Sports

U.S. World Cup hero Harry Keough passes away

Former U.S. Men’s National Team defender Harry Keough _ one of the key players on the U.S. squad that upset England during the 1950 FIFA World Cup, still considered arguably the greatest upset in soccer history _ passed away today at the age of 84 at his home in St. Louis.

“We are all saddened by the loss of such an important man in the history of U.S. Soccer,” said U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati. “Harry was a true pioneer, representing the finest of a generation of men and women who built the foundations for soccer in the United States on which we stand today.

“While his participation on the U.S. team that beat England in the 1950 FIFA World Cup remains a memory that fans around the world treasure, it is his lasting contribution to soccer in St. Louis and around the country as a player and a coach that will be his true legacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Alma, and his children Ty, Colleen and Peggy.”

The National Soccer Hall of Famer was a member of the U.S. MNT in the 1940s and 1950s. He earned 19 caps for the United States, highlighted by that shocking 1-0 upset over top-ranked England on June 29, 1950 at the World Cup.

He helped anchor a U.S. backline that kept a clean sheet against one of the tournament favorites, a victory so stunning some newspapers actually printed the score as a 10-1 win for England, so incomprehensible was a U.S. win.

Keough served as the U.S. captain during the team’s World Cup opener vs. Spain on June 25, 1950. Four days later, he was in the Starting XI and the U.S. withstood a heavy England attack before Haitian-born New York resident Joe Gaetjens’ diving header in the 37th minute gave the U.S. a lead that held up the rest of the way.

Keough also played for St. Louis Kutis, which won the 1957 U.S. Open Cup and the National Amateur Cup six consecutive times between 1956 and 1961. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1976, along with his other U.S. teammates from the 1950 World Cup team.

He is survived by wife Alma and his three children, Ty, Colleen and Peggy.