The
Canada men's national soccer team represents
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
).
Their most significant achievements are winning the
1985 CONCACAF Championship-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------...
to qualify for the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and winning the
2000 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
to qualify for the
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
. Canada also won a gold medal in the
1904 Summer OlympicsAt the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested. Only three club teams competed. No medals were awarded at the time, but the IOC subsequently awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and upgrade the status of the contests to an official event....
.
Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada with the
Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to take on a side put forth by the
American Football AssociationAmerican Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...
, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1–0 in
East NewarkEast Newark is a borough in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,406. The borough is a suburb of the nearby city of 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.
In 1904 Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in
St LouisSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
,
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs,
Christian Brothers CollegeChristian Brothers College can refer to one of several schools:* Christian Brothers College, Adelaide* Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo* Christian Brothers College, Burwood* Christian Brothers College, Cork* Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park...
(7–0) and St. Rose (4–0) to win the tournament. The Toronto Mail and Empire of November 18, 1904 reports that "Immediately after the game, the Galt aggregation, numbering about 50 persons, retired to the office of James W. Sullivan, chief of the Department of Physical Culture, where they received their prize. After a short talk by Mr. James E. Conlon of the Physical Culture Department, Mayor Mundy, of the City of Galt, presented each player on the winning team with a beautiful gold medal." The medals are clearly engraved with the name of the company in St. Louis that made them.
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
CambridgeCambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and ended in a 3–3 draw. Earlier the Pilgrims had been beaten 2–1 by Berlin Rangers, in the city now known as Kitchener.
The Canadian national team toured
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3–2 friendly defeat to the Australian national football team in Brisbane on June 7, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals, the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, winning 1–0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November 1925 in
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Canada was defeated 1–5. One year later, Canada lost 2–6 to the Americans in the same city before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
1957 to 1986
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
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 (NAFC)The North American Football Confederation was founded in 1946 and a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in North America until 1961, when it merged with the CCCF/Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol to form CONCACAF....
(a precursor to
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. Under the guidance of head coach
Don PetrieDon Petrie is a football head coach and former Canadian soccer player.Don Petrie played Vancouver St. Saviour's 1942-43, University of British Columbia 1943-46, St. Saviours again 1946-47, Vancouver City 1947-48.Petrie coached the Vancouver Halecos, helping them win the Canadian club championship...
, Canada defeated the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
5–1 in their opening game, but lost two games in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 0–2 and 0–3 before defeating the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
3–2 in St. Louis.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Canada withdrew from World Cup qualifying for
1962The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
and did not enter a team for
1966The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. They did compete in soccer however at the
1967 Pan American GamesThe fifth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in Winnipeg, Canada, from July 24 to August 3, 1967. Eight teams divided in two groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Brazil defending the title...
, their first time to do so in the sixth edition of the games, which they hosted in
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Canada finished a respectable fourth place, helped somewhat by defending champion Brazil's absence.
A 0–0 draw away to
BermudaThe Bermuda national football team is the national team of Bermuda and is controlled by the Bermuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF, it is not among its strongest teams....
meant the Canadians, under manager
Peter DinsdalePeter Dinsdale was a football player and coach. He played 239 times for Huddersfield Town and was head coach of the Canadian national soccer team for qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-Player:...
, could not advance out of the first round of
qualifying for the 1970 World CupA total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts and defending champions qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
. Dinsdale was replaced by
Frank PikeFrank Pike was a Canadian soccer player and Head coach.-Career:Frank Pike was born in Plymouth, England, and played in midfield as an amateur for hometown club Plymouth Argyle F.C-Coaching career:...
. In their
second participation in soccer at the Pan Am gamesThe sixth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in five cities in Colombia: Cali Cartago, Buga, Palmira and Tuluá, from July 31 to August 12, 1971. Twelve teams divided in three groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Mexico defending the title...
, held in
CaliCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Canada did well to finish second in their opening round group (to hosts
ColombiaThe Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
). In the final group round however, they managed only one win (over Colombia) and finished next to last.
Canada again failed at the first hurdle in qualifying for the 1974 World Cup. Under German manager
Eckhard KrautzunEckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
, they finished second in a home and away qualifying group for the
1973 CONCACAF ChampionshipThe 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the 6th staging of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from November 29 to December 18. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualification for the World Cup. Haiti became winners for the...
(to Mexico). For the
1975 Pan Am GamesThe seventh edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in four cities in Mexico: Mexico City , Guadalajara, Toluca, and Puebla, from October 13 to October 25, 1975. Thirteen teams competed in a round-robin competition, with Argentina defending the title...
, Canada, along with most of the larger Pan Am countries, sent their Olympic team, which was amateur (and senior aged), to compete. After narrowing qualifying out of the first round, the Canucks were soundly defeated by
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
,
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
, and Mexico, conceding a total of 14 goals while scoring none. At the
Summer OlympicsFinal results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
the following year, under head coach Colin Morris, Canada failed to get out of the first round, losing both of their games. This despite the brilliant play of Jimmy Douglas, who scored a wonder goal against the U.S.S.R. and another goal against North Korea, Canada's only two goals for the tournament.
At the
1977 CONCACAF ChampionshipMexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification...
, with both group winners and runners-up now advancing, Canada, again under head coach Krautzun, qualified as runners-up after defeating the Americans 3–0 in a neutral site one-match play-off, played in
Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. In the championship, played in
MonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico won all five of their matches with a plus 15 goals difference to win the tournament handily. Canada finished fourth.
Matters were different however at the next
CONCACAF championship
, in 1981, played in
TegucigalpaTegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
. Canada entered the tournament raising eyebrows by winning their qualifying group over Mexico and the States. In tournament play, the Canadians opened strongly with a 1–0 win over
El SalvadorEl Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, with
Mike StojanovicMomčilo Stojanović was an NASL and Canadian international soccer forward...
the goal-scorer, and a 1–1 tie against Haiti, with Stojanovic scoring again. They next lost to the hosts
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
1–2 and then drew with Mexico 1–1. A win in their final game against
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
would have put them through to Spain, but they were held to a 2–2 draw, allowing El Salvador to qualify as tournament runners-up.
1981 through 1985 saw Canada develop under the guidance of English manager
Tony WaitersAnthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
. So close in 1981, Waiters would see the Maple Leafs through to their first World Cup finals appearance in 1985. A 1–1 away draw to
GuatemalaThe Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
was key in allowing them to eliminate Los Chapines in the first round group. The second round was also closely contested, in part as this Canadian squad was strong defensively but had limited ability to score goals. The Canucks managed to eke out a 1–0 away win over Honduras, thanks to a
George PakosGeorge "Teddy" Pakos is a former Canadian international soccer player. His goals were crucial in Canada qualifying for its only FIFA World Cup finals to date, in 1986....
winner, hold
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
scoreless in
San JoséSan José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
, and then in their final game, one they needed to draw to qualify, beat Los Catrachos a second time, 2–1 in
St. John'sSt. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
,
NewfoundlandNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, with Pakos and
Igor VrablicIgor Vrablic is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels, as a striker.-Club career:...
the goal scorers. The victory not only secured their first World Cup finals berth, but also the crown of CONCACAF champions for the first time, although Mexico did not compete, having already qualified automatically for the World Cup as hosts.
At the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, Canada impressed defensively in their first game, allowing few chances and conceding a late
Jean-Pierre PapinJean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
goal to lose to France 0–1. They lost their next two matches to both Hungary and the
USSRThe Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
0–2, however, to finish at the bottom of their group.
1990s
Qualification for
1990The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
lasted all of two matches for Canada, a home-and-away series with Guatemala, played in October 1988. The Central Americans won the first game 1–0 in
Guatemala CityGuatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
while Canada prevailed in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
3–2. Tied on goal difference, Los Chapines advanced on away goal rule.
1990 saw Canada take part in the first North American Nations Cup, hosting the three-team tournament.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and Canada sent their full squads, but the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
sent a 'B' team. Canada won the tournament after a 1–0 win over the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
on May 6 and a 2–1 win over
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on May 13. All three Canadian goals were scored by
John CatliffJohn Catliff is a former Canadian professional soccer player. He has the second most goals scored for the Canadian national team with 18 goals between 1984 and 1994.-Club career:...
, the tournament's top scorer.
Canada came close to qualifying for the World Cup again in
1994Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the North, Central American and Caribbean zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
under the guidance of a defender on the 1986 team,
Bob LenarduzziRobert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
. They entered the tournament at the second round stage and advanced as group runners-up. Canada competed strongly in the final qualifying round, drawing their first match in Tegucigalpa after a controversial penalty allowed the Hondurans to tie, winning their next two, over El Salvador and Honduras in Vancouver, losing convincingly at Azteca Stadium, and winning 2–1 in San Salvador. They went into their final group match against Mexico, in Toronto, needing a win to win the group and thus qualify directly for the World Cup. Canada went up 1–0 on a goal credited to
Alex BunburyAlexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
off a corner, but Mexico scored twice in the second half to win, 2–1. The loss meant Canada finished second and advanced to an intercontinental play-off series where they needed to win two rounds to qualify for the
USA 94 World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. The Reds went up against
Oceania Football ConfederationThe Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
's champions 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, meaning the series was decided by a penalty shootout which Australia won 4–1 to eliminate Canada from contention. Australia went on to lose 2–1 on aggregate to
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, who advanced to the World Cup.
With the World Cup to be played in the U.S., Canada had the opportunity to play a number of high-profile squads in tune-up matches. The highlight of this set of matches—played against
MoroccoThe Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
, Brazil,
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
,
SpainThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
all within 13 days—was Canada holding eventual World Cup champions Brazil to a 1–1 draw at
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, on 69th minute equalizer by
Eddy BerduscoEddy Berdusco is a retired professional footballer from Canada.-Club career:The son of Italian immigrants, Berdusco was the original Canadian Soccer League's 3rd all-time highest goal scorer with 54 from 1988 through 1992 as a member of North York Rockets...
, on Canada's only real scoring chance in the game. Also memorable were accusations by Dutch players after their match of the Canadians tackling too aggressively for a friendly.
With three countries set to qualify out of CONCACAF for the
1998 World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, and with Canada handily winning their second round group over El Salvador,
PanamaThe Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
, and Cuba, expectations were high for a second qualification in 12 years in the spring of 1997. The Canadians, however, fared miserably, losing their opening game to Mexico 0–4 and the following one to the U.S. 0–3. At home in their next two matches to El Salvador and Jamaica they could only manage two 0–0 draws as they finished bottom of the group with 6 points from 10 games and a −15 goal difference. Having overseen two consecutive World Cup campaigns end in the side failing to qualify, Lenarduzzi stepped down in 1997 and was replaced by interim manager
Bruce TwamleyBruce Richardson Twamley is a former Canadian international footballer.Twamley began his professional career with Ipswich Town but after only two appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Canada and played for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League for one season in 1975...
.
21st century
The Canadian Soccer Association turned to another German to lead the senior national team in 1999 with the signing to the post of
Holger OsieckHolger Osieck is a German football coach and current coach of the Australian national association football team. Prior to the Australian role, he most recently managed J.League club Urawa Red Diamonds, where he won the 2007 AFC Champions League. He served as an assistant coach of West Germany...
. Success came rather quickly with Canada winning the
CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
in February 2000. After emerging from the first round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side Republic of Korea, the Canucks scored a quarter-final extra-time upset win over Mexico on
Richard HastingsRichard Cory Hastings is a retired Canadian football player, who played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht and Hamilton Academical....
'
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
. The win set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2–0 at
Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper
Craig ForrestCraig Lorne Forrest is a Canadian soccer commentator and a former goalkeeper.-Club career:...
winning MVP honours,
Carlo CorazzinGiancarlo Michele 'Carlo' Corazzin is a former professional Canadian soccer player who has appeared for the Canadian national team 59 times and has scored 11 goals. He is of Italian descent.-Club career:...
securing the Golden Boot and Hastings named Rookie of the Tournament.
Expectations were again high following the winter's result, but the campaign quickly and thoroughly sputtered, as several had done before. A positive 1–0 away result in
HavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in June was followed by a listless 0–0 home draw against Cuba. For the semi-final round two out of four teams advanced. The
Dwight YorkeDwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
-led
Trinidad and TobagoThe Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
showed in their game against Canada, the opening one for both squads, that they were contenders, defeating les Rouges 0–2 in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Canada managed just one goal in 6 games while conceding 8 to finish third in the standings, well adrift of advancing sides T&T and Mexico.
Winning the Gold Cup, however, did earn Canada a place in the
2001 Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
, where the highlight was holding
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
to a 0–0 draw. The Gold Cup victory also won them an invitation to compete in the
Copa América 2001The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body....
. When security concerns prompted the cancellation of the tournament, Canada disbanded their training camp and Canadian players returned to their club teams. The tournament was then reinstated and held on schedule. The Canadian Soccer Association announced they would not be able to participate in the reinstated tournament.
Canada had another strong showing in the
2002 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, losing to the United States in the semi-finals in penalties, and then defeating South Korea in the third-place game, 2–1. There was a Gold Cup held
the following yearThe 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
as so as to hold the event in years between the World Cup and the Olympics, and Canada was eliminated in the first round on goal difference. Head coach Osieck had seen the side progress but was unable to secure the inclusion of Canada's top scorer
Tomasz RadzinskiNot to be confused with the Czech footballer Tomáš RosickýTomasz Radzinski is a Canadian association footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently unattached.-Club career:...
into the squad. The manager resigned in September 2003 and former player Colin Miller was put in charge as an interim.
2004 marked the beginning of
qualifying for the 2006 World CupListed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for North, Central America and the Caribbean. A total of 34 teams took part , competing for 3.5 places in the World Cup.The qualification process was divided in three stages...
, and a new era under the guidance of former Canadian skipper
Frank YallopFrank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer....
. He seemed just the man for the job after seeing the
San Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
to two
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
championships in three years. Things began brightly, with the Canadians dispatching of
BelizeThe Belize national football team is the national team of Belize and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize. It is affiliated to the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF...
handily in the Premilinary Round, 8–0 on aggregate, in a home-and-home series. Matters turned, however, just as they had done four years earlier, with Canada finishing bottom in a group featuring Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. They managed only 5 points from 6 matches and a −4 goal difference.
Hard times continued under Yallop as the Canucks again went out at the first barrier in the
Gold CupThe 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
, losing to both the U.S. and Costa Rica, while defeating Cuba. The manager stayed on through 2005 into the following summer, overseeing a series a friendlies against European sides. He resigned on June 7, 2006 to become head coach of the
Los Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, finishing with a win-lose record of 8–9–3.
Things turned around under interim coach
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
's guidance. Canada opened their
2007 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
campaign with a 2–1 win over Costa Rica. A 1–2 upset loss to upstarts
GuadeloupeThe Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
was followed by a convincing 2–0 victory over Haiti, securing Canada first-place in their group. They next beat Guatemala 3–0 in their quarter-final match setting up a semi-final showdown with the host Americans at
Soldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
.
Frankie HejdukFrank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
scored first in the 39th minute and
Landon DonovanLandon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
added to the American tally, scoring on a penalty. Substitute
Iain HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
scored for Canada in the 76th minute. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada pressed for the equalizer but were controversially denied when
Atiba HutchinsonAtiba Hutchinson is a professional Canadian soccer player who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:...
's stoppage-time goal was incorrectly flagged offside by linesman Ricardo Louisville.
Prior to the Gold Cup, on May 18, 2007, the Canadian Soccer Association announced that former national team player
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
would take over as head coach of the senior team after the
2007 FIFA U-20 World CupThe 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
. Mitchell had previously served as an assistant coach under coach Frank Yallop. Mitchell was head coach of the
men's U-20 squadCanada U-20 men's national soccer team, also known as Canada Under-20s or Canada U-20s, is the youth club for national soccer in Canada. It plays a large role in the development of Canadian soccer, and is considered to be the feeder team for the Canada men's national soccer team...
at three
Under 20 World CupsThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
. Following the announcement, Canada's U-20's went scoreless in the 2007 U-20 World Cup and were eliminated in first round play.
The team faced criticism for its poor handling of goalkeeper
Greg SuttonGreg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
, who suffered a concussion during a practice in Miami prior to the start of the Gold Cup in May. Without a doctor accompanying the team, Sutton instead saw a local physician who cleared him to practice, resulting in Sutton suffering post-concussion syndrome. Sutton was lost to his professional club
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for nearly a year.
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
then decided not to call up any Canadian players playing in North America for that summer's friendlies. Under Mitchell, Canada drew friendlies with
IcelandThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
away and against Costa Rica at home, lost 0–2 to
South AfricaThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
in
DurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, had a 1–0 win over
MartiniqueThe Martinique national football team represents the French overseas department and region of Martinique in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue de Football de la Martinique , a local branch of French Football Federation . On 7 August 2010, the national team adopted the...
, and a 0–2 defeat to
EstoniaThe Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
in
TallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. Optimism grew however as Canada played well in a 2–3 loss to Brazil, in a match played at
Qwest FieldCenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
.
Despite defeating
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team is the national team of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is controlled by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation....
7–1 on aggregate in a second round series—they had had a bye in the first—Canada did not play at the level they had showed at the Gold Cup and were eliminated from
qualifying for the 2010 World CupThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
. They conceded an equalizer shortly after scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw to
JamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, conceded two second half goals in quick succession in a 1–2 home loss to Honduras at
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
, and then lost away to Mexico and Honduras. They finished last in the four-team group with just 2 points from 6 matches.
On March 27, 2009, head coach Dale Mitchell was fired. The president of the Canadian Soccer Association, Dominic Maestracci, said that "[the Canadian Soccer Association is] committed to the future of our men’s national team program. We have made this decision to move the program in a new direction." Technical director Stephen Hart was renamed as interim head coach.
On December 9, 2009
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
was named as Head Coach.
Stadiums
Soccer-specific stadiums in Canada include
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
in Toronto (home to
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
) and
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
in Montreal (home to
Montreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
) and
King George V ParkKing George V Park is a soccer-specific stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake in downtown St. John's. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium of Newfoundland...
in St. John's. Canada played its
2010 World Cup qualificationThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
home games at BMO Field, Saputo Stadium, and
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
in Edmonton.
Canada has played all recent home games at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
.
Recent results
Key
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Score |
Away Team |
Scorers |
| November 15, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
4 – 0 |
|
OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Simpson , RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| November 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
BasseterreBasseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
, Saint Kitts and Nevis |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
Toronto, Canada |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 7, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Gros Islet Gros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
, St. Lucia |
|
0 – 7 |
|
JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
|
| September 6, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
BayamonBayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
, Puerto Rico |
|
0 – 3 |
|
Hume Iain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
, JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| September 2, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Toronto, Canada |
|
4 – 1 |
|
Simpson , De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Johnson |
| June 14, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, United States |
|
1 – 1 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 11, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
TampaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, United States |
|
1 – 0 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 7, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, United States |
|
2 – 0 |
|
|
| June 1, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
2 – 2 |
|
Dunfield Terry Dunfield is a Canadian soccer player, currently playing for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| March 29, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
AntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey |
|
0 – 1 |
|
Hainault |
| February 9, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
Larissa Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Greece |
|
1 – 0 |
|
|
Upcoming fixtures
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Away Team |
| February 29, 2012 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 8, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 7, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 11, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 16, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
Group C
Coaching staff
Current squad
This squad was selected by coach Stephen Hart for Canada's Round 2, World Cup 2014 Qualifying matches on November 11, 2011 and November 15, 2011 vs.
Saint Kitts and NevisThe Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team is the national team of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is controlled by the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association...
. All statistics as of November 15, 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
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|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
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! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the national squad within the last twelve months: Updated 3 November 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
The
Canada men's national soccer team represents
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
).
Their most significant achievements are winning the
1985 CONCACAF Championship-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------...
to qualify for the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and winning the
2000 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
to qualify for the
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
. Canada also won a gold medal in the
1904 Summer OlympicsAt the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested. Only three club teams competed. No medals were awarded at the time, but the IOC subsequently awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and upgrade the status of the contests to an official event....
.
Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada with the
Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to take on a side put forth by the
American Football AssociationAmerican Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...
, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1–0 in
East NewarkEast Newark is a borough in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,406. The borough is a suburb of the nearby city of 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.
In 1904 Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in
St LouisSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
,
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs,
Christian Brothers CollegeChristian Brothers College can refer to one of several schools:* Christian Brothers College, Adelaide* Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo* Christian Brothers College, Burwood* Christian Brothers College, Cork* Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park...
(7–0) and St. Rose (4–0) to win the tournament. The Toronto Mail and Empire of November 18, 1904 reports that "Immediately after the game, the Galt aggregation, numbering about 50 persons, retired to the office of James W. Sullivan, chief of the Department of Physical Culture, where they received their prize. After a short talk by Mr. James E. Conlon of the Physical Culture Department, Mayor Mundy, of the City of Galt, presented each player on the winning team with a beautiful gold medal." The medals are clearly engraved with the name of the company in St. Louis that made them.
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
CambridgeCambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and ended in a 3–3 draw. Earlier the Pilgrims had been beaten 2–1 by Berlin Rangers, in the city now known as Kitchener.
The Canadian national team toured
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3–2 friendly defeat to the Australian national football team in Brisbane on June 7, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals, the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, winning 1–0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November 1925 in
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Canada was defeated 1–5. One year later, Canada lost 2–6 to the Americans in the same city before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
1957 to 1986
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
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 (NAFC)The North American Football Confederation was founded in 1946 and a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in North America until 1961, when it merged with the CCCF/Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol to form CONCACAF....
(a precursor to
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. Under the guidance of head coach
Don PetrieDon Petrie is a football head coach and former Canadian soccer player.Don Petrie played Vancouver St. Saviour's 1942-43, University of British Columbia 1943-46, St. Saviours again 1946-47, Vancouver City 1947-48.Petrie coached the Vancouver Halecos, helping them win the Canadian club championship...
, Canada defeated the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
5–1 in their opening game, but lost two games in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 0–2 and 0–3 before defeating the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
3–2 in St. Louis.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Canada withdrew from World Cup qualifying for
1962The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
and did not enter a team for
1966The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. They did compete in soccer however at the
1967 Pan American GamesThe fifth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in Winnipeg, Canada, from July 24 to August 3, 1967. Eight teams divided in two groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Brazil defending the title...
, their first time to do so in the sixth edition of the games, which they hosted in
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Canada finished a respectable fourth place, helped somewhat by defending champion Brazil's absence.
A 0–0 draw away to
BermudaThe Bermuda national football team is the national team of Bermuda and is controlled by the Bermuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF, it is not among its strongest teams....
meant the Canadians, under manager
Peter DinsdalePeter Dinsdale was a football player and coach. He played 239 times for Huddersfield Town and was head coach of the Canadian national soccer team for qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-Player:...
, could not advance out of the first round of
qualifying for the 1970 World CupA total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts and defending champions qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
. Dinsdale was replaced by
Frank PikeFrank Pike was a Canadian soccer player and Head coach.-Career:Frank Pike was born in Plymouth, England, and played in midfield as an amateur for hometown club Plymouth Argyle F.C-Coaching career:...
. In their
second participation in soccer at the Pan Am gamesThe sixth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in five cities in Colombia: Cali Cartago, Buga, Palmira and Tuluá, from July 31 to August 12, 1971. Twelve teams divided in three groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Mexico defending the title...
, held in
CaliCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Canada did well to finish second in their opening round group (to hosts
ColombiaThe Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
). In the final group round however, they managed only one win (over Colombia) and finished next to last.
Canada again failed at the first hurdle in qualifying for the 1974 World Cup. Under German manager
Eckhard KrautzunEckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
, they finished second in a home and away qualifying group for the
1973 CONCACAF ChampionshipThe 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the 6th staging of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from November 29 to December 18. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualification for the World Cup. Haiti became winners for the...
(to Mexico). For the
1975 Pan Am GamesThe seventh edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in four cities in Mexico: Mexico City , Guadalajara, Toluca, and Puebla, from October 13 to October 25, 1975. Thirteen teams competed in a round-robin competition, with Argentina defending the title...
, Canada, along with most of the larger Pan Am countries, sent their Olympic team, which was amateur (and senior aged), to compete. After narrowing qualifying out of the first round, the Canucks were soundly defeated by
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
,
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
, and Mexico, conceding a total of 14 goals while scoring none. At the
Summer OlympicsFinal results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
the following year, under head coach Colin Morris, Canada failed to get out of the first round, losing both of their games. This despite the brilliant play of Jimmy Douglas, who scored a wonder goal against the U.S.S.R. and another goal against North Korea, Canada's only two goals for the tournament.
At the
1977 CONCACAF ChampionshipMexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification...
, with both group winners and runners-up now advancing, Canada, again under head coach Krautzun, qualified as runners-up after defeating the Americans 3–0 in a neutral site one-match play-off, played in
Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. In the championship, played in
MonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico won all five of their matches with a plus 15 goals difference to win the tournament handily. Canada finished fourth.
Matters were different however at the next
CONCACAF championship
, in 1981, played in
TegucigalpaTegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
. Canada entered the tournament raising eyebrows by winning their qualifying group over Mexico and the States. In tournament play, the Canadians opened strongly with a 1–0 win over
El SalvadorEl Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, with
Mike StojanovicMomčilo Stojanović was an NASL and Canadian international soccer forward...
the goal-scorer, and a 1–1 tie against Haiti, with Stojanovic scoring again. They next lost to the hosts
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
1–2 and then drew with Mexico 1–1. A win in their final game against
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
would have put them through to Spain, but they were held to a 2–2 draw, allowing El Salvador to qualify as tournament runners-up.
1981 through 1985 saw Canada develop under the guidance of English manager
Tony WaitersAnthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
. So close in 1981, Waiters would see the Maple Leafs through to their first World Cup finals appearance in 1985. A 1–1 away draw to
GuatemalaThe Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
was key in allowing them to eliminate Los Chapines in the first round group. The second round was also closely contested, in part as this Canadian squad was strong defensively but had limited ability to score goals. The Canucks managed to eke out a 1–0 away win over Honduras, thanks to a
George PakosGeorge "Teddy" Pakos is a former Canadian international soccer player. His goals were crucial in Canada qualifying for its only FIFA World Cup finals to date, in 1986....
winner, hold
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
scoreless in
San JoséSan José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
, and then in their final game, one they needed to draw to qualify, beat Los Catrachos a second time, 2–1 in
St. John'sSt. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
,
NewfoundlandNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, with Pakos and
Igor VrablicIgor Vrablic is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels, as a striker.-Club career:...
the goal scorers. The victory not only secured their first World Cup finals berth, but also the crown of CONCACAF champions for the first time, although Mexico did not compete, having already qualified automatically for the World Cup as hosts.
At the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, Canada impressed defensively in their first game, allowing few chances and conceding a late
Jean-Pierre PapinJean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
goal to lose to France 0–1. They lost their next two matches to both Hungary and the
USSRThe Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
0–2, however, to finish at the bottom of their group.
1990s
Qualification for
1990The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
lasted all of two matches for Canada, a home-and-away series with Guatemala, played in October 1988. The Central Americans won the first game 1–0 in
Guatemala CityGuatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
while Canada prevailed in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
3–2. Tied on goal difference, Los Chapines advanced on away goal rule.
1990 saw Canada take part in the first North American Nations Cup, hosting the three-team tournament.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and Canada sent their full squads, but the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
sent a 'B' team. Canada won the tournament after a 1–0 win over the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
on May 6 and a 2–1 win over
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on May 13. All three Canadian goals were scored by
John CatliffJohn Catliff is a former Canadian professional soccer player. He has the second most goals scored for the Canadian national team with 18 goals between 1984 and 1994.-Club career:...
, the tournament's top scorer.
Canada came close to qualifying for the World Cup again in
1994Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the North, Central American and Caribbean zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
under the guidance of a defender on the 1986 team,
Bob LenarduzziRobert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
. They entered the tournament at the second round stage and advanced as group runners-up. Canada competed strongly in the final qualifying round, drawing their first match in Tegucigalpa after a controversial penalty allowed the Hondurans to tie, winning their next two, over El Salvador and Honduras in Vancouver, losing convincingly at Azteca Stadium, and winning 2–1 in San Salvador. They went into their final group match against Mexico, in Toronto, needing a win to win the group and thus qualify directly for the World Cup. Canada went up 1–0 on a goal credited to
Alex BunburyAlexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
off a corner, but Mexico scored twice in the second half to win, 2–1. The loss meant Canada finished second and advanced to an intercontinental play-off series where they needed to win two rounds to qualify for the
USA 94 World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. The Reds went up against
Oceania Football ConfederationThe Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
's champions 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, meaning the series was decided by a penalty shootout which Australia won 4–1 to eliminate Canada from contention. Australia went on to lose 2–1 on aggregate to
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, who advanced to the World Cup.
With the World Cup to be played in the U.S., Canada had the opportunity to play a number of high-profile squads in tune-up matches. The highlight of this set of matches—played against
MoroccoThe Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
, Brazil,
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
,
SpainThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
all within 13 days—was Canada holding eventual World Cup champions Brazil to a 1–1 draw at
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, on 69th minute equalizer by
Eddy BerduscoEddy Berdusco is a retired professional footballer from Canada.-Club career:The son of Italian immigrants, Berdusco was the original Canadian Soccer League's 3rd all-time highest goal scorer with 54 from 1988 through 1992 as a member of North York Rockets...
, on Canada's only real scoring chance in the game. Also memorable were accusations by Dutch players after their match of the Canadians tackling too aggressively for a friendly.
With three countries set to qualify out of CONCACAF for the
1998 World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, and with Canada handily winning their second round group over El Salvador,
PanamaThe Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
, and Cuba, expectations were high for a second qualification in 12 years in the spring of 1997. The Canadians, however, fared miserably, losing their opening game to Mexico 0–4 and the following one to the U.S. 0–3. At home in their next two matches to El Salvador and Jamaica they could only manage two 0–0 draws as they finished bottom of the group with 6 points from 10 games and a −15 goal difference. Having overseen two consecutive World Cup campaigns end in the side failing to qualify, Lenarduzzi stepped down in 1997 and was replaced by interim manager
Bruce TwamleyBruce Richardson Twamley is a former Canadian international footballer.Twamley began his professional career with Ipswich Town but after only two appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Canada and played for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League for one season in 1975...
.
21st century
The Canadian Soccer Association turned to another German to lead the senior national team in 1999 with the signing to the post of
Holger OsieckHolger Osieck is a German football coach and current coach of the Australian national association football team. Prior to the Australian role, he most recently managed J.League club Urawa Red Diamonds, where he won the 2007 AFC Champions League. He served as an assistant coach of West Germany...
. Success came rather quickly with Canada winning the
CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
in February 2000. After emerging from the first round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side Republic of Korea, the Canucks scored a quarter-final extra-time upset win over Mexico on
Richard HastingsRichard Cory Hastings is a retired Canadian football player, who played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht and Hamilton Academical....
'
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
. The win set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2–0 at
Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper
Craig ForrestCraig Lorne Forrest is a Canadian soccer commentator and a former goalkeeper.-Club career:...
winning MVP honours,
Carlo CorazzinGiancarlo Michele 'Carlo' Corazzin is a former professional Canadian soccer player who has appeared for the Canadian national team 59 times and has scored 11 goals. He is of Italian descent.-Club career:...
securing the Golden Boot and Hastings named Rookie of the Tournament.
Expectations were again high following the winter's result, but the campaign quickly and thoroughly sputtered, as several had done before. A positive 1–0 away result in
HavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in June was followed by a listless 0–0 home draw against Cuba. For the semi-final round two out of four teams advanced. The
Dwight YorkeDwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
-led
Trinidad and TobagoThe Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
showed in their game against Canada, the opening one for both squads, that they were contenders, defeating les Rouges 0–2 in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Canada managed just one goal in 6 games while conceding 8 to finish third in the standings, well adrift of advancing sides T&T and Mexico.
Winning the Gold Cup, however, did earn Canada a place in the
2001 Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
, where the highlight was holding
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
to a 0–0 draw. The Gold Cup victory also won them an invitation to compete in the
Copa América 2001The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body....
. When security concerns prompted the cancellation of the tournament, Canada disbanded their training camp and Canadian players returned to their club teams. The tournament was then reinstated and held on schedule. The Canadian Soccer Association announced they would not be able to participate in the reinstated tournament.
Canada had another strong showing in the
2002 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, losing to the United States in the semi-finals in penalties, and then defeating South Korea in the third-place game, 2–1. There was a Gold Cup held
the following yearThe 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
as so as to hold the event in years between the World Cup and the Olympics, and Canada was eliminated in the first round on goal difference. Head coach Osieck had seen the side progress but was unable to secure the inclusion of Canada's top scorer
Tomasz RadzinskiNot to be confused with the Czech footballer Tomáš RosickýTomasz Radzinski is a Canadian association footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently unattached.-Club career:...
into the squad. The manager resigned in September 2003 and former player Colin Miller was put in charge as an interim.
2004 marked the beginning of
qualifying for the 2006 World CupListed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for North, Central America and the Caribbean. A total of 34 teams took part , competing for 3.5 places in the World Cup.The qualification process was divided in three stages...
, and a new era under the guidance of former Canadian skipper
Frank YallopFrank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer....
. He seemed just the man for the job after seeing the
San Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
to two
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
championships in three years. Things began brightly, with the Canadians dispatching of
BelizeThe Belize national football team is the national team of Belize and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize. It is affiliated to the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF...
handily in the Premilinary Round, 8–0 on aggregate, in a home-and-home series. Matters turned, however, just as they had done four years earlier, with Canada finishing bottom in a group featuring Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. They managed only 5 points from 6 matches and a −4 goal difference.
Hard times continued under Yallop as the Canucks again went out at the first barrier in the
Gold CupThe 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
, losing to both the U.S. and Costa Rica, while defeating Cuba. The manager stayed on through 2005 into the following summer, overseeing a series a friendlies against European sides. He resigned on June 7, 2006 to become head coach of the
Los Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, finishing with a win-lose record of 8–9–3.
Things turned around under interim coach
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
's guidance. Canada opened their
2007 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
campaign with a 2–1 win over Costa Rica. A 1–2 upset loss to upstarts
GuadeloupeThe Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
was followed by a convincing 2–0 victory over Haiti, securing Canada first-place in their group. They next beat Guatemala 3–0 in their quarter-final match setting up a semi-final showdown with the host Americans at
Soldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
.
Frankie HejdukFrank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
scored first in the 39th minute and
Landon DonovanLandon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
added to the American tally, scoring on a penalty. Substitute
Iain HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
scored for Canada in the 76th minute. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada pressed for the equalizer but were controversially denied when
Atiba HutchinsonAtiba Hutchinson is a professional Canadian soccer player who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:...
's stoppage-time goal was incorrectly flagged offside by linesman Ricardo Louisville.
Prior to the Gold Cup, on May 18, 2007, the Canadian Soccer Association announced that former national team player
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
would take over as head coach of the senior team after the
2007 FIFA U-20 World CupThe 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
. Mitchell had previously served as an assistant coach under coach Frank Yallop. Mitchell was head coach of the
men's U-20 squadCanada U-20 men's national soccer team, also known as Canada Under-20s or Canada U-20s, is the youth club for national soccer in Canada. It plays a large role in the development of Canadian soccer, and is considered to be the feeder team for the Canada men's national soccer team...
at three
Under 20 World CupsThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
. Following the announcement, Canada's U-20's went scoreless in the 2007 U-20 World Cup and were eliminated in first round play.
The team faced criticism for its poor handling of goalkeeper
Greg SuttonGreg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
, who suffered a concussion during a practice in Miami prior to the start of the Gold Cup in May. Without a doctor accompanying the team, Sutton instead saw a local physician who cleared him to practice, resulting in Sutton suffering post-concussion syndrome. Sutton was lost to his professional club
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for nearly a year.
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
then decided not to call up any Canadian players playing in North America for that summer's friendlies. Under Mitchell, Canada drew friendlies with
IcelandThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
away and against Costa Rica at home, lost 0–2 to
South AfricaThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
in
DurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, had a 1–0 win over
MartiniqueThe Martinique national football team represents the French overseas department and region of Martinique in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue de Football de la Martinique , a local branch of French Football Federation . On 7 August 2010, the national team adopted the...
, and a 0–2 defeat to
EstoniaThe Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
in
TallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. Optimism grew however as Canada played well in a 2–3 loss to Brazil, in a match played at
Qwest FieldCenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
.
Despite defeating
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team is the national team of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is controlled by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation....
7–1 on aggregate in a second round series—they had had a bye in the first—Canada did not play at the level they had showed at the Gold Cup and were eliminated from
qualifying for the 2010 World CupThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
. They conceded an equalizer shortly after scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw to
JamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, conceded two second half goals in quick succession in a 1–2 home loss to Honduras at
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
, and then lost away to Mexico and Honduras. They finished last in the four-team group with just 2 points from 6 matches.
On March 27, 2009, head coach Dale Mitchell was fired. The president of the Canadian Soccer Association, Dominic Maestracci, said that "[the Canadian Soccer Association is] committed to the future of our men’s national team program. We have made this decision to move the program in a new direction." Technical director Stephen Hart was renamed as interim head coach.
On December 9, 2009
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
was named as Head Coach.
Stadiums
Soccer-specific stadiums in Canada include
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
in Toronto (home to
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
) and
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
in Montreal (home to
Montreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
) and
King George V ParkKing George V Park is a soccer-specific stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake in downtown St. John's. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium of Newfoundland...
in St. John's. Canada played its
2010 World Cup qualificationThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
home games at BMO Field, Saputo Stadium, and
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
in Edmonton.
Canada has played all recent home games at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
.
Recent results
Key
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Score |
Away Team |
Scorers |
| November 15, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
4 – 0 |
|
OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Simpson , RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| November 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
BasseterreBasseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
, Saint Kitts and Nevis |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
Toronto, Canada |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 7, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Gros Islet Gros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
, St. Lucia |
|
0 – 7 |
|
JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
|
| September 6, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
BayamonBayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
, Puerto Rico |
|
0 – 3 |
|
Hume Iain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
, JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| September 2, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Toronto, Canada |
|
4 – 1 |
|
Simpson , De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Johnson |
| June 14, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, United States |
|
1 – 1 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 11, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
TampaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, United States |
|
1 – 0 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 7, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, United States |
|
2 – 0 |
|
|
| June 1, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
2 – 2 |
|
Dunfield Terry Dunfield is a Canadian soccer player, currently playing for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| March 29, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
AntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey |
|
0 – 1 |
|
Hainault |
| February 9, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
Larissa Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Greece |
|
1 – 0 |
|
|
Upcoming fixtures
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Away Team |
| February 29, 2012 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 8, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 7, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 11, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 16, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
Group C
Coaching staff
Current squad
This squad was selected by coach Stephen Hart for Canada's Round 2, World Cup 2014 Qualifying matches on November 11, 2011 and November 15, 2011 vs.
Saint Kitts and NevisThe Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team is the national team of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is controlled by the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association...
. All statistics as of November 15, 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
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|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the national squad within the last twelve months: Updated 3 November 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
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! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
The
Canada men's national soccer team represents
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
).
Their most significant achievements are winning the
1985 CONCACAF Championship-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------...
to qualify for the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
and winning the
2000 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
to qualify for the
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
. Canada also won a gold medal in the
1904 Summer OlympicsAt the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested. Only three club teams competed. No medals were awarded at the time, but the IOC subsequently awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and upgrade the status of the contests to an official event....
.
Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada with the
Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day
Canadian Soccer AssociationThe Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
to take on a side put forth by the
American Football AssociationAmerican Football Association was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body. It is best known for being the second oldest sports league to form, behind Major League Baseball in 1876, as well as being the oldest soccer league in the United States. The Association was...
, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1–0 in
East NewarkEast Newark is a borough in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 2,406. The borough is a suburb of the nearby city of 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.
In 1904 Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in
St LouisSt. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
,
MissouriMissouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs,
Christian Brothers CollegeChristian Brothers College can refer to one of several schools:* Christian Brothers College, Adelaide* Christian Brothers College, Bulawayo* Christian Brothers College, Burwood* Christian Brothers College, Cork* Christian Brothers College, Monkstown Park...
(7–0) and St. Rose (4–0) to win the tournament. The Toronto Mail and Empire of November 18, 1904 reports that "Immediately after the game, the Galt aggregation, numbering about 50 persons, retired to the office of James W. Sullivan, chief of the Department of Physical Culture, where they received their prize. After a short talk by Mr. James E. Conlon of the Physical Culture Department, Mayor Mundy, of the City of Galt, presented each player on the winning team with a beautiful gold medal." The medals are clearly engraved with the name of the company in St. Louis that made them.
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
CambridgeCambridge is a city located in Southern Ontario at the confluence of the Grand and Speed rivers in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It is an amalgamation of the City of Galt, the towns of Preston and Hespeler, and the hamlet of Blair.Galt covers the largest portion of...
,
OntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, and ended in a 3–3 draw. Earlier the Pilgrims had been beaten 2–1 by Berlin Rangers, in the city now known as Kitchener.
The Canadian national team toured
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3–2 friendly defeat to the Australian national football team in Brisbane on June 7, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals, the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, winning 1–0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November 1925 in
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Canada was defeated 1–5. One year later, Canada lost 2–6 to the Americans in the same city before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
1957 to 1986
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from
FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
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 (NAFC)The North American Football Confederation was founded in 1946 and a forerunner to the CONCACAF as the governing body of football in North America until 1961, when it merged with the CCCF/Confederacion Centroamericana y del Caribe de Futbol to form CONCACAF....
(a precursor to
CONCACAFThe Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. Under the guidance of head coach
Don PetrieDon Petrie is a football head coach and former Canadian soccer player.Don Petrie played Vancouver St. Saviour's 1942-43, University of British Columbia 1943-46, St. Saviours again 1946-47, Vancouver City 1947-48.Petrie coached the Vancouver Halecos, helping them win the Canadian club championship...
, Canada defeated the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
5–1 in their opening game, but lost two games in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 0–2 and 0–3 before defeating the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
3–2 in St. Louis.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Canada withdrew from World Cup qualifying for
1962The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
and did not enter a team for
1966The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. They did compete in soccer however at the
1967 Pan American GamesThe fifth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in Winnipeg, Canada, from July 24 to August 3, 1967. Eight teams divided in two groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Brazil defending the title...
, their first time to do so in the sixth edition of the games, which they hosted in
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. Canada finished a respectable fourth place, helped somewhat by defending champion Brazil's absence.
A 0–0 draw away to
BermudaThe Bermuda national football team is the national team of Bermuda and is controlled by the Bermuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF, it is not among its strongest teams....
meant the Canadians, under manager
Peter DinsdalePeter Dinsdale was a football player and coach. He played 239 times for Huddersfield Town and was head coach of the Canadian national soccer team for qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-Player:...
, could not advance out of the first round of
qualifying for the 1970 World CupA total of 75 teams entered the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. Hosts and defending champions qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition....
. Dinsdale was replaced by
Frank PikeFrank Pike was a Canadian soccer player and Head coach.-Career:Frank Pike was born in Plymouth, England, and played in midfield as an amateur for hometown club Plymouth Argyle F.C-Coaching career:...
. In their
second participation in soccer at the Pan Am gamesThe sixth edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in five cities in Colombia: Cali Cartago, Buga, Palmira and Tuluá, from July 31 to August 12, 1971. Twelve teams divided in three groups of four did compete in a round-robin competition, with Mexico defending the title...
, held in
CaliCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
, Canada did well to finish second in their opening round group (to hosts
ColombiaThe Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
). In the final group round however, they managed only one win (over Colombia) and finished next to last.
Canada again failed at the first hurdle in qualifying for the 1974 World Cup. Under German manager
Eckhard KrautzunEckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
, they finished second in a home and away qualifying group for the
1973 CONCACAF ChampionshipThe 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the 6th staging of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from November 29 to December 18. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualification for the World Cup. Haiti became winners for the...
(to Mexico). For the
1975 Pan Am GamesThe seventh edition of the football tournament at the Pan American Games was held in four cities in Mexico: Mexico City , Guadalajara, Toluca, and Puebla, from October 13 to October 25, 1975. Thirteen teams competed in a round-robin competition, with Argentina defending the title...
, Canada, along with most of the larger Pan Am countries, sent their Olympic team, which was amateur (and senior aged), to compete. After narrowing qualifying out of the first round, the Canucks were soundly defeated by
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
,
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
, and Mexico, conceding a total of 14 goals while scoring none. At the
Summer OlympicsFinal results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New...
the following year, under head coach Colin Morris, Canada failed to get out of the first round, losing both of their games. This despite the brilliant play of Jimmy Douglas, who scored a wonder goal against the U.S.S.R. and another goal against North Korea, Canada's only two goals for the tournament.
At the
1977 CONCACAF ChampionshipMexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification...
, with both group winners and runners-up now advancing, Canada, again under head coach Krautzun, qualified as runners-up after defeating the Americans 3–0 in a neutral site one-match play-off, played in
Port-au-PrincePort-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. In the championship, played in
MonterreyMonterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
and
Mexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico won all five of their matches with a plus 15 goals difference to win the tournament handily. Canada finished fourth.
Matters were different however at the next
CONCACAF championship
, in 1981, played in
TegucigalpaTegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
. Canada entered the tournament raising eyebrows by winning their qualifying group over Mexico and the States. In tournament play, the Canadians opened strongly with a 1–0 win over
El SalvadorEl Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, with
Mike StojanovicMomčilo Stojanović was an NASL and Canadian international soccer forward...
the goal-scorer, and a 1–1 tie against Haiti, with Stojanovic scoring again. They next lost to the hosts
HondurasThe Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
1–2 and then drew with Mexico 1–1. A win in their final game against
CubaThe Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
would have put them through to Spain, but they were held to a 2–2 draw, allowing El Salvador to qualify as tournament runners-up.
1981 through 1985 saw Canada develop under the guidance of English manager
Tony WaitersAnthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
. So close in 1981, Waiters would see the Maple Leafs through to their first World Cup finals appearance in 1985. A 1–1 away draw to
GuatemalaThe Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
was key in allowing them to eliminate Los Chapines in the first round group. The second round was also closely contested, in part as this Canadian squad was strong defensively but had limited ability to score goals. The Canucks managed to eke out a 1–0 away win over Honduras, thanks to a
George PakosGeorge "Teddy" Pakos is a former Canadian international soccer player. His goals were crucial in Canada qualifying for its only FIFA World Cup finals to date, in 1986....
winner, hold
Costa RicaThe Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
scoreless in
San JoséSan José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
, and then in their final game, one they needed to draw to qualify, beat Los Catrachos a second time, 2–1 in
St. John'sSt. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
,
NewfoundlandNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, with Pakos and
Igor VrablicIgor Vrablic is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels, as a striker.-Club career:...
the goal scorers. The victory not only secured their first World Cup finals berth, but also the crown of CONCACAF champions for the first time, although Mexico did not compete, having already qualified automatically for the World Cup as hosts.
At the
1986 FIFA World CupThe 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
, Canada impressed defensively in their first game, allowing few chances and conceding a late
Jean-Pierre PapinJean-Pierre Papin is a former French professional football player who was European Footballer of the Year in 1991.Papin achieved his greatest success while playing for Olympique Marseille between 1986 and 1992...
goal to lose to France 0–1. They lost their next two matches to both Hungary and the
USSRThe Soviet Union National Football Team was the national football team of the Soviet Union. It ceased to exist after the break up of the Union...
0–2, however, to finish at the bottom of their group.
1990s
Qualification for
1990The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
lasted all of two matches for Canada, a home-and-away series with Guatemala, played in October 1988. The Central Americans won the first game 1–0 in
Guatemala CityGuatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America...
while Canada prevailed in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
3–2. Tied on goal difference, Los Chapines advanced on away goal rule.
1990 saw Canada take part in the first North American Nations Cup, hosting the three-team tournament.
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and Canada sent their full squads, but the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
sent a 'B' team. Canada won the tournament after a 1–0 win over the
United StatesThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
on May 6 and a 2–1 win over
MexicoThe Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
on May 13. All three Canadian goals were scored by
John CatliffJohn Catliff is a former Canadian professional soccer player. He has the second most goals scored for the Canadian national team with 18 goals between 1984 and 1994.-Club career:...
, the tournament's top scorer.
Canada came close to qualifying for the World Cup again in
1994Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the North, Central American and Caribbean zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
under the guidance of a defender on the 1986 team,
Bob LenarduzziRobert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
. They entered the tournament at the second round stage and advanced as group runners-up. Canada competed strongly in the final qualifying round, drawing their first match in Tegucigalpa after a controversial penalty allowed the Hondurans to tie, winning their next two, over El Salvador and Honduras in Vancouver, losing convincingly at Azteca Stadium, and winning 2–1 in San Salvador. They went into their final group match against Mexico, in Toronto, needing a win to win the group and thus qualify directly for the World Cup. Canada went up 1–0 on a goal credited to
Alex BunburyAlexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
off a corner, but Mexico scored twice in the second half to win, 2–1. The loss meant Canada finished second and advanced to an intercontinental play-off series where they needed to win two rounds to qualify for the
USA 94 World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. The Reds went up against
Oceania Football ConfederationThe Oceania Football Confederation is one of the six continental confederations of international association football, consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and island nations such as Tonga, Fiji and other Pacific Island countries...
's champions 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, meaning the series was decided by a penalty shootout which Australia won 4–1 to eliminate Canada from contention. Australia went on to lose 2–1 on aggregate to
ArgentinaThe Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, who advanced to the World Cup.
With the World Cup to be played in the U.S., Canada had the opportunity to play a number of high-profile squads in tune-up matches. The highlight of this set of matches—played against
MoroccoThe Morocco national football team , nicknamed أسود الأطلس , is the national team of Morocco and is managed by Eric Gerets. Winners of the African Nations Cup in 1976, they were the first African team to win a group at the World Cup, which they did in 1986, finishing ahead of Portugal, Poland, and...
, Brazil,
GermanyThe Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
,
SpainThe Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
all within 13 days—was Canada holding eventual World Cup champions Brazil to a 1–1 draw at
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, on 69th minute equalizer by
Eddy BerduscoEddy Berdusco is a retired professional footballer from Canada.-Club career:The son of Italian immigrants, Berdusco was the original Canadian Soccer League's 3rd all-time highest goal scorer with 54 from 1988 through 1992 as a member of North York Rockets...
, on Canada's only real scoring chance in the game. Also memorable were accusations by Dutch players after their match of the Canadians tackling too aggressively for a friendly.
With three countries set to qualify out of CONCACAF for the
1998 World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, and with Canada handily winning their second round group over El Salvador,
PanamaThe Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
, and Cuba, expectations were high for a second qualification in 12 years in the spring of 1997. The Canadians, however, fared miserably, losing their opening game to Mexico 0–4 and the following one to the U.S. 0–3. At home in their next two matches to El Salvador and Jamaica they could only manage two 0–0 draws as they finished bottom of the group with 6 points from 10 games and a −15 goal difference. Having overseen two consecutive World Cup campaigns end in the side failing to qualify, Lenarduzzi stepped down in 1997 and was replaced by interim manager
Bruce TwamleyBruce Richardson Twamley is a former Canadian international footballer.Twamley began his professional career with Ipswich Town but after only two appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Canada and played for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League for one season in 1975...
.
21st century
The Canadian Soccer Association turned to another German to lead the senior national team in 1999 with the signing to the post of
Holger OsieckHolger Osieck is a German football coach and current coach of the Australian national association football team. Prior to the Australian role, he most recently managed J.League club Urawa Red Diamonds, where he won the 2007 AFC Champions League. He served as an assistant coach of West Germany...
. Success came rather quickly with Canada winning the
CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
in February 2000. After emerging from the first round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side Republic of Korea, the Canucks scored a quarter-final extra-time upset win over Mexico on
Richard HastingsRichard Cory Hastings is a retired Canadian football player, who played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht and Hamilton Academical....
'
golden goalThe golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
. The win set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2–0 at
Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper
Craig ForrestCraig Lorne Forrest is a Canadian soccer commentator and a former goalkeeper.-Club career:...
winning MVP honours,
Carlo CorazzinGiancarlo Michele 'Carlo' Corazzin is a former professional Canadian soccer player who has appeared for the Canadian national team 59 times and has scored 11 goals. He is of Italian descent.-Club career:...
securing the Golden Boot and Hastings named Rookie of the Tournament.
Expectations were again high following the winter's result, but the campaign quickly and thoroughly sputtered, as several had done before. A positive 1–0 away result in
HavanaHavana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in June was followed by a listless 0–0 home draw against Cuba. For the semi-final round two out of four teams advanced. The
Dwight YorkeDwight Eversley Yorke is a Trinidad and Tobago former football player. He played for Aston Villa for most of his career, followed by stints with Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City, Sydney FC and Sunderland...
-led
Trinidad and TobagoThe Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
showed in their game against Canada, the opening one for both squads, that they were contenders, defeating les Rouges 0–2 in
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Canada managed just one goal in 6 games while conceding 8 to finish third in the standings, well adrift of advancing sides T&T and Mexico.
Winning the Gold Cup, however, did earn Canada a place in the
2001 Confederations Cup-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
, where the highlight was holding
BrazilThe Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
to a 0–0 draw. The Gold Cup victory also won them an invitation to compete in the
Copa América 2001The Copa América 2001 was held in Colombia, from July 11 to July 29, 2001. It was organised by CONMEBOL, South America's football governing body....
. When security concerns prompted the cancellation of the tournament, Canada disbanded their training camp and Canadian players returned to their club teams. The tournament was then reinstated and held on schedule. The Canadian Soccer Association announced they would not be able to participate in the reinstated tournament.
Canada had another strong showing in the
2002 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, losing to the United States in the semi-finals in penalties, and then defeating South Korea in the third-place game, 2–1. There was a Gold Cup held
the following yearThe 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
as so as to hold the event in years between the World Cup and the Olympics, and Canada was eliminated in the first round on goal difference. Head coach Osieck had seen the side progress but was unable to secure the inclusion of Canada's top scorer
Tomasz RadzinskiNot to be confused with the Czech footballer Tomáš RosickýTomasz Radzinski is a Canadian association footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently unattached.-Club career:...
into the squad. The manager resigned in September 2003 and former player Colin Miller was put in charge as an interim.
2004 marked the beginning of
qualifying for the 2006 World CupListed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for North, Central America and the Caribbean. A total of 34 teams took part , competing for 3.5 places in the World Cup.The qualification process was divided in three stages...
, and a new era under the guidance of former Canadian skipper
Frank YallopFrank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer....
. He seemed just the man for the job after seeing the
San Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
to two
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
championships in three years. Things began brightly, with the Canadians dispatching of
BelizeThe Belize national football team is the national team of Belize and is controlled by the Football Federation of Belize. It is affiliated to the Central American Football Union of CONCACAF...
handily in the Premilinary Round, 8–0 on aggregate, in a home-and-home series. Matters turned, however, just as they had done four years earlier, with Canada finishing bottom in a group featuring Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras. They managed only 5 points from 6 matches and a −4 goal difference.
Hard times continued under Yallop as the Canucks again went out at the first barrier in the
Gold CupThe 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
, losing to both the U.S. and Costa Rica, while defeating Cuba. The manager stayed on through 2005 into the following summer, overseeing a series a friendlies against European sides. He resigned on June 7, 2006 to become head coach of the
Los Angeles GalaxyThe Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, finishing with a win-lose record of 8–9–3.
Things turned around under interim coach
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
's guidance. Canada opened their
2007 CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
campaign with a 2–1 win over Costa Rica. A 1–2 upset loss to upstarts
GuadeloupeThe Guadeloupe regional football team represents the French overseas department and region of Guadeloupe in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue Guadeloupéenne de Football , a local branch of French Football Federation ....
was followed by a convincing 2–0 victory over Haiti, securing Canada first-place in their group. They next beat Guatemala 3–0 in their quarter-final match setting up a semi-final showdown with the host Americans at
Soldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
.
Frankie HejdukFrank Daniel "Frankie" Hejduk is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer. He formerly played as right back for Columbus Crew, where he was team captain, and the United States national team.-Youth and College:Hejduk attended San Dieguito High...
scored first in the 39th minute and
Landon DonovanLandon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
added to the American tally, scoring on a penalty. Substitute
Iain HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
scored for Canada in the 76th minute. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada pressed for the equalizer but were controversially denied when
Atiba HutchinsonAtiba Hutchinson is a professional Canadian soccer player who plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:...
's stoppage-time goal was incorrectly flagged offside by linesman Ricardo Louisville.
Prior to the Gold Cup, on May 18, 2007, the Canadian Soccer Association announced that former national team player
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
would take over as head coach of the senior team after the
2007 FIFA U-20 World CupThe 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the sixteenth edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup , hosted by Canada from June 30 to July 22, 2007. Argentina defeated Czech Republic in the title game by the score of 2–1, thus managing a back-to-back world title, its fifth in the past seven editions, and sixth...
. Mitchell had previously served as an assistant coach under coach Frank Yallop. Mitchell was head coach of the
men's U-20 squadCanada U-20 men's national soccer team, also known as Canada Under-20s or Canada U-20s, is the youth club for national soccer in Canada. It plays a large role in the development of Canadian soccer, and is considered to be the feeder team for the Canada men's national soccer team...
at three
Under 20 World CupsThe FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
. Following the announcement, Canada's U-20's went scoreless in the 2007 U-20 World Cup and were eliminated in first round play.
The team faced criticism for its poor handling of goalkeeper
Greg SuttonGreg Sutton is a Canadian soccer player who most recently played for Montreal Impact in the North American Soccer League...
, who suffered a concussion during a practice in Miami prior to the start of the Gold Cup in May. Without a doctor accompanying the team, Sutton instead saw a local physician who cleared him to practice, resulting in Sutton suffering post-concussion syndrome. Sutton was lost to his professional club
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
for nearly a year.
Dale MitchellDale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
then decided not to call up any Canadian players playing in North America for that summer's friendlies. Under Mitchell, Canada drew friendlies with
IcelandThe Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
away and against Costa Rica at home, lost 0–2 to
South AfricaThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
in
DurbanDurban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, had a 1–0 win over
MartiniqueThe Martinique national football team represents the French overseas department and region of Martinique in international football. The team is controlled by the Ligue de Football de la Martinique , a local branch of French Football Federation . On 7 August 2010, the national team adopted the...
, and a 0–2 defeat to
EstoniaThe Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
in
TallinnTallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. Optimism grew however as Canada played well in a 2–3 loss to Brazil, in a match played at
Qwest FieldCenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
.
Despite defeating
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesThe Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national football team is the national team of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and is controlled by the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation....
7–1 on aggregate in a second round series—they had had a bye in the first—Canada did not play at the level they had showed at the Gold Cup and were eliminated from
qualifying for the 2010 World CupThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
. They conceded an equalizer shortly after scoring the opening goal in a 1–1 draw to
JamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
, conceded two second half goals in quick succession in a 1–2 home loss to Honduras at
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
, and then lost away to Mexico and Honduras. They finished last in the four-team group with just 2 points from 6 matches.
On March 27, 2009, head coach Dale Mitchell was fired. The president of the Canadian Soccer Association, Dominic Maestracci, said that "[the Canadian Soccer Association is] committed to the future of our men’s national team program. We have made this decision to move the program in a new direction." Technical director Stephen Hart was renamed as interim head coach.
On December 9, 2009
Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
was named as Head Coach.
Stadiums
Soccer-specific stadiums in Canada include
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
in Toronto (home to
Toronto FCToronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
) and
Saputo StadiumSaputo Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which opened on May 21, 2008, and is the current home of the Montreal Impact. The stadium is built on the former practice track and field site on the grounds of the 1976 Summer Olympics, while the stadium's west side has a...
in Montreal (home to
Montreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
) and
King George V ParkKing George V Park is a soccer-specific stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland, located at the head of Quidi Vidi Lake in downtown St. John's. The stadium was built in 1925 as the National stadium of Newfoundland...
in St. John's. Canada played its
2010 World Cup qualificationThe CONCACAF qualification stage for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa consisted of 35 national teams competing for the three berths given automatically to CONCACAF by FIFA. The United States, Mexico and Honduras qualified...
home games at BMO Field, Saputo Stadium, and
Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
in Edmonton.
Canada has played all recent home games at
BMO FieldBMO Field is a Canadian soccer stadium located in Exhibition Place in the city of Toronto. The open-air structure can seat up to 21,800 spectators, depending on seating configurations. It is owned by the City of Toronto, and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd...
.
Recent results
Key
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Score |
Away Team |
Scorers |
| November 15, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
4 – 0 |
|
OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Simpson , RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| November 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
BasseterreBasseterre , estimated population 15,500 in 2000, is the capital of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Geographically, the Basseterre port is located at , on the south western coast of Saint Kitts Island, and it is one of the chief commercial depots of the Leeward Islands...
, Saint Kitts and Nevis |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 11, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualificaion |
Toronto, Canada |
|
0 – 0 |
|
|
| October 7, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Gros Islet Gros Islet is a community located near the northern tip of the island country of Saint Lucia. Originally a quiet fishing village, it has gone on to become one of the more popular tourist destinations in the country....
, St. Lucia |
|
0 – 7 |
|
JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, OcceanOlivier Occean is a Canadian footballer player who currently plays for SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.-College soccer:...
, HumeIain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
|
| September 6, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
BayamonBayamón is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo...
, Puerto Rico |
|
0 – 3 |
|
Hume Iain Edward Hume is a Scottish-born Canadian international soccer player who plays as a striker for Preston North End FC.Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Hume plays internationally for Canada.-Tranmere Rovers:...
, JacksonSimeon Alexander Jackson is a professional footballer who plays for Norwich City.He has previously played for Rushden & Diamonds and Gillingham. Jackson was born in Jamaica but plays internationally for Canada.- Early years :...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| September 2, 2011 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Second Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The second round saw the teams ranked 7–25 joined by the 5 winners from the first round...
|
Toronto, Canada |
|
4 – 1 |
|
Simpson , De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
, Johnson |
| June 14, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, United States |
|
1 – 1 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 11, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
TampaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, United States |
|
1 – 0 |
|
De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
| June 7, 2011 |
Gold Cup The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
DetroitDetroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, United States |
|
2 – 0 |
|
|
| June 1, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada |
|
2 – 2 |
|
Dunfield Terry Dunfield is a Canadian soccer player, currently playing for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
, RickettsTosaint Antony Ricketts is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for Politehnica Timişoara in Romanian Liga 2.-Early career:Ricketts began his youth career at University of Wisconsin Green Bay.- MYPA :...
|
| March 29, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
AntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
, Turkey |
|
0 – 1 |
|
Hainault |
| February 9, 2011 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
Larissa Larissa is the capital and biggest city of the Thessaly region of Greece and capital of the Larissa regional unit. It is a principal agricultural centre and a national transportation hub, linked by road and rail with the port of Volos, the city of Thessaloniki and Athens...
, Greece |
|
1 – 0 |
|
|
Upcoming fixtures
| Date |
Tournament |
Location |
Home Team |
Away Team |
| February 29, 2012 |
Friendly An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 8, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| June 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 7, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| September 11, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 12, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
| October 16, 2012 |
2014 World Cup Qualification This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.-Format:The third round will see the teams ranked 1–6 joined by the 6 group winners from the second round...
|
TBD |
|
|
Group C
Coaching staff
Current squad
This squad was selected by coach Stephen Hart for Canada's Round 2, World Cup 2014 Qualifying matches on November 11, 2011 and November 15, 2011 vs.
Saint Kitts and NevisThe Saint Kitts and Nevis national football team is the national team of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is controlled by the St. Kitts and Nevis Football Association...
. All statistics as of November 15, 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
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|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
Recent callups
The following players have also been called up to the national squad within the last twelve months: Updated 3 November 2011.
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
|-----
! colspan="9" bgcolor="#B0D3FB" align="left" |
|----- bgcolor="#DFEDFD"
World Cup record
FIFA World Cup recordThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
|
| Year |
Round |
Position |
GP |
W |
D* |
L |
GS |
GA |
1930The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
|
Did Not Enter |
1934The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
|
1938The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
|
1950The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
|
1954The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game...
|
1958The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European...
|
Did Not Qualify |
1962The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
|
Withdrew |
1966The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
|
Did Not Enter |
1970The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
|
Did Not Qualify |
1974The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
|
1978The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
|
1982The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
|
1986The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
|
Group Stage |
24th |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
1990The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
|
Did Not Qualify |
1994The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
|
1998The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
|
2002The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
|
2006The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
|
2010The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
|
2014The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014....
|
Has not yet qualified
|
2018The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...
|
| 2022 The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
|
| Total |
Group Stage |
1/19 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
Confederations Cup record
| Year |
Round |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GS |
GA |
| 1992 -Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Goalscorers:2 goals Gabriel Batistuta Bruce Murray1 goal Alberto Acosta Ricardo Altamirano...
to 1999-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:6 goals Cuauhtémoc Blanco Marzouq Al-Otaibi Ronaldinho4 goals Alex3 goals José Manuel Abundis Zé Roberto-Notes:...
|
Did not qualify |
2001-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
|
Round 1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
2003The 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup football tournament was the sixth FIFA Confederations Cup, held in France in June 2003. France retained the title they had won in 2001, but the tournament was overshadowed by the death of Cameroon player Marc-Vivien Foé, who died of heart failure in his side's...
to 2009The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
|
Did not qualify |
| Total |
1/8 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
Gold Cup record
| CONCACAF Championship/Gold Cup The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
|
| Total: 2 Titles |
| Year |
Round |
GP |
W |
D |
L |
GS |
GA |
1963-Group A:Results-----------------------------------------Group B:Results-------------------------Final round:-------------------------External links:*...
to 1971-Final tournament:-------------------------------------------------------------Result:-External links:****...
|
Did not enter |
1973The 1973 CONCACAF Championship, the 6th staging of the CONCACAF Championship, was held in Haiti from November 29 to December 18. All matches were played at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince. This is the first edition to double as qualification for the World Cup. Haiti became winners for the...
|
Did not qualify |
1977Mexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification...
|
Fourth place |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
1981
|
Fourth place |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
1985-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------...
|
Champions |
4 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
| 1989 The 1989 CONCACAF Championship was the last edition of the CONCACAF Championship held under the format of serving as qualification to the 1990 FIFA World Cup and having no host nation for the final round....
|
Did not qualify |
| 1991 -Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
|
Round 1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
9 |
| 1993 -Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:11 goals Zaguinho5 goals Luis Miguel Salvador4 goals Eduardo Bennett3 goals Juan Arnoldo Cayasso Octavio Mora...
|
Round 1 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
1996The 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
Round 1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
| 1998 The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
Withdrew |
| 2000 The 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
|
Champions |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
3 |
| 2002 The 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
Third place |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
| 2003 The 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the seventh edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
|
Round 1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2005The 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
|
Round 1 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
2007The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
|
Semi-Finals |
5 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
5 |
2009The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from 3 July to 26 July 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
|
Quarter-Finals |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
| 2011 The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...
|
Round 1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| Total |
2 Titles |
49 |
20 |
14 |
15 |
60 |
65 |
Copa América record
CONMEBOL Copa América recordThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
|
| Year |
Round |
Position |
GP |
W |
D* |
L |
GS |
GA |
| 2001 |
Withdrew |
Most capped Canadian players
| # |
Name |
Career |
Caps |
Goals |
| 1 |
Paul StalteriPaul Stalteri is a Canadian association football player who has spent most of his professional career in Germany. He won the league and cup double with Werder Bremen in the 2003-04 season, and is currently a Free Agent...
|
1997–2010 |
84 |
7 |
| 2 |
Randy SamuelRandolph FitzGerald "Randy" Samuel is a Canadian former soccer player turned manager, who is currently head coach at Lobbans FC.As a player he picked up a record 82 caps for the Canadian national team.-Early life:...
|
1983–1997 |
82 |
0 |
| 3 |
Mark Watson |
1994–2004 |
78 |
3 |
| 4 |
Lyndon Hooper Lyndon Hooper is a former professional Canadian soccer player and former assistant coach of the Toronto Lynx soccer team of the United Soccer Leagues First Division...
|
1986–1997 |
67 |
3 |
| 5 |
Dwayne De RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
1998– |
65 |
19 |
| 6 |
Alex BunburyAlexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
|
1986–1997 |
64 |
16 |
| 7 |
Nick DasovicNick Robert Dasovic is a retired professional Canadian soccer player of Croatian descent. He was most at Toronto FC, acting as interim head coach until January 2011 and North American head scout until May 2011....
|
1992–2004 |
63 |
2 |
| 8 |
Colin Miller |
1983–1997 |
61 |
5 |
| Mike Sweeney Michael "Mike" Sweeney is a former Canadian soccer player.-NASL:In 1980, the Edmonton Drillers of the North American Soccer League signed Sweeney. He spent three seasons with the Drillers before moving to the Vancouver Whitecaps for the 1983 season...
|
1980–1991 |
61 |
1 |
| 10 |
Carlo Corazzin Giancarlo Michele 'Carlo' Corazzin is a former professional Canadian soccer player who has appeared for the Canadian national team 59 times and has scored 11 goals. He is of Italian descent.-Club career:...
|
1994–2004 |
59 |
11 |
| Richard Hastings Richard Cory Hastings is a retired Canadian football player, who played for Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Ross County, Grazer AK, MVV Maastricht and Hamilton Academical....
|
1998–2010 |
59 |
1 |
Bold notes player is still active.
Top goalscorers
| # |
Name |
Career |
Caps |
Goals |
| 1 |
Dwayne de RosarioDwayne Anthony De Rosario is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He also plays for the Canadian national team.-Early career:...
|
1998– |
65 |
19 |
| Dale Mitchell Dale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
|
1980–1993 |
55 |
19 |
| 3 |
John Catliff John Catliff is a former Canadian professional soccer player. He has the second most goals scored for the Canadian national team with 18 goals between 1984 and 1994.-Club career:...
|
1984–1994 |
44 |
18 |
| 4 |
Alex BunburyAlexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
|
1986–1997 |
64 |
16 |
| 5 |
Ali Gerba-Canada/United States:In 2000 Gerba signed with the Montreal Impact where he recorded 6 goals and 2 assists, a club record for a rookie. In 2001 Gerba signed with the Miami Fusion of the MLS but had little success in Miami...
|
2005– |
31 |
15 |
| 6 |
Igor Vrablic Igor Vrablic is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels, as a striker.-Club career:...
|
1984–1986 |
35 |
12 |
| 7 |
Carlo Corazzin Giancarlo Michele 'Carlo' Corazzin is a former professional Canadian soccer player who has appeared for the Canadian national team 59 times and has scored 11 goals. He is of Italian descent.-Club career:...
|
1994–2004 |
59 |
11 |
Paul PeschisolidoPaolo Pasquale Peschisolido , commonly known as Paul Peschisolido, is a Canadian association football manager and former player...
|
1992–2004 |
53 |
11 |
| 9 |
Tomasz RadzinskiNot to be confused with the Czech footballer Tomáš RosickýTomasz Radzinski is a Canadian association footballer who plays as a striker. He is currently unattached.-Club career:...
|
1995–2009 |
46 |
10 |
Kevin McKennaKevin James McKenna is a Canadian professional soccer player who currently plays for 1. FC Köln in the German Bundesliga...
|
2000– |
55 |
10 |
Bold notes player is still active.
Manager history
| Name |
From |
To |
 Canada Don PetrieDon Petrie is a football head coach and former Canadian soccer player.Don Petrie played Vancouver St. Saviour's 1942-43, University of British Columbia 1943-46, St. Saviours again 1946-47, Vancouver City 1947-48.Petrie coached the Vancouver Halecos, helping them win the Canadian club championship...
|
1957 |
1957 |
 Kingdom of England Peter DinsdalePeter Dinsdale was a football player and coach. He played 239 times for Huddersfield Town and was head coach of the Canadian national soccer team for qualifying for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-Player:...
|
1968 |
1970 |
| Kingdom of England Frank Pike Frank Pike was a Canadian soccer player and Head coach.-Career:Frank Pike was born in Plymouth, England, and played in midfield as an amateur for hometown club Plymouth Argyle F.C-Coaching career:...
|
1970 |
1973 |
| Canada Bill McAllister |
1973 |
1973 |
 Germany Eckhard KrautzunEckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
|
1973 |
1975 |
| Canada Bill McAllister |
1975 |
1975 |
| Germany Eckhard Krautzun Eckhard Krautzun is a German football coach and former football player.-Managerial career:As a player, Krautzun turned out for Union Solingen, Rheydter SV, 1. FC Kaiserslautern, Young Fellows Zürich and TeBe Berlin. As well as a manager, Krautzun has acted as a technical director and scout...
|
1975 |
1977 |
| Canada Barrie Clarke |
1979 |
1981 |
| Kingdom of England Tony Waiters Anthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
|
1981 |
1985 |
| Canada Bruce Wilson Bruce Alec Wilson was a NASL and Canadian international soccer player. He played the second most games of any player in the former league, 299 . He also captained the Canadian team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the sole time Canada has appeared...
(interim) |
1985 |
1985 |
| Kingdom of England Tony Waiters Anthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
|
1985 |
1986 |
| Kingdom of England Bob Bearpark |
1986 |
1987 |
 Kingdom of Scotland Tony TaylorTony Taylor is a former professional footballer.Taylor played left back in 195 league games for Crystal Palace between 1968 and 1974, scoring 8 goals. He also played for Kilmarnock, Celtic, Morton, Southend United , Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth, and Northampton Town...
|
1988 |
1989 |
Canada Bob LenarduzziRobert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
|
1989 |
1990 |
| Kingdom of England Tony Waiters Anthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
|
1990 |
1991 |
Canada Bob LenarduzziRobert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently President of Vancouver Whitecaps FC...
|
1992 |
1997 |
Canada Bruce TwamleyBruce Richardson Twamley is a former Canadian international footballer.Twamley began his professional career with Ipswich Town but after only two appearances in two seasons, he moved back to Canada and played for the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League for one season in 1975...
(interim) |
1998 |
1998 |
Germany Holger OsieckHolger Osieck is a German football coach and current coach of the Australian national association football team. Prior to the Australian role, he most recently managed J.League club Urawa Red Diamonds, where he won the 2007 AFC Champions League. He served as an assistant coach of West Germany...
|
1999 |
2003 |
| Canada Colin Miller (interim) |
Fall 2003 |
Fall 2003 |
| Canada Frank Yallop Frank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer....
|
2004 |
June 2006 |
 Trinidad and Tobago Stephen HartStephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
(interim) |
July 2006 |
June 2007 |
| Canada Dale Mitchell Dale William Dink Mitchell is a former top-level professional association football striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s....
|
June 2007 |
March 2009 |
| Trinidad and Tobago Stephen Hart Stephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
(interim) |
April 2009 |
December 2009 |
| Trinidad and Tobago Stephen Hart Stephen Hart is a former Trinidadian football player, currently in his second spell as head coach of Canada's men's national soccer team...
|
December 2009 |
Bruce WilsonBruce Alec Wilson was a NASL and Canadian international soccer player. He played the second most games of any player in the former league, 299 . He also captained the Canadian team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the sole time Canada has appeared...
coached two matches at the
1985 President's Cup in the Republic of Korea during
Tony WaitersAnthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...
' first reign.
Honours
CONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
:
-
- 1985
-Group 2:Canada advanced to the second round.---------------------Group 3:Costa Rica advanced to the second round.---------------------Final round:Canada qualified for the 1986 FIFA World Cup.--------...
*, 2000The 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was held in the United States, in Los Angeles, Miami, and San Diego. The format of the tournament changed from 1998; it was expanded to twelve teams,...
- Third place: 2002
The 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, 2007The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third...
Men's Olympic SoccerAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
:
-
- 1904
At the 1904 Summer Olympics, a football event was contested. Only three club teams competed. No medals were awarded at the time, but the IOC subsequently awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals and upgrade the status of the contests to an official event....
North American Nations Cup:
-
- 1990
Trophies
* In 1985, Canada won the George Kafaty Trophy for top CONCACAF nation in World Cup qualifying (as hosts, Mexico did not participate).
See also
- Canada women's national soccer team
The Canada women's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association. The team reached its all-time high of 6th in the March 2011 rankings. The team reached international prominence finishing in 4th place at the FIFA Women's World Cup 2003, losing to their archrival American team...
- List of Canadian international soccer players
- 1986 FIFA World Cup squad
- Canada men's national soccer team records
Canada's men's national soccer team and its players hold the following competitive records as of September 7, 2010:-Competitive record:Canada's men's national soccer team and its players hold the following competitive records as of September 7, 2010:...
- The Voyageurs
The Voyageurs is an unofficial Canadian soccer supporters group founded in 1996, notable for their support of Canada's national teams, awarding of the annual Voyageurs Cup for men's soccer at the MLS and former USL-1 levels and influence in the Canadian soccer media.-History:The group's first...
- Canada men's national youth soccer teams
Canada's men's national soccer teams compete at various age levels, including under-23 , under-20, and under-17. Many of Canada's current internationals have played at one or more of these age levels early in their career, often working with the same coaches and teammates throughout their...
External links