Bob Lenarduzzi (born 1 May 1955 in Vancouver) is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian International, and coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently Head of Soccer Operations for Whitecaps F.C. in Vancouver. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Members of Parliament Libby Davies, Ujjal Dosanjh, David Emerson, Hedy Fry, Stephen Owen Members of the Legislative Assembly Gordon Campbell, David Chudnovsky, Adrian Dix, Colin Hansen, Jenny Kwan, Lorne Mayencourt, Wally Oppal, Gregor Robertson, Shane Simpson, Carole Taylor Mayor Larry Campbell City Manager Judy Rogers Governing Body Vancouver City Council... NASL logo In 1967, two pro soccer leagues started in the United States: the FIFA-sanctioned United Soccer Association and the unsanctioned National Professional Soccer League. ... First International USA 0 - 1 Canada (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Largest win USA 0 - 7 Canada (St. ... The head coach in sports coaching is the coach who is in charge of the other coaches. ... The Whitecaps (officially Whitecaps F.C.) are a Canadian professional soccer team, which currently plays in the USL First Division (formerly the A-League) of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), the largest system of national soccer leagues in North America. ...

As a professional player

A midfielder/defender, Lenarduzzi began his professional playing career at age 15 as a youth with Reading F.C. in England and went on to play 67 first-team games with the club, and score 2 goals. Lenarduzzi then joined the NASL Vancouver Whitecaps in 1974 in the team's first season. He played 11 seasons until the Whitecaps last season in 1984, when the league folded. Lenarduzzi holds the record for most games played in the league, with 312. He was also voted NASL North American player of the year in 1978. The Whitecaps won the NASL champioship in 1979. In association football (soccer), a midfielder is a player whose position of play is midway between the attacking strikers and the defenders. ... In association football a defender is a player whose position of play is behind the midfielders and first and foremost provide support to the goalkeeper. ... Reading F.C. is a football team, based in the English town of Reading and currently playing in the Football League Championship. ... The Football League logo The Football League (often referred to as the Coca-Cola Football League for sponsorship reasons) is a league competition for English football (soccer) clubs (though a few Welsh clubs also take part) containing three divisions (the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two... The Whitecaps (officially Whitecaps F.C.) are a Canadian professional soccer team, which currently plays in the USL First Division (formerly the A-League) of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), the largest system of national soccer leagues in North America. ...

As a professional head coach

Lenarduzzi resumed his pro career in 1987 as a player/coach with the newly formed Vancouver 86ers of the newly founded Canadian Soccer League. In 1989, he retired from play but continued as head coach of the team until 1993. He lead the franchise to an unprecedented four consecutive CSL titles from 1988 to 1991. His team set a record for professional North American sports teams when the team went 46 games unbeaten between 6 June 1988 and 8 August 1989. His 86ers career totals of 96wins-24loses-28ties makes him the winningest coach in Vancouver professional sports history. The Vancouver Whitecaps are a Canadian professional soccer team, which currently plays in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues (USL), the largest system of national soccer leagues in North America. ... Canadian Soccer League was a professional soccer league in Canada from 1987 to 1992. ...

As the national team head coach

Lenarduzzi became head coach (ie. manager) of the national team in 1993. In his first of two bids to see Canada back through to a World Cup finals, his squad twice came close but failed to progress to the 1994 finals. First they lost at home to Mexico despite scoring the game's first goal in a game with which Canada could have gone through to the finals with a win. As CONCACAF qualifying winners-up, Canada then lost the away leg to Australia in a match decided by penalty kicks that saw the winner of the home-and-away series go on to play Argentina in a home-and-away series for a finals spot (won by Argentina).-1... CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), also known as The Football Confederation, is the continent-wide governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. ...

In qualifying for the 1998 finals, Canada failed to finish in the top three of a six-nation CONCACAF final qualifying round league tournament and progress. Lenarduzzi subsequently resigned his post in 1997.-1...

As a national team player

Lenarduzzi won 47 caps playing for Canada. He played all the country's matches both as the squad progressed to the quarterfinals of the 1984 Summer Olympics and as it participated in the first round of the 1986 World Cup finals. The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, United States. ... The 1986 Football World Cup was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. ...

As a soccer executive

Lenarduzzi served as 86ers general manager from 1988 to 1993. He resumed the post in 1998 and was named the A-League's executive of the year for 2000. In 2001 he also assumed the position of the Whitecaps Head of Soccer Operations. (The 86ers changed their name to Whitecaps in 2001.) The United Soccer Leagues First Division is a professional mens soccer league in North America. ...

Awards

In 2005, he was awarded the Order of British Columbia. 2005(MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Order of British Columbia insignia The Order of British Columbia is British Columbias highest award for outstanding achievement. ...

External links

• The Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum (Ontario) run by the OSA with a induction profile of Lenarduzzi
• National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum (in the U.S.) with its 2003 induction page on Lenarduzzi