Former NKU men's soccer player Alex Greive inches closer to FIFA World Cup

Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
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A soccer player with strong ties to Greater Cincinnati is inching closer to a berth to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

For three seasons from 2017 to 2019, former Norse goal-scorer Alex Greive patrolled the field at what was then called the NKU Soccer Complex. On Monday, Greive received the latest in a string of recent international call-ups for New Zealand, which is preparing for a one-match playoff against Costa Rica with a berth to the World Cup group stage on the line.

Greive joined English Premier League stars and other fellow countrymen in being called up ahead of the June 14 playoff match at Al Rayyan Stadium in Qatar.

During his NKU days, Greive was an award-winning and prolific scorer. He tallied 20 goals and 15 assists in 48 NCAA matches, earning multiple Horizon League honors in the process.

Alex Greive (No. 7).
Alex Greive (No. 7).

Greive, who was recruited by then-NKU head coach Stu Riddle, was part of a core group of international players that helped lead the Norse to its first winning seasons as a Division I NCAA program.

In 2019, Greive was the second-leading goal-scorer in America, and only lagged behind the University of Denver's Andre Shinyashiki. Shinyashiki was the eventual No. 5 overall selection in the 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Since departing NKU following the 2019 season, Greive has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the game.

After excelling in New Zealand National League during the 2020-21 season, Greive signed for Scottish Premier League club St. Mirren in January.

Greive, 23, scored three goals in all competitions for St. Mirren this year, and quickly earned the attention of his country's senior national team after previously representing New Zealand in the youth levels.

To date, Greive has four appearances for the senior national team and scored twice against New Caledonia on March 24 in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former NKU men's soccer player Alex Greive inches closer to FIFA World Cup