BC Soccer News, Weekend, January 31 – February 2, 2020

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS & MLS NEWS

Montero returns to full training; ‘Caps trim preseason rosterWhitecaps FC
After a much earned day off on Wednesday, Vancouver Whitecaps FC continued the second leg of their preseason camp with a double session at the University of California, San Diego on Thursday.

Portland Timbers add Polish forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda as designated playerOregon Live
The Portland Timbers have acquired Polish forward Jaroslaw Niezgoda as a designated player in a transfer from Polish Ekstraklasa team Legia Warsaw, the Timbers announced Thursday morning.

Inter Miami CF Signs Argentine Center Back Nicolás FigalInter Miami
Inter Miami CF announced today it has signed Argentine center back Nicolás Figal via transfer from Club Atlético Independiente in Argentina’s top division using Targeted Allocation Money. The experienced 25-year-old, who was called up to the Argentine senior national team last year, adds to a growing contingent of Argentine internationals on the inaugural Inter Miami roster.

Sources: Red Bulls finalizing Kemar Lawrence transfer to AnderlechtSBI
The New York Red Bulls are finalizing a deal to sell Jamaican fullback Kemar Lawrence to Belgian club Anderlecht in a deal worth more than $1 million, sources have confirmed to SBI.

MLS, Nashville at odds with new mayor over stadium projectNBC Sports
Major League Soccer and its new Nashville team say Mayor John Cooper refused Thursday to commit to moving ahead with a stadium plan approved under the previous mayor. The league said in the statement that Garber made clear that MLS would not have awarded Nashville an expansion team without the city’s commitment to build a soccer stadium at the Nashville Fairgrounds location.

Why leave Liga MX for MLS and vice versa? Money, quality of life and level of competitionESPN
Pursuing a career at a Mexican club was the culmination of a longtime ambition for Gabriel Farfan. Achieving it after moving from Chivas USA to a struggling Chiapas outfit in February 2014 changed the outlook not just of his playing career, but also his life after soccer.

MLS, players extend labour deal through Feb 7TSN
Major League Soccer and its players are extending their collective bargaining agreement for a week through Feb. 7.

Once A Whitecap: Where are they now? (Part 2)AFTN
In this second part of our “Once A Whitecap: Where are they now?” feature, we take a deep dive into some players that you may not thank us for making you recall.

PACIFIC FC & BC SOCCER NEWS

Canadian Top Talent Signs with Pacific FCPacific FC
Pacific Football Club is pleased to announce the signing of midfielder Marco Bustos for the 2020 season.

The Bustos Ethos: Pacific FC brings in big piece of their 2020 CPL puzzle with Marco Bustos signingBTS
In the last 10 days, Pacific FC has made 3 solid signings, bringing in 2 former Ottawa Fury players, Thomas Meilleur-Giguere and Jamar Dixon, last week, before adding 2019 CPL standout, Marco Bustos, this Thursday. Here is a look at what these 3 can bring to the Island in 2020.

VISL Division 1 Listings, Matchday 17BC Soccer Web
The light at the end of the tunnel for Division 1 league play is visible as we enter match week 17.

‘Rusty’ return for Cowichan FuryCowichan Valley Citizen
The Cowichan Farm Store Fury weren’t at their best when they returned to action on Saturday after a prolonged winter break.

49ers edge Steelheads in defensive Derby duelCowichan Valley Citizen
Goalkeepers Chris Muller and Preston Johnny battled to a near-standstill last Saturday as the Cowichan 49ers edged the Cowichan Steelheads 1-0 in the latest chapter of the Cowichan Derby.

Could professional women’s soccer one day come to British Columbia?BTS
With Christine Sinclair becoming the world’s leading international goalscorer this week, Ben Steiner takes a look to see if the professional women’s game could one day come to BC, gracing it’s shores as it once did years ago.

Tickets on sale for Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team return to VancouverCSA
Tickets to the highly anticipated Canada-Australia Women’s International Friendly Match set for Tuesday 14 April at BC Place are on sale to the public today 29 January 2020 via Ticketmaster.ca and by phone at 1.855.985.5000.

Penticton & PCSL revives Kennedy Cup Tournament for 2020BC Soccer Web
The John F. Kennedy Cup has a unique history amongst North America’s trophies for soccer. Founded in 1960, the Kennedy Cup was the first (and only) sporting trophy to be sanctioned by the late President of the United States. It also was the base for some of the first meaningful matches between clubs from British Columbia’s PCSL, California, Oregon, Washington and Mexico. When President Kennedy was assassinated in November, 1963, it was one of the few sporting events in the United States to take place that month with the family’s blessing.

BC Soccer Web’s 2019-20 Guide to Soccer on TV and Online in CanadaBC Soccer Web
In our 2019-20 Guide to Soccer on Canadian TV, we do our best to sort through the leagues, service options and hardware needed to help you get the most out of your soccer weekends this season. The TV situation is constantly changing as leagues are added and Canadian broadcast rights are sorted out at the last moment, so come back for updates!

PCSL CHALLENGE CUP FINAL PHOTOS: FC Tigers Vancouver 4 Victoria Highlanders 4 (FC Tigers win 4-2 on PKs), July 28, 2019BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Power Soccer in BC SportAbility BC
We believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to participate in physical activity. We currently have programs in Vancouver, Surrey, Nanaimo, Penticton, and are still looking to expand. We are always looking for more athletes, officials, volunteers, and sponsors. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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 UBCUBC 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.

CANADIAN PREMIER LEAGUE & CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Christine Sinclair proudly flies flag of Canadian soccer on international stageCanPL
Christine Sinclair has scored goals in 40 different countries during her storied, 20-year international career.

Christine Sinclair calls all-time goals record ‘a weight off my shoulders’Pro Soccer USA
After years of chasing Abby Wambach’s record, Sinclair now has scored more international goals than any woman or man.

Christine Sinclair deserves even more recognition than she’ll getThe Equalizer
What does feel wrong is how Sinclair’s moment has come and gone, and how it feels like it really only took place in the echo chamber of social media. Why is that the case when we knew with great certainty, since November, that this tournament — and likely this game — would be when Sinclair would break this incredible record? Why weren’t these U.S. TV rights sorted out months in advance, so they weren’t relegated to secondary channels? Why weren’t these games better marketed in their cities?

‘Sounded very appealing’: Levis joins Valour after keeping close eye on CPL, Year 1CanPL
There’s a prairie resilience and toughness to Brett Levis and the source of it all is simple enough to trace. After all, his inspiration is right there in ink on his left forearm – a tattoo in honour of his late mother.

Herdman: Canada are fighting to hit the HexagonalFIFA
John Herdman had spent seven years – and this is a man renowned for doing 15-hour days – polishing the Canadian women’s national team into a vessel that voyaged to back-to-back Olympic bronzes and were being tipped to challenge the elite at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 The Englishman relinquished the wheel to assume charge of its male counterpart, who hadn’t come close to reaching the FIFA World Cup™ since hotfooting on its stage for the only time at Mexico 1986.

USL & LOWER LEAGUE SOCCER NEWS

TRANSACTIONS: Francois Inks Deal with 1868 FCUSL
Reno 1868 FC announced on Thursday it had signed Christiano François for the 2020 USL Championship season, pending league and federation approval. François comes to the club after spending 2019 with Ottawa Fury FC, where he scored eight goals and notched six assists.

WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

AFC Women’s Olympic qualifiers get new Sydney dates as Chinese wait to clear quarantineInside World Football
With the Chinese Women’s team currently quarantined in a Brisbane hotel until February 5, the Football Federation Australia (FFA) have announced a revamped schedule for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Qualifiers that will start February 3.

Transfer window: When will women’s football see big-money deals?BBC Sport
A recent report from Fifa said men’s clubs spent a record high of $7.35bn (£5.65bn) on international transfers in 2019, compared to just over $650,000 (£500,000) in the women’s game.

Cheyna Matthews and family chasing football gloryFIFA
The fact that she is competing with Jamaica at the Concacaf Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament is impressive in itself. In the last two years alone, Matthews married husband Jordan, gave birth to their son Josiah, returned to professional soccer – where she plays for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) – and represented Jamaica in their first ever appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Arsenal’s Kim Little looks to union to keep change in right directionThe Guardian
Gunners captain has joined Fifpro’s new players’ council as she tries to give back to the game and influence what happens next.

Lloyd talks about those field goals, and her careerTSN
The sheer attention Carli Lloyd got for her field goals while dropping by an NFL training camp shows how far women’s soccer has come.

WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Premier League preview: Sterling needs a goal for City; Traore vs. Shaw will be uglyESPN
The time for arguing about Jose Mourinho’s tactics during Tottenham’s game against Liverpool a few weeks ago has gone, but for those who objected to his approach it was less that he was being negative in an individual game, more that this was still normal for him. Against a big team he was always going to be at best reactive, at worst cowardly.

Barcelona at Bilbao, Madrid hosts Sociedad in Copa del ReySportsnet
Barcelona will visit Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, and Real Madrid will host Real Sociedad.

Transfer Deadline Day Live Blog: Final Moves of the January WindowSI.com
The January transfer window closes across Europe’s top leagues on Friday, giving clubs one last day to shape their squads for the remainder of the season.

Barca sign Braga youngster Francisco Trincao for €31mESPN
Barcelona have struck an agreement with S.C. Braga to sign young forward Francisco Trincao in a move worth around €31 million. The deal includes a €500m release clause.

Transfer news: The excitement, confusion and disappointment of a deadline day deal – Micah RichardsBBC Sport
When I woke up on deadline day morning in August 2014, I knew I was going to Italy. I just didn’t know if I would be coming straight back.

Gold Cup 2021 qualifiers see Trinidad, Guatemala and Haiti still battling for slotsInside World Football
With 12 teams now qualified for the 2021 Gold Cup – the 16th edition of Concacaf’s blue riband national men’s team competition – the draw for the play-offs for the final four spots has been released. The deciders will be via elimination rounds in the March 2020 international window before a final round of play-offs in June 2020.

Sharp rise in football racism as incidents go up by more than 50% in one yearThe Guardian
More than 150 football-related racist incidents were reported to police in the UK last season, Home Office figures show, a rise of more than 50% on the year before and more than double the number from three seasons ago.

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