Where are they now? The B.C. boys who led Canada to its only World Cup appearance

Few gave the Canadians much of a chance at the 1986 World Cup, especially with matches against established squadsHungary, the Soviet Union and reigning European champions France.

"My concern was that we would be embarrassed with the quality of the team and players we were going against," said Canada manager Tony Waiters.

Canada held its own, losing to France 1-0 on a late goal, and by 2-0 counts in their finaltwo matches.

• VIDEO: Canada cracks the World Cup
• Remembering Canada's '86 World Cup team
• World Cup memories: Canada-France, 1986

Today, thatfeat of simply reaching the World Cup growsincreasingly impressive with each failed qualifying campaign now up to eight in a row.

The team that did it was an eclectic one that featuredplayers with hometowns in five different provinces as well as 10 players who were born outside of the country.

ButCanada's World Cup squad was built on a backbone of B.C.-born or -raised players including its captain and two longest-serving players who comprised 13of the squad's 22 roster spots.

Here's a look back at the team of '86 and where its members are today.

The Manager

Tony Waiters (Southport, U.K.)

Forever the coach, Waiters continues to work with young players even at the age of 81.

"You like to think you can leave a bit of a legacy,"said the former Vancouver Whitecaps and national team manager from his home on the Sunshine Coast.

"When people say you're the only coach to take Canada to the men's World Cup, it's not a lot of satisfaction really."

Instead, he's driven to develop Canada's next generation oftalent by bringing soccer to the inner city.

"There's some real talent there."

The B.C. backbone

Bruce Wilson - Defender (Vancouver)

The Canadian captain retired after the World Cup and a year latersigned on tocoach the University of Victoria's men's soccer team.

Three national titles and two coach of the year awards later, he's set to enter his31stseason with theVikesthis fall.

"If I can go another 30 years I'll be really happy."

Mike Sweeney - Midfielder (Duncan, B.C.,raised in Squamish, B.C.)

After playing, Sweeney movedto Ohio and focused on coaching young players.

"It's an opportunity to help kids out to make good life decisions," he said of his role.

He's the longtime club director of the Cleveland Whitecaps, a youth academy cheekily named for his former Vancouver team.

"There's very few people here who catch the tag."

Bob Lenarduzzi - Defender (Vancouver)

Lenarduzzimanaged the men's national team between 1993 and '98, worked in media and has been a part of the Vancouver Whitecaps for nearly four decades. Hecurrently worksas the team's president.

Dale Mitchell - Forward (Vancouver)

Mitchell managed boththe Whitecaps and the Canadian national men's team and is now a technical director with a Coquitlamyouth soccer club.

Ian Bridge - Defender (Victoria)

Bridgemanaged several teamspost-retirement, and has been an assistant coachfor the University of Nebraska women's squadsince 2015.

Randy Samuel - Defender (Trinidad and Tobago,raised in Richmond, B.C.)

Samuel islisted online as a coach forseveralLower Mainland youth teams in recent years.

David Norman - Midfielder (Scotland,raised in Coquitlam, B.C.)

Norman works as an insurance advisor and was a colour commentator for Whitecaps radio broadcasts untillast season. His son, David Norman Jr., signed with the Whitecaps in December 2017.

Jamie Lowery - Midfielder (Port Alberni, B.C.)

After playing, Loweryreturned to Vancouver Island, where his LinkedIn page indicates herecently worked as a transit operator with B.C. Transit.

GerogePakos - Forward (Victoria)

After the World Cup, Pakosreturned to work for the City of Victoria,where he is retired.

The veterans

Carl Valentine - Forward (Manchester, U.K.)

Valentine settled in Vancouver post-retirement and has worked with the Whitecaps as club ambassador since 2010.

"I get to meet a lot of people that supported me as a 20 year old. And, I get to thank them now because you don't really appreciate it when you're 20."

Tino Lettieri - Goalkeeper (Bari, Italy)

The colourful former Whitecaps netminder, known for placing his stuffed parrot Ozzie inside his goal, lives in the Minneapolis area where he owns a pizza restaurant that bears his name. His son Vinnimade his NHL debutlate last season with the New York Rangers.

Randy Ragan - Midfielder (High Prairie, Alta.)

The former SFUplayerretired last year after serving eight seasons as coach of the University of Guelph Gryphons women's soccer team.

Branko Segota - Forward (Rijeka, Yugoslavia)

Segotanow lives in Florida, according to his Facebook profile.

Gerry Gray - Midfielder (Glasgow, U.K.)

Gray moved to the Seattle area post-retirement,became a United States citizen in 2004 and runs his own retirement and insurance business.

The young stars

Paul James - Midfielder (Cardiff, U.K.)

James coached York University to a national title in 2008, but was later removed from the job after admitting to crack cocaine use. Last January, he went on a hunger strike to draw attention to the stigma of drug addiction.

"I need to bring what's invisible to people, visible," he told CBClast year.

"We need people to come forward, but how can they if there's so much fear."

Igor Vrablic - Forward (Bratislava, Czechoslovakia)

Vrablic, only 20 in 1986, had hisyoung career derailed soon after the World Cup when hewas accused of taking money to throw games at a tournament in Singapore. He was last reportedlivingin southern Ontario.

Paul Dolan - Goalkeeper (Ottawa, raised in Port Moody, B.C.)

Dolan isa colour commentator for Whitecaps radio broadcasts and also works in sales for Umbro Canada.

The reserves

Sven Habermann - Goalkeeper (West Germany, raised in Vancouver)

Habermannwas among a group of reserve players who watched the tournament from Vancouver, knowing their only chance at playing in Mexico was an injury to a teammate.

"We had a few pints because we knew we'd have 48 hours to get sober again."

Post-retirement, a close encounter with a bear near his Maple Ridge, B.C., home encouraged him to turn his entrepreneurial streak towardself-defence.

He developed the Tornado, a quick-release pepper spray, and successfully pitched the product on the hit show Dragon's Den.

"It was the first time I was ever really nervous," he said of appearing before the Dragons. "You fear getting torn apart by those guys."

Greg Ion - Midfielder (Vancouver)

The former Vancouver 86ercoaches atan Arizona youth soccer academy.

Terry Moore - Defender (Moncton, N.B.)

Moore spent much of his life in Northern Ireland and coached that country's team in the 2016 Homeless World Cup.

Pasquale de Luca - Defender / Midfielder (Edmonton)

His current whereabouts are unclear but de Luca coached the Edmonton Drillers of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League until it folded in 2012.

Colin Miller - Defender (Hamilton, U.K.,raised in Vancouver)

Miller would go on to captain Team Canada and twice serve as its interim manager. The Lower Mainland resident is now the head of development for the Abbotsford Soccer Association.

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