{
    "title": "Pellerud Wins Inaugural Coaching Award",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-05 18:55:33",
    "published_at": "2003-10-29 10:00:00",
    "url": "https://news.canadasoccer.com/pellerud-wins-inaugural-coaching-award",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/KUFd",
    "culture": "en",
    "language": "EN",
    "subtitle": "Ottawa, Ontario \u0096 The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) announced today that Canada\u2019s Women\u2019s World Cup Team coach, Even Pellerud, is the inaugural recipient of the Vector \u0093Performance of the Year\u0094 Award in recognition of his team being selected as the most inspirational sports story of the year.\u2026",
    "slug": "pellerud-wins-inaugural-coaching-award",
    "body": "<p>Ottawa, Ontario \u0096 The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) announced today that Canada&rsquo;s Women&rsquo;s World Cup Team coach, Even Pellerud, is the inaugural recipient of the Vector \u0093Performance of the Year\u0094 Award in recognition of his team being selected as the most inspirational sports story of the year.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bAt the 2003 FIFA Women&rsquo;s World Cup which concluded earlier this month in the United States, Canada finished a surprising fourth advancing to the bronze medal game which it lost to the U.S., the defending champions. The Canadians, the second youngest team in the tournament, were seeded 12th.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bThey became the first Canadian team to win a World Cup game and the first to reach the playoffs with a 2-1 record in round robin play. They upset China 1-0 in the quarter-finals before a tough loss to Sweden in the semi-finals which cost them a shot at gold.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bPellerud, named head coach of the women&rsquo;s team after Canada finished 12th at the 1999 World Cup, is excited about the future. He is confident the team can remain united and challenge for a medal at the 2004 Olympics and be a gold medal favourite at the next World Cup in 2007.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b\u0093There is a lot of potential, a lot of power, a lot of athleticism, a lot of skill,\u0094 said Pellerud. Some of the team&rsquo;s brightest young stars include Christine Sinclair, 20, Kara Lang, 16, and Christine Latham, 22.<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b\u0093It was a little disappointing, that&rsquo;s for sure,\u0094 said Lang, about the fourth place finish. \u0093But we fought our hardest. This was the most amazing experience I ever had. It gave me an idea of what we can accomplish.&rsquo;\u0094<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200b<br>\u200bCAC is a not-for-profit amateur sport organization with the mandate to improve the effectiveness of coaching across all sports and at all levels of the sport system.</p>",
    "author": {
        "first_name": "Integration",
        "last_name": "Integration"
    },
    "format_version": 5
}