Melanie Booth

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Melanie Booth

| image = Melanie Booth 2007 (cropped).jpg

| fullname = Melanie Lynn Booth{{cite web |url=https://canadasoccer.com/profile/?id=441 |title=Melanie Booth |work=Canadian Soccer Association |date=January 28, 2020 |access-date=November 17, 2021}}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|8|24}}

| birth_place = Burlington, Ontario, Canada

| height = {{convert|1.73|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| position = Defender

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| collegeyears1 = 2003–2007 | college1 = Florida Gators | collegecaps1 = | collegegoals1 =

| years1 = 2003–2005

| clubs1 = Toronto Inferno

| caps1 = 13

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 2005

| clubs2 = Toronto Lady Lynx

| caps2 =10

| goals2 = 7

| years3 = 2006

| clubs3 = Central Florida Krush

| caps3 = 9

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2008

| clubs4 = Tampa Bay Hellenic

| caps4 = 10

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2009

| clubs5 = Boston Renegades

| caps5 = 10

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2010

| clubs6 =Vancouver Whitecaps

| caps6 = 1

| goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2013

| clubs7 = Sky Blue FC

| caps7 = 3

| goals7 = 0

| totalcaps = 56

| totalgoals = 13

|nationalyears1 = 2002

|nationalteam1 = Canada U-19

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 2002–2013

| nationalteam2 = Canada

| nationalcaps2= 65

| nationalgoals2 = 1

| ntupdate = November 17, 2013

| medaltemplates =

{{Medal|Country|{{CAN}}}}

}}

Melanie Lynn Booth (born August 24, 1984) is a Canadian retired soccer player. She last played for Sky Blue FC in the National Women's Soccer League and for the Canada women's national soccer team.

Early life

Booth was born in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

= University of Florida =

Booth attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she played for coach Becky Burleigh's Florida Gators women's soccer team from 2003 to 2005, before sitting out the 2006 season due to national team commitments. She returned to Florida in 2007 to complete her collegiate career, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in applied physiology and kinesiology in 2008.

Playing career

=Club=

She briefly played with Ottawa Fury Women.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ottawafuryfc.com/page/slug/w-league-history#.VF9CIOj7Q2w |title=Ottawa Fury FC W-League History |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109102944if_/https://www.ottawafuryfc.com/page/slug/w-league-history#.VF9CIOj7Q2w |archive-date=9 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}

On January 11, 2013, she joined Sky Blue FC in the new National Women's Soccer League.

=International=

Booth was 17 years old when she won her first cap with the Canadian national team on March 1, 2002, at the Algarve Cup (a 3–0 win over Scotland).

Booth earned 22 caps and scored three goals playing on the U-19 national team. She played every minute of Canada's six matches in the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship, where Canada took the silver medal. She finished second with Canada at the 2006 Peace Queen Cup after a 0–1 loss to the United States in the final. She finished second with Canada at the 2006 CONCACAF Gold Cup after a 1–2 loss to the United States in the final.

She was a member of Canada's 2002 Algarve Cup and 2001 Nordic Cup teams.

Booth won a bronze medal with Canada at the 15th Pan American women's soccer tournament in July 2007 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2007, she represented Canada at the FIFA Women's World Cup in China. She finished second with Canada at the 2008 CONCACAF Olympic qualification tournament (where Canada qualified for the Summer Olympics). She scored her first goal during the 4–0 win over Jamaica.

In the 2011 Pan-American women's soccer tournament, Booth helped Canada win the gold medal game against the defending champions, Brazil, by scoring on a penalty kick after extra-time.{{cite news|title= Booth steps up to score golden goal in Pan Am shootout |author= Cecilia Carter-Smith |url=http://www.thespec.com/sports/article/620298--booth-steps-up-to-score-golden-goal-in-pan-am-shootout |publisher= TheSpec.com (Hamilton) |date= November 4, 2011 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}

Booth was named to the Canada squad for the 2012 London Olympics initially as an alternate. However, due to injuries to regular Canadian roster team players Emily Zurrer and Robyn Gayle, on Monday, July 30, 2012, the Canadian soccer coach officially added her to the team's official roster.{{cite news|title= Burlington's Booth added to Olympic soccer roster |author= Herb Garbutt |url=http://www.mississauga.com/sports/olympics/article/1430847--burlington-s-booth-added-to-olympic-soccer-roster |publisher= Burlington Post |date=July 30, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}{{cite news|title=Bronze medal glory overwhelming for Zurrer |author=Don Bodger |url=http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/news/165908116.html |publisher=Cowichan News Leader Pictorial |date=August 12, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204022758/http://www.cowichannewsleader.com/news/165908116.html |archivedate=February 4, 2014 }} She was later awarded an Olympic medal atop the podium at Wembley Stadium.{{cite news|title= Olympic bronze a dream come true for Booth |author= Herb Garbutt |url=http://www.insidehalton.com/sports/article/1486093--olympic-bronze-a-dream-come-true-for-booth |publisher= Burlington Post |date=August 15, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}

Booth stated, "I was standing next to Marie-Ève on the [Olympic] podium and I was the giddiest I had ever been. We were laughing about everything... Just being in Wembley in front of 60,000 people... After we got our medals (and bouquets), Marie-Ève said, 'I know these are just flowers but they're so beautiful.'"{{cite news|title= Olympic bronze a dream come true for Booth |author= Herb Garbutt |url=http://www.insidehalton.com/sports/article/1486093--olympic-bronze-a-dream-come-true-for-booth |publisher= Burlington Post |date=August 15, 2012 |accessdate=August 17, 2012}}

Booth retired from international and club soccer on November 13, 2013.{{cite web | url=http://www.canadasoccer.com/olympic-bronze-medallist-melanie-booth-announces-retirement-p155523 | title=Olympic Bronze Medallist Melanie Booth announces retirement | publisher=Canada Soccer | date=November 13, 2013 | accessdate=November 17, 2013 | archive-date=June 10, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610202712/http://www.canadasoccer.com/olympic-bronze-medallist-melanie-booth-announces-retirement-p155523 | url-status=dead }}

References

External links

{{FIFA player|190114}}
{{Canada Soccer|441}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110605055643/http://www.canadasoccer.com/players/profile.asp?playerid=325&gender=female archive])
{{Twitter}}

Category:Living people

Category:Women's association football defenders

Category:Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States

Category:Canadian expatriate women's soccer players

Category:Canadian women's soccer players

Category:Canada women's international soccer players

Category:Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States

Category:National Women's Soccer League players

Category:Florida Gators women's soccer players

Category:Footballers at the 2011 Pan American Games

Category:Soccer players from Burlington, Ontario

Category:Pan American Games gold medalists in football