February 26 (1933)

Billy Gonsalves, one of the greatest U.S.-born players of all time, makes his debut with Stix, Baer and Fuller of St. Louis. His performance in the Western semifinals of the National Challenge Cup (today’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup) at Sportsman’s Park will be called “a keen disappointment” in the next day’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It was stated that he was suffering from a charely horse,” the newspaper will add. Even more disappointing for Sitx is that they lose the match, 2-1 to the Andersons. Stix files a protest with the U.S. Soccer Football Association over an apparent tying goal from Willie McLean in the final minutes that was disallowed for offsides. Stix contends the ball was last played by Andersons goalkeeper Sam Dueker, thereby nullifying McLean being offsides. Stix will win the protest, as well as the replay with the Andersons on March 12, and will go on to win the first of three consecutive National Challenge Cup championships. Gonsalves will play a key role in the success of Stix, scoring 101 goals over five seasons in St. Louis. The native of Portsmouth, R.I., will be named to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame after a 25-year career in which he is alleged to have scored more than 1,000 goals.