March 28 (1976)

Joe Clarke’s 75th-minute goal on a header off a cross from Greg Villa gives Big Four a 2-1 upset over Kutis in the Missouri Open Cup championship game at Mullally Field. The outcome snaps a 24-game unbeaten streak for Kutis. Big Four scores first on a goal by Chris Cacciatore in the 20th minute, but John Houska beats goalkeeper Chuck Zorumski in the 60th minute. The winner comes when Villa chases the ball to the backline and “executed a perfect cross in front to Clarke, who was streaking down the middle,” Wally Cross will write in the next day’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Clarke and the ball both arrived at the same time and the Kutis goalie (Chester Kowalewski) had no chance to stop the midfielder’s chest-high header.” The victory runs Big Four’s record to11-0-3. Many players on both teams go on to greater things in soccer. Villa, for example, will play professionally and on the U.S. Men’s National Team. Clarke also will play professionally and will become the men’s head coach at St. Louis University from 1983-96. Today, he is the men’s head coach at Washington University, a post he has held since 1997. Clarke’s overall coaching record is 473-207-84 with 23 NCAA playoff appearances.