CSA Extends Bridge Contract To 2008

Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association today announced it has extended the contract of Women’s Under-19 Team head coach and Women’s World Cup Team assistant coach Ian Bridge to the end of the 2008 calendar year.



Bridge was named Head Coach of the Women’s Under-19 Team and the assistant coach to Even Pellerud with the Women’s World Cup Team on March 5, 2001. He has been an assistant coach with the Women’s World Cup team since 1997 and helped guide the team to the 1999 Women’s World Cup in the United States.



“I’m very happy to continue my involvement with a very exciting program for another four years,” said Bridge. “This is one of the top programs in the world and it continues to improve.”



In the summer of 2002, Bridge led Canada to a memorable Gold Medal Final against the United States at the inaugural FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championship where they lost on a golden goal. Their second place finish was the greatest accomplishment by a Canadian team at a FIFA tournament.



In August, 2003 Bridge served as the head coach of the Canadian women’s Pan Am games team which won a silver medal in the Dominican Republic.



Bridge competed with the Men’s World Cup Team from 1980-1992 and played in all three games at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. He also played for Canada at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship in Japan.



Bridge began his professional playing career in 1977 and enjoyed stints with the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League, the Tacoma Stars of the Major Indoor Soccer League, FC La Chaux-de-Fonds of the Swiss National League, and the Victoria Vistas and the North York Rockets of the Canadian Soccer League.



Bridge will assist Pellerud on Saturday, September 20 against Germany in Canada’s opening game of Group C at the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup help in the United States.