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France
Women's U-20
Sherbrooke’s Sonia Denoncourt started out on her refereeing career in 1978, at the age of 14, combining that with a playing career that took her to university level. She then had to make a choice that she will surely have never regretted. For 26 years, from 1978 to 2004, Sonia Denoncourt has been a pioneer in the field of refereeing and has written her name into Quebec, Canadian and international soccer history.
Sonia Denoncourt has won the Quebec Soccer Federation’s “Referee of the Year” award on five separate occasions: 1993, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2000. She was a winner of the Official of the Year at the Gala Sports-Québec in 1995, 1996 and 1999, as well as being a finalist on one occasion, in 2001. Last June, she was inducted into Canadian soccer’s Hall of Fame. Sonia is a model of professionalism, perseverance, courage and integrity.
Sonia Denoncourt was the first female referee to obtain her FIFA international badge, as well as being the first female referee to officiate an A-League game in 1991, which was an unheard of occurrence at that time. She became FIFA’s first female referee and was the first woman to referee men’s first division matches, in El Salvador in 1996, and then in Brazil in 1997. The match in Brazil took place in a packed stadium in Sao Paulo, with many millions more watching the game live on television.
Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) and the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) have agreed to a friendly between Canada’s Men’s National Team and the US Men’s National Team.
The match will take place on January 22, 2006 at Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego. Kickoff has been set for 5:00pm PT.
Tickets ranging in price levels from $25 to $90 go on sale starting Tuesday, December 6, at 10 a.m. PT on-line at ussoccer.com, at the University of San Diego’s Jenny Craig Pavilion Box Office (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and by phone at 619-260-7550 (Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Groups of 15 or more can purchase tickets through the University of San Diego by calling 619-260-7550.
Ottawa, Ontario – Ipswich Town midfielder, Jaime Peters, has been added to Frank Yallop’s squad ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Luxembourg.
Peters will replace Sandro Grande who is struggling with a niggling calf injury. Grande, who is currently with Viking Stavanger in Norway, aggravated the injury during a training session with his club on Saturday. The Montreal-native was assessed by Canada’s medical staff yesterday and ruled unfit to participate in the mid-week friendly.
Peters will arrive in Luxembourg City today.
Canada’s November 16th match against Luxembourg will be broadcast live at 2pm ET on all of the Rogers Sportsnet channels.
Ottawa, Ontario – Canada’s Tromso-based goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld has withdrawn from the Canadian squad that will face Luxembourg on November 16th due to soreness in his knee. The injury was sustained in the Tromso-Strasbourg UEFA Cup match last week but was not revealed to the Canadian Soccer Association until Monday morning.
Canadian Head Coach Frank Yallop has decided to include promising youngster Asmir Begovic to the squad as Hirschfeld’s replacement.
The 18-year-old Begovic is currently on loan with La Louvière of the Belgian First Division and has made two starts this season – a 4-1 loss to Roulers and a 3-2 loss to Genk.
Ottawa, Ontario – Canada’s Senior National Team Head Coach, Frank Yallop, has announced his 16-man roster for the upcoming November 16th international friendly against Luxembourg. The match will be played at the Stade Alphonse Theis in Hesperange, Luxembourg and will be broadcast live at 2pm ET on all of the Rogers Sportsnet channels.
Yallop has recalled several players who featured in Canada’s 2-1 loss to Spain on September 3rd in Santander, Spain.
“This match against Luxembourg will give us an excellent opportunity to take a look at a few players who have been doing very well with their clubs recently,” said Canadian Head Coach Frank Yallop.
Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association will be losing one of its most valuable resources in November.
FIFA has announced the hiring of former Canadian international referee Sonia Denoncourt, one of the most respected FIFA officials and certainly one of the best officials to ever represent Canada. Denoncourt is expected to assume her new role with FIFA in early December.
“This is a superb opportunity for Sonia and we certainly wish her the best in this new and exciting role,” said Andy Sharpe, President of the Canadian Soccer Association. “In this case, Canada loses one of its most prized resources but in turn, FIFA gains perhaps the most recognizable female officials in the game.”
Denoncourt will take over the newly formed ‘Women’s Referee Development’ program for soccer’s world governing body and will be based at FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland.
Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association and its partners – Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the Ontario and Federal Governments as well as the City of Toronto – have been given the approval of Toronto City’s Council to construct a 20,000 seat soccer-specific stadium on the grounds of Exhibition Place.
City council voted 25 to 13 in favour of the stadium project.
“I applaud the council for acting in the best interest of the City of Toronto, for a wide variety of community groups and all Torontonians in general. The stadium and its construction will create jobs, drive economic development and tourism, and create a larger stage for Toronto to hold international sports and entertainment events. It will also support further growth for soccer in Canada,” said Richard Peddie, President of MLSE.
New York – Major League Soccer today announced that San Jose Earthquakes goalkeeper Pat Onstad, who helped lead his team to the best record in MLS, was selected as the winner of the 2005 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Onstad, who earns his second Goalkeeper of the Year award in three seasons, had one of the best statistical seasons as a goalkeeper in MLS history. Along with being one of only five players to start and play in every minute of all 32 MLS regular season games (2,880 minutes), the 37-year-old veteran led the League in wins (18), shutouts (12), goals against average (0.97), and save percentage (77.2 percent). With a talented group of defenders in front of him, the Canadian international served as the last line of a defense which surrendered a League-low 31 goals during the season. Onstad narrowly edged out Matt Reis of the New England Revolution while defending Goalkeeper of the Year Joe Cannon of the Colorado Rapids finished in third place in the voting. The award marks the third time in the last four years that an Earthquakes goalkeeper has earned the title.
Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) has named Richard Bate, effective October 14, 2005, as Canada’s new Technical Director. Bate’s contract will see him lead the country’s technical programs until the end of 2009.
“After an exhaustive, extensive global search for the ‘right person’ to lead our Association’s technical programs, I believe we have the perfect man for the job,” declared CSA President Andy Sharpe. “Dick’s experience and dynamism is exactly what we require and I am excited about what the future holds for soccer in Canada.”
Bate, 59, is currently employed with The Football Association (England) as a staff coach and has had over 30 years of high level coaching experience at both the club and national team levels. He has also conducted Education and Coaching Courses worldwide for FIFA, the Asian Football Federation (AFC), UEFA, and the FA’s of both England and Malaysia.
