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) | ||
Playing position | Striker | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Minnesota Twin Stars (coach) | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1987–1990 | Hamilton Steelers | 76 | (28) |
1990 | Toronto Blizzard | ? | (12) |
1991 | Montreal Supra | ? | (7) |
1992–1993 | West Ham | 4 | (0) |
1993–1999 | Marítimo | 165 | (59) |
1999–2000 | Kansas City Wizards | 24 | (4) |
National team | |||
1984–1985 | Canada U20 | 9 | (3) |
1986–1997 | Canada | 65 | (16) |
Teams managed | |||
2000–2008 | Bangu FC | ||
2008–2012 | Minnesota Thunder (academy) | ||
2014– | Minnesota Twin Stars | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Alexander "Alex" Bunbury (born 18 June 1967) is a Canadian retired footballer 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 16 goals during 11 years.
Bunbury ranked fourth in the all-time scorer's list in June 2008, and eighth in appearances.[4] He represented the nation in 30 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and played at the inaugural 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship.[5]
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.
International goals
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 30 August 1986 | Singapore, Singapore | Indonesia | 4–0 | Merlion Cup | |
2 | 6 September 1986 | Singapore, Singapore | Singapore | 1–0 | 1–0 | Merlion Cup |
3 | 30 September 1987 | Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 1–2 | Friendly | |
4 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
5 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 2–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
6 | 15 November 1992 | Swangard, Burnaby, Canada | Bermuda | 3–0 | 4–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
7 | 4 April 1993 | Estadio Nacional, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Honduras | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
8 | 11 April 1993 | Swangard, Burnaby, Canada | El Salvador | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
9 | 9 May 1993 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada | Mexico | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
10 | 15 July 1993 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico | Martinique | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
11 | 26 January 1995 | Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada | Portugal | 1–1 | 1–1 | SkyDome Cup |
12 | 10 October 1996 | Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada | Cuba | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
13 | 3 November 1996 | Swangard, Burnaby, Canada | El Salvador | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
14 | 15 December 1996 | Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
15 | 14 September 1997 | Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador | El Salvador | 1–1 | 1–4 | 1998 World Cup qualification |
16 | 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 2010 Hermann Award winner for soccer who also played for Sporting Kansas City in MLS.
With wife Kristi, he also has another son, Logan, an aspiring rapper, and one daughter, Kylie, an actress.[6]
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"
- ↑ "Soccer Hall of Fame – Alex Bunbury". Soccer.on.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-14.
- ↑ Association announces All-Time Canada XI – men's team; at Canada Soccer
- ↑ Canada – Record International Players; at RSSSF
- ↑ Alex Bunbury – FIFA competition record
- ↑ Bunbury follows in father's footsteps; ESPN, 5 May 2011
External links
- Alex Bunbury at thefinalball.com
- Alex Bunbury profile at ForaDeJogo
- The Wonderful World of West Ham United statistics
- Alex Bunbury at National-Football-Teams.com
- Soccer Hall of Fame inductee page