BC SOCCER NEWS

BC Soccer Web Feature Matches – Nov.17-23 – BC Soccer Web

Canada headlines the week with their second Group A World Cup Qualifier on the road. Whitecaps are done, but MLS Cup Playoffs resume. Closer to home, our focus shifts to the senior leagues as they approach the midway point of their seasons. We also have a pair of local lower division matches from Devon Rowcliffe.

Squamish Nation soccer players score gold at Brazil’s World Indigenous Games – North Shore News

Low, bottom-left corner. That’s where Justine Laughren of the Squamish Nation was aiming when she took her shot during the penalty kick shootout at the gold-medal soccer final at the first-ever World Indigenous Games in Brazil earlier this month. With 8,000-plus football-crazy fans packed inside Palmas Stadium, the mood was electric as the Canadian women played a hard-fought nil-all regulation draw against host Brazil.

Comox Valley United wins third straight VISL Div. 1 game – Comox Valley Record

As the days keep getting colder, Comox Valley United keeps heating up. The local men’s soccer side posted their third straight win Saturday, beating Bays United 2-0 to take sole possession of second place in Div. 1 of the Vancouver Island Soccer League.

‘Caps on Campus: WFC Girls Elite product Jasmin Dhanda named CIS Tournament MVP – Whitecaps FC

The 2015 Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s and women’s soccer championships were held over the weekend, and a number of former Vancouver Whitecaps FC youth players took centre stage for their respective universities.

Former Pinnacle makes adjustment – Penticton Western News

Marisa Mendonca experienced big change making the jump from the Pinnacles Football Club to the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack.

CANADA SOCCER NEWS

FIFA 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

EL SLAVADOR vs. CANADA

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015, 5:30 pm



ESTADIO CUSCATLAN, SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR



Canada in El Salvador for next step on Road to Russia – CSA

Canada’s Men’s National Team is ready to take the next step on the road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™. With a crucial three points earned in their opening match on 13 November against Honduras, Canada will work to seize the opportunity away from home to add to that count.

El Salvador vs. Canada | CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying Match Preview – MLS

For Canada, the road to Russia 2018 is looking a little clearer after a 1-0 win over Honduras in Vancouver on Friday. Sure, the path is still very long, very difficult and one that few are expecting the team to see to its conclusion. But the win over Honduras, in the opener of the semifinal round in CONCACAF, has once again boosted hopes among fans of Les Rouges that, perhaps, this is the qualification cycle.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS – 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers™ Television Rights – CSA

Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about how worldwide television rights are handled for away 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Qualifiers™ matches and why the Canada v El Salvador match to be played on 17 November 2015 is not being televised by Canada Soccer’s broadcast partner, TSN. (Editor’s Note: The match is available on BEin Sports).

El Salvador next up for Canada in WC qualifying – Sportsnet

El Salvador is in Canada’s CONCACAF qualifying group for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and host the Reds on Tuesday. While Canada beat Honduras 1-0 in its opening game on Friday in Vancouver, El Salvador lost 3-0 away to Mexico.

Canada aims to take advantage of understrength El Salvador – Goal

Julian de Guzman is heading into new territory for a Canadian player but with the opportunity to set the record for appearances for the Canadian men’s team, de Guzman is only focused on the rare chance to put Canada on top of its World Cup Qualifying group.

Measured optimism for Canada in El Salvador – Toronto Sun

Measured confidence is a quality rarely associated with Canada’s men’s national team, especially away from home. Road World Cup qualifiers have been uncomfortable, to say the least. Embarrassing, even.

Confidence Ain’t So Easy – Maple Leaf Forever

The last time our men won a road World Cup qualifier against an unquestionably serious country was, for my money, May 2, 1993, when Dale Mitchell and Johnny Catliff led Canada to a 2-1 victory over, as it happens, El Salvador.

Canadian national team thinking enjoyment, not intimidation, on crucial qualifying trip to El Salvador – MLS

When playing in Central America, it’s best for visiting teams to prepare for the unexpected, the unimaginable and the downright bizarre.

Julian de Guzman on verge of Canadian men’s soccer record – CBC

Julian de Guzman won his first Canadian cap almost 14 years ago, a late addition to the 2002 Gold Cup squad after Garret Kusch was injured. “I still have my debut jersey. You could still see the print of Kusch’s name on my jersey with de Guzman over it,” he recalled with a chuckle.

Craig Forrest: ‘They threw bags of urine at us’ – Sportsnet

A former goalkeeper and a recent inductee into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Forrest earned 56 caps for Canada during a 14-year international career, including games in the early ’90s at the very stadium in which the current Canadian team will play in San Salvador this week.

Generational shift up front has Canada national team on the attack – MLS

A potent offensive attack has rarely been one of Canada’s strengths, but a young core of players who have shown a knack for finding the back of the net have fostered a belief within the group that it’s starting to change.

Corea and El Salvador welcome Canada in crucial World Cup qualifying match – FC Edmonton

It will be mixed emotions inside of FC Edmonton’s camp this afternoon, when Eddies midfielder Dustin Corea and El Salvador welcome Canada for each side’s second match of World Cup Qualifiers at San Salvador’s Estadio Cuscatlan. Corea will be looking to add to the ninety minutes he collected in El Salvador’s opening match of Qualifiers against Mexico on Nov. 13.

WCQ: Concacaf semifinal round two preview – Soccer America

Panama, which opened World Cup 2018 qualifying with a 2-0 win at Jamaica, can consolidate its position with a win on Tuesday when it hosts Costa Rica, which will be without the Montreal Impact’s Johan Venegas, Oscar Duarte and Celso Borges, who were all injured in the 1-0 win over Haiti.

Step aside, hockey. Soccer might be Canada’s new favourite sport – McGill Daily

Soccer is growing in popularity among Canadians – the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was watched by 30.7 million Canadians and there was broad media coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015. According to the Canadian Youth Sports Report, soccer is the most popular team sport among children aged 3 to 17, just ahead of hockey, and is gradually gaining an importance that no one can deny.

Follow @bcsoccerweb on Twitter Today!

WHITECAPS FC & MLS NEWS

Keep, Trade or Release 2015: A Vancouver Whitecaps player analysis (Part One – Goalkeepers and Defenders) – AFTN

Vancouver Whitecaps’ 2015 season is over and with it, the hard work for next year begins in earnest. It was a great year in so many ways. The club’s highest ever finish and points total in the MLS era, most wins, most away wins, and, of course, that first Canadian Championship, at long last.

Patient, selective approach propels Portland Timbers to playoff success: “What do we need big stars for?” – MLS

That season, the Timbers added two new Designated Players – striker Fanendo Adi and center back Liam Ridgewell – though neither carried name recognition or big-time international success. And while headlines all over the world went on to herald MLS as an emerging destination for premier talent in 2015 because of the arrivals of players like Sebastian Giovinco, Kaká, and David Villa, the Timbers’ moves barely made for a blip on the radar.

Buck The Trend: Red Bulls look to avoid layoff lethargy – Empire of Soccer

The pattern of poor form after a long layoff has been one that New York has been trying to shake off since mid-season. Some would argue it has been a defining characteristic of the club for the better part of five years. Whatever the case may be, when asked about it after training on Monday, Robles quipped, “You had to bring that up, huh?”

New York Red Bulls “rested, fresh” as training tempo ramps up in rundown to Columbus clash – MLS

After an exciting set of fixtures in the Conference Semifinals, the momentum from those four matches slowed with the international break. The week off has proved to be both a blessing and a curse for a New York Red Bulls side looking to balance the benefits of extra rest, while looking to build on their form heading into Sunday’s match in Columbus.

Donovan: MLS stars right to reject loan moves – Goal

The top foreign players in MLS would be making a wise move if they reject any loan moves this off-season, Landon Donovan says.

Source: MLS discussing elimination of expansion draft – Yahoo Sports

Discussion of eliminating the expansion draft has taken place at the committee level within MLS, according to a highly placed league source. The league has used the draft for every expansion team since 1998 with the inaugural seasons of the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion.

Beckham Group Has Until December 5 to Present Stadium Plans to MLS – Miami New Times

The clock is ticking on David Beckham’s quest to build a soccer stadium in Miami-Dade County. According to a timeline given to school board members today, the sports icon and his business partners have until just December 5 to have a plan ironed out and presented to Major League Soccer. That doesn’t mean a plan has to be totally approved by then; it simply means there must be a plan to approve.

Find a Team or Find a Player. Get Playing with BC Soccer Web FREE Classifieds

NASL & USL NEWS

Julian de Guzman’s absence took away from the NASL title match – Twice a Metro

Ottawa were forced to play without one of their best players, Julian de Guzman, due to some poor planning by the NASL. The league decided to schedule the final during a FIFA international break, a baffling decision that had the potential to leave clubs missing star players for the biggest match of the season. In this case, it did just that, and I’m sure many Fury fans were left wondering ‘what if’.

Indy Eleven Adds NPSL Outfit – Indy Eleven

Indy Eleven Professional Soccer bolstered its player development efforts today by announcing it will field a team in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) beginning in 2016.

Rayo Vallecano supporters are angry about Rayo OKC – Black and Red United

The New York Cosmos may have won the 2015 Soccer Bowl, but in the world of the North American Soccer League, the recent expansion announcement into Oklahoma City is still the leading discussion topic for the second division. While a lot of the response stateside was laughter, the response in Spain was pure anger.

Former Pittsburgh Riverhounds Intern killed in Paris Attacks – Pittsburgh Riverhounds

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are saddened to learn that former intern François-Xavier Prévost was killed during last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris.

BC Soccer Web Premium Classified Ads from only 50 cents per day!

WOMEN’S SOCCER NEWS

2015 CIS Women’s Soccer Awards and All-Canadians – CIS

Nour Ghoneim has been an offensive force since her York Lions debut in 2012. The former CIS rookie of the year, two-time all-Canadian and three-time OUA all-star is one of the most dynamic scorers ever to suit up for York, with a career scoring average of more than one goal per game in conference play (56 in 53 contests).

Baie-d’Urfé park to be renamed after Canadian soccer star – Montreal Gazette

Baie-d’Urfé is planning to honour hometown star Rhian Wilkinson by renaming a park after the Canadian soccer player.

Canadian Nault enjoying great Swedish adventure – Sportsnet

The defender from Trois-Rivières, Que., has carved out an impressive professional career overseas. She’s played important minutes for KIF Örebro since 2013 and is now getting a taste of UEFA Women’s Champions League action. This week, her Swedish side is readying for the second leg of the Round of 16 against Paris Saint-Germain.

Tight contests and strong interest in Europe – FIFA

Weekly wrap of women’s club football primarily looks at the latest UEFA Women’s Champions League action, where fascinating match-ups and big crowds proved the theme. There is also the latest from Germany where some stunning results took the headlines, plus the latest from Australia and Russia.

SAM KERR EXPECTED TO MISS THREE MONTHS WITH FOOT INJURY – NWSL

Sky Blue FC forward Sam Kerr is expected to miss at least three months following an injury to her left foot that she suffered while playing in a Sunday match for Australia W-League club Perth Glory against Brisbane Roar. Scans on Tuesday revealed a ligament rupture to her left foot, ending her W-League season.

BC Soccer Web Premium Classified Ads from only 50 cents per day!

WORLD SOCCER NEWS

Thierry Henry: ‘Tonight at Wembley, the whole world will be French’ – The Sun

“Who wins and who plays well won’t matter at all. It is all about showing the terrorists that we remain strong and united. I was in Dubai on Friday night when the attacks on my home city were taking place and I can tell you that I have never felt so helpless.”

Belgium friendly vs. Spain called off because of security concerns – ESPN FC

Belgium and Spain have called off Tuesday’s friendly in Brussels because of security concerns. The Belgian football federation said the decision was made late on Monday after the government recommended that the game not be played.

Pastore vows PSG return despite death of two friends – Goal

Javier Pastore says he has “a responsibility” to return to Paris Saint-Germain despite losing two friends in the terror attacks last Friday.

French sports minister praises Stade de France security forces for avoiding major tragedy – Canada.com

French sports minister Patrick Kanner praised security officials at the Stade de France for keeping their nerves when faced with the attacks that hit Paris last week, saying Tuesday that a major tragedy had been avoided.

Premier League to issue new security measures after Paris attacks – Goal

The Premier League will issue new security guidelines to its clubs following the attacks in Paris that saw the Stade de France targeted.

Paris attacks a gruesome reminder for sports fans – Sportsnet

Ever since 9/11 I’d be surprised if any sports fan, filing through security at an arena or stadium has been more than a few thoughts away from how glowing a target a major sports event would be for those bent on robbing those they hate of something they love.

Exclusive: Platini and Blatter could get 7 year bans before Xmas – Inside World Football

FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, his would-be successor, face being banned for several years before Christmas whether or not they successfully appeal against their current provisional suspensions.

Tim Howard back in goal as U.S. readies for key World Cup qualifier – SI.com

Tim Howard will be back in goal for the U.S. in a game that matters on Tuesday when the U.S. meets Trinidad and Tobago in their World Cup qualifier at Hasely Crawford Stadium.

CONMEBOL WCQ Preview: Colombia aims to sink Argentina further, and more – SBI

Colombia will look to get back in the win column and move up the CONCACAF World Cup qualifying table when it opens up the fourth round of games with a home match vs. sputtering Argentina. Los Cafeteros are fresh off of grabbing a valuable road point in Chile thanks to a Rodriguez strike, but the pressure is on them to grab a victory at home in order to try and jump back into one of the the top five spots in the standings.

What Brazil can expect from Peru in their World Cup qualifier – Goal

Brazil continues World Cup qualification Tuesday against Ricardo Gareca’s Peru, which comes into the match in high spirits after sealing its first win of the campaign with a 1-0 victory over Paraguay on Friday.

Martin O’Neill has forged Republic of Ireland into a lean, green machine – The Guardian

The manager’s alchemy has transformed a side from looking down and out at Celtic Park a year ago into one heading to Euro 2016 after a night of glory

Dzeko fumes at officials after playoff defeat – Goal

Following a contentious penalty in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s 2-0 defeat to Republic of Ireland, Edin Dzeko has criticized the officials.

Hungary have nothing to lose at Euro 2016 after unexpected qualification – ESPN FC

Hungary haven’t qualified for a major tournament for three long decades, and it looked like they would need some help from above if they were to end that barren run. According to the TV commentator Istvan Hajdu, that is exactly what happened on Thursday in the first leg of Euro 2016 qualifying playoff against Norway in Oslo.

AFC Wimbledon close on new stadium near Plough Lane after Chelsea sale – The Guardian

AFC Wimbledon have moved closer towards building a new stadium near Wimbledon FC’s original Plough Lane home after the supporters’ trust which owns the club voted overwhelmingly to approve the sale to Chelsea of the club’s current Kingsmeadow ground.

India move closer to merger of I-League and ISL – Inside World Football

The I-League wants to introduce a single football league in India in two or three seasons with 14 to 16 competing franchises and clubs from both the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.

At the center of innovation, business, star players, family rivalry: TruSox – SI.com

This is a story about socks. But it involves some of the world’s most prominent athletes and brands. There are patents and investors and incalculable millions on the line. And it pulls back the curtain on a family dispute involving one of the most powerful men in sports.