Ian Bridge

Ian Christopher Bridge (born 18 September 1959 in Victoria, British Columbia) is a former member of the Canada men's national soccer team and most recently the head coach of the national women's Under-17 national team.

Ian Bridge
Personal information
Full name Ian Christopher Bridge
Date of birth (1959-09-18) 18 September 1959
Place of birth Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position(s) defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1983 Seattle Sounders 100 (11)
1980–81 Seattle Sounders (indoor) 16 (2)
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 24 (2)
1984–1985 Tacoma Stars 40 (7)
1985–1990 FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
1990 Victoria Vistas
1991 Kitchener Kickers
1991 North York Rockets
National team‡
1979 Canada Youth
1981–1991 Canada 34 (5)
Teams managed
1989–1990 FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
1990–2000 University of Victoria
1997–present Canada, women (assistant coach)
2001–2008 Canada U-20 women (assistant)
2008 Canada U-20 women
2009–2010 Canada U-17 women
2010 Victoria Highlanders
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 March 2009
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 4 March 2009

Club career

Bridge began his pro career in 1977 and played in the NASL with the Seattle Sounders from 1979 to 1983 and with the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1984, and MISL indoor soccer with the Tacoma Stars. Over 6 NASL seasons he played 124 games and scored 13 goals. Following the demise of the NASL Bridge played for Swiss club FC La Chaux-de-Fonds[1] for two seasons when the club was in the Swiss league first division. Later in the Canadian Soccer League, he played for the Victoria Vistas (1990), Kitchener Kickers (1991), and North York Rockets (1991). Ian played his youth soccer with the Lakehill Soccer Association in Victoria BC, and has an annually awarded Youth Player "Inspirational" trophy named in his honour.

International career

A defender, Bridge made his debut for Canada in an October 1981 friendly match against Trinidad & Tobago and earned 34 caps, scoring 5 goals. He has represented Canada in 12 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[2] and played all three of Canada's games at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the country's only appearance at a World Cup finals. Bridge also played for Canada at the 1984 Olympics and at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored a goal in the first two 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying games that he played in. His final international was a June 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup Finals match against Mexico.

Bridge was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.

International goals
Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
112 November 1981Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Honduras1–11–21982 FIFA World Cup qualification
215 November 1981Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras Mexico1–11–11982 FIFA World Cup qualification
328 March 1984Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Haiti1–01–0Friendly match
425 May 1988Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada Chile1–01–0Matthews Cup
515 October 1988Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada Guatemala3–23–21990 FIFA World Cup qualification

Managerial career

Bridge was head coach of the University of Victoria women's soccer team from 1990 to 2000. He became assistant coach of Canada women's national soccer team in 1997, a position he still has. He became U-19 national women's coach[3] and chief national team assistant coach in March 2001. (The national youth women's team has since become U-20.) Bridge is also team chef of the Canada men's national youth soccer teams.[4] On 10 January 2010, Bridge resigned as head coach of the U-17 Canadian women national team[5] and is now coaching the Victoria Highlanders of the USL (United Soccer league) Premier Development League.

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References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 June 2008. Retrieved 21 May 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Record at FIFA Tournaments – FIFA
  3. "Ian Bridge named women's U-20 head coach". CBC News. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  4. CANADA Under-17 National Team
  5. "Ian Bridge out as women's U17 coach". Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
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