Joe Speca
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Speca | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | July 1, 1937 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| College of Mount St. Joseph | |||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1957– | Baltimore Pompei | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966–67 | Baltimore St. Gerards | ||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1968 | Baltimore Bays | 20 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1960–1968 | United States | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1967–1968 | Baltimore Bays | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Joseph "Joey"[1] or "Joe" Speca (born Highlandtown, Baltimore, Maryland) is a former U.S. soccer player. Speca played a single season in both the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). He also earned three caps with the United States.
Youth[edit]
Speca grew up in Baltimore, playing soccer first at Patterson Senior High School then the College of Mount St. Joseph.
Professional career[edit]
Speca began his professional career with Baltimore Pompei. He then played for Baltimore St. Gerards, American Soccer League champions of 1966-67. In 1967, Speca signed with the Baltimore Bays of the National Professional Soccer League. He was one of only three native-born U.S. players in the league.[2] In 1968, the NPSL merged with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League. Speca then spent the 1968 season with the Bays in the NASL.[3]
National team[edit]
In 1959, Speca was selected for the U.S. roster at the 1959 Pan American Games. In 1960, he earned his first of three caps with the U.S. national team in a 3-3 tie with Mexico in a World Cup qualifier. He did not play again for the national team until September 15, 1968 when he came on for Eddie Clear in a 3-3 tie with Israel. His last game came ten days later in a 4-0 loss to Israel. In this game, he came on for Helmut Kofler.[4]
In 1995, Speca was inducted into the Old Timers Soccer hall of Fame.[1] In May 2007, inducted into the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Old Timers Soccer Association of Maryland Archived 2012-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Year in American Soccer - 1967". Archived from the original on 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^ NASL stats
- ^ USA - Details of International Matches 1885-1969 Archived 2010-01-13 at the Wayback Machine
External links[edit]
- 1937 births
- Living people
- American Soccer League (1933–1983) players
- American soccer coaches
- American men's soccer players
- Men's association football defenders
- Baltimore Bays players
- Baltimore Pompei players
- Mount St. Joseph University alumni
- National Professional Soccer League (1967) players
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) head coaches
- North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
- Soccer players from Baltimore
- United States men's international soccer players
- Footballers at the 1959 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in football