Petrescu was born and raised in Brașov, Romania, where he played soccer with local side Metrom Brașov. He began working as a referee in 1986, and would officiate matches in Divizia B before emigrating to Canada in 1995.[4] Early in his career he officiated in the Canadian Professional Soccer League, where in 1999 he was named the CPSL Referee of the Year.[5][6] As a Canadian Soccer Association referee, he became FIFA listed in 2002 and has been officiating in Major League Soccer since 2006.[7]
He has also officiated in CONCACAF tournaments along with other national and international tournaments and fixtures, from friendlies to World Cup qualifying matches. When the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was held that summer in Canada, he was selected to be one of the tournament's officials.[1]
In November 2012, Major League Soccer named Petrescu the MLS Referee of the Year, the first Canadian to win the title. Soon after it was announced that he would serve as the head referee for the MLS Cup 2012 final.[8]
In November 2013, Petrescu officiated his final international match, a friendly between Brazil and Chile played at BMO Field in Toronto, due to a rule preventing referees over the age of 45 from remaining FIFA Listed.[9]
Personal life
Silviu Petrescu's father, who was also a FIFA referee, encouraged him to become a referee rather than a professional player. He had previously played in the premier Romanian division for three years while stationed in the army.[10]
Petrescu lives in Waterloo, Ontario, where he also works as a taxi driver, partly because it gives him the flexibility to work around his refereeing schedule.[11]
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