BC Soccer News, Weekend, January 6-8, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

Ex-Watford midfielder Jenkins close to MLS move – ITV
Former Watford midfielder Ross Jenkins is set to link up with Major League Soccer outfit Vancouver Whitecaps at the end of January ahead of the new season.

Kekuta Manneh earns first call-up to United States senior men’s national team – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Kekuta Manneh has been called up to the United States men’s national team for their annual January training camp, U.S. Soccer confirmed on Thursday.

Whitecaps FC name Stewart Kerr goalkeeper coach – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that Stewart Kerr has been named the club’s goalkeeper coach, joining the technical staff on a two-year contract through 2018.

Orlando City goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr accepts job with Vancouver Whitecaps – Orlando Sentinel
Orlando City goalkeeper coach Stewart Kerr has accepted a position with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The club expects to fill his spot by the end of January and is in final talks with “a handful of individuals,” according to general manager Niki Budalic.

It’s All Coming Up Whitecaps! – Soccer Shorts
Well I guess that depends on what your definition of “up” actually is but safe to say that the off-season so far seems to have been an exercise in proving the maxim “no news is good news” to be bang on the money.

Earthquakes hire former AS Roma executive Jesse Fioranelli as new GM – MLS
The San Jose Earthquakes announced the hiring of Jesse Fioranelli as their new general manager on Thursday, marking an intriguing new arrival to the Quakes front office.

Miguel Ibarra, Christian Ramirez motivated by fresh challenge of MLS – MLS
It wasn’t easy, but Minnesota United will begin their first MLS season with two of their key contributors from recent years.

Speed the name of the game for TFC after quick off-season – Toronto Sun
It seems like just yesterday, doesn’t it? Because it was. But less than a month after losing MLS Cup, Toronto FC head coach Greg Vanney says a short offseason will stand to benefit his team.

Bruce Arena calls up 32 players from MLS in first squad since return to U.S. – ESPN FC
Bruce Arena’s first squad in his second stint as U.S. coach is made up entirely of Major League Soccer players.

Wanting those college years back: The 10 biggest draft busts in MLS history – Four Four Two
The MLS SuperDraft has produced legends and absolute flops from the college game. We look at the latter, and just how wrong it went for each.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

South Delta United helps bring Neely home – Delta Optimist
Just four months into their inaugural season, South Delta United (SDU) have made a significant addition their professional staff to enhance their long term vision. The youth soccer club announced this week Stu Neely has been hired as Head of Coach Development. The Tsawwassen resident has been commuting back east for the past two years as head coach of Toronto F.C. Academy’s senior team, as well as serving as an assistant with the Major League Soccer club’s USL affiliate.

Burnaby Sports hall honours list of achievers – Burnaby Now
Leading the parade of four athletes are a pair of soccer players – Bruce Gant and Joseph Scigliano. Gant went from starring for Simon Fraser University to a five-year career in the old North American Soccer League, playing four seasons with the Portland Timbers. A product of Cliff Avenue minor soccer, Scigliano would rise on the international pitch, playing for Canada’s under-20 CONCACAF champions in 1996.

Vancouver in its longest cold snap in over 30 years – CBC
We’re at 33 days and counting — but there’s a way to go before the record is broken.

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

MAC Hermann Trophy suspense set to end for Canadian soccer star Kadeisha Buchanan – Times Colonist
Ashley Lawrence wakes up looking at Paris these days. Best friend and fellow Canadian international Kadeisha Buchanan is expected to get a European view of her own very soon. But first a stop in the Show-Me State for Buchanan, one of three finalists for the Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy.

Kadeisha Buchanan and her game speak for themselves – Toronto Star
Kadeisha Buchanan was already a special talent when she debuted as a freshman for West Virginia University’s women’s soccer team four years ago, but Morgantown is where the Brampton native found her voice.

Canadian soccer star Ashley Lawrence settling nicely into City of Lights – PEI Guardian
With her stellar soccer career at West Virginia University over and with plenty of time before the 2020 Olympics, the world truly was her oyster. Lawrence was in demand in North America and abroad. Europe won out. But the 21-year-old from Toronto says she sees herself playing in North America down the line.

Whitecaps FC partner with Saskatchewan Soccer Association to enhance pathway – Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Saskatchewan Soccer Association (SSA) announced on Friday an official player development partnership. This partnership is the final piece to the provincial organization’s fully developed High Performance Stream plan. The alliance between both organizations creates a pathway for youth throughout the province to pursue their dreams of playing within higher echelons of the game.

Canada 150: Christine Sinclair is the world’s best player – Vancouver Sun
Anyone who has watched her accelerate from effortless lope into a slashing run through defenders, ball seemingly glued to her feet, freezing the goalie and then chipping one gently past, understands why her fiercest foes say unequivocally that Christine Sinclair is the world’s best player. Deadly on penalties, employing her lanky reach to lethal effect in a goal-mouth melee, scoring almost at will from the open field, she is to soccer what Wayne Gretzky was to hockey.

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USL, NASL to learn fate as U.S. Soccer votes on division sanctioning – SI.com
On Friday afternoon, we finally will learn which leagues, if any, meet the standards. Those standards—reviewed and re-established in 2014—are succinct, clear and easy to follow. In fact, the entire summary document produced by the U.S. Soccer Federation detailing the conditions pro leagues must meet in order to operate and receive sanctioning is all of 12 pages long. It’s black and white, and comprehension doesn’t require a law degree. It really isn’t that much more complex than the average tifo.

USL owners frustrated with USFF sanctioning delay – News OK
The United States Soccer Federation has pushed back its 2017 Division 2 sanctioning vote for almost a month as the NASL’s viability remains clouded. And United Soccer League owners, who believe they have met the sanctioning requirements to move up from Division 3, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the delay.

Seattle Sounders FC 2 to hold annual open tryout at Starfire Sports – Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC 2 announced that it is holding an open tryout at Starfire Sports, the club’s home facility, from February 10-11. The two-day session marks the club’s second tryout of the offseason – the first of 2017 – after an out-of-state tryout with North Carolina-based official youth partner Twin City Youth Soccer Association in November.

Rowdies Add Orlando City Veteran Left Back Luke Boden – Unused Substitutes
Sources have confirmed that veteran left back Luke Boden has inked a deal to play for the Rowdies after spending the last six years on the opposite end of Interstate 4. An announcement of the signing is expected by the end of the week before the Florida Cup kicks off.

What’s American soccer media missing? – US Soccer Players
It seems a good time to note that the business of covering soccer in the United States (and Canada) is an odd thing. This is still a young version of the professional sport. The popularity is increasing, but it’s not there. At least in media terms, where spending more on one thing means spending less on another. That means making decisions on the type, tenor, and scope of their coverage. It takes a significant risk to throw money and resources at the game when it’s not clear if doing so will provide a return. Even when outlets spend on soccer, they don’t always get it right.

WNY Flash to be sold, relocated to North Carolina – The Equalizer
Three months after winning the NWSL Championship, the Flash are leaving Western New York. Multiple sources have confirmed to The Equailzer that the club is in the final stages of being sold to a group that will relocate it to North Carolina. The players and staff were informed of the news late Thursday.

Breakers, Red Stars, Flash make moves – The Equalizer
On Thursday afternoon, the Boston Breakers and Chicago Red Stars exchanged draft picks ahead of the 2017 NWSL College Draft on January 12th. Chicago sent over their 8th and 38th overall picks to Boston in exchange for Boston’s 12th, 16th and 21st overall picks.

The NWSL is going to be just fine, even if it loses a few high-profile stars –Four Four Two
From a distance, the worries make sense, but on-the-ground, there’s no reason to be alarmed about the future of the NWSL.

Westfield W-League Round 11 Preview – W-League
All the match and squad information for round 11 in the Westfield W-League previewed, highlighted by the Fox Sports/ABC TV match featuring Sydney FC and Melbourne City FC.

Women’s National League awards nominations announced – Irish WNL
The nominations for the Continental Tyre’s Women’s National League awards for the 2016 season have been announced.

Sunderland Ladies to revert back to part-time status – ITV
Sunderland’s ladies team is to revert to a part-time model saying its mix of both part and full-time players was not working. The Lady Black Cats have played the past two seasons in the Women’s Super League with a squad of full-time professional combined with part-time players.

Asisat Oshoala: ‘Female players deserve more’– BBC Sport
The Confederation of African Football ‘s female player of the year Asisat Oshoala has called for the continent to make conditions better for women.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Mikel John Obi announces he is joining Chinese Super League from Chelsea – The Guardian
Mikel John Obi has become the latest Chelsea player to head to the Chinese Super League after announcing he is joining Tianjin Teda.

‘Money is important’ – Mertens backs Witsel’s CSL move – SN
Napoli forward Dries Mertens says he understands Axel Witsel’s decision to pick a “complicated” move to the Chinese Super League over Serie A.

China puts brake on clubs ‘burning money’ after Oscar and Tévez signings  – The Guardian
China intends to limit the amount clubs are spending on overseas players after the repeated breaking of the Asian transfer record.

Nasri could face four-year ban, says anti-doping agency – SN
Samir Nasri has been warned he could face a four-year ban from football if found guilty of breaking World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

Enter Gabriel Jesus: an intriguing punt for Pep Guardiola and Manchester City – The Guardian
Pep Guardiola must remember Keirrison at Barcelona as a cautionary tale but will believe his latest skinny-legged signing can deliver.

Jermain Defoe: Sunderland striker not for sale, says David Moyes – BBC Sport
Sunderland boss David Moyes says Jermain Defoe is not for sale amid speculation about the veteran striker’s future.

FIFA wins legal case over picking Qatar as World Cup host – Sportsnet
FIFA has defeated a legal challenge by trade union groups over picking Qatar as the 2022 World Cup host.

Russia brands anti-racism body SOVA as a foreign agent – Inside World Football
According to Football Against Racism in Europe, the widely respected network that reports cases of discrimination in European football, the highly authoritative SOVA Centre for Information and Analysis has been dubbed a foreign agent following an unscheduled inspection of its offices.

Metz-Lyon to be replayed – Ligue 1
The LFP’s Disciplinary Commission has ruled that the Week 16 clash between Metz and Lyon – abandoned after pyrotechnics were thrown on to the pitch – will be replayed, behind closed doors.

FA Cup may be Arsenal’s best chance but they will rotate vs. Preston – ESPN FC
From the preservation of one record streak to a reminder of another. After Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea to leave Arsenal’s 2002 team alone on 14 successive league wins, the FA Cup third round puts the Gunners against Preston North End — the original Invincibles, whose 1888-89 unbeaten season Arsenal finally emulated in 2003-04.

Faces behind the FA Cup third round: ‘At this level these are the days you live for’  – The Guardian
From non-league managers plotting an upset to the north-west’s fastest mascot and the son of a former Cup winner, we speak to some of the characters who make the third round special