Unfortunately longtime CSL, APSL and A-league player Dominic Mobilio died in Vancouver of a heart attack at 35. He was driving in his vehicle when it happened. Mobilio played for Canada 17 times (I think it was 17). One of the (rare) home grown and developed Canadian goal scoring threats, he had retired from soccer and was coaching. He will be missed
Kinda surprised no one else chimed in with any remarks. Dominic was a super player on and off the field , he was one of those rare types that was as cool as a cucumber in any situation and was just as super humble to boot. When you look at players like Owen Hargraves come out of Canada you wonder if a player of Dominic's overall total class will ever be reproduced in Canada. I'll always respect him for striving to bring Canada up from it's still grass roots foundation to something bigger. He had the skills to go far and could of stayed in Europe untill he finally hung'em up, instead he stayed at home and strived for both club and country. God bless to him and his family. Longlive the Canadian Assassin.
There's a whole thread on this on the Canada section of these boards, and on many other discussion boards. There's also an online petition to get a street named after him here in Vancouver: http://www.petitiononline.com/mobilio/
Petition makes one of the daily newspapers here: The Province, Page A16, 02-Dec-2004 Mobilio street possible - SFU urged to honour soccer star By Damian Inwood A petition calling for a Simon Fraser University road to be named after Vancouver soccer star Domenic Mobilio, who died last month at 35, is gathering momentum. "To lose him at such a young age, something has to be done," said John Knox, a.k.a. Johnny Monster, a member of the Swangard Southsiders soccer supporters. Knox and Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy set up the online petition five days ago asking the university and the Vancouver Whitecaps to support giving a new SFU soccer training centre the address 86 Domenic Mobilio Way. Knox says the petition has already had more than 1,500 responses, including one from Mobilio's twin brother, John. "The note said, 'My brother Dom is smiling in heaven because of this. A great idea and a fitting tribute,'" said Knox, 27, yesterday. "The petition has also been signed by members of the Whitecaps men's and women's teams and by national soccer coach Frank Yallop." Knox, a Vancouver 86er fan since he was a child, lives near Joe Sakic Way, named after the Burnaby NHL star. He took his idea to name a street after Mobilio to Bloy, who sent letters to SFU president Michael Stevenson and Whitecaps owner Greg Kerfoot. SFU spokeswoman Kathryn Aberle said the naming of facilities and roads at SFU is "the purview of the board of governors and there's a process that takes place when it comes to naming anything up here." Vancouver Whitecaps spokesman Rick Ramsbottom said: "It sounds like a neat idea but it's something that's out of our control and SFU would . . . have the final say." Mobilio spent 14 years with the 86ers/Whitecaps and played soccer for Canada 25 times. He died of a heart attack while driving home after playing soccer Nov. 13. Anyone wishing to sign the petition can do so at www.petitiononline.com/ mobilio. dinwood@png.canwest.com
Nice article on his career written by ex-Whitecap player and coach Carl Valentine from a local newspaper: http://nsnews.com/issues04/w120504/122104/sports/122104sp3.html Late, great: Mobilio made his mark SADLY, soccer recently lost one of its own in Dominic Mobilio. I first met Dominic on my arrival in Vancouver to play for the 86ers in 1987 - their first season. There were a lot of unfamiliar faces, Dominic's among them. But we were all there to play and everyone was keen to get the season started. Our first game was against Edmonton at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby with almost a full house on hand. The game was evenly balanced when we were awarded a penalty. Before the game, Dominic was told he had to take the penalty. Now, Dom was a young 19-year-old playing his first professional game. He was not having the best of times. So he asked if I would take the spot kick, which I did, and scored. We won the game 4-2. During our next game, again at home, there was again a penalty which I went to take. To my surprise, Dominic politely told me he would take it, which he did, and scored. Since that time, he went on to score many more from the spot - rarely missing. To me, this was Dominic, quietly confident, but very unassuming. I was greatly impressed by his talent and desire. In fact, after playing a couple of seasons together, I recommended him to Kenny Cooper, my coach with the Baltimore Blast in the Indoor League. Kenny signed Dominic to an initial two-year contract, never having seen him play. He didn't regret his decision, as Dom went on to become their leading scorer for many seasons. Many have often wondered why Dom didn't play for Canada more. My feeling is that he was one of the best strikers Canada has ever produced. Unfortunately, the style of play and the available players at that time were not in Dom's favour. Canada's play then was built on good organization, good defense, and delivering long balls behind the opposition's defence to speedy forwards. Dom's game would have been better suited to today's style where coaches choose from more possession-type players. This kind of game would be more to Dom's strength - playing the ball to his feet and creating chances for him in the box. Another question often asked about Dom was whether he would have made it in Europe. There's no doubt in my mind that he could have played anywhere in Europe on his ability alone. But knowing him, that was not his greatest goal in life. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Dom was as close to Vancouver as his family. If you know his family, you'll understand why. I had the pleasure of living with Angela and Louie Petramala (Dom's aunt and uncle) for one 86er season. In that summer I got to know them along with Dom's parents - Joe and Marie Mobilio - and his brothers, Johnny and Tony. They were such a close family and Dom always looked forward to returning to the Vancouver 86ers in the summer to play. He also felt, like me, that it was important to keep a name and a face here to build coaching opportunities at the end of playing. This strategy served him well, judging by his productive, but too-short time with Coquitlam City. He was well into a great coaching career and giving back to many who supported him throughout his playing days. No, if Dom were to have left everything here to reach the goal of playing in Europe, it would had to have been an absolutely perfect situation. Dom touched so many people both on and off the field in a positive way. He had a special way of making everyone feel comfortable around him. It's tragic that he has been taken away from us at such a young age, but I feel blessed that Dominic considered me his friend and I think we should do many things to keep his memory alive. To Joe and Marie, you raised a quality human being in Dom, and we feel for you in your time of grief. He touched many lives including my own, and for that we thank you. Carl Valentine is the head coach of the North Shore Soccer Development Centre. Go to www.nssdc.net for more information on programs.