

Alex McLeish getting Scotland job stems from blind panic and lack of foresightThe Guardian
Any search for ill will towards Alex McLeish within Scottish football would be a tough one. Although unanimous sentiment towards football managers is an impossibility, those who have dealt professionally with the 59-year-old will generally report on a thoroughly decent, charismatic, clued-up individual. McLeish’s knowledge of global football is understated and an exception to the notion that detail is the domain of younger coaches.

Bundesliga reports solid financial year, as competition with Euro league rivals hots upInside World Football
German professional football remains an oasis of financial solidity. The Deutsche Fussball Liga (DFL)’s 2018 Report on the economic state of the sector reveals that the clubs in the top two tiers of Western Europe’s most populous nation – Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 – for the first time generated aggregate revenues of more than €4 billion in 2016-17.

FA to raise human rights issues with Qatar FA after ‘knowledge-sharing’ dealBBC Sport
The Football Association will raise human rights abuses and homophobia issues with the Qatar FA after signing a memorandum of understanding with the hosts of the 2022 World Cup.

Morocco commits to seven stadium build if 2026 bid is successfulInside World Football
Morocco says it will build seven new stadiums if it upsets the rival bid of USA-Canada-Morocco to land the 2026 World Cup.

Netflix launch Juventus documentary series ‘First Team: Juventus’SN
Netflix have launched their football documentary ‘First Team: Juventus’ on the online streaming service. The Old Lady feature in a three-part mini-series which offers behind-the-scenes access of the Serie A giants and is Netflix’s first foray into association football following the success of American football series Last Chance U.

Anonymous letters and threats: How racism came to stalk US youth soccerThe Guardian
For players as young as eight on Idaho’s Juniors FC, the possibility of abuse when they step on the field is very real. And they are from from unique.

‘Coventry fans say it was the best day of their lives’: Steve Ogrizovic on why 1987 FA Cup win has lost none of its lustreThe Telegraph
Even now, nearly 31 years on from that scorching Wembley afternoon, Steve Ogrizovic cannot escape Coventry City’s famous day in the sun.

West Brom investigate after allegation four players stole taxi in SpainBBC Sport
Four West Brom players were interviewed by police after allegedly stealing a taxi from outside a fast-food restaurant in Barcelona on Thursday.

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