John Smits
Canadian soccer player (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Smits (born September 7, 1988) is a Canadian soccer player and coach.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 7, 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Canadian Crusaders (indoor) | ||
| Number | 50 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| A.C. Diavoli | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2011 | Toronto Varsity Blues | 28 | (0) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2015 | FC Edmonton | 38 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Montreal Impact (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2016 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 18 | (0) |
| 2022 | Unionville Milliken SC | 1 | (0) |
| 2022–2024 | Serbian White Eagles | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2024– | Canada (futsal) | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017– | Toronto Varsity Blues (goalkeeping coach) | ||
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of September 1, 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals as of April 14, 2024 | |||
Early life
Smits played youth soccer with A.C. Diavoli.[1]
University career
From 2008 to 2011, Smits attended the University of Toronto, where he played for the men's soccer team.[1] In 2009, he was named an OUA East Second Team All-Star, after recording a CIS-leading 11 shut outs in 2009.[2] In 2010, he helped the team win the 2010 OUA championship, earning player of the match honours in the final, and was also named an OUA First Team All-Star.[2]
Club career
In March 2012, Smits signed with FC Edmonton of the North American Soccer League in 2012.[2] Smits made his professional debut against the Atlanta Silverbacks on May 12, 2012, posting a shutout.[3] In 2014, Smits won the NASL Golden Glove as the league's top goalkeeper, after finishing with the lowest goals against average in the league that season.[4] In April 2015, Smits joined the Montreal Impact on a short-term loan for the 2014–15 CONCACAF Champions League semi-final.[5][6][7] He re-joined on another short-term loan for the final.[8][9][10] He served as the backup for Montreal and did not make an appearance, before returning to Edmonton for the remainder of the season.[11] After the 2015 season, he was released by the club, after losing his starting spot during the season.[12]
In February 2016, Smits signed with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL.[13][14] Smits would only spend one season in Wilmington, as the club announced that they would not participate in the 2017 USL season.[15][16]
In April 2022, he played one match for Unionville Milliken SC in League1 Ontario.[17]
In May 2022, he made a lone appearance for Canadian Soccer League side Serbian White Eagles FC but broke his foot in the match and had to be substituted.[18]
International career
Smits has played for the Canada national beach soccer team.[19]
In April 2024, he was named to the Canada national futsal team roster for the 2024 CONCACAF Futsal Championship.[20][21]
Coaching career
In July 2017, Smits returned to his university team, the Toronto Varsity Blues, as goalkeeper coach.[22]
Other playing
In 2023, he played with Sports Leagues Canada FC at The Soccer Tournament, finishing in second place.[23]
Statistics
Statistics accurate as of May 1, 2022[24]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | Playoffs | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Edmonton | NASL | 2012 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| NASL | 2013 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| NASL | 2014 | 20 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | |||
| NASL | 2015 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 38 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| Montreal Impact (loan) | MLS | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Wilmington Hammerheads | USL | 2016 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| Unionville Milliken SC | League1 Ontario | 2022[17] | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 57 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 0 | ||