sports
Grisly injuries, a murder and a disappeared hero: the forgotten stories of US World Cup history
As soccer fans turn their attention to the future of the sport in the States, we revisit four oft-overlooked moments – and one famous kick – that shaped its past
TL;DR
- The US men's team had their best-ever finish in the first World Cup in 1930, reaching the semi-finals.
- Bert Patenaude was posthumously confirmed to have scored the first World Cup hat-trick in 1930.
- The 1930 semi-final against Argentina was hampered by numerous injuries to the US team.
- Aldo “Buff” Donelli scored all four goals in the USA's 4-2 victory over Mexico in a 1934 qualifier.
- US team manager Elmer Schroeder was found murdered in his apartment in 1957.
- The USA famously beat England 1-0 in the 1950 World Cup, with Joe Gaetjens scoring the only goal.
- Joe Gaetjens disappeared and is believed to have been murdered by Duvalier's secret police in Haiti in 1964.
- Paul Caligiuri's "shot heard around the world" in 1989 secured the USA's qualification for the 1990 World Cup.