June 18 (1956)

For the first time in the 33-year history of the U.S. Amateur Cup, the U.S. Soccer Football Association awards the championship on a forfeit. Kutis of St. Louis is named the Cup winner the day after Kutis plays the Philadelphia Ukrainians at Public Schools Stadium in the controversial first game of a home-and-home series. The Ukrainians get down and dirty, accumulating 23 fouls to only two for Kutis. Kutis is leading 1-0 on an 82nd-minute goal by Freddie Vasquez when Jim Murphy has a breakaway in the 87th minute with only defender Wolodymyr Harasym and the goalkeeper to beat. Harasym pushes Murphy as Murphy is about to pull away from Harasym in a corner of the penalty area. Referee Julius Riepze of Milwaukee gives Kutis a penalty kick. The Ukrainians and their manager surround Riepze. U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame journalist Dent McSkimming, who is covering the match for the St. Louis Post-Dipatch, writes, “After tolerating the ceaseless shouting and verbal abuse of the players and the arm-waving protests of the Ukrainians’ official, Riepze ordered one especially offensive player off the field, told the Ukrainians’ manager to do the same and instructed the Philadelphia players to clear the penalty area so that the kick could be taken.” When the manager and the Ukrainians’ players refuse to obey, Riepze calls the game, which goes into the books as a 1-0 victory for Kutis. Given that the penalty kick likely would have made the score 2-0 in a series decided on goal differential, Missouri Amateur Cup commissioner Harry Luecke tells the USSFA he believes that the Ukrainians had forfeited their right to continue the series in Philadelphia. The national governing body of soccer agrees on June 18 (headline in June 19, 1956, St. Louis Post-Dispatch shown above right). The USSFA gives the championship to Kutis, fines the Ukrainians $1,000, and suspends them from the USSFA until the fine is paid. The Ukrainians’ tactics mystify Kutis captain and future U.S. Soccer Hall of Famer Harry Keough. “Players of that type are doubly guilty when they trip and hack their opponents,” Keough tells the Post-Dispatch. “They are skillful enough to play good soccer, perhaps win the game, without breaking the rules.” The championship will be the first of six consecutive U.S. Amateur Cups won by Kutis.