July 20 (1920)

Future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Charley Colombo is born. He will be one of five starters from St. Louis on the U.S. team that upsets England, 1-0, in the 1950 World Cup. Colombo also will play on two U.S. Open Cup championship teams in 1948 and 1950 with Simpkins Ford. A center back, Colombo will mark opponents out of the game, often with extremely physical play while wearing his trademark gloves. “I could play a center back, but I couldn’t play it as well as Charlie because Charlie was . . . well, in the first place, Charlie was brutal,” Colombo’s World Cup teammate and fellow U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer, Harry Keough, tells Dave Lange in a 2009 interview. Nevertheless, Colombo’s teammates were thankful to have Colombo on their side. “Charlie was a great guy to play behind,” Simpkins and 1950 World Cup goalkeeper Frank Borghi tells Lange. “He played a strong defensive game. He played hard, very aggressive. He hit the other guy real hard. He played 100 percent and wanted you to do the same.” Colombo’s hard play will earn 11 appearances for the U.S. National Team from 1948-52 and induction into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame on July 4, 1976, along with the rest of the U.S. 1950 World Cup team.