{{Short description|Canadian soccer player, coach (b. 1941)}} {{Infobox Canadian Football League biography |name=Dmetro (Metro) Gerela |image= |caption= |birth_date=April 22, 1941 |birth_place= Sarrail, Alberta, Canada |death_date= |death_place= |Position=Kicker |College=none |DraftedYear= |DraftedRound= |CFLAllStar= |Awards= |Honors= |ProBowls= |playing_years1=1968 |playing_team1=Montreal Alouettes |DatabaseFootball= |PFR= |CFHOF= |CFHOFYear= |CollegeHOF=}}
'''Metro Gerela''' is a Canadian soccer coach and former professional soccer player.
In 1953, during the first Vancouver Sun Tournament of Champions (Youth Provincial Cup Competition Finals) played in Callister Park, Gerela (Powell River) was chosen to be the first "Sun Soccer Boy".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pcsl.org/thepcsl-beginnings.htm|title=THE PCSL - When did soccer have its beginnings in British Columbia?|last=Fryatt|first=Dave|year=2002|work=pcsl.org|accessdate=16 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928061441/http://www.pcsl.org/thepcsl-beginnings.htm|archivedate=28 September 2011}}</ref>
On October 17, 1964, Gerela led the New Westminster Royals<!--- not the link to the ice hockey teams ---> to a 5–1 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds with two goals.
Gerela was head coach of the Capilano College Blues women's soccer team from 1992 to 1994.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.capilanou.ca/services/athletics/history/coaches/metro-gerela.html|title=Metro Gerela|work=capilanou.ca|accessdate=16 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327053345/http://www2.capilanou.ca/services/athletics/history/coaches/metro-gerela.html|archivedate=27 March 2012}}</ref> He held the position of technical director at the Wesburn youth soccer club in 2004.<ref name="VC2003">{{cite news|url=http://www.cansoc.org/showthread.php?20504-Vancouver-Courier-Girls-Got-Game|title=Girls Got Game|last=Mackin|first=Bob|date=17 September 2003|work=Vancouver Courier|accessdate=16 July 2011}}</ref> He was the coach of the Croatia Sports Club soccer team in the Vancouver Metro Soccer League's Premier division.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archive.burnabynow.com/issues07/035207/sports/035207sp12.html|title=Croatia can clinch berth Saturday|last=Berridge|first=Tom|date=31 March 2007|work=burnabynow.com|accessdate=16 July 2011}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
He is married to Silvana Burtini, a police officer and formerly with the WUSA's Carolina Courage and a past member of Canada women's national soccer team.<ref name="VC2003"/>
He was a member of the 1979 Vancouver Whitecaps, who in 2011 were recognized as a Canada Soccer Hall of Fame Team of Distinction. Gerela was the head scout.<ref>[http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/10/honouring-1979-nasl-champion-vancouver-whitecaps] Honouring the 1979 NASL champion Vancouver Whitecaps</ref>
Gerela played two games (as a punter) for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1968.<ref>{{cite web|title=Montreal Allouettes all-time roster (alphabetical)|url=http://en.montrealalouettes.com/uploads/assets/MTL/History/AT_Roster_1946-2007_Alpha.pdf|publisher=Montreal Alouettes|accessdate=19 April 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318214510/http://en.montrealalouettes.com/uploads/assets/MTL/History/AT_Roster_1946-2007_Alpha.pdf|archivedate=18 March 2012}}</ref>
His two brothers were also football placekickers: Ted Gerela played with the British Columbia Lions and Roy Gerela with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite news|url=http://www.burnabynow.com/news/Dogged+pursuit+pays/4294431/story.html|title=Dogged pursuit pays off|last=Fleming|first=Andrew|date=16 February 2011|work=burnabynow.com|accessdate=16 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928082044/http://www.burnabynow.com/news/Dogged+pursuit+pays/4294431/story.html|archive-date=28 September 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerela, Metro}} Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian football placekickers Category:Players of Canadian football from Alberta Category:Montreal Alouettes players Category:Capilano University Category:Canadian men's soccer players Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position Category:Footballers who switched code Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen
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