BC Soccer News, Weekend, June 16-18, 2017

BC Soccer News, Thursday, June 15, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs. FC DALLAS

MLS MATCHDAY #14

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2017, 7:00 PM

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Key points on the line as ‘Caps host West rival FC Dallas Saturday at BC Place – Whitecaps FC
The ‘Caps enter the weekend fifth in the Western Conference, four points back of fourth-place FC Dallas. A win on Saturday, therefore, would move Whitecaps FC to within one point of Dallas – with a game in hand.

Episode 201 – The AFTN Soccer Show (A Place To Call Home with guests Bob Lenarduzzi and Greg Anderson) – AFTN
Vancouver Whitecaps finally have a place to call home. The National Soccer Development Centre up at UBC is finally finished. It’s felt like a long time coming but the end result has been worth with the wait, with the ‘Caps now having a state of the art training facility.

Match Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps vs FC Dallas – Eighty-Six Forever
The Whitecaps are back in action after a week off and taking on an FC Dallas side that started strong but is now in the midst of a rough patch. Dallas began the season with a nine game undefeated run but since then only have one win.

FC Dallas Ready To Face Vancouver Whitecaps Despite Just Two Days of Rest – FC Dallas
FC Dallas is no stranger to a quick turnaround between games. The defending U.S. Open Cup Champions did just that plenty of times last season on their way to the trophy. After FC Dallas first Open Cup game of 2017, the club is off to Vancouver just two days later to face the Whitecaps on Saturday

Scouting Vancouver Whitecaps: Keys to this crucial Western Conference game – Big D Soccer
FC Dallas have not beaten the Whitecaps in Vancouver in the last six times they have played. No MLS team has won on the road in June. These two facts make it hard to be optimistic about Dallas getting three points away this week. This Dallas team that once felt like unexpected world beaters earlier in the season, have now fallen back to the mean, where you aren’t supposed to win every game.

MLSsoccer.com Injury Report – MLS
Bolanos and Waston are both out for the Whitecaps entering the weekend.

MLS Today: Play resumes after FIFA break – Soccer America
MLS resumes with a full slate of games — 10 on Saturday and one on Sunday — after most teams were off last weekend for the FIFA international break.

MLS Week 15: What to Watch For – Empire of Soccer
After a break (for most teams) for international matches and a midweek schedule filled with Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup games, all 22 Major League Soccer teams return to regular duty this weekend. Nothing on the schedule jumps out as a must-see, but there are some important matches. Here are five to keep an eye on.

Impact coach Mauro Biello to stick with five-back system vs. Orlando City – Montreal Gazette
Biello employed a five-back system last week in Kansas City and came away with a surprising 1-1 draw against Sporting KC. The tie extended Montreal’s unbeaten streak in MLS to three games (2-0-1) and the Impact are only three points out of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal Impact part ways with midfielder Adrian Arregui – MLS
Adrian Arregui’s short time in Montreal has come to an end, with the Impact announcing Friday morning that they had parted ways with the Argentine midfielder after mutually agreeing to terminate his loan.

Orlando City forward Cyle Larin to undergo SABH assessment after DUI arrest – MLS
Orlando City SC forward Cyle Larin was arrested Thursday morning for DUI – unlawful blood alcohol content. He will undergo an assessment by MLS’ Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (“SABH”) Program doctors pursuant to the SABH Policy.

Larin posts apology following DUI arrest – SBI
Following Thursday’s DUI arrest, Cyle Larin took to Twitter to begin his push towards recovery.

Larin goes from national-team duty to cell no. BRCIA14: Canadian striker charged with DUI in Florida – the11.ca
The Canadian national-team forward and Orlando City star was arrested earlier Thursday morning. He was charged by Orlando Police for driving under the influence, after allegedly having a blood alcohol level of .179.

MLS PHOTOS: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 3, Atlanta United 1, June 3, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

3v3 Live Soccer Tour Comes to Canada

BC SOCCER NEWS

Whitecaps youth residency program player allegedly sexually assaulted by teammates, mother claims – Global News
The mother of a Vancouver Whitecaps’ youth residency player says her son was attacked by teammates following a training session.

Two Whitecaps youth players charged with sexual assault after incident at training facility – The Province
The two players were immediately put on indefinite suspension by the Whitecaps and the matter was handed over to the local RCMP detachment who the team says later pressed charges.

Conference soccer schedule kicks off August 25 – Canada West
The conference men’s and women’s soccer schedules were released Wednesday, with the men’s campaign opening a week before the women’s schedule, which begins Labour Day weekend.

Vancouver NWSL expansion team now seems more uncertain – The Equalizer
Does the left foot know what the right foot is doing? Not quite when it comes to bringing an NWSL expansion team to Vancouver. Canada Soccer is looking for a strong, and stable ownership group committed to growing the women’s game, while also supplying the financial costs associated with adding an NWSL team to Canadian market.

Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC to host the Provincial Premier Cup on June 24th and June 25th – BCSA
Youth teams from the EA Sports BC Soccer Premier League will take to the pitches on Saturday June 24th and Sunday June 25th to play for the BC Soccer Provincial Premier Cup. Semi-final matches will take place this weekend setting up what is sure to be a great finals weekend (Semi-final match schedule). With a focus on development, this season marks the first year that all BCSPL franchise teams make the playoffs in their respective age divisions offering teams and players more scouting and development opportunities.

U-18 T-wolves hungry for shot at A provincial title – Prince George Citizen
The Prince George Timberwolves are poised to make Prince George soccer history. All they have to do is beat Kamloops in a two-game under-18 boys soccer playoff series June 24-25 and they’ll be on their way to Surrey for the A provincial championship tournament.

KYSA goalkeeper Kosolofski cracks Team B.C. for North American Indigenous Games – Kamloops This Week
Now a 14-year-old Grade 8 student at Brocklehurst middle school, she will be representing Team B.C. at the 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Toronto next month, what is expected to be the largest sporting and cultural gathering of Indigenous Peoples in North America.

BC Soccer Web’s 2017 Soccer & Sports Book Recommendations – BC Soccer Web
Over the years, there have been many books on soccer and sport that have given us joy, laughter, and much to think about. We’re happy to share these with you. We’ll be updating this list as new titles become available, so keep checking.

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.

PDL PHOTOS: TSS Rovers 2 Lane Utd. 2, May 12, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

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.

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

Canadian soccer goalie Stephanie Labbé relishes mental health challenges – CBC
Stephanie Labbé battles with depression and she enjoys it. If that’s a perplexing concept, consider that Labbé is a professional athlete. She lives for competition and thrives on challenges. For her, every moment is a chance to improve herself.

Why I Don’t Blame Montreal for the Poor Canada Friendly Game Attendance – The Link
6,026. That was one of the worst attendance numbers I have been given for a game at the Montreal Impact’s home in a while. Over social media, a quick glance would suffice to find comments about how horrible Montreal is at not even cracking the five-figure attendance number for a national team game.

People and Places – Maple Leaf Forever
When North American sports teams report their “attendance” they usually mean the number of tickets distributed rather than the number of people actually attending the game. More concisely, they are lying: giving a larger number that makes them look good rather than a figure which might reflect how many fans were interested. So even the announced 6,026 fans at Saputo Stadium to watch Canada play Curaçao (formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, now a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands with a population of 160,000) was fake news.

Dylon Powley – The next great Calgary Foothills GK – Northern Starting XI
In Calgary Foothills’ short time as a PDL club, they have been known to field some excellent players in goal. Simon Thomas, who played for Foothills during their 2014 exhibition campaign, is in his third year in Norway, and is a regular on the Canadian national men’s team. As well, Sean Melvin and Nolan Wirth, who split duties in 2015, have both signed USL deals with Whitecaps FC 2 and Phoenix Rising, respectively. Melvin made his national team debut in January, and Wirth has suited up for the national under 20 team in 2015.

Manitoba to Host 2017 Soccer Championship – MyToba
The Manitoba Bison women’s soccer program will host, for the first-time ever, the 2017 U SPORTS women’s soccer championship from November 9-12. As the host, the Bisons will be one of the eight teams competing at the championship.

Register for the Western Canada College ID Camp at Shawnigan Lake

UNITED SOCCER LEAGUE

SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC vs. WFC2

SATURDAY, JUNE 17, 2017, 8:00 PM

PAPA MURPHY’S PARK, SACRAMENTO, CA

WFC2’s Wynne set to take on Ronaldo and Chicharito at Confederations Cup – Whitecaps FC
Deklan Wynne is set to compete in the biggest soccer competition of his life.

Whitecaps FC 2 cap off road swing in Sacramento – Whitecaps FC
Fresh off a tough test in the desert versus Didier Drogba and Phoenix Rising FC, Whitecaps FC 2 visit another MLS hopeful in Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday.

Foreclosed Strikers Set for Public Auction – Empire of Soccer
One of the most recognizable names in soccer in the United States will be available on the auction block next week. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a storied member of both the original and modern North American Soccer League, will be auctioned to the highest bidder in an online public sale on Tuesday, June 20.

FC Edmonton prepares for “local derby” in San Francisco – the11.ca
This Saturday night, the San Francisco Deltas are hosting a special night for singles at Kezar Stadium, offering the chance for like-minded soccer fans to meet and mingle.

USL Week 13: Review, Preview and How to Watch – MLS Multiplex
This past week the USL witnessed the first on-field appearance by the legendary Didier Drogba. Drogba, long time star of the Ivory Coast (Republic of Côte d’Ivoire) men’s national team, Chelsea and Montreal Impact, amongst other top clubs worldwide, played all 90 minutes for Phoenix Rising last Saturday night. He scored the first goal (check the video below) to lead his side to victory.

Fury Finding Their Footing In USL – Northern Starting XI
It may have taken a few months but Ottawa Fury have finally found their footing in the USL, climbing into a playoff position. After finding just one win in their first seven USL matches, Fury have won three of their last four matches which has pushed them out of the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Once sitting second from the bottom, Fury now sit in seventh with games in hand on some clubs.

NASL Week 12: A Look Ahead – SBI
This was a busy week for NASL, as three NASL teams featured in U.S. Open Cup play last Wednesday.

A New York Soccer Story: Puerto Rico FC’s Sidney Rivera – Empire of Soccer
Soccer isn’t merely Sidney Rivera‘s profession, it’s the reason he exists. Rivera’s parents, Carolos and Ana, both immigrated to the United States mainland as teenagers and found each other in Brooklyn through the sport.

USL Division Three ready for take-off – by avoiding plane travel – The Telegraph
We’re not trying to put a team in California and everyone else on the East Coast,” says Steven Short, the United Soccer League D3 vice president. “We understand that can be detrimental.”

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WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

Official: Juventus launch women’s team – Football Italia
Juventus have officially confirmed that they will enter a women’s team into next year’s Serie A Femminile.

The Lowdown: Jordan Angeli and the club no one wants to join – The Equalizer
Here’s a quick challenge. Find someone in women’s soccer who has crossed paths with Jordan Angeli and not come out better for the experience. It won’t be easy. So why does it seem appropriate for Tiff Weimer to say, “If you never have to talk to Jordan Angeli, it’s probably a good thing?”

How to disappear completely: Will Hope Solo return – and does she even want to? – The Guardian
The outspoken USA goalkeeper, who turns 36 this summer, is inching back into the spotlight after a six-month suspension and shoulder replacement surgery.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Cristiano Ronaldo wants Real Madrid exit amid tax accusations – source – ESPN FC
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo wants to quit the club and leave Spain this summer after being accused of tax evasion, a source confirmed to ESPN FC following multiple reports in Europe.

Gianluigi Donnarumma says he will not renew deal and leaves Milan devastated – The Guardian
Gianluigi Donnarumma has put Europe’s elite clubs on alert after deciding not to renew his contract with Milan.

Now for football. Stage set for Russia’s Confederations Cup kick off amid human rights and ticketing concerns – Inside World Football
With the Confederations Cup set to kick off tomorrow with hosts Russia facing New Zealand in the newly completed Kreztovsky stadium in St Petersburg, CEO of the Local Organising Committee Alexei Sorokin said they could not find corroboration of the “alarming” allegations. Meanwhile, stadia are slowing filling though there are still 7,000 tickets for the opening game.

SBI’s 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup Preview – SBI
We may still have one more year until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but that doesn’t mean a boring summer is approaching. Beginning Saturday, Russia will host the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. This will be a debut for the hosts in this competition, as well for Chile and Portugal.

Russia under pressure not as hosts, but as a footballing nation in decline – ESPN FC
Russia’s underperforming national team cannot escape the sense that they are letting a proud country down, as their preparations for the 2018 World Cup on home soil begin in earnest with Saturday’s Confederations Cup opener against New Zealand in Saint Petersburg.

Russia preps Confed Cup security aimed at terrorists, hooligans and protesters – Toronto Star
The country is under pressure to showcase a safe host nation for the 2018 Word Cup, but is facing numerous challenges.

European Under-21 Championship: 10 players to watch in Poland – The Guardian
All eyes will be on Poland for a fortnight from 16 June when many of the continent’s most talented young players will contest the 12-team competition.

Swiss prosecutors confirm about 25 FIFA investigations – Sportsnet
About 25 separate investigations of suspected corruption linked to FIFA and World Cup bidding are being led by federal prosecutors in Switzerland, the country’s office for the attorney general said Friday.

The Azteca Pilgrimage – MLS Multiplex
Growing up as a Mexican American I have always had two national teams to support and rarely did I ever have to choose between the two. As a young kid, I had no choice and no thought of ever sporting anything other than a green El Tri kit while watching matches with my familia. Although I got older and I developed a bigger sense of pride for my birth country and its national team, the USA Men’s National Team, along the way.

Jimmy Bullard: ‘I wish I could go back and pick the brains of all of my managers’ – The Guardian
Jimmy Bullard ‘loved every minute’ of his debut season as a manager at Leatherhead in the seventh tier. Now he wants an even bigger challenge.