Bruce Wilson (soccer)
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Bruce Alec Wilson | ||
Date of birth | June 20, 1951 | ||
Place of birth | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Position(s) | Fullback | ||
Youth career | |||
Norburn | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1970 | Vancouver Spartans | ||
1970–1971 | Vancouver Columbus FC | ||
1971–1972 | Vancouver Inter-Italia | ||
1973–1974 | Vancouver Italia | ||
1974–1977 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 92 | (4) |
1978–1979 | Chicago Sting | 60 | (0) |
1980 | New York Cosmos | 18 | (0) |
1981–1984 | Toronto Blizzard | 106 | (3) |
1985 | Toronto Inex Canada | ||
International career | |||
1974–1986 | Canada "A" | 57 | (0) |
1974–1984 | Canada "B" | 10 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Bruce Alec Wilson (born June 20, 1951) is a former NASL and Canadian international soccer player. He played the second most games of any player in the former league, 299 (276 regular season and 23 playoff). He also captained the Canadian team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals. In 2012 as part of the Canadian Soccer Association's centennial celebration, he was named to the all-time Canada XI men's team.[1]
Playing career
[edit]After starting his career as an attacking player, he switched to outside fullback where his career flourished in the NASL. He played for the Vancouver Whitecaps from 1974 to 1977, the Chicago Sting in 1978 and 1979, the New York Cosmos in 1980, and the Toronto Blizzard from 1981 to 1984. He was a seven-time all-star selection, including three first-team selections (Vancouver in 1977, Chicago in 1979, Toronto in 1984).
Wilson made 57 international "A" appearances for Canada, a record he held at retirement until it was surpassed by Mike Sweeney. In 1998, he was selected to a CONCACAF "team of the century", the only Canadian to receive the honour. Wilson also represented Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics at a time when lower-ranked countries were allowed to field professional players. The Canadian team reached the quarter-final stage, losing to Brazil.
Wilson became player-coach of the post-NASL Blizzard in 1985 when they were known as Toronto Inex. The Wilson-led Inex played one season of friendlies against touring sides including Linfield and Everton before shutting down. Wilson became head coach of the University of Victoria men's soccer team in 1987, retiring at the end of the 2022 season.[2] He also coached the Victoria Vistas in the Canadian Soccer League.
In 2000 Wilson was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2003, he was also elected to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame.[3]
Coaching career
[edit]Wilson has been head coach of the University of Victoria Vikes for over three decades.
Honours
[edit]New York Cosmos
Toronto Blizzard
Canada
Individual
- NASL All-Stars:[4] First-team: 1977, 1979, 1984; Second-team: 1978, 1983; Honorable mention: 1976, 1982
- CONCACAF Team of the Century: 1998[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Association announces All-Time Canada XI - men's team - Canada Soccer". www.canadasoccer.com. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
- ^ "The end of an era: Coach Bruce Wilson retires from Vikes men's soccer…". November 17, 2022. Archived from the original on November 17, 2022.
- ^ "National Soccer Hall of Fame Announces Induction Class of 2003". www.ussoccer.com.
- ^ "Steve Dimitry's NASL Web Page". www.oocities.org.
- ^ "Balboa, Ramos named to CONCACAF "Team of the Century"" Archived 5 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Soccer America, 14 May 1998.
External links
[edit]- University of Victoria Archived July 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
- Bruce Wilson at the Canadian Soccer Association / Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
- Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
- National Soccer Hall of Fame profile
- 1951 births
- Living people
- Soccer players from Vancouver
- Canada men's national soccer team managers
- Canada men's international soccer players
- Canadian soccer coaches
- Canadian men's soccer players
- Canadian expatriate men's soccer players
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
- Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) players
- Chicago Sting (NASL) players
- New York Cosmos (1970–1985) players
- Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984) players
- Olympic soccer players for Canada
- Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
- 1986 FIFA World Cup players
- National Soccer Hall of Fame members
- Canada Soccer Hall of Fame inductees
- ICSF Columbus FC players
- CONCACAF Championship-winning players
- Men's association football defenders