Women's Pro Soccer Sanctioned for 2012, Time for Teams in the Northwest: Fan View - Yahoo! Sports

The U.S. Soccer Board of Directors sanctioned Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) as a Division I league in the United States for 2012. The WPS had requested a waiver from the standard eight team requirement, and will operate with only five teams. There are stipulations to the agreement.

WPS must add a team in 2013 and another two in 2014 to be in compliance and keep their sanction. That's something the league says they are committed to doing, and U.S. Soccer made a choice to help them get it done.

"We are pleased U.S. Soccer and it's board of directors acknowledge the significance of women's professional soccer," said Jennifer O'Sullivan, WPS CEO in a statement. "There is a tremendous amount of potential for growth both for our league and the women's game on a global scale that could have gone unrealized without a fourth season for WPS."

The Pacific Northwest just the place to do it

WPS needs to add three teams by 2014, and I know just the place they should be looking. If each current city in the Cascadia Cup rivalry in the MLS added a women's team, that would make three. The Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps make up the best rivalry in the MLS.

There's no reason to think a great deal of the intensity found now in the Cascadia Cup wouldn't transfer over to the women's game. If the WPS is truly to expand and succeed, there's no better place in the country to do it. Pacific Northwest fans are the most soccer savvy in the country, and Vancouver definitely fits in with that as well.

The U.S. Women's National Team (USWNT) will be playing in the Olympic qualification tournament in Vancouver in January, and so will the team from Canada. What better way to seed interest in a professional women's team?

The distance problem solved

If just one team came into the league in the Pacific Northwest, there would be a problem with travel, that would also translate into a problem generating local interest. All five teams that will be playing in the WPS in 2012 are back East.

The Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC, and Western New York Flash will be the WPS next year. A solo team in the Pacific Northwest might be a logistical nightmare. Make it three, and suddenly it's a doable proposition.

Just the prescription the league needs

A women's version of the Cascadia Cup rivalry at the professional level could be the best thing that could happen for the WPS. If they cross-marketed with the MLS sides, both could benefit. As a fan, I know I'd love to see the greats in the women's game play here on a regular basis. I hope management of the current teams, or newly interested persons considering ownership, are aware of the huge untapped potential represented.

Jeff Musall is a lifelong fan of soccer in all it's incarnations. He would welcome a Cascadia Cup rivalry in the women's game.

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Africa's away teams find joy - Fifa.com

Away teams were on song in the CAF qualifying competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ as six of the ten matches on Friday ended with wins for the travelling side, while only Equatorial Guinea and Lesotho managed to win at home.

FIFA.com looks at all of the action, which includes big wins for Congo and Namibia.

Match of the day:
Swaziland 1-3 Congo DR
Goals: Sdumo Shongwe '65 (Swaziland); Dioko Kaluyituka '18, Tresor Mabi Mputu '24, Gladys Bokese '73 (Congo DR)

Swazi coach Caleb Ngwenya, who said before the game that Congo DR could prove be too strong for his side, picked a young team in order to give them experience on the big stage. But the visiting Leopards made good use of their dominance in the first half as Kaluyituka and Mputu gave them a two-goal lead. However, Sihlangu came out of the changing rooms a different side and took the game to their opponents. They were rewarded in the 65th minute when substitute Darren Christie took on a couple of defenders and unleashed a powerful shot that crashed against the crossbar. Shongwe, who had come on just five minutes earlier, scored from the rebound. Any hopes the local fans in the Somhlolo National Stadium had of a dramatic comeback were quashed though just eight minutes later as Bokese scored from a corner.

Elsewhere
South Africa-based Rudolf Bester was the first player to get his name on the scoresheet in the CAF qualifying campaign as he opened the scoring for Namibia early in the first half in Djibouti. The Brave Warriors added three goals in the second half to give his side a comfortable 4-0 victory.

In the Stade Said Mohamed Cheikh in Mitsamiouli, defender Miro gave his Mozambique side a 1-0 victory on the Comoros, while Eritrea was one of the few home sides that managed to avoid defeat as they secured a morale-boosting 1-1 draw against Rwanda. In the Seychelles, Kenya proved too strong for the hosts as Pascal Ochieng, Kevin Kimani and Dennis Oliech scored the goals to give the Harambee Stars control of the tie. In N'Djamena, Bakari Hamadi scored with ten minutes to go to give Tanzania's Taifa Stars a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Chad, while 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations co-hosts Equatorial Guinea won thanks to two penalty goals from Juvenal in a 2-0 victory against Madagascar.

Congo secured the biggest win of the day with a 5-0 victory at Sao Tome e Principe, who ended the game with just ten players after Kilson Ceita was sent off. Christopher Missilou and Ladislas Douniama gave the visitors a two-goal cushion after just eight minutes. Francis Malonga scored another ahead of the break before Prince Oniangue and Harris Tchilimbou added two after the break.

Lesotho secured an impressive last-gasp 1-0 victory at home against Burundi, while Togo, who on Tuesday could welcome back striker Emmanuel Adebayor, drew 1-1 in Guinea Bissau.

Player of the day
Brian Mandela (KEN)
With a surname like Mandela, defender Brian Mandela has a lot to live up to. The towering Tusker FC defender has already caught the eye in domestic football and on Kenyan youth sides, but he was given a chance by coach Francis Kimanzi to star for the Harambee Stars in their away game on the Seychelles. And his rock solid display at the back helped Kenya control the match en route to a 3-0 victory, which sets them up well for Tuesday's game in Nairobi.

The stat
2 - The number of home teams that managed to open their qualifying campaign with a victory. Two other teams playing in front of their own supporters secured a draw, while in six matches the away teams won to gain a massive upper hand ahead of the return leg.

What they said
"We played well in the first half. My players were tactically disciplined, and it showed as we were able to score the two goals. We lost our shape a bit in the second half, and the Swazi team, obviously with a lot of home support, came strong at us and as a result they scored their goal. But I am happy with the fighting spirit displayed by my team today." Congo DR coach Claude Le Roy after seeing his side beat Swaziland 3-1.

Results
Friday 11 November
Comoros 0-1 Mozambique
Djibouti 0-4 Namibia
Eritrea 1-1 Rwanda
Seychelles 0-3 Kenya
Swaziland 1-3 DR Congo
Chad 1-2 Tanzania
Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Madagascar
Sao Tome e Principe 0-5 Congo
Guinea-Bissau 1-1 Togo
Lesotho 1-0 Burundi

Fixtures
Saturday 12 November
Somalia-Ethiopia

AC Milan youth teams to play in Tulsa football event-USA today

 the Tulsa Sports Commission says three junior teams from the Italian Soccer powerhouse AC Milan will participate in an international youth event in Tulsa 2012 Memorial Day Weekend. Executive Director, Ray said Friday that Hoyt, if a new soccer complex in Mohawk Park completed in time, the tournament will be held there. If not, will be held at another location Tulsa, 2012 and played in the Park in future years Mohawk.Hoyt says the Commission has worked with AC Milan for months to put together in the tournament. He says that it is a great opportunity to host a large event Tulsa International and partner with youth from around the world top football clubs. approximately 80 teams of national and international youth is expected to play in the event.

West Valley football teams been third in Alaska State tournament-Fairbanks Daily News-mining

West Valley of David Carr, right, does the ball past the Lathrop Cody Shipman during Saturday evening, May 21, 2011 game at West Valley High School. John Wagner/News-slideshow FAIRBANKS mining — both West Valley High School football teams earned no. 3 seed for the Weekend of the ASAA State Championships, scheduled for Thursday through Sunday at Dimond High School in Anchorage and Chugiak high school in Osceola.

Both teams open the tournament on Thursday afternoon in Chugiak.

Boys West Valley receives about Christian grace No.6, the opening round, followed by West Valley girls in South anchorage at 15.00

The tournament is been so four State Conference champions earn 1-4 seeds, based on a formula which takes account of Varsity win record, strength of schedule and the results of the Conference tournament.

Then the Conference champions have been, the other four teams are then placed on the same type.

Each Cook Inlet Conference and the Conference in the Northern lights get three anchoring for the tournament, while the Mid and Southeast Alaska each get a quote.

West Valley girls that for a bit of revenge when they take in South anchorage.

Reds representativeness of Twins 2-0 in a nonconference game on 30 April at the dome in anchorage.

"If we can communicate, as we did tonight and play with incredible intensity, it can be some noise in the tournament," Maggie Black, one of the West Valley team captains said Saturday after the Wolfpack won the Malemutes Lathrop 2-1.

In other opening-round games Thursday, girls no.1 Chugiak plays no. 3 p.m. 8 in Wasilla Dimond, no.4 Soldotna plays no. 5 Dimond on 11 a.m. and no. 2 Skagway-Douglas plays no. 7 colony at 11 a.m. at Dimond.

If the West Valley WINS Thursday, the Twins advance semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday at Dimond against winner Gustavus/colony.

Loss Thursday, would put the Wolfpack in the consolation bracket at the loser Skagway in the South anchorage at 3 p.m. in Chugiak.

West Valley boys played grace Christian during the regular season.

Other games boys Thursday feature no.1 Dimond against No. 8 service at 5 p.m. at Dimond, no.4 Wasilla taking no. 5 South anchorage at 5 p.m. in Chugiak and no. 2 Skagway-Douglas against No. 7 at 1 pm at colony Dimond.

A victory against Grace Christian enters West Valley in semifinals against the winner of Gustavus/colony at 5 p.m. Friday at Dimond. A loss to the Wolfpack falls to the consolation bracket, where they will face the loser/Gustavus colony at 5 p.m. Friday at Chugiak.

Two tournaments conclude Saturday at Dimond. The competition Title girls is at 3: 15 p.m. and the championship game boys are at 5: 45 pm

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