johnnybluenose
Well-Known Member
Whitecaps part ways with women's coach Birarda
CSA announces veteran bench boss has also left job as coach of Canada's under-20 women's team
Canwest News Service
Published: Friday, October 10, 2008
The Vancouver Whitecaps announced Thursday that they have parted ways with women's team head coach Bob Birarda.
"This was a mutual decision," the Whitecaps stated in a news release. "The Whitecaps and Mr. Birarda agree that it is in the best interest of both parties. Current Whitecaps staff will take over Mr. Birarda's duties on an interim basis."
Birarda also has left Canada's under-20 women's soccer team a little more than a month before the squad will take part in the FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup.
Birarda led Canada to the CONCACAF championship in June, but the Canadian Soccer Association announced Thursday he won't be guiding the team at the upcoming World Cup in Chile.
"The departure was a mutual decision which the association and Mr. Birarda agreed was in the best interest of both parties," the CSA said in news release.
Birarda coached the Whitecaps to the USL W-League championship in 2006, but the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 2007 and was eliminated in the conference playoffs this year.
Assistant coach Ian Bridge will replace Birarda on the sidelines for the tournament, which begins Nov. 19. Canada is in a group with Japan and Democratic Republic of Congo. Bridge has also been an assistant coach on the women's national team the past two seasons and coached the under-20 team at World Cups in 2002, 2004 and 2006. He guided the Canadian team to a second-place finish in Edmonton in 2002.
Birarda took the Canadian team to Melipilla, Chile last month for a training camp and tournament. Canada went undefeated, beating Mexico and Chile and drawing with New Zealand.
Whitecaps part ways with women's coach Birarda