The Miracle on Grass



Posted: Thursday, July 29, 2010

by Kate Whitely

While many in America couldn't care less about the World Cup in South Africa, there are signs that the tide of interest in soccer is slowly turning. For a long time it's been the most popular recreational sport amongst boys and girls and attendance at professional games is at an all time high. When you take into account the fact that the national team is denied the best players because so many are siphoned off by the big four' sports before their teen years; it's amazing that they've managed to qualify once again. And with some well conditioned and determined athletes on the squad the nation surely won't be embarrassed.

The USA squad only managed to start qualifying again in 1990. Prior to that there had been a drought of some 40 years. It was 1950 when a team represented the USA at the World Cup, and despite bowing out after a 5-2 loss to Chile, it was the game prior to that which holds interest for historians. IA super confident England team were the opponents, confident because they had a post-war record of 23 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws. The Americans, by contrast, had lost their last seven international matches and were 500-1 outsiders to win the game.

The USA team were able to come away with a 1-0 win that was such an upset that English newspapers thought that it must have been a typo, and went to press with the news that England won 10-0! The victory was remarkable because the USA team was hastily assembled and had only been able to practice together once, and that was on the day before they flew out to Brazil. The players were semi-professionals who held down regular jobs to support their families. Walter Bahr (father of NFL kickers Matt and Chris) was a high school teacher, while others were mail carriers and dishwashers. Coach Bill Jeffrey, himself added to the team at the eleventh hour told the press. "We have no chance."

The game was as tough as expected, with the Americans mostly defending against a blizzard of England assaults, but Joe Gaetjens' deflection of a Walter Bahr shot in the thirty-seventh minute proved to be the deciding factor. One unanswered goal that resulted in one of the biggest sporting upsets ever.

Such was the lack of interest at the time that this monumental victory was barely a blip on the radar. Dent McSkimming of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the only American reporter who was present at the match, and he wouldn't have been there at all if he hadn't paid for his own ticket. He'd even had to take time off work as the paper didn't want to cover the event.

In England it was a similar story, but only because the England cricket team had been beaten for the very first time by the West Indies on the same day. It would later be named. "The Miracle on Grass."

So if you've been swayed by the drama of the beautiful game and are thinking of watching a professional match, make sure to stock up on coloured wigs, face paint, hats and some designer sunglasses to keep the UVAs at bay.
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