Friday, November 28, 2014

Netherlands qualifies for the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015

27 November 2014

Netherlands have qualified for theFIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™. The Dutch qualified after a 3-2 series win over Italy, earning their first-ever birth to the global finals.

Netherlands is the 23rd nation to qualify for the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™, so now only one spot remains open ahead of the Official Draw on 6 December. Either Trinidad and Tobago or Ecuador will secure the final spot on 2 December 2014.

Teenage star Vivianne Miedema scored all three goals for the Dutch, including a first-half brace in the second leg in Verona, Italy on 27 November. Miedema scored 16 goals in 13 qualification matches on the road to Canada 2015.
From 129 competing nations, only 24 finalists will participate at next year's FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™. The Official Draw, which will feature representatives and head coaches from all 24 teams, will take place on 6 December in Canada's National Capital Region.

For more information on FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ Qualifiers, please visit FIFA.com/Canada2015.

Remaining matches

CONCACAF-CONMEBOL2014-11-08 - ECU 0:0 TRI*
2014-12-02 - TRI v ECU*
*One spot for Canada 2015
UEFA (Europe)
2014-11-22 - NED 1:1 ITA*
2014-11-27 - ITA 1:2 NED*
*One spot for Canada 2015

Canada ready to welcome the world

There has been a lot for football fans to enjoy this year, with the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ providing the high point. And 2015 will be no different, a year in which the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015™ will take centre stage.
The countdown to the premier competition in women’s football will begin on 6 December, when the city of Ottawa hosts the Final Draw.
Given that a record 129 nations entered the competition and that the finals will, for the very first time, feature 24 teams – eight more than at Germany 2011 – it seems fitting that the draw will unfold in the setting of the Canadian Museum of History.

PLUS : FIFA.com/Canada2015

As you might expect, FIFA.com will be keeping you abreast of the latest news on Canada 2015 over the next few months, right through to the final whistle on 6 July next year. So make sure you log on for live streaming of the Final Draw at 12.00 (local time) on 6 December which will be available worldwide. In the meantime, we will be gearing up for the big event with a host of articles, interviews, analyses, photos and videos for you to enjoy.

Draw parties to be hosted from coast to coast

To help celebrate the Official Draw in the Nation's Capital Region, all six host cities from coast to coast will organise viewing parties on Saturday 6 December. Each event will feature a live stream of the Official Draw which will be broadcast around the world starting at 12.00 noon local (12.00 ET / 09.00 PT).
All six parties will start approximately 30 minutes before the Official Draw broadcast. The locations for the six parties are:
Vancouver - Hillcrest Community Centre, starting at 08.30 local
Edmonton - The Pin downtown, starting at 09.30 local
Winnipeg - The Forks Market, starting at 10.00 local
Ottawa - Louis Riel Dome, starting at 11.30 local
Montréal - Bier Market, starting at 11.30 local
Moncton - Aberdeen Cultural Centre, starting at 12.30 local

Tough choices lie ahead as Canada WNT ends 2014 on positive note

Canada finished with a flourish with two confident performances against Sweden. One was a win and the other a draw that could just have easily been a win. So as 2014 rolls into the new year, there’s a clear sign that the team is headed in the right direction.

FIFA trio to face more questions over bid Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cup scandal





Michel D’Hooghe, Worawi Makudi and Angel Maria Villar in a collage of Getty Images file photos.


By Keir Radnedge, Chairman AIPS Football Commission
ZURICH, November 27, 2014 - Three senior members of the FIFA executive committee are being investigated further over the 2018-2022 World Cup bidding scandal. Reports in Germany, apparently confirmed close to the exco, have indicated that current members Angel Maria Villar, Michel D’Hooghe and Worawi Makudi have not heard the last of the inquiry run by ethics chairman Michael Garcia. Villar’s inclusion on the inquiry shortlist is intriguing because the Portugal/Spain for the finals in 2018 was not mentioned by ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert in his controversial, interim 42-page summary of the investigation. This prompted speculation, now apparently confirmed, that there was wide further interest in the role played by the man who has been president of the Spanish federation for the last 25 years. Villar is also a long-serving vice-president of both FIFA and European federation UEFA and was known to be resistant to the Garcia investigation and to have refused an initial request to be interviewed by the American attorney. Such a refusal would have been a violation of the FIFA Code of Ethics, similar to the one which saw former exco member Franz Beckenbauer suspended briefly from all football activities earlier this year. At the time of the controversial vote in December 2010 it was generally understood that Portugal/Spain had agreed an informal vote-swap deal with Qatar. That did not help Villar & Co but may have assisted the Gulf state in its sensational success at the exco ballot box. D’Hooghe has also been a member of the FIFA exco since 1988 and it chairman of the medical committee. He conceded in 2011 that he accepted a “small painting” from an advisor to Russia’s 2018 bid, later describing it as a “poisonous gift” and pointing out that it was worth nothing. His son also obtained a job as a doctor in Qatar but D’Hooghe said on Thursday that it had nothing to do with the bidding race and was a “purely a medical decision without any involvement of myself.” The 68-year-old has said he had informed the ethics committee that he needed “clarify a few things already known cases.” Makudi, from Thailand, is another FIFA veteran and a veteran, also, of many power skirmishes down the years. He was alleged by Lord David Triesman, one-time chairman of England’s 2018 bid, to have sought rights over a TV deal for a friendly match between the two counties. Makudi has denied this and sought, unsuccessfully, to sure Triesman for libel. German icon Beckenbauer, who had been an exco member at the time of the vote and was close to the Australian bid for 2022, may also face further action over his initial refusal to answer questions from Garcia. Also under ethics investigation is Chilean Harold Mayne-Nicholls who led the technical assessments of the bids. He had inquired about unpaid secondments at the Aspire academy in Doha. However the former Chile federation president could hardly be accused of having favoured Qatar – he reported back in no uncertain terms about the problem of playing any sort of football in the searing summer temperatures in the Gulf. FIFA has come under steadily increasing pressure to publish Garcia’s initial 430-page report despite his guarantees of confidentiality to interviewees. Domenico Scala, the respected Swiss businessman who heads the FIFA audit and compliance committee, has been asked to review the report and see what may be put before the exco at its next meeting. The United States FBI and British Serious Fraud Office have also been taking increasing interest in the issues surrounding the bid vote scandal. FIFA has already committed itself to releasing certain evidence to the Swiss criminal authorities which can prompt international judicial action.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

2014 CIS Women's Soccer Awards and All-Canadians

2014 CIS Women's Soccer Awards and All-Canadians

CHANTAL NAVERT MEMORIAL AWARD (player of the year): Jessica King, Trinity Western
King was nothing short of sensational in her fifth and final campaign with the Spartans. The 5-foot-7 senior placed second in Canada West and first on her team with 12 goals in only 11 league contests, including a remarkable, CIS-leading seven game-winners as Trinity Western kept a stellar 10-1-1 record in conference action.
The psychology student scored in all but three games in the regular season and her dozen markers represented 38.7 per cent of the Spartans' entire goal output. Along the way, she collected her first career hat-trick in a victory over UBC Okanagan on September 26. She resumed her offensive prowess in the playoffs with the winning goal in the Canada West final.
King was a big part of the Spartans' back-to-back CIS championship triumphs in 2012 and 2013 and could be part of history this week as Trinity Western hopes to become the first team to claim a third straight Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy.
"Jess is a very special player who continues to have an outstanding season and she is so worthy of this recognition. We recognize that without her ability to finish and generate such quality chances for our team we likely aren't where we are today," said TWU head coach Graham Roxburgh. "I am so proud of her. She has worked so hard to grow in her ability to play at the highest level and to influence the game for all 90 minutes. I have always believed that Jess's soccer savvy, her technical ability and dedication to the game and her teammates would shine through and she is getting everything she deserves."
Strikers Karolyne Blain of Cape Breton, Marie-Ève Jacques of Sherbrooke and Pilar Khoury of Ottawa were the other nominees.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Mélissa Roy, Laval
Roy is the third Laval player to be named CIS rookie of the year, following strikers Marie-Ève Laflamme, who was the inaugural recipient of the award in 1996, and Lisa Nolet in 1998.
A native of Lévis, Que., Roy was a sought-after recruit out of CEGEP (F.-X. Garneau) and she lived up to the billing. Inserted in the starting lineup from day one, she was a key factor as the Rouge et Or maintained a program-best 13-1 record in the regular season while finishing first in the RSEQ conference in both goals scored (48) and fewest goals against (8).
Already considered the cornerstone of the Laval defence, Roy also contributed three goals and two assists in league action and was named player of the game on two occasions. Her stellar play earned her a spot on the first all-Canadian team, a rare feat for a freshman.
"Mélissa is one of the players who helped transform our team this year, particularly thanks to her work ethic and her presence," said Laval head coach Helder Duarte. "She excels at both ends of the pitch and her speed is one of her best assets. You rarely see a lateral defender stand out as much as she does. It's a testament to her talent."
Memorial striker Emily Bailey, Laurier defender Pauline McCordic and Trinity Western striker Seina Kashima were also in the running.

STUDENT-ATHLETE COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Caoimhe McParland, Acadia
McParland, a fourth-year cornerback from Halifax, is the third Acadia player in four years to receive the CIS student-athlete community service award, following Alana Fairfax in 2012 and Cathleen Bleakney in 2011.
Boasting a current GPA of 3.97 and an overall GPA of 3.96 in science, McParland is an exemplary student-athlete, balancing athletics, academics and extensive community involvement.
She has been heavily involved with the Acadia chapter of the Global Medical Brigades (GMB) since it was founded in 2011, serving this year as treasurer and recently taking on the role of vice president of medical. GMB is a student-led global health and sustainable development organization and the Acadia chapter organizes yearly missions in Honduras.
This past year, McParland secured a $500 grant from Doctors Nova Scotia to help offset the costs of providing a mental health first aid course to Acadia's resident assistants and other staff in front-line positions.
The long list of programs and organizations she volunteers with also includes the Acadia S.M.I.L.E. program (Sensory Motor Instructional Learning Experience), the Wolfville nursing home, Kinderskills Acadia, the Acadia Mental Health Society, Hants Community Hospital, Acadia's WITS anti-bullying program, the Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech centre, as well as the Stephen Lewis Foundation's 'Dare Campaign'.
"The most remarkable thing about Caoimhe is that you may know she is a very good player, and it doesn't take long to understand how strong she is academically, but her impact on the community largely goes unnoticed because she just contributes as part of her daily life," said Axewomen head coach Amit Batra. "Giving is her habit and her impact on the community is enormous. The fact that she is being recognized amongst so many great candidates exemplifies and speaks to what so many student-athletes do."
The other nominees were Laval striker Mélissande Guy, UOIT striker Jessica Mithrush and Fraser Valley goalkeeper Kayla Klim.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Peyvand Mossavat, UOIT
Mossavat joined UOIT in 2012 to launch the Ridgebacks program after eight years of coaching the Ryerson Rams and York Lions. He is the winningest coach in Ryerson women's soccer history and is now a three-time OUA division coach of the year (2007, 2012, 2014).
This season, the Ridgebacks opened conference play with a 3-2 upset of perennial powerhouse Ottawa and never looked back, cruising to second place in the OUA East with a sparkling 12-2-2 record. They cracked the national top 10 in the third week of the campaign, becoming the first UOIT team in any sport to accomplish the feat, and were ranked the rest of the way, reaching a season-high of No. 4 in mid-October.
Mossavat, who earlier this year was announced as head coach of the Canadian women's soccer entry for the 2015 Summer Universiade in South Korea, then guided his troops to their first OUA Final Four appearance, their first OUA medal (bronze) and their first CIS championship appearance.
As a player, Mossavat was a member of the Canadian Olympic program, represented Canada in 1993 in the World University Games and was a five-time all-star in the Canadian Professional Soccer League.
"Peyvand has done an outstanding job with this program, putting UOIT on the radar early in our school's history," said Scott Barker, UOIT's manager of intercollegiate athletics. "His success on the field isn't the only important attribute to the school, but his focus on community involvement and each player becoming a well-rounded person is something to be admired. When the program started three years ago, we could never have imagined that we would have this much success so quickly. That success is a direct result of Peyvand and his staff's hard work, passion and dedication to the sport."
UNB's Jonathan Crossland, Laval's Helder Duarte and Trinity Western's Graham Roxburgh were the other nominees.

ALL-CANADIAN TEAMS:
The all-Canadian teams were also announced on Wednesday with reigning two-time CIS champion Trinity Western leading the way with three selections.
Joining King and Roy on the first unit were Alberta goalkeeper Kelti Biggs, defenders Jennifer Castillo of Trinity Western and Emily Nickerson of Acadia, midfielders Michelle Yates of Dalhousie and Sarah Wong of York, as well as strikers Nour Ghoneim of York, Karolyne Blain of Cape Breton, Marie-Ève Jacques of Sherbrooke and Pilar Khoury of Ottawa.
The second squad is comprised of Ottawa keeper Cynthia Leblanc, defenders Mélissa Gougeon of Montreal and Anna Schellenberg of Alberta, midfielders Arielle Roy-Petitclerc of Laval, Vanessa Kovacs of TWU, Jessie De Boer of Queen's, Victoria Parkinson of Dalhousie and Constance de Chantal Dumont of Montreal, as well as forwards Jessie Noseworthy of Memorial, Emma Greig of Victoria and Emily Brown of Laurier.
Blain (2011, 2013-2014) and Brown (2012-2013-2014) both became three-time all-Canadians, while Nickerson, Wong, Jacques, Roy-Petitclerc, Kovacs and Leblanc were all honoured for the second straight season.
Jacques was the Chantal Navert Award winner as CIS MVP in 2013.
First Team
Pos. - Athlete - University - Year - Hometown - Faculty
G - Kelti Biggs - Alberta - 5 - Spruce Grove, Alta. - PE & Recreation
D - Jennifer Castillo - TWU - 5 - Surrey, B.C. - Human Kinetics
D - Mélissa Roy - Laval - 1 - Lévis, Que. - Orientation
D - Emily Nickerson - Acadia - 2 - Coldbrook, N.S. - Kinesiology
M - Michelle Yates - Dalhousie - 5 - Fall River, N.S. - Science
M - Sarah Wong - York - 4 - Toronto, Ont. - Kin. & Health Science
M/S - Jessica King - TWU - 5 - Liverpool, England - Psychology
S - Marie-Ève Jacques - Sherbrooke - 3 - Sherbrooke, Que. - Business Admin.
S - Pilar Khoury - Ottawa - 4 - Ottawa, Ont. - Health Sciences
S - Karolyne Blain - Cape Breton - 4 - Sudbury, Ont. - Science
S - Nour Ghoneim - York - 3 - Aurora, Ont. - Psychology
Second Team
G - Cynthia Leblanc - Ottawa - 4 - Granby, Que. - Social Work
D - Mélissa Gougeon - Montreal - 2 Laval, Que. - Physiotherapy
D - Anna Schellenberg - Alberta - 4 - Edmonton, Alta. - PE & Recreation
M - Arielle Roy-Petitclerc - Laval - 2 - St. Nicolas, Que. - Sports Intervention
M - Vanessa Kovacs - TWU - 4 - North Delta, B.C. - Business
M - Jessie De Boer - Queen's - 4 - North Vancouver, B.C. - P. & Health Education
M - Victoria Parkinson - Dalhousie - 3 - Halifax, N.S. - Nursing
M - Constance De Chantal Dumont - Montreal - 3 - St. Alexandre, Que. - Physiotherapy
S - Jessie Noseworthy - Memorial - 2 - St. John's, Nfld. - Nursing
S - Emma Greig - Victoria - 4 - Tofino, B.C. - Science
S - Emily Brown - Laurier - 4 - Waterloo, Ont. - Business