Andrea Neil

Andrea Jane Neil... as a teenager, suffered a serious right knee injury in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican Republic... earned her USSF National “B” Coaching License in Carson, CA, USA in April 2009... earned her UEFA A Diploma (Coaching Award) in July 2010 at Coverciano in Florence, ITA in July 2010... granted her Canada Soccer Coaching B Diploma in 2012...

honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2012... honoured by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, the BC Sports Hall of Fame, the Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia, the University of British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame, and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Ring of Honour... she was part of the first Canadian team to play at the FIFA Women’s World Cup (Sweden 1995), recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... her jersey number 5 was retired by the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2008... Canada Soccer Player of the Year in 2001...

was the first footballer to represent Canada at four FIFA Women’s World Cups (Sweden 1995, USA 1999, USA 2003, China 2007), including a fourth-place finish at USA 2003... won five Concacaf medals with Canada (1991 silver, 1994 silver, 2002 silver, 2004 bronze, 2006 silver)... won a bronze medal with Canada at the Pan American Games Rio 2007... career 132 international “A” appearances across 18 years from 1990 to 2007 with Canada Soccer's Women's National Team... when she left international football, she ranked first in international “A” appearances (132) with Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team...

club career in Canada... with Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC Strikers, a Canada Soccer National Championships winner (Jubilee Trophy in 1994)... at the University of British Columbia, a CIAU Championship winner (Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy in 1993)...

served as Canada team staff at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011…

on 1 September 2005, was honoured ahead of a home international for surpassing 100 international appearances... her Vancouver Whitecaps jersey number 5 was retired in her honour on 7 June 2008...

said Dick Mosher in 1990, Neil was “one of the finest soccer players male or female to play here at UBC”... wrote Sylvie Béliveau in 1995, “physically, technically and this year tactically, Andrea became a great asset to the team”... said coach Even Pellerud in 2000, “leader and highly respected“... said Neil in 2005, “I know my parents were very proud of me for what I did”... wrote Even Pellerud in 2003, “her influence and impact as a leader is immeasurable”...

said Even Pellerud in December 2007 “has been instrumental in the evolvement and continuous progress of the Women’s National Team program - and that is an understatement... never in my professional coaching career of more than 20 years has an athlete been so influential”... said Sylvie Béliveau in 2007, Neil “has always been a hard-working player that is easy to coach; with experience, she has become a very positive leader of the team and a true role model”... said Bob Lenarduzzi in 2007, “her relentless commitment to growing women’s soccer in Canada is second to none”... said Chris Bennett in 2007, “she was the ultimate captain and leader and I could always trust her. She will probably go down in history as one of the best female soccer players in Canadian history”...

said Suzanne Muir in 2021 of teammate Andrea Neil, “she was one of the anchors of soccer for Canada. She was so accomplished on so many levels. It’s not just what you do on the field, it’s how you bring other players up and along... I think she did that very much so and I think that’s the credit and attributes of a true leader”...