Ian Bridge
{{Short description|Canadian soccer player (born 1959)}}
{{BLP sources|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ian Bridge
| fullname = Ian Christopher Bridge
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|9|18}}
| birth_place = Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
| position = Defender
| youthclubs1 =
| youthyears1 =
| years1 = 1979–1983
| clubs1 = Seattle Sounders
| caps1 = 100
| goals1 = 11
| years2 = 1980–81
| clubs2 = Seattle Sounders (indoor)
| caps2 = 16
| goals2 = 2
| years3 = 1984
| clubs3 = Vancouver Whitecaps
| caps3 = 24
| goals3 = 2
| years4 = 1984–1985
| clubs4 = Tacoma Stars
| caps4 = 40
| goals4 = 7
| years5 = 1985–1990
| clubs5 = FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
| caps5 =
| goals5 =
| years6 = 1990
| clubs6 = Victoria Vistas
| caps6 = 22
| goals6 = 3
| years7 = 1991
| clubs7 = Kitchener Kickers
| caps7 = 11
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 1991
| clubs8 = North York Rockets
| caps8 = 7
| goals8 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 1979
| nationalteam1 = Canada Youth
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| nationalyears2 = 1981–1991
| nationalteam2 = Canada
| nationalcaps2 = 34
| nationalgoals2 = 5
| manageryears1 = 1989–1990
| managerclubs1 = FC La Chaux-de-Fonds
| manageryears2 = 1990–2000
| managerclubs2 = University of Victoria
| manageryears3 = 1997–present
| managerclubs3 = Canada (women) (assistant coach)
| manageryears4 = 2001–2008
| managerclubs4 = Canada U20 women (assistant)
| manageryears5 = 2008
| managerclubs5 = Canada U20 women
| manageryears6 = 2009–2010
| managerclubs6 = Canada U17 women
| manageryears7 = 2010
| managerclubs7 = Victoria Highlanders
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|CAN}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's Association football}}
{{MedalCompetition|CONCACAF Championship}}
{{Medal|W|1985 North America|}}
{{MedalCompetition|North American Nations Cup}}
{{Medal|W|1990 Canada|}}
{{Medal|3rd|1991 United States|}}
}}
Ian Christopher Bridge (born 18 September 1959) is a soccer coach and former professional who played as a defender. A former player for the Canada national team, he has coached the Canada women's national team among other teams.
Club career
Bridge was born in Victoria, British Columbia. He 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 six 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{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/trainers-zwit-clubs.html |title=Switzerland - Trainers of First and Second Division Clubs |access-date= 21 May 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627223859/http://www.rsssf.com/players/trainers-zwit-clubs.html |archive-date=27 June 2008 }} 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).{{Cite web|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vVcaiqoaufxngges_8tVFa_YWyJQ3APl/view|title = CSL 1991 Media Guide w 92 season info and all-time records_HiQ.PDF}} Ian played his youth soccer with the [http://lakehillsoccer.com/ 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[https://web.archive.org/web/20080228061953/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=46947/index.html Record at FIFA Tournaments] – FIFA and played all three of Canada's games at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the country's first 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.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}
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{{cite news | url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/ian-bridge-named-women-s-u-20-head-coach-1.719172 | title=Ian Bridge named women's U-20 head coach | date=9 October 2008 | publisher=CBC News | access-date=20 May 2019 }} 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.[http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=18655&whichpage=2 CANADA Under-17 National Team]{{Dead link|date=January 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} On 10 January 2010, Bridge resigned as head coach of the U-17 Canadian women national team{{Cite web |url=http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/backofthenet/archive/2010/01/08/ian-bridge-out-as-women-s-u17-coach.aspx |title=Ian Bridge out as women's U17 coach |access-date=11 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113200754/http://communities.canada.com/theprovince/blogs/backofthenet/archive/2010/01/08/ian-bridge-out-as-women-s-u17-coach.aspx |archive-date=13 January 2010 |url-status=dead }} and is now coaching the Victoria Highlanders of the USL (United Soccer league) Premier Development League.
Career statistics
:Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bridge goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Ian Bridge | ||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center"|1 | 12 November 1981 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | {{fb|HND|1949}} | style="text-align:center"|1–1 | style="text-align:center"|1–2 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| style="text-align:center"|2 | 15 November 1981 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | {{fb|MEX}} | style="text-align:center"|1–1 | style="text-align:center"|1–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| style="text-align:center"|3 | 28 March 1984 | Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti | {{fb|HAI|1964}} | style="text-align:center"|1–0 | style="text-align:center"|1–0 | Friendly |
| style="text-align:center"|4 | 25 May 1988 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada | {{fb|CHL}} | style="text-align:center"|1–0 | style="text-align:center"|1–0 | Matthews Cup |
| style="text-align:center"|5 | 15 October 1988 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | {{fb|GUA}} | style="text-align:center"|3–2 | style="text-align:center"|3–2 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Canada
- CONCACAF Championship: 1985{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/conca85det.html|title=Torneo Premundial 1985 (IX Campeonato de Naciones (NORCECA) CONCACAF)|access-date=April 20, 2025}}
- North American Nations Cup: 1990;{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/north-am-champ90.html#sqd|title=North American Championship 1990 (Canada)-Squads|access-date=April 20, 2025}} 3rd place, 1991{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/north-am-champ91.html#sqd|title=North American Championship 1991 (Los Angeles, USA)-Squads|access-date=April 20, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|Biography}}
- {{Canada Soccer player|id=498}} / Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20071019180953/http://www.gvshof.ca/inductees_detail.asp?IDINDU=119 Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame inductee page for Bridge]
- [http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/B/Bridge.Ian.htm NASL/MISL stats]
- {{NFT player|pid=13845}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Canada squads
| bg = red
| fg = white
|list1=
{{Canada football squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{Canada squad 1985 CONCACAF Championship}}
{{Canada squad 1986 FIFA World Cup}}
{{Canada squad 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
}}
{{Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bridge, Ian}}
Category:Soccer players from Victoria, British Columbia
Category:Canadian people of British descent
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Canadian men's soccer players
Category:Canada men's international soccer players
Category:Canadian expatriate men's soccer players
Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Category:Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Category:CONCACAF Championship–winning players
Category:Seattle Sounders (1974–1983) players
Category:Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–1984) players
Category:FC La Chaux-de-Fonds players
Category:Victoria Vistas players
Category:North York Rockets players
Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
Category:Swiss Super League players
Category:Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Category:Canadian soccer coaches
Category:Canada Soccer Hall of Fame inductees
Category:Olympic soccer players for Canada
Category:FC La Chaux-de-Fonds managers
Category:Canada men's youth international soccer players