Mike Sweeney (soccer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox football biography

Michael Sweeney (born December 25, 1959) is a Canadian former soccer player. 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]

Early years

Sweeney spent several years with the youth club, Squamish United, and graduated from Howe Sound Secondary School. He then made the roster at Simon Fraser University as a walk-on, later working his way onto the Canadian squad for the 1978 CONCACAF Youth Tournament.[2]

Club career

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. While he began the 1984 season with the Whitecaps, he was traded to the Golden Bay Earthquakes. The NASL folded at the end of the 1984 season.

MISL

Sweeney was also a long-time Cleveland Force MISL player. He then moved to the Minnesota Strikers for the 1987–1988 season.[1] He then moved to the Baltimore Blast. In 1989, the Cleveland Crunch selected Sweeney in the Expansion Draft. On June 30, 1989, he signed with the Crunch and remained with the team through at least the 1991–1992 season.[2]

Toronto Blizzard

In 1988, Sweeney spent time with the Toronto Blizzard of the Canadian Soccer League (CSL).

Boston Bolts

In 1988, he signed with the Boston Bolts of the American Soccer League (ASL). In 1990, the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League to form the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). The Bolts spent one season, 1990, in the APSL before folding.

The Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame inducted Sweeney in 2002.[3]

International career

A defender or midfielder, Sweeney made his senior debut on 17 September 1980 for Canada in a 3–0 victory against New Zealand in a friendly match in Edmonton. In total, he earned 61 caps, scoring one goal.[3] He represented Canada in 24 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[4] and played two of Canada's games at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the country's first appearance at a World Cup finals. Sweeney was sent off in the second game against Hungary,[5] the only Canadian player ever to be dismissed at a World Cup Finals tournament.

He also played for Canada at the 1984 Olympics and was a squad member at the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship[6] but did not play.

His final international game was a 15 August 1993 World Cup qualification match against Australia in Sydney.[3]

International goals

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 April 13, 1985 Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, Canada {{ Template:Yesno alias = Haiti flag alias = Flag of Haiti.svg flag alias-1791 = Flag of Haiti (1791-1789).svg flag alias-1798 = Flag of France (1794-1815).svg flag alias-1803 = Flag of Haiti (1803-1804).svg flag alias-1806 = Flag of Haiti (1806-1811).svg flag alias-1811 = Flag of Haiti (1811–1814).png flag alias-1814 = Flag of Haiti (1814–1820).svg flag alias-1849 = Flag of Haiti (1849-1859).png flag alias-1859 = Flag of Haiti (1820–1849, 1859–1964).svg flag alias-1964 = Flag of Haiti (1964–1986).svg flag alias-2013 = Flag of Haiti (WFB 2013).gif flag alias-civil = Flag of Haiti (civil).svg flag alias-civil-1964 = Flag of Haiti 1964 (civil).svg flag alias-coast guard = Flag of Haiti (1859–1964, 3-2).svg link alias-coast guard = Haitian Coast Guard link alias-army = Haitian Army link alias-military = Armed Forces of Haiti Haitian Navy link alias-air force = Haitian Aviation Corps Haitian Navy size = name = altlink = national football team variant = 1964

}} || 2–0 || 2–0 || 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Canada

References

<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />

  1. ↑ Association announces All Time Canada Men's XI Canadasoccer.com
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ Record at FIFA Tournaments - FIFA
  5. ↑ HUNGARY - CANADA - Planet World Cup
  6. ↑ Japan 1979 Teams Canada - FIFA
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

Template:Canada Squad 1984 Summer Olympics Template:Canada squad 1985 CONCACAF Championship Template:Canada Squad 1986 World Cup Template:Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame

Retrieved from "http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Mike_Sweeney_(soccer)&oldid=2272253"