Vladimir Edouard (born 18 June 1978) is a Canadian-born Haitian former footballer who played as a forward. He also played at the international level with the Haiti national team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1978-06-18) 18 June 1978 (age 44) | ||
| Place of birth | Outaouais, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–2000 | Montreal Impact | 21 | (1) |
| 2001 | Ottawa Wizards | 3 | (1) |
| 2002–2003 | Montreal/Laval Dynamites | 21 | (5) |
| 2005 | Vermont Voltage | 5 | (1) |
| 2006 | Laval Dynamites | 9 | (7) |
| National team | |||
| 2000 | Haiti | 6 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Edouard spent a portion of his youth in Haiti where he played at the youth level.[1] In 1994, he returned to Quebec where he played in the local regional circuit the Ligue de soccer élite du Québec with Outaouais Football Club.[2] After training in Poland with ŁKS Łódź academy he was offered a contract in 1997.[3] He was also offered an athletic scholarship with Mercer University but declined the offer to pursue opportunities in Europe.[3] He represented Team Quebec at the Canada Games as well as the 1997 Jeux de la Francophonie.[4] In the Canada Summer Games, he featured in the tournament's final against Team British Columbia and contributed a goal to secure the gold medal for Quebec.[5]
He entered the professional ranks in 1998 by signing a contract with Montreal Impact in the A-League.[4] He recorded his first goal for Montreal on May 11, 1998, against Atlanta Ruckus.[6] In his debut season with Montreal, he assisted the club in securing the Can-Am Cup where he recorded a goal against Rochester Raging Rhinos.[7][8] He helped Montreal secure a postseason berth by finishing second in their division.[9] He would appear in 10 matches and record one goal in his debut season.[10]
The following season Montreal was inactive due to financial restructuring and returned for the 2000 outdoor season.[11] He re-signed with Montreal for the 2000 season.[12] In his second season with the Impact, he featured in a friendly soccer tournament named La Coupe de Montreal that included the Guatemala and Haiti national teams.[13] He played in the opening match against Haiti where Montreal won the game.[14] He also recorded a goal in the tournament against RS Settat.[15]
In 2001, he was released from his contract with Montreal.[16]
In 2001, he signed with the expansion franchise Ottawa Wizards of the Canadian Professional Soccer League.[17] In his debut season with Ottawa, he assisted the club in securing a double (regular-season title & league cup) and also clinched a playoff berth.[18] Ottawa would be eliminated in the preliminary round of the playoffs by St. Catharines Roma Wolves.[19]
After a brief stint in Ottawa, he signed with league rivals Montreal Dynamites the following season.[20] He made his debut for Montreal on June 9, 2002, against the York Region Shooters where he scored two goals in a 3-0 victory.[20] In the 2003 season, the club moved to the suburb of Laval, Quebec , resulting in a slight name change and Edouard re-signed with the team.[21] After two seasons with the Dynamites, he played abroad in the USL Premier Development League with Vermont Voltage of the USL Premier Development League.[22] In his debut season in Vermont, he appeared in five matches and scored one goal.[10]
In 2006, he returned to his former club Laval Dynamites for the 2006 CSL season.[23]
In 1999, he was called to the Canada men's national soccer team camp by head coach Holger Osieck.[24]
Edouard would ultimately play for the Haiti national football team in 2000 and made his debut on March 11, 2000, against Dominica in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification match.[25][26] He recorded his first international goal on April 1, 2000, against the Bahamas.[27] He would add another pair of goals by scoring two against the Bahamas in another World Cup qualifier match.[28] Before the commencement of the second round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifier matches, he played against Miami Fusion in a friendly match.[29] He played against Trinidad and Tobago in the final round of the Caribbean Zone World Cup qualification.[30]