Jeff Clarke (Canadian soccer) facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jeffrey Clarke | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | October 18, 1977 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Surrey United Firefighters | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Metro Ford | ||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Simon Fraser Clan | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1997 | Vancouver 86ers | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–1999 | St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. | 6 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Longford Town | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Hampton Roads Mariners | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Edmonton Drillers (indoor) | 7 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2000 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2001 | Portland Timbers | 21 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2002–2008 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 155 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | → Vancouver Whitecaps Residency (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009– | Surrey United Firefighters | |||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2002 | Canada | 19 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Simon Fraser University (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
| 2010– | Surrey United Women | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Jeffrey Clarke (born October 18, 1977) is a Canadian former professional soccer player. He is currently playing for Surrey United Firefighters. He also works as the head coach for Surrey United Women. Jeff Clarke played 19 games for the Canadian national team and scored one goal. He was a key player for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Contents
Playing Career
Youth and College Soccer
Jeff Clarke grew up in Coquitlam, British Columbia. He played youth soccer with a team called Coquitlam Metro-Ford SC. During his time with this team, they won three provincial championships and two Canadian championships.
After finishing high school at Centennial School in 1996, Jeff went to Simon Fraser University. He played on the men's soccer team there for one year. Even though he left university early, he later finished his degree in Criminology. This field of study looks at crime and the justice system. He also earned a diploma in Legal Studies.
Professional Soccer Journey
In 1997, Jeff Clarke started his professional career. He signed with the Vancouver 86ers and quickly became their main defensive player, known as a sweeper. After playing one season in Vancouver, he wanted to play soccer in Europe.
He tried out for a team in Belgium called Royal Antwerp. However, he had trouble getting a work permit, which is a special document that allows someone to work in a foreign country. This problem happened to him several times.
In 1998, he joined St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. in the League of Ireland. He scored his only goal for them in May 1999. This goal helped his team win the league title!
After the 1999 season, Clarke moved to the Hampton Roads Mariners in the United States. He was still trying to join teams in Europe, but work permit issues kept getting in the way. In July 2000, he signed with Longford Town in Ireland. But he left the team soon after. The Canadian national team coach wanted him to focus on playing for Canada.
Clarke then joined the Edmonton Drillers, an indoor soccer team. However, the Drillers team stopped playing halfway through the season. The Baltimore Blast then chose Clarke in a special draft. After the Blast finished their season, he joined the Portland Timbers in February 2001. In 2002, he returned to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps.
As the team captain, Jeff Clarke helped the Whitecaps win their first USL First Division Championship in 2006. They beat the Rochester Raging Rhinos 3-0. After this big win, he was named the Championship's Most Valuable Player (MVP). On October 12, 2008, he helped the Whitecaps win their second USL First Division Championship. They beat the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 in Vancouver. He left the team in December 2008.
International Soccer Career
Jeff Clarke played for Canada's youth national teams. He played in the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan. He was on the team with other future stars like Paul Stalteri and Jason Bent. He also played in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship in Malaysia with the same players.
He played his first game for the senior Canadian national team in August 1997 against China. He played a total of 19 games for Canada and scored one goal. He also played in two FIFA World Cup qualification matches, trying to help Canada reach the World Cup.
A big moment for Jeff Clarke was being part of the Canadian team that won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup. This was a huge achievement for Canada! In 2000, he was also the captain of the Canadian Olympic soccer team. They tried to qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympics, but they did not make it.
His last game for the national team was in May 2002 against Switzerland.
International Goals
Here is the goal Jeff Clarke scored for Canada:
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 27, 2000 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly match |
Coaching Career
After his playing career, Jeff Clarke became a coach. He worked as an assistant coach at Simon Fraser University.
Since 2009, he has been the Technical Director and Director of Operations for Surrey United Soccer Club. In this role, Jeff has been very important in making the club's BCSPL Program one of the best in Canada. This program has won many national championships.
He created a special plan for the whole club. This plan helps players develop their skills, offers academy programs, and team development programs. It also includes different levels of play for players from age 5 all the way up to over 55. Before this, Jeff was the Technical Director for the Guildford Athletic Club. He helped rebuild their soccer program there too.
Achievements
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- USL First Division Championship: 2006, 2008
St. Patrick's Athletic
- League of Ireland: 1997–98, 1998–99
Canada
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2000
Canada U-20
- CONCACAF U-20 Championship: 1996
