Ian Bridge

Ian Christopher Bridge... speaks English... enjoys photography... carried the British Columbia flag at the 1977 Canada Games closing ceremonies... as a footballer, took part in Read-a-Thon for Multiple Sclerosis...

honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2003... honoured by the Soccer Hall of Fame of British Columbia and the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame... part of the first Canadian team to reach the knock-out phase at the Olympic Games (Los Angeles 1984), recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... part of the first Canadian team to play at the FIFA World Cup (Mexico 1986), recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction...

Concacaf champion (1985)... represented Canada at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico... represented Canada in three cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and one cycle of Olympic Qualifiers... represented Canada at the inaugural Concacaf Gold Cup in 1991... won the Three Nations Cup in 1990... career 49 international appearances across 11 years from 1981 to 1991 with Canada Soccer's Men's National Team, including 35 international "A" appearances… when he left international football in 1991, he ranked tied for eighth all-time with 49 international appearances... represented Canada at one FIFA youth tournament (U-19 at Japan 1979)... was part of the first Canadian team to qualify for a FIFA youth tournament in 1978...

club career in Canada, USA, England and Switzerland... with Seattle Sounders FC, an NASL playoff finalist in 1980 (injured) and 1982... with British Columbia, a Canada Games gold medal winner in 1977...

served as Canada team staff at three FIFA Women’s World Cups (USA 1999, USA 2003, China 2007) and one Women's Olympic Football Tournament (Beijing 2008)… served as Canada team staff at four FIFA youth tournament (U-19 at Canada 2002, Thailand 2004, Russia 2006, Chile 2008)… was the first Canadian to feature both as a player and coach at multiple FIFA World Cups (centre back at the men’s 1986 FIFA World Cup and then as an assistant coach at the FIFA Women’s World Cups in 1999, 2003 and 2007)...

as noted by the Seattle Sounders in 1980, “very tall and good in the air along with being very strong”... as noted in a 1981 Canada Soccer program, "a very fine defender (and) also very dangerous moving forward into attacking positions"...

said Bridge on Soundersfc.com in 2008, at the club level, “the 1980 season with the Sounders, when we went 25-7, was probably my highlight as a season. We won practically every game that year at the Kingdome. It was a great bunch of guys to play with and with Alan Hinton as the coach. As a 20-year old player it was quite exciting because we were probably the biggest game in town at that time”...