BC Soccer News, Weekend, March 3-5, 2017

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

 VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC  2  NEW YORK RED BULLS  0

QUARTERFINAL, 2ND LEG

(WHITECAPS WIN 3-1 agg.)

THURSDAY, MARCH 2, 2017

BC PLACE, VANCOUVER, BC

PHOTOS: Whitecaps FC 2 NY Red Bulls 0, CONCACAF Champions League QF, March 2, 2017 – BC Soccer Web
Exclusive Photos for BC Soccer Web by Bill Currie.

Davies, Montero lead Whitecaps FC to CONCACAF Champions League semifinals – Whitecaps FC
Make history. That was Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s goal heading into the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. They said it all week. Actually, they said it all offseason. Mission accomplished.

Goals from Davies, Montero provide hope for Whitecaps attack in 2017 – MLS
A goal from teenage sensation Alphonso Davies five minutes in set the Vancouver Whitecaps on their way to a first CONCACAF Champions League semifinal appearance after winning their quarterfinal match up against the New York Red Bulls at BC Place on Wednesday evening.

Whitecaps beat calendar, Red Bulls on way to Champions League semifinals – Vancouver Sun
It wasn’t exactly Vancouver-New York in 1979 when the Whitecaps beat the Cosmos on their way to a championship in another league and another lifetime. But this was a benchmark victory, an important night for Whitecap franchise that hasn’t had enough memorable ones since they entered MLS in 2011.

Strong start for Whitecaps newcomers in Champions League – Sportsnet
Welcome to Vancouver, Fredy Montero. The Vancouver Whitecaps’ newest Designated Player scored the second goal Thursday evening at BC Place to ensure his new side’s passage to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League, where the club will take on Mexican giants Tigres.

Vancouver Whitecaps reign over Red Bulls – Soccer Shorts
It wasn’t overly pretty and there were times when the Whitecaps were bunkered in their own penalty area for minutes at a time but in the end goals from Alphonso Davies and Fredy Montero were enough to see Vancouver through  to the semi-final of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Davies, Montero power Whitecaps into CCL semis – SBI
The offseason acquisition everyone has been talking about and the youngster ready to captivate a league powered the Vancouver Whitecaps into the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League on Thursday night, with a 2-0 (3-1 aggregate) win over the New York Red Bulls at BC Place.

Davies, Montero lead Whitecaps past Red Bulls – The Record
He is just a teenager but Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Alphonso Davies proved he belonged on a field of men.

Mexico, here we come: Get to know Tigres UANL ahead of the Champions League semis – Whitecaps FC
Mexico, here we come. Vancouver Whitecaps FC will face reigning Mexican Liga MX champions Tigres UANL in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. The ‘Caps clinched their first-ever semifinal berth on Thursday night at BC Place, defeating New York Red Bulls 2-0 to win the two-leg series 3-1 on aggregate.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Philadelphia Union | 2017 MLS Match Preview – MLS
The final match of Week 1 of the 2017 season features a pair of teams looking to improve upon their 2016 seasons, with the Philadelphia Union aiming to boost their stock following their sixth-place finish in the East while the Whitecaps will hope to rebound from a disappointing campaign that saw them finish eighth out West.

Canadian MLS teams look to take the next step – CBC
2016 was, on the whole, a banner year for Canadian clubs in Major League Soccer. Toronto FC became the first non-American team in league history to reach MLS Cup after beating their bitter rivals, the Montreal Impact, to get there.  Question is: can they steal the show again this year?

MLS Western Conference: Preview and Predictions – Empire of Soccer
Two Western Conference teams — expansion Minnesota and Portland — get a jump on the rest of Major League Soccer in a nationally televised game Friday night from the Timbers’ Providence Park to open the 2017 season.

MLS Week 1: LA-Dallas showdown; New boys debut – NBC Sports
Major League Soccer begins its 22nd season on Friday when Portland hosts one of the league’s two new squads: Minnesota United.

What I Mean When I Say I’m Excited About Minnesota United FC’s Inaugural Season – Fifty Five One
While fans are excited for the start of Minnesota United FC’s inaugural season in MLS, all should be ready to temper their expectations. Only one team, Seattle Sounders FC, has managed to finish better than sixth in their division in their inaugural season.

Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC | MLS Week 1 – March 3, 2017 – MLS
A club with championship ambitions and an established core that was further strengthened by astute offseason acquisitions welcomes an expansion side still taking shape, fueled by a start-up’s adrenaline and a desire to prove the skeptics wrong in their first-ever match. That’s Portland Timbers vs. Minnesota United FC – the match that officially kicks off the 2017 MLS season on Friday night, March 3.

Merritt Paulson: Portland Timbers have ‘fully vetted’ $50 million stadium expansion plan for Providence Park – Oregonian
The Portland Timbers have “fully vetted” and remain optimistic about a $50 million stadium expansion plan that would add 4,000 seats to Providence Park.

Taylor Twellman: New stadium gives Orlando City edge, pressure  – Orlando Sentinel
Soccer fans around the country are keeping an eye on Orlando City as it prepares to debut in its new stadium March 5.

Toyota Stadium’s more than $39 million in renovations make it new ‘mecca of soccer’ – Dallas News
“We get one shot to really get this right,” Dan Hunt, Lamar Hunt’s his son and the president of FC Dallas told The Dallas Morning News Thursday. “It’s going to feel like a brand new stadium.”

Can Matteo Mancosu lead Montreal Impact to MLS title? – Montreal Gazette
The 2017 season brings renewed hope that this will bring a championship parade to downtown Montreal. But are the Impact equipped to go one step further than last season? That, and a number of other questions need to be answered.

TFC unveils Wall of Honour, celebrating moments, player awards – Sportsnet
In the wake of its best-ever season, Toronto FC unveiled its new Wall of Honour at BMO Field on Thursday.

What to watch in MLS this season: 22 teams, top talent and Tata Martino – The Guardian
Atlanta and Minnesota join the fun this year – and there’s plenty more besides. Our expert writers look ahead to what could be MLS’s biggest and best season.

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BC SOCCER NEWS

Triple celebration as Royal City soccer boys collect cup titles – New Westminster Record
It was champions week in the Royal City last week. A trio of Royal City Youth Soccer Club boys teams ended up collecting cup victories to add to the clubhouse mantelpiece.

VISL Upcoming Matches – March 3-6 – VISL
A very busy weekend ahead as we have the ¼ Finals for Jackson Cup.

Nelson’s two goals lead LMG to victory over VI Wave – Cowichan Valley Citizen
Paddy Nelson scored his league-leading 19th and 20th goals of the Vancouver Island Soccer League season on Saturday as Cowichan LMG beat the VI Wave 2-0 at the Sherman Road Turf.

Whitecaps FC confirms spring startup in Terrace B.C. – Terrace Standard
A Vancouver Whitecaps FC soccer academy is officially coming to the northwest. The move was unofficially decided last November, and last week, Feb. 24, the academy announced that the Northwest BC Prospects Academy based in Prince George was expanding to Terrace and Prince Rupert this spring.

BC Soccer Assoc. Scholarships – BCSA
BC Soccer is proud to award scholarships every year to players and referees proceeding on to post-secondary education. The Scholarships are presented at a special Scholarship Celebration at a Whitecaps FC match in June/July each year. Applications must be received by the British Columbia Soccer Association Office by March 31st.

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!

TSS FC Rovers Open Tryouts – TSS Rovers
Vancouver’s newest team, TSS FC Rovers, is looking for Canada’s best up and coming players to play for their first squad in 2017. If you are a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant, could possibly play for our national team one day, and meet the age requirment of 23 and under, we want to see you play!

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.

FVSL All-Stars to face WFC2 in March – BC Soccer Web
January snow and ice in the Lower Mainland put the brakes on the annual clash between the Fraser Valley Soccer League All-Stars and the best from the VISL this year. That hasn’t stopped the FVSL from planning an ambitious All-Star series in March.

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.

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.

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.

Connect with Soccer in British Columbia! Advertise on BC Soccer Web today!

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

Fonseca out as Canadian Soccer Association landscape changes with new coach coming – Cape Breton Post
It appears Fonseca was the victim of a changing landscape at the national governing body. The appointment last September of Jason deVos in the new position of director of development, combined with possible added responsibilities of the new national men’s team coach, is seen to cover the territory previously handled by a high performance director.

Canada Soccer looking for candidates to serve on the Board of Directors starting May 2017 – CSA
Deadline for application is 4:00 pm ET on Wednesday, 22 March 2017.

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Luna Strikes Twice as Toros Earn Win – USL
Ruben Luna scored a pair of goals as Rio Grande Valley FC defeated the Houston Dynamo Academy U18s 4-2 as the Toros continued preseason preparations at Houston Sports Park on Thursday afternoon. The Toros featured several of the Academy’s top alumni including midfielders Christian Lucatero – who opened the scoring – and Marcelo Palomino, as well as forward Charlie Flores.

Reymann Signs with Steel FC – USL
Bethlehem Steel FC announced on Thursday that the club had signed defender Charlie Reymann to his first professional contract. The deal is pending league and federation approval.

NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush steps down – Oregonian
NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush has stepped down. The surprising news comes just over a month before the NWSL is set to start its historic fifth season and just a month after the league announced a transformational partnership with A+E Networks.

Arsenal Ladies’ Jordan Nobbs named Women’s Player of the Year at 2017 London Football Awards – Evening Standard
Arsenal Ladies midfielder Jordan Nobbs has been crowned Women’s Player of the Year at the London Football Awards.

A Go-Ahead Goal: How Three NJ Girls are Growing the Game Across the Globe – Backline Soccer
Soccer is a global game. A game about sportsmanship, about building bridges.  It’s the type of game where three girls from New Jersey can help make life better for those in Granada, Nicaragua, by raising money for a girls’ soccer team and educational program there.

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WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Soccer weekend: What to watch in Europe’s main leagues  – Inside Toronto
What to watch out for in the leading soccer leagues in Europe this weekend.

Premier League Preview: Liverpool vs. Arsenal – NBC Sports
Two powerful teams dealing with wildly disappointing 2017s meet at Anfield on Saturday in a high-powered clash.

Torres released from hospital day after scary head clash– Sportsnet
Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres was released from the hospital on Friday following a scary head-to-head clash which left him unconscious.

PSG look to keep good run going – Ligue 1
Paris Saint-Germain warm up for their trip to Barcelona on UEFA Champions League duty by hosting AS Nancy Lorraine in a crucial Ligue 1 encounter at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.

Atalanta goes against grain of Serie A stereotypes – Sportsnet
Italian football frequently finds itself fighting against the tide of stereotype. Too slow, too tactical, too old—plenty of skeptics have formed an opinion on Serie A without actually watching any Serie A. If they tuned in every so often they’d come across Atalanta, a team from the city of Bergamo in Northern Italy that goes against the grain of stereotype.

Kevin Grosskreutz leaves Stuttgart days after fight in city centre – The Guardian
Kevin Grosskreutz has parted ways with German second-tier side VfB Stuttgart less than four days after being taken to hospital following a fight in the city centre.

Football bids farewell to French legend Raymond Kopa – FIFA
In the history of French football, before the exploits of Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane and others, there was Raymond Kopa. Small in stature but immense in talent, the attacking midfielder played a decisive role in three of Real Madrid’s first five European campaigns. Above all, Kopa will be remembered as the best player of the FIFA World Cup Sweden 1958, alongside his compatriot Just Fontaine, in a tournament that marked the emergence of a certain Pele.

Want to understand Chinese football? Don’t view it through a transfer window – The Guardian
Chinese Super League clubs spent £331m in their winter transfer window but the real action begins this weekend with a cracking match in Guangzhou.

CONCACAF takes control of Caribbean competitions with opening of Jamaica office – Inside World Football
CONCACAF has publicly taken the gloves off in its fight to take control of the Caribbean, announcing it will open its own office in Jamaica later this month. The move will effectively see the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) removed from all competition organisation of qualifying events for CONCACAF championships.

More than 2,000 UK referees to strike this weekend, says official Ryan Hampson – BBC Sport
More than 2,000 amateur referees will go on strike this weekend, according to a teenage official who says he has been “headbutted, spat at and punched”.