Former Vancouver Whitecaps striker Domenic Mobilio will be inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008.
Click here to read Steve Ewen's article on Mobilio's BC Sports Hall of Fame induction.
The former Canadian international, who was also inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame earlier this year, will join a 2008 induction class that includes the likes of former NHL star Danny Gare, former tennis player Helen Kelesi, former Canadian national rugby team standout Gareth Rees, and three-time World and Olympic mountain biker Alison Sydor.
Considered of one of Canadian soccer’s greatest goalscorers, Mobilio was one of the first players to sign for the Vancouver 86ers (now the current Whitecaps) ahead of the inaugural Canadian Soccer League season in 1987. A prolific marksman, Mobilio was the CSL’s all-time leading goalscorer with 81 goals in 121 league appearances.
He continued to play for the club when it changed its name from the 86ers to the Whitecaps before retiring in 2001 after a 15-year career. By the time Mobilio had hung up his boots, his goalscoring total of 170 goals in 286 games made him the second-highest goalscorer in North American professional soccer history after New York Cosmos legend Giorgio Chinaglia.
As a member of the Canadian national team, Mobilio’s 25 international caps included him scoring a famous equalizer to earn a 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in Edmonton, Alberta before the South Americans went on to win the 1994 World Cup in the USA.
Following his retirement from playing, Mobilio became a coach with the Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club, having passed on his vast soccer knowledge to the club’s young players.
Sadly, Mobilio’s life was tragically cut short in November 2004 when he died of an apparent heart attack. He was 35.
In honour of Mobilio’s career with the club, the Whitecaps present the ‘Domenic Mobilio Golden Boot Award’ to the men’s team’s top goalscorer each season. In 2007, Whitecaps striker Eduardo Sebrango was the recipient of the award after leading the club with seven goals during the campaign.
Whitecaps FC would also like to congratulate all of the recipients on their upcoming induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in the New Year.
