Canada men's national soccer team
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| Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Canucks, Les Rouges (The Reds) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Association | Canadian Soccer Association | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederation | CONCACAF (North America) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Head coach |  Dale Mitchell |
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| Most caps | Randy Samuel (82) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top scorer | Dale Mitchell, John Catliff (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home stadium | BMO Field | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA code | CAN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIFA ranking | 60 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest FIFA ranking | 40 (December 1996) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest FIFA ranking | 103 (March 2007) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Elo ranking | 56 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest Elo ranking | 32 (May-June 2000) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lowest Elo ranking | 92 (May 1979) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| First international | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unofficial:  USA 0 - 1 Canada  (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Official:  Australia 3-2 Canada  (Brisbane, Australia; June 7, 1924) |
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| Biggest win | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Unofficial:  USA 0 - 7 Canada (St. Louis, USA; November 16, 1904) Official:  Malaysia 0-5 Canada (Singapore; August 24, 1986) |
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| Biggest defeat | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Mexico 8 - 0 Canada (Mexico City, Mexico; June 18, 1993) |
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| World Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (First in 1986) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Round 1, 24th place 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CONCACAF Championship & Gold Cup |
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| Appearances | 11 (First in 1977) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | Winners, 1985, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Confederations Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Appearances | 1 (First in 2001) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best result | 1st round, 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Canadian men's national soccer team is overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and represents Canada in international competitions at the senior men's level. The side has traditionally struggled to earn recognition at home and abroad while experiencing little international success. The Canadian women's national soccer team has enjoyed more international success, and both national teams languish to a large extent in the shadow of the country's highly successful ice hockey teams, as hockey is Canada's de facto national sport, and despite the popularity of youth soccer, there are limited professional avenues for young players within Canada.
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[edit] History
Main article: History of the Canadian Soccer Association
[edit] Early years
Soccer was being played in Canada before rules were formalized in Britain, with the Dominion Football Association (1877) and Western Football Association (1880) acting as precursors to the modern-day Canadian Soccer Association. In 1885, the WFA sent a representative team to New Jersey to take on a side put forth by the American Football Association, the then-unofficial governing body of the sport in the United States. In an unofficial friendly, Canada defeated their hosts 1-0 in East Newark, New Jersey. The American team won 3-2 in a return match one year later. In 1888, a team represented the WFA in a tour of the British Isles, earning a record of nine wins, five draws, and nine losses. The squad comprised 16 Canadian-born players with the only exception being tour organizer David Forsyth, who had immigrated to Canada one year after his birth.[1]
In 1904, Galt Football Club represented the WFA at the Olympic Games in St. Louis, Miss. As just one of three teams competing, Galt defeated two American clubs, Christian Brothers College (7-0) and St. Rose (4-0).
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 a suburb of Cambridge, Ontario, and ended in a 3-3 draw.[1]
The Canadian national team toured Australia in 1924, playing a series of "test" friendlies against their hosts, including their first official match, a 3-2 friendly defeat to Australia in Brisbane on June 24, 1924. In 1925, Canada played their old rivals the United States in Montreal, winning 1-0 on Ed McLaine's goal. In a return match in November of 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, Canada was defeated 5-1. One year later, Canada lost 6-2 to the United States in the same city before playing four internationals in a 1927 tour of New Zealand.[1]
[edit] World Cup qualifying 1957 to 1985
Following the lead of British football associations, Canada withdrew from FIFA in 1928 over a dispute regarding broken time payments to amateur players. They rejoined the confederation in 1946 and took part in World Cup qualifying in the North American Football Confederation (a precursor to CONCACAF) for the first time in 1957, the first time they had played as a national team in 30 years. In their first qualifier, Canada defeated the USA in Toronto 5-1, but lost two games in Mexico (failing to play a home game due to financial reasons) 2-0 and 3-0 before defeating the USA 3-2 in St. Louis. Mexico advanced as group winners, meaning that Canada missed out on the World Cup in 1958 in Sweden.[1]
Canada secured qualification for the 1986 World Cup after beating Honduras 2-1 in St. Johns, Newfoundland in 1985. Mexico had qualified as hosts, with Canada earning the remaining CONCACAF spot and the de facto title as CONCACAF champions. At the finals in Mexico in 1986, Canada impressed in a 1-0 loss to France in the first round before losing to both Hungary and the USSR 2-0, finishing at the bottom of the group.
[edit] 1990s
In 1990, Canada took part in the NAFC Championship for the first time, hosting the three-team tournament. Mexico and Canada sent their full squads, but the USA sent a 'B' team and does not count the games as official internationals in its records. Canada won the title after a 1-0 win over the United States on May 6 and a 2-1 win over Mexico on May 13, all three goals scored by John Catliff, the tournament's top scorer.
In World Cup qualifying for USA 1994, Canada suffered their greatest ever defeat, an 8-0 loss at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico to the host nation. While the team failed to qualify for France 98, they played in the "hexagonal" final stage of CONCACAF qualifying, a feat they failed to repeat in qualifying for 2002 and the 2006.
[edit] Gold Cup
In 2000, Canada won the CONCACAF Gold Cup after emerging from the first-round on a coin-toss tiebreaker with invited side the Republic of Korea. A quarter-final extra-time upset over Mexico on Richard Hastings' golden goal set the stage for an unprecedented run to the final, where Canada defeated Colombia 2-0 at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif. Canada swept the awards ceremony, with goalkeeper Craig Forrest winning MVP honours, Carlo Corazzin securing the Golden Boot, and Hastings named "Rookie of the Tournament".
[edit] 21st Century
Canada has enjoyed relative success in the Gold Cup, with third-placed finishes in 2002 and 2007 (alongside Guadeloupe in 2007) on either side of disappointing first round exits in 2003 and 2005. In 2007, under interim coach Stephen Hart, Canada won their group before losing in the semi-final to the USA. After the United States were reduced to ten men, Canada were controversially denied a stoppage-time equalizer on a play incorrectly flagged offside by Mexican referee Benito Archundia. In total, the team's 2007 record consisted of four wins, three losses, and three draws.
In qualifying for both the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2006 FIFA World Cup, Canada was unable to capitalize on their Gold Cup successes, failing to reach the final stage of CONCACAF qualifying on both occasions.
On June 7, 2006, head coach Frank Yallop resigned for a job with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Yallop, whose record with Canada was 8-9-3 since his hiring as national team manager on December 16, 2003, returned to the league where he began his coaching career as an assistant in 1999 with the Tampa Bay Mutiny. The former Canadian international had won MLS Cup titles with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 and 2003. On May 18, 2007 the CSA named Dale Mitchell as the new head coach of the senior team. He took over after coaching the under-20 side to three defeats in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada in July of 2007.
Members of the media [2] and former national team players, including Rogers Sportsnet commentator and 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup MVP Craig Forrest[3], have stated that the Canadian national program and player development system is in need of a major overhaul. In 2007, the Canadian Soccer Supporters United organized a campaign to have spectators wear black "Sack the CSA" t-shirts at the friendly between Canada and Costa Rica at the National Soccer Stadium.[4]
[edit] Stadium
Canada's national stadium is the National Soccer Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, known as BMO Field when local resident Toronto FC of Major League Soccer play at home. The squad has expressed a preference for the grass surface at Saputo Stadium in Montreal, Quebec,[5] however, with the June 20th World Cup qualifier against St. Vincent & the Grenadines scheduled to be played there.
Canada has also played internationals since 2004 at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, British Columbia; Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta; and Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard in Montreal. Additionally, games at the 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup were played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal; Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario; and Royal Athletic Park in Victoria, British Columbia.
[edit] Supporters' group
[edit] Recent results
Colors indicate result, Red = Loss, Green = Win, Tan = Tie
[edit] Upcoming fixtures
| Date | Tournament | Location | Home Team | Away Team |
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 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Canada |
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Canada |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
[edit] Current members
[edit] Recent squad
Canadian squad announced to play against Brazil and Panama in friendlies on May 31 and June 4th 2008.[6]
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