European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Masa Zuie  year 1950 the yanks made soccer history by Joh Jeansonne new Day what an opening for Walter Bahr if he were Given to fish stories. Besides himself Only four other members of the 1950 . National soccer team still Are living. Anyway when the americans last played for the world cup 40 years ago and then pulled the biggest upset in . Soccer history a maybe the biggest upset in world cup history a by stunning England 1-0 who was paying any attention whatsoever to soccer so now if Walter Bahr were to Tell us that he made slalom like charges to the goal like Argentina a Maradona we might have to believe him. If he were to claim that he and his mates produced ticker tape parades and heroes welcomes we scarcely would know differently. The London daily mail in fact this year published a Story on the anniversary of that american soccer Triumph. The headline shouted a when the . Was Over the Moon Quot but Walter Bahr comes clean. A we Hadnot even heard of the world cup until we went and played in it Quot he said. A when we got to Brazil we realized it was going to be a pretty big Deal. But we be gotten More attention the last 20 years or so for playing in it than we did at the time. At the time no one knew we left and no one knew we came Back. Quot that a  they had real jobs to get Back to. Bahr was a schoolteacher in Philadelphia. Joe Gaetjens the haitian born Forward who scored to beat England worked As a dishwasher in new York City. Defens Eman Harry Keough and midfielder Frank Wallace were mailman in St. Louis Frank Borghi the goalie an undertaker in St. Louis belgian born defens Eman Joe Maca an Interior decorator in new York midfielder Charlie Colombo a Carpenter in St. Louis midfielder Gino Pariani a Cannery worker in St. Louis who had a paper route on the Side Forward John Souza a knitting Plant Foreman in fall River mass. Forwarded Souza no relation a part time truck Driver in fall River. Scottish born defens Eman de Mcilvenny who lived in Philadelphia Quot was the closest thing to a professional player we had Quot Bahr said. Quot i Don t know that de Ever worked at a regular Job. He just played  hardly the Norm then. John Souza recalls that Ben Mcgloughlin who had been a member of the National team up to that time a could no to get off from work to go to Brazil. He made flow meters. His Boss had let him off the summer before to play and when Ben asked him about going to the world cup his Boss said a you go you re done Here a Quot so he did no to go. The world cup until we went and played in  Quot if we had one reporter around our games Quot Bahr said Quot that was a lot. Dent Mcskimming who was with the St. Louis paper was a soccer fan. So he paid his own Way to Brazil and head go to the games and Call his office with the score and maybe a paragraph or two. In those Days no one Ever interviewed you  on the eve of the 1990 world cup which begins Friday in Italy a Survey sponsored by Mastercard has determined that the Quot greatest moment Quot in american soccer history was that single goal that rocked the English. At the time though the associated press report of the game that ran in the new York times credited the goal to the wrong player. But at 63, Bahr is neither too old nor too self important to have forgotten that the world cup in 1950, was played a City that was t yet shown on a lot of maps Belo Horizone. Particularly in the United states. Bahr realizes his bigger place in american sports history is As the father of Matt and Chris longtime nil placekicker. He May even be More widely known for having been soccer coach at Penn state for wednesday june 6,1990 15 years than for having participated in the eventful 1950 world cup. Quot i played on every National team for 10 years but i Only had 18 International appearances Quot Bahr said. He remembered that Quot you could never get our whole team together for practice Quot and that Quot in 1949, we were paid $5 a Day expenses. Make sure All this is listed under a ancient  Quot for the 1950 world cup the team flew from new York to Rio de Janeiro by Way of puerto Rico and Trinidad on a four engine propeller Airliner a Lockheed Constellation. The flight took two Days because there was mechanical trouble necessitating a Long Layover in san Juan. Once in Brazil they hopped to Curitiba Down the coast from Rio to Belo Horizone just North of Rio to Recife far up the coast for their three first round games. Quot we flew some dandies Quot Bahr said. Quot military  they stayed in Rio at a Beach hotel but Souza recalled Quot All you saw on the beaches was kids playing soccer. No tourists like you see now. No people in bathing suits lying on the Sand. Just local kids playing  it turns out that Walter Bahr set up that winning goal against the English on june 29,1950. Thirty nine minutes into the game on a Sloppy Field in Belo Horizone Bahr turned toward England a goal dribbled five or six Yards and punched a seemingly harmless right footed shot from outside the penalty Box toward keeper Bert Williams. And Gaetjens dived to his left slightly redirecting the Ball with his head past Williams. Quot now a Bahr said Quot that game is almost an embarrassment. People say a you Guys beat England Well yeah. But we were Lucky to beat  according to one of the English players Tom Finney a we should have won the game handsomely. We hit the Woodwork goalpost three or four times but it was one of those games that the longer it went the More desperate we  Quot i Don t have any great single memory of the game Quot Bahr said. Quot i always Felt we played a better game against Spain in that world cup. We had them 1-0 with eight minutes to play. Quot. But lost 3-1. That really is How it was. Quot it was a big Deal to the brazilians Quot Bahr said. Quot the crowd for the championship game Brazil against Uruguay is still listed As the largest attendance Ever a 199,000 or something. The crowd for our game with England was 20,000, 30,000. They seemed to be pro american to me. See England was favored to win the world cup and Brazil wanted no part of the  Bahr chuckled at his naivete. Quot i thought they were cheering for  stars and stripes a a a Page 13 Over England