Luis Pena-Pinto

HUMN_2252_E1D How Soccer Explains the World

William Rogers Ph.D.
March 8th, 2021

Introduction:

“The Game of Their Lives” was a remarkably interesting movie, from the beginning I thought
it was about a team that was fighting to win a championship or something like that, but to my
surprise it was the opposite.
As we all know soccer mostly know around the world as Football roots back to the 206 BC in
China were there is a trace of a game like the one before the 9 th century; where the ball was made
with pig skin and full of nylon and rayon fillings and was kick from one side of the field to the
other where the teams fought for control and score at a circle or a squares type of figure.
The game took some shape in the early 19 th century around Europe, and then introduce to
England in 1848 at Cambridge college where the first rules appear as The Cambridge Code.
Gentlemen in London opted to make of the Cambridge code and some additions the official rules
for football in 1863, I was believed that such sport was made by gentlemen for gentlemen. The
Football association FA was created then in London in 1871, by 1886 the International football
association and them in 1904 FIFA.

In 1930 was the 1st FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and The United States was one of the
semifinalists and lost against Argentina 6 to 1. Italia 1934 was the second world cup disputed
officially as well as the second time the USA was a world cup. After 1938 there were not more
FIFA world cups disputed due to WWII.
“The Game of Their Lives” is an American Movie made in 2005 based on a book of the same
tittle by Geoffrey Douglas. To honor the 1 st American amateur team that participated in the FIFA
World Cup after the WWII in 1950. This amateur Football team was a tryout for the united states
to go back to the football competition and the World Cup Scenarios, but it was done with a time
constriction as well as not a national league from were to hand pick professional soccer players.

Then the US officials turn to the National Amateur Leagues in the united states the Saint Louis
MO and the one from Corky Row along the district of Fall River MA, where most of the players
got hand pick by Bill Jeffrey the US head coach. He handpicks this selected group of men from
Missouri due that the first ever US Olympic Football team that ever won silver and bronze
medals in such competition were Christian Brothers College and Saint Rose Parish in Missouri.
Bill Jeffrey then went to the amateur teams like Simpkins-Ford Club and the Fall River Soccer
Club to look for players and after he saw some of them decided to bring the team from
Massachusetts to Missouri for tryouts to the US Team within less that three months ahead of the
Brazil 1950 World Cup all these men had to prepared then selves to represent the United states
back into the scenarios of Football, in a remote place like Brazil. After 16 years of no
qualification to the competition and WWII no one knew about the United States competing in the
World Cup: most of the odds point at England, Italy, Sweden Brazil and The United States were
the favorites to win the 1950’s Cup. The groups were composed as follows:

Group 1: Brazil (4) (host nation), Mexico (12), Yugoslavia (13) and Switzerland (21).
Group 2: England (2), Spain (9), Chile (33), United States (40).
Group 3: Sweden (3), Italy (5), Paraguay (10) and India (36) (withdrew)
Group 4: Uruguay (18), France (24) (withdrew) and Bolivia.

England and Chile played on 25th June 1950 and England scored 2 to 0. The United States team
played versus Spain its first game and was defeated 3 to 1 on the same day.
On the 29th of June Spain played versus Chile and won 2 to 0; While the US beat England 1 to 0
in a remarkable game where Joseph Edouard Gaetjens score at the 38 minutes.
The US team was a remarkable group of people they were:

Frank Borghi Goalkeeper Apr 09, 1925 St. Louis VET

Joe Maca Defender Sep 28, 1920 Brooklyn/ Belgian
Harry Keough Defender Nov 15, 1927 St. Louis Navy
Ed Mcilvenny Midfielder Oct 21, 1924 Massachusetts / Scottish
John Souza Midfielder Jul 12, 1920 Massachusetts Army
Charlie Colombo Midfielder Jul 20, 1920 St Louis Coast Guard
Walter Bahr Midfielder Apr 01, 1927 Philadelphia Army
Frank Wallace Forward Jul 15, 1922 St. Louis VET
Ed Souza Forward Sep 22, 1921 Massachusetts
Gino Pariani Forward Feb 21, 1928 St. Louis
Joe Gaetjens Forward Mar 19, 1924 Haitian/German.

Those were the names of the 11 players that played the 90-minute match against England were
the last was defeated by the US such of game was known in brazil and south America as the
Miracle of Belo Horizonte. Also, this was the First time since WWII and the last time the US
participated on The FIFA World Cup until 1990 when we hosted the US 1990 FIFA World Cup.
After all matches were played two south American nations disputed the Final Uruguay And
Brazil, everyone expected that the host nation was going to win the cup, but Uruguay won 2 to 1
in the Maracanã Stadium place where the MARACANAZO happened, Uruguay conquers its
second World Cup leaving Brazil disappointed. Thanks to the Maracanaço we still remember one
of the greatest players ever Pele who told his father João Ramos do Nascimento «Dondinho»
who played the final against Uruguay that he was going to win the World cup for him, after
seeing his father cry.
The movie portrayed the endurance, honor and valor of the US Team to confront England.
Country that believed until today is the birthplace of Football or Soccer.