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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1952-07-14)July 14, 1952 (age 72) | ||
| Place of birth | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Second striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Victoria West United | |||
| London Boxing Club of Victoria | |||
| Victoria Riptide | |||
| 1989 | Victoria Vistas | 18 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| Canada | 23 | (5) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
George "Teddy" Pakos (born August 14, 1952) is a Canadian former soccer player who played as asecond striker. His goals were crucial in theCanada national team qualifying for the1986 FIFA World Cup.[2]
Pakos won Rookie of the Year honours in the finalPacific Coast League season, helping Victoria West United finish second overall in the 1972-73 league standings. He later played for Victoria's London Boxing Club (which later became the VAA) and won Canada Soccer'sThe Challenge Trophy in 1975. He began work at the same time as a water-meter technician for the city ofVictoria, a job he continued for over 25 years. The third son ofPolish immigrants, George's fatherZenon played professionally in Poland before being displaced by thewar. Pakos did play briefly professionally in theWestern Soccer Alliance in 1985 with theVictoria Riptides and in theCanadian Soccer League with theVictoria Vistas in 1989.[3][4][5]
Spotted by coachBob Bearpark while playing for theVancouver Island Selects amateur team, Pakos made his debut with the Olympic team at age 30. He also played for Bearpark in two Olympic qualifying matches in 1983 against Bermuda, scoring once in each game. He was however left off the team that reached the quarterfinals of theOlympics.
The midfielder Pakos scored five times in 23 'A' internationals, all of which he earned from age 31 on. In1986 FIFA World Cup qualification as a 33-year-old who had been cut from the team after the first round of qualifying, Pakos was recalled and scored the lone goal in a vital away win atHonduras. He also scored the first goal in a 2–1 home victory against Honduras that clinched Canada's berth in their only finals appearance. Pakos came on for the last 21 minutes of Canada's third match in the finals versus theSoviet Union in his final full international appearance.[6]
Pakos was head coach of V.A.A.'s Division 2 men's team of theVancouver Island Soccer League in 2005–06.
In 2001, Pakos was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.[7]
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 December 1983 | Estadio General Francisco Morazán (San Pedro Sula, Honduras) |  Honduras | 1–3 | Friendly match | |
| 2 | 4 April 1985 | Civic Stadium (Portland, Oregon) |  United States | 1–1 | Friendly match | |
| 3 | 25 August 1985 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) | Honduras | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 14 September 1985 | King George V Park (St. John's, Newfoundland) | Honduras | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 2 February 1986 | Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida) |  Uruguay | 1–1 | 1–3 | Miami Cup |
Victoria London Boxing Club
Individual
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