Peter Greco

Peter Greco... speaks English and Italian... his father was born in Prossedi, ITA while his mother was born in Philadelphia, PA, USA... he was three years old when his family from Priverno, ITA to Montréal, QC, CAN in 1950... he grew up playing soccer, football, and hockey... he was 13 years old when he started playing soccer for YCAP in Montréal... growing up, favourites included Gordon Banks...

represented Canada in FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, two cycles of Olympic Qualifiers, and two editions of the Pan American Games... was part of the first Canadian team to feature in Olympic Qualifiers in 1967... career 19 international appearances across eight years from 1967 to 1974 with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team as a goalkeeper, including three international "A" appearances... was briefly Canada’s all-time leader with 19 career international appearances after his last international match in Vancouver on 24 August 1971 (his record was surpassed by Sam Lenarduzzi in 1972)...

with Vancouver Columbus FC, a three-time Canada Soccer National Championships winner (Challenge Trophy in 1969, 1977 and 1978)... a three-time Pacific Coast League winner (1968-69, 1969-70, 1970-71)...

said Peter Greco in 2018 of joining Columbus in 1968, “Peter Mainardi wanted or needed a goalie, so he called Ken Howarth of Burnaby Villa and the next thing you know my first game with Columbus was a cup game against Calgary. We won there, we won the next game, but we ended up losing to Toronto Royals in the final that year”... said Peter Greco in 2018, “I signed for the Vancouver Whitecaps for one year, but it was a mistake because I missed out on the Montréal Olympic Games. I grew up there. I had signed for peanuts and then a month later I get a letter from the national team who were struggling for players. It would have been nice to play in Montréal in front of all the people (with whom) I grew up”.... said Peter Greco in 2018, “our Columbus team in 1977 won every trophy. We cleaned up everything. That was probably the best team with whom I played. We had stars and good players, but we really worked for each other”...

wrote Frank Pike in 1971, Greco “is rated by South American coaches at (the Pan American Games in) Cali to be the best goalkeeper in North American and his performances for Canada have certainly confirmed this opinion”... said Sam Lenarduzzi in 2018, “Peter Greco was a really big man and he was good at stopping penalties. He was a very good shot stopper”... said Glen Johnson in 2018, “Peter Greco was very likeable, part of the core of the team, very intense on the field, but very quiet off the field. He wants to win, he doesn’t want the ball to ever to go across his goal line and he will do whatever he has to do to win”...