Bob Lenarduzzi

Bob Lenarduzzi (born 1 May 1955 in Vancouver) is a former North American Soccer League star, Canadian International, and head coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently Head of Soccer Operations for Whitecaps F.C. in Vancouver.

As a professional player

A midfielder/defender, Lenarduzzi began his professional playing career at age 15 as a youth with Reading F.C. in England and went on to play 67 first-team games with the club, and score 2 goals. Lenarduzzi then joined the NASL Vancouver Whitecaps in 1974 in the team's first season. He played 11 seasons until the Whitecaps last season in 1984, when the league folded. Lenarduzzi holds the record for most games played in the league, with 312. He was also voted NASL North American player of the year in 1978. The Whitecaps won the NASL champioship in 1979.

As a professional head coach

Lenarduzzi resumed his pro career in 1987 as a player/coach with the newly formed Vancouver 86ers of the newly founded Canadian Soccer League. In 1989, he retired from play but continued as head coach of the team until 1993. He lead the franchise to an unprecedented four consecutive CSL titals from 1988 to 1991. His team set a record for professional North American sports teams when the team went 46 games unbeaten between 6 June 1988 and 8 August 1989. His 86ers career totals of 96wins-24loses-28ties makes him the winningest coach in Vancouver professional sports history.

As the national team head coach

Lenarduzzi became head coach (ie. manager) of the national team in 1993. In his first of two bids to see Canada back through to a World Cup finals, his squad twice came close but failed to progress to the 1994 finals. First they lost at home to Mexico despite scoring the game's first goal in a game with which Canada could have gone through to the finals with a win. As CONCACAF qualifying winners-up, Canada then lost the away leg to Australia in a match decided by penalty kicks that saw the winner of the home-and-away series go on to play Argentina in a home-and-away series for a finals spot (won by Argentina).

In qualifying for the 1998 finals, Canada failed to finish in the top three of a six-nation CONCACAF final qualifying round league tournament and progress. Lenarduzzi subsequently resigned his post in 1997.

As a national team player

Lenarduzzi won 47 caps playing for Canada. He played all the country's matches both as the squad progressed to the quarterfinals of the 1984 Summer Olympics and as it participated in the first round of the 1986 World Cup finals.

As a soccer executive

Lenarduzzi served as 86ers general manager from 1988 to 1993. He resumed the post in 1998 and was named the A-League's executive of the year for 2000. In 2001 he also assumed the position of the Whitecaps Head of Soccer Operations. (The 86ers changed their name to Whitecaps in 2001.)

External link

• The Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum (Ontario) run by the OSA with a induction profile of Lenarduzzi
• National Soccer Hall of Fame and Museum (in the U.S.) with its 2003 induction page on Lenarduzzi