The facade of Anthonino’s Taverna on The Hill recently underwent a transformation: The historic brick is now adorned with a mural honoring the US Soccer legends that grew up right around the corner.
It’s often called the greatest upset in soccer or, more simply, The Miracle on Grass. The 1950 United States Men’s National Team was a touchstone moment for soccer in America. Five of those players—Harry Keough, Frank Borghi, Charlie Colombo, Gino Periani, and Frank Wallace—turned the historic moment into a local legend as they upset England 1-0 in Brazil. All five players (plus Robert Annis, who made the trip but never suited up) honed their skills in St. Louis. Keough hailed from Carondelet and played for the St. Louis McMahons (later Kutis), while Borghi, Colombo, Periani, and Wallace lived on The Hill and were foundational players, along with Annis, for the venerated St. Louis Simpkins Ford.
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Borghi’s clean sheet against what was widely considered the world’s most dangerous attack has endured in the imaginations of St. Louis-born goalkeepers, a legacy that lives on through such St. Louis natives as Nashville SC’s Joe Willis and Columbus Crew’s Patrick Schulte. It’s a legacy that CITY SC hopes can inspire players trying to make the jump from the academy to the first team. And it’s a legacy of immigrant communities rallying around a global sport and leaving an imprint on the game, from the Catholic leagues of the early 1900s to the Afghan refugees that have found peace in the local game today.
The story of the 1950 World Cup team is fundamental knowledge for many St. Louis soccer fans. St. Louis CITY SC chief experience officer Matt Sebek is eager to honor the team’s legacy. “It’s such a big story for The Hill,” Sebek said while watching the progress of muralist Scott Podrom. “They went on to form the basis of those US Open Cup teams, went on to form the basis of our local youth teams, and their families are also heavily involved in the game here locally.”
CITY SC has been honoring the 1950 team ahead of the 75th anniversary by way of the subtle sash pattern on this season’s home kit. The club will double down on that identity as Orlando City comes to Energizer Park on Wednesday, carrying the sash motif into the corner flag and goal netting designs. The sash is also prominent in Podrom’s mural. “It’s a really cool opportunity for us to pay respect to the 1950 team,” Sebek says.
CITY SC will also celebrate the milestone during Wednesday’s match with a pennant giveaway featuring the St. Louis Five and a pre-match performance by the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
In paying tribute to the 1950 World Cup team, CITY SC hope that it can help provide fertile ground for a love of the game, remembering the past while informing the future.
“We sit atop so much soccer history,” Sebek says. “We have to be good stewards of that history while creating history of our own. We have to be for St. Louis by St. Louis.”
