Canada men's national soccer team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
For current information on this topic, see 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Canucks, Les Rouges (The Reds) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Canadian Soccer Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach |  Dale Mitchell |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Most caps | Randy Samuel (82) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Dale Mitchell (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | National Soccer Stadium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | CAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA ranking | 81 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 40 (December 1996) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 103 (March 2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elo ranking | 61 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Elo ranking | 32 (May-June 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 92 (May 1979) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unofficial:  United States 0 – 1 Canada  (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Official:  Australia 3 – 2 Canada  (Brisbane, Australia; June 7, 1924) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unofficial:  United States 0 – 7 Canada (St. Louis, USA; November 16, 1904) Official:  Malaysia 0 – 5 Canada (Singapore; August 24, 1986) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mexico 8 – 0 Canada (Mexico City, Mexico; June 18, 1993) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (First in 1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Round 1 (1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 11 (First in 1977) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Winners (1985, 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederations Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (First in 2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Round 1 (2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic medal record | |||
| Men’s Soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 1904 St. Louis | Team | |
The Canadian men's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and represents Canada in international competitions at the senior men's level. Their most notable past achievements include winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000, and qualifying for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. The side has traditionally struggled to earn recognition at home and abroad while experiencing little international success. The Canadian women's national soccer team has enjoyed more international success, and both national teams languish to a large extent in the shadow of the country's highly successful ice hockey teams, as hockey is Canada's de facto national sport, and despite the popularity of youth soccer, there are limited professional avenues for young players within Canada.
Contents |
[edit] History
-
For more details on this topic, see Canadian Soccer Association#History.
[edit] Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada before rules were formalized in Britain, with the Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day Canadian Soccer Association. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to New Jersey to take on a side put forth by the American Football Association, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the United States. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1-0 in East Newark, New Jersey. The American team won 3-2 in a return match one year later. In 1888, a team represented the WFA in a tour of the British Isles, earning a record of nine wins, five draws, and nine losses. The squad comprised 16 Canadian-born players with the only exception being tour organizer David Forsyth, who had immigrated to Canada one year after his birth.[1]
In 1904 Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the Olympic Games in St. Louis, Miss. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs, Christian Brothers College (7-0) and St. Rose (4-0) to win the tournament. No medals were awarded at the time as the competition was a demonstration event, but the IOC subsequently awarded Canada a gold medal and upgraded the status of the competition to an official event.
In 1905, a British team of touring amateurs nicknamed the Pilgrims toured Canada, with their match against Galt billed as the "championship of the world". The match was played in front of almost 4000 fans in Galt, now part of Cambridge, Ontario, and ended in a 3-3 draw.[1]
The Canadian national team toured Australia in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3-2 friendly defeat to Australia in Brisbane on June 24, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals the United States in Montreal, winning 1-0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November of 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, Canada was defeated 5-1. One year later, Canada lost 6-2 to the United States in the same city before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of New Zealand.[1]
[edit] World Cup qualifying 1957 to 1985
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from FIFA in 1928 over a dispute regarding broken time payments to amateur players. They rejoined the confederation in 1946 and took part in World Cup qualifying in the North American Football Confederation (a precursor to CONCACAF) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. In their first qualifier, Canada defeated the USA in Toronto 5-1, but lost two games in Mexico (failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 2-0 and 3-0 before defeating the USA 3-2 in St. Louis. Mexico advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in Sweden.[1]
Canada secured qualification for the 1986 World Cup after beating Honduras 2-1 in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1985.[2] Mexico had qualified as hosts, with Canada earning the remaining CONCACAF spot and the de facto title as CONCACAF champions. At the finals in Mexico in 1986, Canada impressed in a 1-0 loss to France in the first round before losing to both Hungary and the USSR 2-0, finishing at the bottom of the group.
[edit] 1990s
In 1990, Canada took part in the NAFC Championship for the first time, hosting the three-team tournament. Mexico and Canada sent their full squads, but the USA sent a 'B' team. Canada won the tournament after a 1-0 win over the United States on May 6 and a 2-1 win over Mexico on May 13. All three Canadian goals were scored by John Catliff, the tournament's top scorer.
In 1993 Canada finished second in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and advanced to a playoff against the Oceania Football Confederation's top team, Australia.
Canada won the first leg 2-1 in Edmonton. Australia led the second leg 2-1 at the end of 90 minutes, sending the tie to extra time. There was no score in the extra 30 minutes and Australian won a Penalty shootout to eliminate Canada from contention for the USA 94 World Cup.
The team failed to qualify for France 98, losing out in the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying.
[edit] 2000 Gold Cup
In 2000, Canada won the CONCACAF Gold Cup after emerging from the first-round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side the Republic of Korea. A quarter-final extra-time upset over Mexico on Richard Hastings' golden goal set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2-0 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper Craig Forrest winning MVP honours, Carlo Corazzin securing the Golden Boot, and Hastings named "Rookie of the Tournament".
Winning this tournament earned Canada a place in the 2001 Confederations Cup and the Copa América 2001.
[edit] 21st Century
Canada has enjoyed relative success in the Gold Cup, with semi-final appearances in 2002 and 2007 on either side of disappointing first round exits in 2003 and 2005. In 2007, under interim coach Stephen Hart, Canada won their group before losing in the semi-final to the USA. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada were controversially denied a stoppage-time equalizer on a play incorrectly flagged offside by linesman Ricardo Louisville.
In qualifying for both the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup, Canada was unable to capitalize on their Gold Cup successes, failing to reach the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying on both occasions.
On June 7, 2006, head coach Frank Yallop resigned for a job with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Yallop, whose record with Canada was 8-9-3 since his hiring as national team manager on December 16, 2003, returned to the league where he began his coaching career as an assistant in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The former Canadian international had won MLS Cup titles with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 and 2003. On May 18, 2007 the CSA named Dale Mitchell as the new head coach of the senior team. He took over after coaching the under-20 side to three defeats in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in July of 2007.
Members of the media [3] and former national team players, including Rogers Sportsnet commentator and 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP Craig Forrest[4], have stated that the Canadian national program and player development system is in need of a major overhaul. In 2007, the Canadian Soccer Supporters United organized a campaign to have spectators wear black "Sack the CSA" t-shirts at the friendly between Canada and Costa Rica at the National Soccer Stadium.[5]
Canada failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, finishing fourth in their group behind Honduras, Mexico and Jamaica.
[edit] Stadium
Canada's national stadium is the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, known as BMO Field when local resident Toronto FC of Major League Soccer play at home. However, the squad has expressed a preference for a natrual grass surface.[6][7] Only one of Canada's three home games in the third round of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2010 World Cup was played at the National Soccer Stadium. Other stadia that have hosted national team matches include:
- Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta
- King George V Park, St. John's, Newfoundland
- Saputo Stadium, Montreal, Quebec
[edit] Supporters' group
[edit] Recent results
Colors indicate result, Red = Loss, Green = Win, Tan = Tie
[edit] Upcoming fixtures
| Date | Tournament | Location | Home Team | Away Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
 Jamaica |
Canada |
[edit] Current members
[edit] Recent squad
Canadian squad announced to play against Jamaica in World Cup qualifying on November 19.
[edit] Recent call-upsAll call-ups updated to August 13, 2008.
[edit] Youth teams[edit] Coaching staffAs of the Brazil, Panama, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines games in May and June 2008.
[edit] Historic squads[edit] Competitive record
[edit] World Cup record
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.svg){kind=small}
