This Day In Canadian Soccer January 27- February 5

27 January 2012
Canada qualifies for the London 2012 Women’s Olympic Football Tournament with a 3:1 victory over Mexico at the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament. Captain Christine Sinclair scores two goals in the big win in front of 22,954 fans at BC Place in Vancouver – the second-highest attendance ever for a women’s “A” match in Canada. As she did four years earlier, Melissa Tancredi scores the game-winning goal to help Canada qualify for the Olympics (this time, Tancredi contributes a goal and two assists). Canada extends its unbeaten streak to 10 matches. Of note, Sinclair scores her 129th career goal to surpass retired Birgit Prinz for (tied) third place on the all-time list (with active star Abby Wambach). Candace Chapman becomes the ninth player to make her 100th appearance for Canada. The Canadian Soccer Association also establishes an attendance record for a CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying match.

27 January 2006
Canada falls 2:3 to USA in the 2006 CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship in Veracruz, MEX. After USA loses a player to an ejection, Canada scores two goals to take a 2-1 lead. USA, however, comes back with goals from Jessica Rodstedt and Lauren Cheney to capture to championship with a 3:2 victory.

28 January 2005
Canada qualifies for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Netherlands 2005 with a 1:0 victory over Honduras at the CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Qualifying Tournament. Ryan Gyaki scores the lone goal of the match in the 61st minute. This marks Canada’s third-consecutive qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup (Argentina 2001, UAE 2003 and Netherlands 2005).

29 January 1986
Canada draws 0:0 with Paraguay in a Men’s International Friendly match in Vancouver, BC. Teenaged substitute Domenic Mobilio makes his debut for Canada.

30 January 2008
Canada wins 1:0 over Martinique in an away Men’s International Friendly match in Fort-de-France. Dwayne De Rosario scores the lone goal while Pat Onstad posts the clean sheet.

2 February 1986
Bruce Wilson becomes the first player to make his 50th appearance for Canada in a 1:3 loss to Uruguay. Wilson reaches the milestone in a Men’s International Friendly match played in Miami, FL.

2 February 2002
Canada wins 2:1 over Korea Republic in its opening match of the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Dwayne De Rosario scores his first goal for Canada, the game’s winning goal in the 35th minute.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Gordon Sweetzer 27-January-1957 (Toronto, ON)
Tam Nsaliwa 28-January-1982 (grew up in Halifax and Edmonton)
Alan Errington 28-January-1950
Veronica O’Brien 29-January-1971 (Barrie, ON)
Tony Fonseca 30-January-1965
Joseph Di Chiara 30-January-1992 (Richmond Hill, ON)
Monica Lam-Feist 31-January-1991 (Surrey, BC)
Shannon Woeller 31-January-1990 (Vancouver, BC)
Chris Turner 1-February-1960 (Vancouver, BC)
HOF – Tony Waiters 2-February-1937
Tina Romagnuolo 3-February-1990 (Stouffville, ON)
Geoff Aunger 4-February-1968 (grew up in Coquitlam, BC)
Taryn Swiatek 4-February-1981 (Calgary, AB)

(HOF = Honoured members of The Soccer Hall of Fame)