Mark Stewart Watson (born 8 September 1970) is a Canadian former professional soccer player who currently works as a Senior Football Strategy Advisor (GM) at Halifax Wanderers FC . A former defender, Watson is the eighth most-capped player in the history of the Canada national team.[1]
 Watson in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mark Stewart Watson | ||
| Date of birth | 8 September 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | HFX Wanderers | ||
| Youth career | |||
| UBC Thunderbirds | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990 | Ottawa Intrepid | 22 | (0) |
| 1991 | Hamilton Steelers | 23 | (1) |
| 1992 | Montreal Supra | 18 | (1) |
| 1993–1994 | Vancouver 86ers | 10 | (0) |
| 1993–1995 | Watford | 18 | (0) |
| 1996 | Columbus Crew | 14 | (0) |
| 1996 | New England Revolution | 4 | (1) |
| 1997 | Seattle Sounders | 21 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Östers IF | 24 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Oxford United | 58 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Oldham Athletic | 2 | (0) |
| 2001 | D.C. United | 11 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Charleston Battery | 70 | (3) |
| 2005 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 17 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Charleston Battery | 20 | (0) |
| Total | 332 | (7) | |
| International career | |||
| 1991–2004 | Canada | 78 | (3) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2004–2008 | Canada (assistant) | ||
| 2006–2009 | Charleston Battery (assistant) | ||
| 2007–2010 | Canada U20 (assistant) | ||
| 2010–2013 | San Jose Earthquakes (assistant) | ||
| 2013 | San Jose Earthquakes (interim) | ||
| 2013–2014 | San Jose Earthquakes | ||
| 2014–2016 | Orlando City (assistant) | ||
| 2017–2019 | Minnesota United (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2023 | Minnesota United (technical director) | ||
| 2024– | HFX Wanderers (football advisor) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editWatson spent 18 years as a professional soccer player. He spent three seasons with Watford FC of the English Championship from 1993 to 1995 and then joined Major League Soccer for its inaugural season in 1996. He split that first MLS season between the New England Revolution and Columbus Crew. Watson returned to MLS in 2001 with D.C. United after stops with the Seattle Sounders, Oxford United and Oldham Athletic.
International career
editFor Canada, Watson has appeared 78 times for the 'A' national team during a 14-year span. He has played in four World Cup qualifying campaigns.[2] and on the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup side that won the tournament. Watson scored the winning goal for Canada in the semi-final of the 2000 Gold Cup, a match Canada won 1–0 over Trinidad and Tobago.
Coaching career
edit
Watson began his coaching career in 2004 with the Canadian national team system where he held assistant positions with the U-20 and senior squads. Watson served as assistant coach for Canada at the 2004 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualification Tournament and was an assistant when the team finished third in the same tournament in 2008. He also spent four seasons on the staff of his former playing club Charleston Battery as an assistant to Mike Anhaeuser from 2006 to 2009, helping lead Charleston to the final of the 2008 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
After spending several seasons with San Jose Earthquakes as an assistant to his Canadian colleague Frank Yallop, Watson became the club's interim head coach on 7 June 2013 following Yallop's dismissal.[3] Watson's first win as an MLS head coach came on 15 June 2013 against the Colorado Rapids at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.[4] Watson was 11–5–3 during his 19 league games as interim coach, nearly rallying the Earthquakes to an MLS Cup Playoff berth. His mark 1.89 points per game was tops among all coaches after he took over. In addition to his success in MLS, Watson's squad advanced to the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals by winning Group 5. Following these successes, on 30 October 2013 the Earthquakes announced that they had signed Watson to a permanent contract, thereby removing his interim status. After a disappointing season in which the Earthquakes failed to qualify for the playoffs, Watson was dismissed in late 2014.[5]
He was hired as an assistant coach at Orlando City Soccer Club for their inaugural Major League Soccer season on 10 November 2014.[6]
He was fired by Orlando City in July 2016.[7]
On 18 January 2017, he was named assistant coach for Major League Soccer side Minnesota United FC.[8]
On 28 October 2024, Watson joined Canadian Premier League side HFX Wanderers as the club's Senior Football Strategy Advisor. In this role, Watson would advise club president Derek Martin regarding player recruitment and football operations.[9]
Career statistics
edit- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Watson goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 July 1993 | Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Canada |  Australia |
1–1 | 2–1 | 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 15 December 1996 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador |  El Salvador |
1–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 24 February 2000 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States |  Trinidad and Tobago |
1–0 | 1–0 | CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Coaching record
edit- As of 23 August 2014
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | |||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 7 June 2013[3] | 15 October 2014 | 51 | 17 | 20 | 14 | 33.33 |
Honours
editCharleston Battery
Canada
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2000
Individual
References
edit- ^ Appearances for Canada National Team – RSSSF
- ^ Record at FIFA Tournaments – FIFA
- ^ a b "San Jose Earthquakes part ways with longtime head coach Frank Yallop". Major League Soccer. 7 June 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ "Recap: Quakes 2, Rapids 1". San Jose Earthquakes. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
- ^ Dominic Kinnear ends run with Houston Dynamo, will take over for San Jose Earthquakes, mlssoccer.com, 15 October 2014, retrieved 4 August 2015
- ^ Tenorio, Paul (10 November 2014), "Orlando City hires former San Jose Earthquakes coach Mark Watson as assistant coach", Orlando Sentinel, Tribune Publishing, retrieved 4 August 2015
- ^ "Orlando City SC Agrees to Part Ways with Head Coach Adrian Heath". Orlando City SC. 6 July 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
- ^ "MNUFC Finalizes MLS Coaching Staff". www.mnufc.com. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
- ^ "Wanderers appoint Mark Watson as Senior Football Strategy Advisor". HFX Wanderers FC. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
External links
edit
- Mark Watson at the Canadian Soccer Association / Canada Soccer Hall of Fame
- Profile of Mark Watson at the Wayback Machine (archived 27 September 2007)
- Mark Watson at National-Football-Teams.com