Alex Bunbury
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alexander Bunbury | ||
Date of birth | 18 June 1967 | ||
Place of birth | Plaisance, Guyana | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Minnesota Twin Stars (coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1987–1990 | Hamilton Steelers | 71 | (27) |
1990 | Toronto Blizzard | 6 | (1) |
1991 | Montreal Supra | 24 | (7) |
1992–1993 | West Ham United | 4 | (0) |
1993–1999 | Marítimo | 165 | (59) |
1999–2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 24 | (4) |
Total | 269 | (110) | |
International career | |||
1984–1985 | Canada U20 | 9 | (3) |
1986–1997 | Canada | 65 | (15) |
Managerial career | |||
2000–2008 | Bangu FC | ||
2008–2012 | Minnesota Thunder (academy) | ||
2014– | Minnesota Twin Stars | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alexander "Alex" Bunbury (born 18 June 1967) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who played as a striker.
He played mainly for Marítimo in Portugal during a 13-year professional career, and represented the Canadian national team during 11 years. In 2000, Bunbury became a manager.
Club career
Born in Plaisance, Guyana, Bunbury started playing professionally with the Hamilton Steelers where he was managed by John Charles, also having one-year spells in the Canadian Soccer League with the Toronto Blizzard and Montreal Supra.
In 1993, after an unassuming season for West Ham United (only six appearances overall), he moved to Portugal's C.S. Marítimo, going on to become the club's all-time leading goalscorer in the Primeira Liga with 59 goals. In his second season, he won the Foreign Player of the Year award,[1] and he scored a career-best 15 goals in the 1998–99 campaign, helping his team to the tenth position in what was his final year in Madeira.
In early 1999, after requesting a move to play closer to his hometown of Montreal, Bunbury returned to North America, and retired after two seasons with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. Subsequently, he took up coaching, first with Bangu FC then at the Minnesota Thunder Academy.
Bunbury was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in April 2006.[2] In 2012, as part of the Canadian Soccer Association's centennial celebration, he was named to the all-time Canada XI men's team.[3]
International career
Bunbury played in all three of Canada's games at the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship in the Soviet Union. He made his debut with the senior side in an August 1986 Merlion Cup match against Singapore, and went on to earn 65 caps and score 15 goals during 11 years.[4]
Bunbury ranked fourth in the all-time scorer's list in June 2008, and eighth in appearances.[5] He represented the nation in 30 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and played at the inaugural 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship.[6]
Bunbury's final international was a November 1997 World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica, a game after which Paul Dolan, Geoff Aunger, Frank Yallop and Colin Miller also said farewell to the national team.[4]
International goals
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 6 September 1986 | Singapore, Singapore | Singapore | 1–0 | 1–0 | Merlion Cup |
2 | 30 September 1987 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 1–2 | Friendly | |
3 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
4 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
5 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 3–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
6 | 4 April 1993 | Estadio Nacional, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Honduras | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
7 | 11 April 1993 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | El Salvador | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
8 | 9 May 1993 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada | Mexico | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
9 | 15 July 1993 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | Martinique | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
10 | 26 January 1995 | SkyDome, Toronto, Canada | Portugal | 1–1 | 1–1 | SkyDome Cup |
11 | 10 October 1996 | Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada | Cuba | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
12 | 3 November 1996 | Swangard Stadium, Burnaby, Canada | El Salvador | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
13 | 15 December 1996 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
14 | 14 September 1997 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
15 | 12 October 1997 | Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada | Mexico | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
Personal life
After his retirement, Bunbury made Prior Lake, Minnesota his home, where he worked as a youth soccer coach and trainer. He is the father of Teal Bunbury, a soccer player for New England Revolution.
With wife Kristi, he also has another son, Logan, and one daughter, Kylie, an actress.[7]
Honours
Club
Marítimo
- Taça de Portugal: Runner-up 1994–95
Kansas City Wizards
- MLS Cup: 2000
- MLS Supporters' Shield: 2000
Individual
- Canadian International Player of the Year: 1993, 1995
- Primeira Liga: Foreign Player of the Year 1994–95
References
- ^ "Rapids rise into top spot for first time ever" Archived 6 May 2004 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Soccer Hall of Fame – Alex Bunbury". Soccer.on.ca. Archived from the original on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
- ^ Association announces All-Time Canada XI – men's team Archived 19 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine; at Canada Soccer
- ^ a b "Alex Bunbury". Canada Soccer Association. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Canada – Record International Players Archived 14 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine; at RSSSF
- ^ Alex Bunbury – FIFA competition record (archived)
- ^ Bunbury follows in father's footsteps Archived 8 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN, 5 May 2011
External links
- Alex Bunbury at ForaDeJogo (archived)
- The Wonderful World of West Ham United statistics
- Alex Bunbury at National-Football-Teams.com
- Canadian Soccer Association profile
- 1967 births
- Living people
- People from Demerara-Mahaica
- Guyanese emigrants to Canada
- Naturalized citizens of Canada
- Sportspeople from Hamilton, Ontario
- Sportspeople from Montreal
- Soccer people from Quebec
- Anglophone Quebec people
- Black Canadian sportspeople
- Afro-Guyanese people
- Canadian soccer players
- Association football forwards
- Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992) players
- Hamilton Steelers (1981–1992) players
- Montreal Supra players
- Toronto Blizzard (1986–1993) players
- English Football League players
- West Ham United F.C. players
- Primeira Liga players
- C.S. Marítimo players
- Major League Soccer players
- Sporting Kansas City players
- Canada men's youth international soccer players
- Canada men's international soccer players
- 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- Canadian expatriate soccer players
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in Portugal
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- Canada Soccer Hall of Fame inductees
- Canadian men's futsal players
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in England
- Canadian expatriate sportspeople in the United States