"A 3-0 win over Belgium in their opening game which shared with France v Mexico the honor of being the first-ever game at a World Cup was followed by a 3-0 win over Paraguay in which Bert Patenaude scored the first World Cup hat-trick although it was only in November 2006, 32 years after his death, that the disputed second of his three goals was finally confirmed as having been scored by the Fall River striker."
"Substitutions were not introduced to the World Cup until 1970, meaning injuries could have a huge influence on the outcome of a game, reducing a side to 10 men or fewer. And injuries severely afflicted the USA in their semi-final against Argentina. The goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas struggled on with a twisted knee and the midfielder Ralph Tracy missed the whole of the second half after fracturing his right leg."
"Six of the 16-man USA squad who went to Uruguay for the first World Cup were British, but all played their club football in the US, an indication of the strength of domestic league at the time. The tale of those connected with the US team is often bleak, but it's also more deeply rooted and richer than is often appreciated."
"Thirty-two years later, the sport has exploded in popularity and the USA have become a regular fixture at World Cups. But many people don't realize the US's World Cup history extends all the way back to the first tournament staged when the US men had their best-ever finish, reaching the semi-finals."
The USA’s World Cup involvement reaches back to the first tournament in 1930, when the team achieved its best-ever finish by reaching the semi-finals. Several squad members were British-born but played club football in the United States, reflecting the strength of the domestic league at the time. The USA opened with a 3-0 win over Belgium in the first-ever World Cup match, then followed with a 3-0 win over Paraguay featuring Bert Patenaude’s first World Cup hat-trick. Because substitutions were not introduced until 1970, injuries could drastically affect matches. In the semi-final against Argentina, the USA suffered major injuries, including a twisted knee for goalkeeper Jimmy Douglas and a fractured right leg for midfielder Ralph Tracy, while other players were also temporarily incapacitated.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]