Dale Mitchell (soccer)

Dale William Mitchell (born April 21, 1958) is a Canadian former professional soccer striker who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dale Mitchell
Mitchell in 2007
Personal information
Full name Dale William Mitchell
Date of birth (1958-04-21) April 21, 1958 (age 66)
Place of birth Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1977–1978 Vancouver Whitecaps 5 (0)
1979–1982 Portland Timbers 101 (35)
1983 Montreal Manic 24 (8)
1984–1985 Tacoma Stars (indoor) 96 (96)
1986–1987 Kansas City Comets (indoor) 99 (99)
1988–1990, 1992 Vancouver 86ers
1990–1991 Baltimore Blast (indoor) 51 (42)
1991 Toronto Blizzard 22 (10)
1992–1994 Tacoma Stars (indoor) 40 (45)
Total 651 (546)
International career
1976 Canada U-20 3 (1)
1983–1987 Canada U-23 9 (4)
1980–1993 Canada 55 (19)
Managerial career
1995–1999 Vancouver 86ers reserves
2000–2001 Vancouver Whitecaps
2002–2007 Canada U-20
2007–2009 Canada
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He made 55 appearances for the Canada national team and scored a then national record 19 goals.[1] He coached the Canada national team from May 2007 until March 27, 2009. In 2012 as part of the Canadian Soccer Association's centennial celebration, he was named to the all-time Canada XI men's team.[2] He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002. In March 2014 it was announced that he would also be a 2014 inductee into the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame.[3]

Club career

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Mitchell played in the former North American Soccer League. He began his professional career with the Vancouver Whitecaps (1977, 1978), then played for the Portland Timbers (1979 to 1982)[4] and for the Montreal Manic (1983). He was an original player with the Vancouver 86ers of the Canadian Soccer League and American Professional Soccer League for whom he scored 37 goals during seasons from 1988 to 1990 and 1992 to 1994. He was with the Toronto Blizzard for the 1991 season.

Mitchell also played nine indoor soccer seasons in the old Major Indoor Soccer League with the Tacoma Stars, Kansas City Comets, and the Baltimore Blast. Mitchell finished as the league's third all-time goal scorer and fourth in total points with 406 goals and 280 assists for 686 points. He also played with the Toronto Blizzard.[5]

International career

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Mitchell made his senior debut for Canada in a September 15, 1980 friendly match against New Zealand in Vancouver (in which he scored two goals) and played his final international in an August 15, 1993 World Cup qualifier against Australia in Sydney.[6] He represented Canada in 22 World Cup qualifiers[7] and also played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup finals in Canada's third group stage match against the Soviet Union.[8]

Mitchell also played every minute of Canada's matches at the 1984 Summer Olympics, scoring three goals including the equalizer when Canada took Brazil into extra time and eventually penalty kicks in the quarterfinals.[9]

International goals

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Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 September 15, 1980 Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada   New Zealand 2–0 4–0 Friendly
2 September 15, 1980 Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada   New Zealand 3–0 4–0 Friendly
3 November 11, 1980 Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala   Guatemala 1–0 1–0 Friendly
4 October 12, 1981 Skinner Park, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago   Trinidad and Tobago 1–0 4–2 Friendly
5 October 12, 1981 Skinner Park, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago   Trinidad and Tobago 4–1 4–2 Friendly
6 April 20, 1985 Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, Canada   Guatemala 1–0 2–1 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 April 20, 1985 Royal Athletic Park, Victoria, Canada   Guatemala 2–0 2–1 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 May 5, 1985 Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala   Guatemala 1–0 1–1 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 May 8, 1985 Stade Sylvio Cator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti   Haiti 1–0 2–0 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 June 2, 1985 Dongdaemun Stadium, Seoul, South Korea   Ghana 2–1 President's Cup
11 October 2, 1988 Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago   Trinidad and Tobago 2–1 2–1 Friendly
12 October 15, 1988 Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada   Guatemala 1–2 3–2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
13 October 15, 1988 Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada   Guatemala 2–2 3–2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification
14 June 28, 1991 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, U.S.   Honduras 1–4 2–4 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
15 June 28, 1991 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, U.S.   Honduras 2–4 2–4 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
16 July 3, 1991 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, U.S.   Jamaica 1–0 3–2 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup
17 October 18, 1992 National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica   Jamaica 1–1 1–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
18 November 1, 1992 Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada   Jamaica 1–0 1–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification
19 November 8, 1992 Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada   El Salvador 2–2 2–3 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification

Coaching career

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Following his retirement as a player, Mitchell coached the 86ers reserves squad and was first-team assistant coach from 1995 to 1999. He succeeded Carl Valentine as the club's head coach in 1999 when the club was renamed the Vancouver Whitecaps. From 2001 to 2007, Mitchell was Canada's Under-20 national team head coach. In 2004, he served as an assistant coach to Frank Yallop with the senior national team during FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. In May 2007, he was appointed head coach of the Canadian men's senior team. In 2008, Canada did not progress beyond CONCACAF Stage III of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, finishing in the so-called CONCACAF Group of Death behind the higher-ranked Mexican and Honduran teams. Mitchell was relieved of his duties on March 27, 2009.[10]

References

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  1. ^ Goalscoring for Canada National Team - RSSSF
  2. ^ "Association announces All-Time Canada XI - men's team - Canada Soccer". Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  3. ^ "Home - Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame". www.indoorsoccerhall.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  4. ^ "Timbers Flashback: Dale Mitchell | Portland Timbers". Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  5. ^ "Dale Mitchell soccer Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  6. ^ "Dale Mitchell". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Record at FIFA Tournaments - FIFA
  8. ^ "1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico ™". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  9. ^ "Previous Tournaments". FIFA.com. 2008. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2013.
  10. ^ "Mitchell given the boot", The Canadian Press, Friday, March 27, 2009.
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