Mark Watson

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This article is about to the Canadian soccer player. For the comedian, see Mark Watson (comedian).

Mark Watson (born October 8, 1970 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a professional soccer player who has earned the second most caps in the history of the Canadian national team.

A 6'1, 180lbs. defender, Watson currently plays for the Charleston Battery of the USL First Division. He joined the Battery in 2006, after his third stint with the Vancouver Whitecaps, having played 10 games for the 86ers in the summer of 1993 when he was named an APSL First Team All Star, and 9 games in 1994.

Having played for the University of British Columbia, Watson was named a Canadian Soccer League All Star in his rookie professional season, with the Hamilton Steelers in 1991. He went on to play for Watford in the Football League First Division in 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. In 1996, he played for the Columbus Crew and New England Revolution of MLS. In 1997, he played for the Seattle Sounders of the A-League and was named league First Team.

Watson played for Östers IF in Swedish First Division for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons. He then played the next three seasons in the Football League's Second Division, 1998-99 and 1999-00 with Oxford United and the 2000-01 season with Oldham Athletic. He then returned to North America to play the 2001 MLS season with DC United. He then played the 2002, 2003, and 2004 seasons with the Charleston Battery of the A-League. He was named the league's Defender of the Year and to its First Team in 2002, and to the league's second team in 2004.

For Canada, Watson has appeared 77 times for the 'A' national team during a 14-year span. He has played in four World Cup qualifying campaigns 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.

Watson emerged as one of Canada's more quotable players. Before a Confederations Cup match in Japan, he implied that Canada would be willing to employ their physical style by noting that the Japanese players "don't run so fast when they're lying on the ground." He also once referred to English born-and-bred teammate Marc Bircham as a "plastic Canadian" in jest.

[edit] External link

• Whitecaps bio for Watson