Mike Sweeney (soccer)

Mike Sweeney
Personal information
Full name Michael Sweeney
Date of birth (1959-12-25) December 25, 1959
Place of birth Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Midfielder or defender
Youth career
Squamish United[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1982 Edmonton Drillers 86 (2)
1980–1982 Edmonton Drillers (indoor)
1983–1984 Vancouver Whitecaps 22 (0)
1984 Golden Bay Earthquakes 21 (2)
1984–1986 Cleveland Force (indoor) 87 (18)
1987–1988 Minnesota Strikers (indoor) 54 (21)
1988 Baltimore Blast (indoor) 44 (6)
1988–1989 Toronto Blizzard
1989–1992 Cleveland Crunch (indoor) 92 (29)
1988–1990 Boston Bolts
National team
1980–1993 Canada 61 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Michael "Mike" Sweeney (born December 25, 1959) is a former Canadian 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.[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. Sweeney, never discouraged, continued to display soccer skills far advanced compared to the rest of the league.

MISL

Sweeney was also a long-time Cleveland Force MISL player. He then moved to the Minnesota Strikers for the 1987-1988 season. 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.

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.

International career

A defender or midfielder, Sweeney made his debut for Canada in a September 1980 friendly match against New Zealand and earned 61 caps, scoring 1 goal. He has represented Canada in 24 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[3] and played 2 of Canada's games at the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals, the country's only appearance at a World Cup finals. Sweeney was sent off in the second game against Hungary,[4] making him 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 [5] but did not play.

His final international game was an August 1993 World Cup qualification match against Australia.

International goals

Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 13 April 1985 Victoria, British Columbia, Canada  Haiti 2-0 2-0 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. ↑ Lypka, Ben (7 January 2011). "Catching up with soccer great Mike Sweeney". Squamish Chief. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
  2. ↑ Association announces All Time Canada Men's XI Canadasoccer.com
  3. ↑ Record at FIFA Tournaments - FIFA
  4. ↑ HUNGARY - CANADA - Planet World Cup
  5. ↑ Japan 1979 Teams Canada - FIFA
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