Pasquale De Luca
Encyclopedia
Pasquale de Luca (born 26 May 1962) is a former professional soccer player from Alberta, Canada. He is the head coach of the Edmonton Drillers
.
, De Luca played four seasons in the North American Soccer League
. He played 1981 and part of 1982 with his hometown Edmonton Drillers
. He then played the remainder of '82 as well as 1983 and '84 for the Toronto Blizzard
. De Luca later played in the original MISL
, playing three seasons – 1985–86 through 1987–88 – with the Cleveland Force as a defender
. In 1986, he also played for the Edmonton Brickmen
in the Western Soccer Alliance.
for Canada, De Luca was a member of the 1984 Summer Olympics
Canadian team that reached the quarterfinals, going out 1–2 after penalty kicks to Brazil's 'B' team. de Luca did not however make any appearances either in qualifying or in the tournament finals. He played 19 times for Canada
in 1984–85.
De Luca was also on the 1986 FIFA World Cup
squad, Canada's only appearance in the finals. Making several appearances in qualifying, he did not appear in the finals.
Edmonton Drillers
The Edmonton Drillers were a North American Soccer League team that played both outdoors and indoors from 1979 to 1982, at the peak of the league's success. The team was brought to Edmonton by local entrepreneur and Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington, after witnessing the strong support for...
.
Career
A native of EdmontonEdmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, De Luca played four seasons in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. He played 1981 and part of 1982 with his hometown Edmonton Drillers
Edmonton Drillers (NPSL)
-Resurrection:On August 23, 1996, at a hastily arranged press conference at Telus Field it was announced that Peter Pocklington has purchased the Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League and was moving them to Edmonton for the rapidly approaching 96/97 season...
. He then played the remainder of '82 as well as 1983 and '84 for the Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard (NASL)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
. De Luca later played in the original MISL
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, playing three seasons – 1985–86 through 1987–88 – with the Cleveland Force as a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. In 1986, he also played for the Edmonton Brickmen
Edmonton Brickmen
The Edmonton Brickmen were an Edmonton, Alberta-based soccer club that competed in two now-defunct leagues: the Western Soccer Alliance and the Canadian Soccer League.-History:...
in the Western Soccer Alliance.
International career
A midfielderMidfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Canada, De Luca was a member of the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
Canadian team that reached the quarterfinals, going out 1–2 after penalty kicks to Brazil's 'B' team. de Luca did not however make any appearances either in qualifying or in the tournament finals. He played 19 times for Canada
Canada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in 1984–85.
De Luca was also on the 1986 FIFA World Cup
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
squad, Canada's only appearance in the finals. Making several appearances in qualifying, he did not appear in the finals.