After an injury sidelined Dr. David Clay for the majority of last year’s World Medical Football Championships in Mexico, 2019 was a year of redemption.
Chosen again to play for Team Canada Medical Football, David was dual tasked with duties for both the Open division team and the Masters Team as they prepare for the World Championships in Mexico later this year. As a part of the training the team traveled to Long Beach, California where they participated in the US Physicians Soccer Summit. This was the first time another national was invited to a training weekend with the US team and the academic program that accompanies it.
The team is made up of Specialists and Family Doctors from six different provinces across the country.
READ: Local Physician to play for the Canadian Men’s Medical Football Team
“I was desperate to get back out on the pitch and prove myself after what happened last year. Our first match was a draw 1-1 against the USA and we were hungry for a win in our first ever tournament as a Masters Team representing Canada.” Said Dr. Clay.
It was a back and forth match with the Canadian team going up 1-0 early in the game after a long distance goal by Alberta Urologist Jonathan Taylor. After the USA equalized it was tense with only minutes remaining. It was a penalty corner from another Albertan, Dr. Chip Doig that rolled across to Dr. Clay as he raced up the pitch and one-timed the ball into the top right hand corner of the opposition net with only 3 minutes remaining.
“I used to play forward as a kid in the UK and I think all that training and practice just came back to me. It was an incredible feeling to score the goal and then we just defended like the dickens to the final whistle.”
It is only a few more months until Dave will be taking a short leave from his practice to return to Mexico, hopefully injury free, and represent Canada again against teams from around the world.
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