{{Short description|American soccer player and coach}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Joe Speca | image = | caption = | full_name = Joseph Speca | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1937|7|1}} | birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | height = | position = Defender | youthyears1 = | college1 = Mount St. Joseph Lions | years1 = 1957– | clubs1 = Baltimore Pompei | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1966–67 | clubs2 = Baltimore St. Gerards | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1967–1968 | clubs3 = Baltimore Bays | caps3 = 20 | goals3 = 1 | nationalyears1 = 1960–1968 | nationalteam1 = United States | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1967–1968 | managerclubs1 = Baltimore Bays | medaltemplates-expand = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport|Men's football (soccer)}} {{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Pan American Games}} {{MedalBronze|1959 Chicago|Team competition}} }}

'''Joseph "Joey"<ref name="oldtimerssoccer.net">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120208124808/http://www.oldtimerssoccer.net/halloffame.php Old Timers Soccer Association of Maryland]}}</ref> 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== Speca grew up in Baltimore, playing soccer first at Patterson Senior High School then the College of Mount St. Joseph.

==Professional career== 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html |title=The Year in American Soccer - 1967 |access-date=2007-10-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102062256/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html |archive-date=2008-11-02 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://nasljerseys.com/Players/S/Speca.Joe.htm NASL stats]</ref>

==National team== 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.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesu/usa-intres-det69.html USA - Details of International Matches 1885-1969] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100113210650/http://rsssf.com/tablesu/usa-intres-det69.html |date=2010-01-13 }}</ref>

In 1995, Speca was inducted into the Old Timers Soccer hall of Fame.<ref name="oldtimerssoccer.net"/> In May 2007, inducted into the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/S/Speca.Joe.htm NASL stats]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Speca, Joe}} Category:1937 births Category:Living people Category:American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Category:American soccer coaches Category:American men's soccer players Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Baltimore Bays players Category:Baltimore Pompei players Category:Mount St. Joseph University alumni Category:National Professional Soccer League (1967) players Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) head coaches Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Category:Soccer players from Baltimore Category:United States men's international soccer players Category:Footballers at the 1959 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 1959 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in football Category:20th-century American sportsmen