Soccer Player. US Soccer Hall of Fame. Best known for his role in the 1950 upset of England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, he was one of the large St. Louis contingent on that team from The Hill neighborhood. He made a number of important saves as the goalkeeper in that match, which many experts consider to be the biggest upset in soccer history, and was carried off the field on the shoulders of the Brazilian fans after that match. He originally was a professional baseball player, in the Cardinals system, as a catcher but turned to soccer after the war. His catching and throwing skills led him to be selected as a goalie by his coach, as his kicking skills were poor. Even as a professional soccer player for Simpkins-Ford of St. Louis, he never took any of the goal kicks. He played nine times for the US, including the 1950 World Cup and the 1954 World Cup qualification round. He also won two US Open Cups in 1948 and 1950 with Simpkins-Ford. He was a funeral director in his home neighborhood and handled the funerals for some of his 1950 teammates. He also served in WW II as a medic, earning a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, and took part in the invasion of France on D-Day at Utah Beach, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine at Remagen. He was portrayed by Gerald Butler in the 2005 Hollywood film "The Game of Their Lives" from the book of the same name. He was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976.
Soccer Player. US Soccer Hall of Fame. Best known for his role in the 1950 upset of England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup, he was one of the large St. Louis contingent on that team from The Hill neighborhood. He made a number of important saves as the goalkeeper in that match, which many experts consider to be the biggest upset in soccer history, and was carried off the field on the shoulders of the Brazilian fans after that match. He originally was a professional baseball player, in the Cardinals system, as a catcher but turned to soccer after the war. His catching and throwing skills led him to be selected as a goalie by his coach, as his kicking skills were poor. Even as a professional soccer player for Simpkins-Ford of St. Louis, he never took any of the goal kicks. He played nine times for the US, including the 1950 World Cup and the 1954 World Cup qualification round. He also won two US Open Cups in 1948 and 1950 with Simpkins-Ford. He was a funeral director in his home neighborhood and handled the funerals for some of his 1950 teammates. He also served in WW II as a medic, earning a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, and took part in the invasion of France on D-Day at Utah Beach, the Battle of the Bulge, and the crossing of the Rhine at Remagen. He was portrayed by Gerald Butler in the 2005 Hollywood film "The Game of Their Lives" from the book of the same name. He was inducted into the US Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
Advertisement
