20-26 February: Happy Birthday to our Canadian Footballers!
Posted on 19 February 2012 in Around the Soccer World
21 February 1880 - Otto Christman (deceased 1963)
Otto Christman was a member of Canada's Olympic champion football team at the St. Louis 1904 Olympics. While three Canadian teams expressed interest in traveling to St. Louis, only Galt FC of Ontario made the trip to the United States. Reportedly, the Berlin club couldn't raise the funds while the University of Toronto team had lost to Galt shortly before the competition and decided not to go. So representing both Galt and Canada, Christman played in the 4:0 win over St. Rose School on 17 November (Canada's second match - both of which were 60 minutes in length). Born in Normanby, Grey South, Ontario, Christman lived 83 years before passing away in Orillia on 26 August 1963.
26 February 1983 - Erin McLeod
Erin McLeod was a two-time runner-up to Canada's Player of the Year award, finishing behind Christine Sinclair in voting in both 2007 and 2008. Now playing with Dalsjöfors G.o.I.F. in Sweden, McLeod recently helped Canada win a CONCACAF silver medal en route to qualifying for the London 2012 Women's Olympic Football Tournament. This week, she is in Larnaka, Cyprus preparing for the 2012 Cyprus Women's Cup which runs 28 February to 6 March. To date, she has made 69 appearances at the international "A" level with 20 clean sheets to her credit.
MORE BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK (from 20-26 February):
Terry Dunfield - 20-February-1982 (Vancouver, BC)
Eddy Sidra 20-February-1989 (Edmonton, AB)
Lynn Forsyth 21 February-1973 (Burlington, ON)
Frank Donlavey 22-February-1945 (deceased 2009)
Carmelo Barbieri 24-February-1956
Rocco Placentino 25-February-1982 (Montréal, QC)
Terry Wetherall 25-February-1922
Ante Jazic 26-February-1976 (Bedford, NS)
Joshua Wagenaar 26-February-1985 (Grimsby, ON)
Trevor McCallum 26-February-1964 (Mississauga, ON)
Giuliano Oliviero 26-February-1974 (Surrey, BC)
(HOF = Honoured members of The Soccer Hall of Fame)
