Joe Zupo


Joseph Saverio Zupo is a Canadian soccer coach and player, who serves as co-head coach and a player with Burnaby FC in League1 British Columbia and as an assistant coach with the University of British Columbia men's soccer program.

Early life

Zupo began playing youth soccer with Wexford SC when he was eight years old, winning the Ontario Cup at U17 level. He also played at the high school level with Senator O'Connor College School where he helped their soccer team secure a bronze medal at the high school OFSAA AAA championship in 2009 and was named team MVP.

University career

In 2010, Zupo committed to attend Queen's University to play for men's soccer program. 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 subsequently played every minute for the team for the next four years. In the final game of his rookie season, on October 24, Zupo scored two goals against the Laurentian Voyageurs, followed by scoring the winning goal in the first round of the playoffs, three days later, also against Laurentian, advancing to the next round. Queen's would ultimately be eliminated in the quarter-finals by the Toronto Varsity Blues, where Zupo contributed the team's lone goal. At the end of the season, he was named an OUA Second Team-All Star.
Ahead of his second season, he was named the team captain. At the end of his second season, Zupo was named an OUA First Team All-Star. At the end of his third season, he was again named an OUA First-Team All-Star. 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.

Club career

Canadian Soccer League

In the summer of 2013, he signed with Canadian Soccer League with Kingston FC. He scored his first goal on July 13, in a 2-2, draw against the Windsor Stars. Zupo would help the club secure the first-division regular season title and helped them reach the championship final, where they were ultimately defeated by SC Waterloo Region. After a successful season in the Canadian circuit, he ventured abroad to England for a tryout session with EFL League Two side Exeter City. Following his English trial, he returned to Kingston for the 2014 season, being named the co-captain alongside Cătălin Lichioiu.

League1 Ontario, Australia, and New Zealand

In 2015, Zupo joined Durham United in League1 Ontario, where he was named a League First Team All-Star at the end of the season.
In 2016, he joined Devonport City FC in the NPL Tasmania, the second tier of football in Australia, helping to lead the team to the league championship and Milan Lakoseljac Cup championship and was named to the NPL Tasmania Team of the Year. He was also awarded Devonport's Best and Fairest recipient that season.
After a year in Australia, Zupo returned to Canada and re-joined Durham United. He was once again named to the league First Team All-Star team at the end of the season.
In February 2018, Zupo returned to Australia, signing with Cairns FC in the NPL Queensland. He suffered an injury in the 2018 FFA Cup Round of 16 match in a 2-1 loss to defending A-League champions Sydney FC, ending his season.
Afterwards, he moved to New Zealand, signing with Hawke's Bay United FC of the ISPS Handa Premiership, the top division of soccer in New Zealand. He scored his first goal in a top division against Waitakere United. His tenure with Hawke's Bay was short-lived as he left the club midway through the season.
He once again returned to Canada in 2019, joining Darby FC in League1 Ontario. He was named to the league First Team All-Star team for the third time. In 2020, League1 Ontario named him to their All-time Best XI.

League1 British Columbia

In 2020, he went to the Vancouver area, to play with local side FC Tigers Vancouver, in local divisions.
For the 2022 season, he played in League1 British Columbia with Varsity FC. He remained with the club for the 2023 season, with the club changing their name to Nautsaʼmawt FC.
In 2024, he joined Burnaby FC in League1 British Columbia.

Coaching career

In 2022, he became an assistant coach with the men's soccer team at the University of British Columbia. In December 2024, he was named as a co-head coach alongside Adriano Clemente of Burnaby FC of League1 British Columbia ahead of the 2025 season.

Personal

Zupo has Italian ancestry and is a certified teacher in Canada.

Honours

Club

Kingston FC
Devonport City

Individual