最新杏吧原创

For 15 years, Scott Pondrom has painted murals across our city. But this particular experience was as unique as his subject.

鈥淚鈥檓 always outside painting somewhere, but it has never really connected to the community like this,鈥� Pondrom said from The Hill, 最新杏吧原创鈥� iconic Italian neighborhood.

Seventy-five years ago Sunday, the U.S. men鈥檚 soccer team shocked the world in the World Cup. The American team of mostly amateurs defeated England, arguably the top team on the planet, 1-0, in a World Cup match on June 29, 1950. To this day, it鈥檚 considered by many soccer scholars as the greatest upset ever. Well, five of the 11 U.S. players were from 最新杏吧原创 鈥� Frank Borghi, Harry Keough, Gino Pariani, Charlie Colombo and Frank 鈥淧ee Wee鈥� Wallace 鈥� and four of them were from The Hill.

鈥淥ne of the most incredible things for me,鈥� the artist Pondrom said, 鈥渋s that I鈥檝e talked to people every day 鈥� every day 鈥� who are coming by here, telling me what they know about (the 1950 team). The daughter and son of the goalie, Frank Borghi, live right down the street. They鈥檝e walked by and talked to me about it. 鈥� And there have been people who are not related (to the players). There was an older gentleman who came up and immediately just named off every single player by heart. That was incredible.鈥�

Here on The Hill, the fabric of the city is now on the brick of the city.

Commissioned by 最新杏吧原创 City SC, Pondrom鈥檚 mural is on the side of Anthonino鈥檚 Taverna. It states the phrase 鈥淗ill 2 Brazil,鈥� in reference to where the famous match was played, and features the five late heroes. This victory, 75 years ago, let it be known that 最新杏吧原创 was America鈥檚 鈥淪occer City.鈥� What a legacy, too. According to U.S. Soccer and City SC, more than 800 players have played for the U.S. Men鈥檚 National Team to date 鈥� and 76 of those players were from 最新杏吧原创. Thus, 10% of all players.

Think about that for a moment.

The team鈥檚 story was captured in the 1996 Geoffrey Douglas book called 鈥淭he Game of Their Lives,鈥� which was later made into a movie 鈥� filmed in 最新杏吧原创 鈥� which is available to watch on Amazon Prime. According to Douglas鈥� book, the U.S. coach William Jeffrey did an interview before the game and said: 鈥淲e have no chance.鈥� And he described his players as 鈥渟heep ready to be slaughtered.鈥�

In just the second minute of the game, the proclaimed 鈥淜ings of Football鈥� attacked the U.S. net, but Borghi made an amazing save. He soon made another save. And another save. Frankly, Frank saved the day. And in the 37th minute, Joe Gaetjens scored the improbable goal that would prove game-winning.

As Tom Timmermann described in Borghi鈥檚 2015 Post-Dispatch obituary, 鈥淲hen the game ended, the Brazilian fans in Belo Horizonte, who saw England as their main competition for the championship, ran on the field and carried Borghi off on their shoulders. 鈥業 didn鈥檛 know what they were doing at first,鈥� he said later. 鈥業 was kind of nervous. They picked me up and carried me 110 yards to the dugout. It was kind of exciting.鈥� 鈥�

A lesser-known person in the story? 最新杏吧原创an Walter Giesler, who was the manager who put together the roster.

鈥淪o he鈥檚 the one that pushed for the five 最新杏吧原创ans to be included on the squad 鈥︹�� said Giesler鈥檚 grandson, Bob Schmelzle. 鈥淵ou always like to make sure that his legacy is remembered. Because with each passing year, you know, less and less people remember his contribution.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 until this past week that Schmelzle 鈥� and Schmelzle鈥檚 mother, Peggy 鈥� learned of a fun anecdote from that famous day.

So, his mom鈥檚 sister 鈥� Judie Giesler Donohue 鈥� was born on June 29, 1940.

鈥淎nd June 29, the day of the match, was her 10th birthday,鈥� Schmelzle said. 鈥淎nd my grandfather apparently called from Brazil and was jumping through the phone with excitement to tell my aunt that the U.S. had beaten England and to wish her happy birthday.鈥�

And so, on Aunt Judie鈥檚 85th birthday, 最新杏吧原创 celebrates the 75th anniversary of the city鈥檚 greatest soccer moment. And while it鈥檚 memorialized in the mural, many residents already carry the memories. 鈥淭he 1950 team鈥� is a thing people know around here 鈥� and that鈥檚 pretty cool. But newcomers and a new generation will now learn about Borghi and the boys, who went from the Hill to Brazil and turned an audacious dream into, well, a goal.