John Limniatis
Encyclopedia
John Limniatis is a retired Canadian professional footballer. He played 44 times and scored one goal for the Canadian national soccer team
and was formerly the head coach of the Montreal Impact
.
with First Division side Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
in 1987 and '88 and Panetolikos in the Second Division from 1988 to '92. He then joined the Montreal Impact
in 1993 and remained with the club until 1998, then played again for them in 2000 and 2001 playing 151 games and 13,976 minutes. Liminatis played both outdoors in the A-League and indoors in the National Professional Soccer League both with the Impact and the Kansas City Attack
in 1995-96. He later played on loan from Montreal for the Charleston Battery
in 1999.
Limniatis was named 1994 A-League Rookie of the Year and 1996 and '97 Defender of the Year.
or midfielder, Limniatis made his debut for Canada
in a September 1987 friendly match against El Salvador
, He earned a total of 44 caps, scoring 1 goal. He has represented Canada in 8 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches in three unsuccessful World Cup
qualifying campaigns.
His final international game was a March 1997 World Cup qualification match against the United States
.
was named as interim head coach following Limniatis' termination by the Impact board.
, Limniatis and his wife, Mary, have a daughter, Mary. His cousin is a pro basketball player in Greece
.
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
and was formerly the head coach of the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
.
Club career
After beginning his pro career in 1987 with the Ottawa Pioneers of the Canadian Soccer League, Limniatis played professionally in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
with First Division side Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Thessaloniki F.C.
Aris Football Club , also known as God of war and the Yellows, is a Greek football club based in the city of Thessaloniki, Macedonia. Formed in 1914, the club was a founding member of Macedonian Football Clubs Association as well as the Hellenic Football Federation, they currently compete in...
in 1987 and '88 and Panetolikos in the Second Division from 1988 to '92. He then joined the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
in 1993 and remained with the club until 1998, then played again for them in 2000 and 2001 playing 151 games and 13,976 minutes. Liminatis played both outdoors in the A-League and indoors in the National Professional Soccer League both with the Impact and the Kansas City Attack
Kansas City Attack
The Kansas City Attack, previously the Atlanta Attack and later known as the Kansas City Comets, were an indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. In its various incarnations the franchise played in the National Professional Soccer League from 1989–2001 and the...
in 1995-96. He later played on loan from Montreal for the Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in 1999.
Limniatis was named 1994 A-League Rookie of the Year and 1996 and '97 Defender of the Year.
International career
A defenderDefender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
or midfielder, Limniatis made his debut for Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in a September 1987 friendly match against El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
, He earned a total of 44 caps, scoring 1 goal. He has represented Canada in 8 FIFA World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
matches in three unsuccessful World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifying campaigns.
His final international game was a March 1997 World Cup qualification match against the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
.
International goals
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 3 July 1991 Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumThe Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
, Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, USA3-1 3-2 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup-Group B:---------------------Bracket:-Semifinals:-----Third place match:-Final:-Top scorers:4 goals Benjamin Galindo3 goals Dale Mitchell Eduardo Bennet Luis Cálix Carlos Hermosillo...
Managerial career
He spent his last years with the Impact as their assistant coach, indoor head coach, and later director of operations. He was coach for the Montreal Impact until Marc Dos SantosMarc Dos Santos
Marc Dos Santos is a Canadian soccer manager. Most recently, Dos Santos was the head coach of the Montreal Impact in the D2 Pro League from 2009 until his resignation in June 2011. Dos Santos is of Portuguese ancestry.-Trois-Rivières Attak:...
was named as interim head coach following Limniatis' termination by the Impact board.
Personal life
Limniatis's hometown is Laval, QuebecLaval, Quebec
Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006...
, Limniatis and his wife, Mary, have a daughter, Mary. His cousin is a pro basketball player in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
External links
- Player profile - Charleston Battery
- Player profile - Canada Soccer
- www.impactmontreal.com
- Career stats - National Football Teams