Geoff Aunger
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Edward Ramer Aunger (born February 4, 1968 in Red Deer, Alberta
) is a former Major League Soccer
player and Canadian national soccer team
member.
, Victoria Vistas
, Hamilton Steelers, London Lasers, and once more with the 86ers. He was the league's 7th leading scorer in 1988 with the Fury, 4th in 1991 with the Steelers and named a league All-Star in 1992, the final year of the league. He continued with the 86ers as they joined the APSL
for the 1993 season, scoring 3 goals in 11 appearances..
did not meet with any success either for Aunger.
of the indoor National Professional Soccer League. Aunger had 7 goals in 18 games with the 86ers in 1995.
Aunger played in the MLS for the New England Revolution
in 1996, when he led the team in games and minutes played, while scoring 3 goals, all on penalties. He tried his luck once more in England, this time with Stockport County but made but one appearance, as a substitute the day after signing. He then joined the A-League's Seattle Sounders
.
A second chance in MLS in 1998 with D.C. United
, as Aunger won in training camp the right-back position. After 6 matches he lost his starting position and spent rest the season in and out of the line-up. 1999 saw him however start 24 games for the team however as a midfielder, and won the 1999 MLS Championship with United. He was also the first Canadian to play in the MLS Cup final. In 2000, Geoff made 26 appearances for United. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids
in 2001, and appeared in one game. In total, Aunger played 104 regular season MLS games and 9 Cup play-off contests.
He will become eligible for induction into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame
in 2011.
in a March 1991 North American Championship match against Mexico
, but since this game was not regarded official he won his first senior cap coming on as a sub in an April 1992 friendly match against China
. He earned a total of 44 caps, scoring 4 goals. He has represented Canada in 13 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches.
His final international was a November 1997 World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica
, a game after which Alex Bunbury
, Frank Yallop
and Colin Miller also said farewell to the national team.
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
) is a former Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
player and Canadian national soccer team
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
member.
Club career
A striker/midfielder later converted into a defender as well, Aunger played youth soccer with the Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club. He began his professional career in 1987 in the Canadian Soccer League and played all six years of the league's existence and with five different teams. He started with the Vancouver 86ers and went on to play with the Winnipeg FuryWinnipeg Fury
The Winnipeg Fury was a professional soccer team in Winnipeg. It was founded by Ralph Cantafio, who served as Team President and Chairman of the Board. The team was part of the Canadian Soccer League from 1987 to 1992. The Fury belonged to the former Canadian National Soccer League for 1993...
, Victoria Vistas
Victoria Vistas
The Victoria Vistas were a Canadian soccer club in the original Canadian Soccer League. The Vistas joined the CSL for the 1989 season, and folded after the 1990 season.-1990 Season:...
, Hamilton Steelers, London Lasers, and once more with the 86ers. He was the league's 7th leading scorer in 1988 with the Fury, 4th in 1991 with the Steelers and named a league All-Star in 1992, the final year of the league. He continued with the 86ers as they joined the APSL
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
for the 1993 season, scoring 3 goals in 11 appearances..
Europe
Aunger tried his luck in England and successfully tried-out for and signed with Luton Town for the 1993-94 season. Aunger had the best imagineable start, scoring two minutes into his debut match. He played but 6 times however for the Hatters first-team, having been dropped to the reserves after playing only 3 games. He was not resigned at the end of the season. A brief stint with Third Division Chester CityChester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
did not meet with any success either for Aunger.
USA
He rejoined the 86ers of the A-League and also played for the Milwaukee WaveMilwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the indoor National Professional Soccer League. Aunger had 7 goals in 18 games with the 86ers in 1995.
Aunger played in the MLS for the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in 1996, when he led the team in games and minutes played, while scoring 3 goals, all on penalties. He tried his luck once more in England, this time with Stockport County but made but one appearance, as a substitute the day after signing. He then joined the A-League's Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (USL)
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
.
A second chance in MLS in 1998 with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, as Aunger won in training camp the right-back position. After 6 matches he lost his starting position and spent rest the season in and out of the line-up. 1999 saw him however start 24 games for the team however as a midfielder, and won the 1999 MLS Championship with United. He was also the first Canadian to play in the MLS Cup final. In 2000, Geoff made 26 appearances for United. He was traded to the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
in 2001, and appeared in one game. In total, Aunger played 104 regular season MLS games and 9 Cup play-off contests.
He will become eligible for induction into the American National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
in 2011.
International career
He made his debut for CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in a March 1991 North American Championship match against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, but since this game was not regarded official he won his first senior cap coming on as a sub in an April 1992 friendly match against China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
. He earned a total of 44 caps, scoring 4 goals. He has represented Canada in 13 FIFA World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
matches.
His final international was a November 1997 World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
, a game after which Alex Bunbury
Alex Bunbury
Alexander "Alex" Bunbury is a former Canadian professional footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers in Canada, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.In 1993,...
, Frank Yallop
Frank Yallop
Frank Walter Yallop is an English-born Canadian former professional association football player. He is currently the head coach of San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer....
and Colin Miller also said farewell to the national team.
International goals
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 15 November 1992 Swangard Stadium Swangard StadiumSwangard Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Central Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. Primarily used for soccer, football, and athletics, the stadium is home to the Simon Fraser Clan football team. The stadium was home to the Vancouver Whitecaps of the NASL...
, Burnaby, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
4-2 4-2 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification-Qualified teams:The following 24 teams qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...2 15 July 1993 Estadio Azteca Estadio AztecaEstadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics....
, Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
1-0 2-2 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:11 goals Zaguinho5 goals Luis Miguel Salvador4 goals Eduardo Bennett3 goals Juan Arnoldo Cayasso Octavio Mora...3 1 August 1995 Varsity Stadium Varsity StadiumVarsity Stadium is a collegiate football stadium that is home to the Varsity Blues, the athletic teams of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. While the present structure was built in 2007, it is in fact the third major incarnation of the stadium that has occupied the same site...
, TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
3-1 3-1 Caribana Cup 4 30 August 1996 Commonwealth Stadium Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
1-0 3-1 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification-Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...
D.C. United
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS Cup (1): 1999
External links
- www.lutonfc.com's Where are they now? page on Aunger
- Canadian Soccer Association profile
- MLS Player Stats
- Career stats - National Football Teams