Joe Gaetjens held aloft after scoring the winning goal

On June 29, 1950, at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, the United States national football team defeated the English team 1–0 in group play. The match was held in Belo Horizonte at Estádio Independência. The game and the U.S. team was profiled by author Geoffrey Douglas in his book The Game of Their Lives (ISBN 0805038752), which was made into a movie in 2005. Image File history File links Joe_Gaetjens. ... Image File history File links Joe_Gaetjens. ... June 29 is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 185 days remaining. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The 1950 Football World Cup was the only World Cup ever held which was not decided by a knockout final (although the last match of the tournament did end up determining the overall winner, and this match is usually referred to as if it were a final). ... First International Unofficial: USA 0 - 1 Canada (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Official: Sweden 2 - 3 USA (Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916) Largest win USA 8 - 1 Cayman Islands (Mission Viejo, USA; November 14, 1993) USA 7 - 0 El Salvador (Los Angeles, USA; December 5, 1993) USA 7 - 0 Barbados... Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ... First International Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First... Belo Horizonte (a Portuguese name meaning beautiful horizon) is among the most important cities in Brazil. ... Estádio Independência The Estádio Raimundo Sampaio, usually known as Estádio Independência is a football stadium inaugurated on June 29, 1950 in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, with a maximum capacity of 18,000 people. ... The Game of Their Lives is a 2005 drama film, directed by David Anspaugh. ... 2005 (MMV) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Game summary

At the time, the English were considered the "Kings of Football", with a post-war record of 23 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws. Conversely, the Americans had lost their last seven international matches (including the 1934 World Cup and 1948 Summer Olympics) by the combined score of 45–2. The odds were 3–1 the English would win the Cup, and 500–1 for the U.S. The 1934 Football World Cup was hosted by Mussolinis Italy. ... The Games of the XIV Olympiad were held in 1948 in London, United Kingdom. ...

England had Stanley Matthews, considered the best player in the world at the time, available, but he had not played with the English team in the three international matches prior to the World Cup (in fact, he had joined the team late, having been touring Canada as part of another group of English internationals). As such, the selection committee (consisting of one man, Arthur Drewry), opted to stay with the team that had just defeated Chile. As there were no substitutes allowed in those days, Matthews watched the game with the other reserves. Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (February 1, 1915 - February 23, 2000) was a football player, often regarded as one of the greats of the English game. ...

England won the toss and elected to kick off. Within ninety seconds, Stanley Mortensen sent a cross from the left wing to Roy Bentley, who let off a shot that was barely pushed aside by U.S. goalkeeper Frank Borghi. By the twelfth minute, England had six clear shots on goal but could not convert, with two shots hitting the post, one just going over the top, and another brilliantly saved by Borghi. Stanley Harding Stan Mortensen (born May 26, 1921 in South Shields, died May 22, 1991) was an English footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final (aka The Matthews Final), where he became the first and - thus far - only player ever to score a hat-trick... Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (born 17 May 1924) is a former English football player who played for Bristol City, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers as a forward. ... A goalkeeper leaves his feet to parry a shot on goal In many team sports, a goalkeeper (termed goaltender in some sports) is a designated player that is charged with directly preventing the opposite team from scoring by defending the goal. ... Frank Borghi (born April 9, 1925 in St. ...

The U.S. struggled to move to the offense, and finally managed a shot on goal in the twenty-fifth minute, which was blocked by Bert Williams. The English counterattacked with three successive clear shots at the goal in minutes 30, 31, and 32, but failed to score. Mortensen twice went over the crossbar, and Tom Finney's header to the top corner was tipped away by Borghi. Sir Tom Finney (born April 5, 1922) was an English association footballer famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End F.C., and for his performances in the English national side. ...

In the thirty-seventh minute, Walter Bahr launched a shot from twenty-five yards out, but as Williams prepared to make the save, Joe Gaetjens dove headlong and grazed the ball enough to put it past the reach of the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. The crowd exploded as the U.S. improbably led 1–0. As the half drew to a close, Finney had a chance to tie the score, but the whistle blew. Walter Alfred Bahr (born April 1, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is considered one of the greatest American soccer players ever. ... Joseph Edouard Gaetjens (born March 19, 1924 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, died 1964) was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 World Cup, scoring the winning goal against England. ...

With renewed confidence, the U.S. played tougher as the second half opened, creating another scoring opportunity in the ninth minute. But England began threatening again, and it was fifteen minutes before the Americans were able to get another shot. With eight minutes left, Charlie Columbo brought down Mortensen with an illegal tackle at the edge of the penalty area. England pleaded for a penalty kick, but the referee ruled it was outside the box. On the resulting free kick, James Mullen headed the ball for what he thought was a goal, failing to notice that Borghi had tipped it away at the last second, denying the English on their chance to tie the game. In Association Football (soccer), a penalty kick is a free kick from twelve yards (eleven metres) out with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal. ... A free-kick in football describes the situation where a player on the opposing team has committed a foul, and you are given the ball to play from the position where the offence took place. ...

England had no more chances on goal and the game ended in victory for the U.S. team. England then lost their next match and failed to qualify for the knockout stage. The U.S. team was able to score two goals against Chile, but still lost that match to end their World Cup run. They would not appear in a World Cup again until 1990. The 1990 Football World Cup was held in Italy. ...

John Souza, the U.S. inside right forward, was selected to a World Cup All-Star team by the Brazilian sports newspaper Mundo Esportivo, and remained the only American player ever selected to a World Cup All-Star team until Claudio Reyna in 2002. Claudio Reyna (born July 20, 1973 in Livingston, New Jersey) is an American soccer player who is currently the captain of the US national team, and frequently recognized as one of the most skillful ever to play for the United States. ...

Aftermath

Around the world, newspaper headlines trumpeted the shocking upset, except, oddly enough, in the United States and England. In fact, only one American journalist was even at the World Cup (Dent McSkimming of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch who was there on vacation), and his report of the match was the only one to appear in any American newspaper. In England, the top story was the English cricket team's first ever defeat by the West Indies, which happened the same day. The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch is the only major city-wide newspaper in Saint Louis, Missouri. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: England Travel guide to England from Wikitravel English language English law English (people) List of monarchs of England – Kings of England family tree List of English people Angeln (region in northern Germany, presumably the origin of the Angles for whom England is named) UK... The English cricket team is a national cricket team which nominally represents England and Wales, but is a de facto United Kingdom team. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ...

Afterwards, a number of books and newspapers in England suggested that the U.S. team had arrived "through Ellis Island," meaning that the team was made up of immigrants, but eight of the starting eleven were American-born. The other three, Gaetjens, Ed McIlvenny, and Joe Maca, were not U.S. citizens had declared their intentions to gain citizenship and according to the rules of the United States Soccer Football Association, were allowed to play. The U.S. was cleared of any wrongdoing by FIFA in a hearing on December 2, 1950. Immigration Museum on Ellis Island Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River, was at one time the main immigration port for immigrants entering the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... Immigration is the act of moving to or settling in another country or region, temporarily or permanently. ... The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, universally known by its acronym FIFA, is the international governing body of football (soccer). ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Players

England: Bert Williams (goalkeeper), Alf Ramsey, Jack Aston, Billy Wright, Laurie Hughes, Jimmy Dickinson, Wilf Mannion, Tom Finney, James Mullen, Stanley Mortensen, Roy Bentley, Walter Winterbottom (technical director) First International Scotland 0 - 0 England (Partick, Scotland; 30 November 1872) Largest win Ireland 0 - 13 England (Belfast, Northern Ireland; 18 February 1882) Worst defeat Hungary 7 - 1 England (Budapest, Hungary; 23 May 1954) World Cup Appearances 12 (First in 1950) Best result Winners, 1966 European Championship Appearances 7 (First... Sir Alfred Ernest Ramsey (born January 22, 1920 in Dagenham, Essex; died April 28, 1999) was a footballer and manager of the English national football team from 1963 to 1974. ... Statue of Billy Wright outside the stand bearing his name at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton Billy Wright, CBE (February 6, 1924 - September 3, 1994) was a footballer for Wolverhampton Wanderers. ... James William Jimmy Dickinson (24th April 1925 - 9th November 1982) was an English football player. ... Wilf Mannion (May 16, 1918 - April 14, 2000) was a footballer who played for Middlesbrough from 1937 until 1954, scoring 110 goals in 368 appearances. ... Sir Tom Finney (born April 5, 1922) was an English association footballer famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End F.C., and for his performances in the English national side. ... Stanley Harding Stan Mortensen (born May 26, 1921 in South Shields, died May 22, 1991) was an English footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final (aka The Matthews Final), where he became the first and - thus far - only player ever to score a hat-trick... Roy Thomas Frank Bentley (born 17 May 1924) is a former English football player who played for Bristol City, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Fulham and Queens Park Rangers as a forward. ... Sir Walter Winterbottom, CBE (January 31, 1913 in Oldham, England – February 16, 2002) was manager of the England football team from 1946 until 1962. ...

U.S.A.: Frank Borghi (goalkeeper), Harry Keough, Joseph Maca, Walter Bahr, Ed McIlvenny (captain), Charlie Columbo, Frank "Peewee" Wallace, Gino Pariani, Joe Gaetjens, John "Clarkie" Souza, Eddie Souza (no relation), William Jeffrey (manager). Although Bahr was the normal captain, McIlvenny was selected for the role "because he was British." First International Unofficial: USA 0 - 1 Canada (Newark, USA; November 28, 1885) Official: Sweden 2 - 3 USA (Stockholm, Sweden; August 20, 1916) Largest win USA 8 - 1 Cayman Islands (Mission Viejo, USA; November 14, 1993) USA 7 - 0 El Salvador (Los Angeles, USA; December 5, 1993) USA 7 - 0 Barbados... Frank Borghi (born April 9, 1925 in St. ... Harry Keough (b. ... Walter Alfred Bahr (born April 1, 1927 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is considered one of the greatest American soccer players ever. ... Edward John McIlvenny (b. ... Joseph Edouard Gaetjens (born March 19, 1924 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, died 1964) was a Haitian soccer player who played for the United States national team in the 1950 World Cup, scoring the winning goal against England. ...

Quotes

• Wilf Mannion - "Bloody ridiculous. Can't we play them again tomorrow?"
• Harry Keough - "Boy, I feel sorry for these bastards. How are they ever going to live down the fact we beat them?"

Wilf Mannion (May 16, 1918 - April 14, 2000) was a footballer who played for Middlesbrough from 1937 until 1954, scoring 110 goals in 368 appearances. ... Harry Keough (b. ...

References

• Douglas, Geoffery, The Game of Their Lives (ISBN 0805038752)
• Jose, Colin, The Real Story about the 1950 U.S. World Cup Team
• Lewis, Michael, Miracle on Grass, Soccer Digest, August, 2000
• Lopez, Tobias, Walter Bahr remembers, February 22, 2004