.jpg) Zupo in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Saverio Zupo[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1992-09-20)September 20, 1992 (age 32) | ||
| Place of birth | Scarborough, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-Back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2010 | Wexford SC | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Queen's Golden Gaels | 63 | |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2014 | Kingston FC | 32 | (?) |
| 2015 | Durham United FC | 22 | (2) |
| 2016 | Devonport City | 21 | (2) |
| 2017 | Durham United FA | 20 | (2) |
| 2018 | Cairns FC | 21 | (1) |
| 2018 | Hawke's Bay United | 7 | (1) |
| 2019 | Darby FC | 14 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Nautsa’mawt FC[a] | 26 | (4) |
| 2024 | Burnaby FC | 10 | (1) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022– | UBC Thunderbirds (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Burnaby FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 20, 2024 | |||
Joseph Saverio Zupo (born September 20, 1992) is a Canadian soccer coach and former player, who serves as co-head coach ofBurnaby FC inLeague1 British Columbia and as an assistant coach with theUniversity of British Columbia men's soccer program.
Zupo began playing youth soccer with Wexford SC when he was eight years old, winning theOntario Cup at U17 level.[3] He also played at the high school level withSenator O'Connor College School where he helped their soccer team secure a bronze medal at the high schoolOFSAA AAA championship in 2009 and was named team MVP.[4]
In 2010, Zupo committed to attendQueen's University to play formen's soccer program.[5] After being an unused sub in the first match of the season, he entered the second match of the season as a substitute following an injury to the starting centre-back 30 minutes into the match, and subseqiently played every minute for the team for the next four years.[6] In the final game of his rookie season, on October 24, Zupo scored two goals against theLaurentian Voyageurs,[7] followed by scoring the winning goal in the first round of the playoffs, three days later, also against Laurentian, advancing to the next round.[8] Queen's would ultimately be eliminated in the quarter-finals by theToronto Varsity Blues, where Zupo contributed the team's lone goal.[9] At the end of the season, he was named an OUA Second Team-All Star.[10]
Ahead of his second season, he was named the team captain.[11] At the end of his second season, Zupo was named an OUA First Team All-Star.[12] At the end of his third season, he was again named an OUA First-Team All-Star.[13] In his final season in 2013, he tied for the team lead in goals with four, and was again named an OUA First Team All-Star.[14]
In the summer of 2013, he signed withCanadian Soccer League withKingston FC.[15][16] He scored his first goal on July 13, in a 2-2, draw against theWindsor Stars.[17] Zupo would help the club secure the first-division regular season title and helped them reach thechampionship final, where they were ultimately defeated bySC Waterloo Region.[18] After a successful season in the Canadian circuit, he ventured abroad to England for a tryout session withEFL League Two sideExeter City.[19][20] Following his English trial, he returned to Kingston for the 2014 season,[21] being named named the co-captain alongsideCătălin Lichioiu.[22]
In 2015, Zupo joinedDurham United inLeague1 Ontario, where he was named a League First Team All-Star at the end of the season.[23]
In 2016, he joinedDevonport City FC in theNPL Tasmania,[24] the second tier of football in Australia, helping to lead the team to the league championship andMilan Lakoseljac Cup championship and was named to the NPL Tasmania Team of the Year.[25] He was also awarded Devonport's Best and Fairest recipient that season.[26]
After a year in Australia, Zupo returned to Canada and re-joinedDurham United.[27] He was once again named to the league First Team All-Star team at the end of the season.[28]
In February 2018, Zupo returned toAustralia, signing withCairns FC in theNPL Queensland.[29][30][31] He suffered an injury in the2018 FFA Cup Round of 16 match in a 2-1 loss to defendingA-League championsSydney FC, ending his season (his team was winning 1-0 at the time of his injury).[32][33]
Afterwards, he moved toNew Zealand, signing withHawke's Bay United FC of theISPS Handa Premiership, the top division of soccer in New Zealand. He scored his first goal in a top division againstWaitakere United.[34] His tenure with Hawke's Bay was short-lived as he left the club midway through the season.[35][36]
He once again returned to Canada in 2019, joiningDarby FC in League1 Ontario. He was named to the league First Team All-Star team for the third time.[37] In 2020,League1 Ontario named him to their All-time Best XI.[38]
In 2020, he went to the Vancouver area, to play with local side FC Tigers Vancouver, in local divisions.[39]
For the 2022 season, he played inLeague1 British Columbia withVarsity FC.[40] He remained with the club for the 2023 season, with the club changing their name toNautsaʼmawt FC.[41]
In 2024, he joinedBurnaby FC in League1 British Columbia.[42]
In 2022, he became an assistant coach with themen's soccer team at theUniversity of British Columbia.[43] In December 2024, he was named as a co-head coach alongside Adriano Clemente ofBurnaby FC ofLeague1 British Columbia ahead of the 2025 season.[44]
Zupo has Italian ancestry and is a certified teacher in Canada.[45]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs[A] | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kingston FC | 2013 | Canadian Soccer League | 14 | ? | ? | 0 | — | — | 14 | ? | ||
| 2014 | 18 | ? | 2 | 1 | — | — | 20 | ? | ||||
| Durham United FC | 2015 | League1 Ontario | 22 | 2 | — | — | 4 | 1 | 26 | 3 | ||
| Devonport City | 2016 | NPL Tasmania | 21 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 31 | 2 | |
| Durham United FA | 2017[46] | League1 Ontario | 20 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 23 | 2 | ||
| Cairns FC | 2018 | NPL Queensland | 21 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 1 | ||
| Hawke's Bay United FC | 2018–19[47] | New Zealand Football Championship | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 1 | ||
| Darby FC | 2019[48] | League1 Ontario | 14 | 2 | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Nautsa’mawt FC[a] | 2022 | League1 British Columbia | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 2 | ||
| 2023[41] | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||||
| Burnaby FC | 2024[49] | League1 British Columbia | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Career totals | 176 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 198 | 15 | ||
Kingston FC
Devonport City